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Growing up in a small town, Everett Brewer learned early in life that a person had to create opportunities to keep food on the table — and hustle harder to get some of the niceties of life.
He didn't realize it then, but it was perfect preparation for the now experienced co-founder with a solid history in the renewables and construction industry. "The word 'entrepreneur' only came into focus in my mid-teens," he said. "I had no idea that's what I was preparing for."
Everett is the CEO of storage player Storz Power and Chief Operating Officer of the solar project matching platform Watthub — companies that aim to reduce dependency on the energy grid and connect players in the renewable energy marketplace, respectively.
Lehi, Utah-based Storz Power has experienced large multiples of growth year-over-year. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Watthub has developed and supported the deployment of more than $1.2 billion in projects. Recently, Energy Tech Review named five-year-old Storz Power a top energy storage provider in 2021 and featured Everett on the cover of its December issue.
From running a crew of 3,300 people at age 21 to dominating the door-to-door alarm business, Everett's remarkable solar journey has seen him navigate successful stints at SunEdison and Evolve Solar before developing nano-printed lithium for OEM applications. Unsure what that is?
“I was approached by a group that just so happened to acquire the patents to nano-printed lithium battery technology.” He was introduced to them as “our solar guy.”
“[They] were not in the solar industry and had no idea what to do with the technology.”
Everett was intrigued — "the geek-out point kept me moving, and I was creating a pathway or proof of concept [and the] potential of the technology as a whole [for residential solar + home energy storage] got me heavily involved."
And while his company eventually gave up on nanotechnology in favor of lithium iron phosphate (LFP), he was now fully committed to solar. Today Storz Power specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) enabled LFP battery technology.
"We're a technology and software company that happens to manufacture batteries along the way. And so the technology and software enable additional efficiency while enabling us to stay current in whatever format [of storage technology] may happen," he said.
The company's motto is to be sustainable through technology by "building a smarter battery, not a bigger battery." You'll need to tune in to today's podcast for all the details. But in brief, Storz Power manages energy usage automatically and in real-time by deploying a learning algorithm that gets smarter with every use and uses AI to better manage energy, on and off the grid.
Everett's second company, WalletHub, focuses strictly on commercial and industrial utility-scale projects. It's a matchmaking service that connects players of all sorts in the renewable energy industry with projects, companies, and equipment.
"We have a huge network of manufacturers, and we also have a huge network of installers, all of the procurement, engineering, development, financing — we're the central connective tissue," he said.
I hope you can tune in today to hear what Everett thinks his companies do differently, where the industry is making mistakes and how he juggles multiple "shifts”, after getting his three kids to bed, to bring all his plans to fruition.
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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.