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John Berger has an enviable grasp of the renewable energy business and an equally clear understanding of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. "You can throw the idea of work-life balance out the window," he said.
But with the support of his wife of 22 years, John — officially William J. Berger — has created one of the most influential solar services companies in the United States and arguably the world.
John founded Sunnova in 2012 and has served uninterrupted as its CEO, president and board chair. An energy entrepreneur with more than two decades of industry experience, he supports free market competition, consumer choice and the advancement of technology to power energy independence.
Houston-based Sunnova is an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) provider that wants to make clean, renewable energy more accessible, reliable, and affordable by providing "better energy service at a better price."
Today's podcast focuses on John's perspective from the perspective of a leading solar services company. We explore his thoughts on energy transformation, what it means for consumer choice, and how his experience informs his vision for a renewable energy future.
If you're a regular listener, you may recall John's insights from Episodes 113 and 465. It's always interesting to hear from John because he's a clean-energy prophet in the heart of the United States' oil and gas country.
Before Sunnova, John founded SunCap Financial, a residential solar service provider, and Standard Renewable Energy, a provider and installer of renewable energy and energy-efficient products and services. He also worked for several years in Enron's experimental fuel cell division, leaving in August 2001 to attend Harvard Business School.
So we dig in a bit during today's show to learn more about his backstory, including the impact of his Enron experience. He shares what he learned from the collapse of Enron and how he uses it in his work, and addresses contemporary issues like the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the energy industry.
John talks about coming from an entrepreneurial family — his dad started a geotechnical materials consulting firm after losing his job in the 1985 oil bust — and credits his wife — an entrepreneur's daughter — for adding to his success.
"Being an entrepreneur requires real sacrifices, but it's who I am. So I needed to marry someone who would understand — and it's a little hard to understand if you've never experienced it.
"There are plenty of other attributes like personality fit, life fit. Do you want to family? How big? What do you want to do? What's important to you? Is God important to you or not? These things can also weigh as much in any equation as being an entrepreneur. But I personally heavily weighted the entrepreneur piece, and, in retrospect, that was right," he said.
John said he wants "to leave the world better" than he found it — and credits his wife's support and dedication for giving him the runway to transform Sunnova into a powerhouse.
It's a perfect podcast for this Thanksgiving Eve, filled with information and insights, of course, but sparked as well by a lot of gratitude.
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
A Message to Garcia
by Elbert Hubbard
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“Understanding the physical system I very quickly came away with this is archaic, the way that we’ve set up our power system is industrial age, not digital age.”
“First of all, I think Wall Street and many people don’t fully appreciate the impact of the IRA yet, this is going to end up being a monumental event in the energy business as a result of monumental event for the country and for the world.”
Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!
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.