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About the Episode:
What is the unsung hero of solar installations?
Racking… It's a "set it and forget it" component for contractors, as its reliability is essential to avoid costly service calls, making that critical product choice a “near-religious experience” for most installers.
Kai Stephan, the founder and CEO of Pegasus Solar, has developed one of the fastest growing solar mounting software and hardware solution providers here in the United States on the vision of simplifying the product and giving homeowners and installers more peace of mind.
His entrepreneurial journey was not all smooth sailing. After leaving a kush Utility job at SoCal Edison to found Pegasus, Kai encountered more than a few challenges. What do you do when your launch-customer files for bankruptcy? Pivot. What do you do when regulations change the rules of engagement? Reinvent yourself. Pegasus is not exactly the business Kai thought he’d leave his corporate nest to create, but it’s proved a worthy competitor in a very competitive landscape for more than a decade, and seems to only be getting better.
Despite the hurdles, Kai has remained committed to his vision to make rooftop solar easy with a product that’s “better by design”. I’d encourage you to watch the video version of this one if you can, as I had an AHA Moment myself when Kai finally explained to me the genius of the product design. Here’s a significant stat for you - 5 Million units shipped over the past decade with ZERO product failures and…ZERO Roof Leaks!
There are numerous lessons to be learned along the way:
The design features that make Pegasus solar installations fast, easy and more reliable
Kai's approach to navigating financial setbacks
A novel approach to water-intrusion testing that includes a kiteboard
How software automation accelerates solar panel layouts
Pegasus’ creative process behind new product development
Hit play to gain insights into Kai’s entrepreneurial journey and how Pegasus’ hardware and software solutions are improving residential solar installation.
Helpful RESOURCES:
Connect with Kai Stephan:
Check out Pegasus Solar:
Resources:
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“Whatever area that your product or services are in. It’s not just the person that’s paying the bill. That is a very key component to it. But think about how whatever it is flows through the entire channel, and how you can remove friction along all those different touch points.”
“My hope is that the work that we will have done will have truly enabled a faster adoption of solar through lower cost hardware, through higher accessibility to a better technology to enable more people to enter the industry who may not have the resources or training through easier products to work with.”
Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is Chint Power Systems America!
CPS America is the #1 supplier of 3-phase string inverters for Commercial & Industrial and Utility-Scale projects with more than 8 gigawatts of inverters installed on 20,000+ sites around the nation!
We are grateful for our GOLD sponsor:
Speed up PV installations for lower LCOE with TrinaTracker and improve overall system value with optimized compatibility using Trina Solar’s industry-leading modules and the TrinaPro utility-scale or C&I Solutions. Please visit https://www.mysuncast.com/trina
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 15 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.