168: Capitol Hill Insider Bill Parsons, ACORE’s COO

If you listened to our last Tactical Tuesday, Ep 160 w/Chris Rausher, then you have a primer into the important policy work happening on our behalf on Capitol Hill and in corporate boardrooms. Legislation is one of those things you need to keep an eye on, so today I thought I’d bring in a Washington insider who’s spent decades on the Hill.

Bill Parsons is Chief Operating Officer of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and sat down with me recently at the REFF Wall St conference to discuss the latest happenings in Washington and what you should be keeping tabs on.

Resources:

To read the new report and survey, and for more details on the $1T 2030 campaign, please visit http://www.acore.org/1T2030

Learn more about Bill here

Check out the ACORE website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

167: Smart Home Startup Lumin is Poised for Growth, CEO Alex Bazhinov

Alex Bazhinov and his co-founder, Kevin O’Shea, built Lumin to give the homeowner the ability to actually know what their home energy usage is. Tune-in to hear how Alex got the idea for Lumin, how he and Kevin met and formed the company, and just how they expect to disrupt the Smart Home market and enable more solar and energy storage integration along the way.

Regular listeners know that I spent a few days in Charlottesville in April where I had the privilege of meeting some of that town’s solar and cleantech all-stars! Alex Bazhinov is one such entrepreneur, and I am grateful that his head of Marketing, Val Newcomb, reached out to me for this interview.

Alex and his co-founder Kevin O’Shea share a passion for making things around the home easier. Especially the ability to actually know what your home energy usage is… and they’ve created a device that goes far beyond that to actually allow you to control the loads right at the load panel!

Lumin is breaking new ground in the smart-home race, and I think they are destined to be another Charlottesville tech company success story.

Enjoy some of the photos from my time with Lumin throughout this post.

A game of SolarPong at the Lumin Office

Books Mentioned:

7 Powers - Foundations of Business Strategy - Hamilton Helmer

Resources:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn

Check out the Lumin Website

The Lumin Panel

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

166: A New Finance Mechanism for Solar?

Jason Edens has been developing solar and renewable financing mechanisms for nearly 2 decades. His innovation and hard work in America’s heartland has earned the energy freedom of hundreds of families formerly dependent on energy assistance from the US Government. Today we hear his story and learn how the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance is offering innovative financing that could free up $5B a year in federal funding! 

I first met Jason thanks to his team on Twitter, and as soon as I heard the deeper story about the nonprofit he founded way back in 2000, I knew it was one for the SunCast audience.

Books Mentioned:

The Turning Point - Fritjof Capra

Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler

This I believe - EF Shumacher

The Star Thrower - Loren Eisley

Resources:

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn

Follow RREAL Solar on Twitter

Utility Dive - Lowering Bills for Low Income Households

Energy News: Minnesota/Vermont Partnership Will Offer Solar to Low Income Families

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

165: Julia Hamm, SEPA’s Evolution & Fingerprint

Julia Hamm has been leading SEPA for more than 15 yrs, and helped the Utility Photovoltaic Group in its transition to being the Smart Electric Power Alliance. Along the way, she helped birth Solar Power International and has supported dozens of Utilities in their transition to clean energy.

Julia is a visionary non-profit leader at the center of the transformation underway in the electric power sector​ to a clean and modern energy future​.  For the past 20 years she has been advising and collaborating with utilities, solution providers and government agencies on business models, grid modernization, and clean energy policies, strategies and programs.

Julia guides and oversees all of SEPA’s research, education, and collaboration activities for its 1,100 member companies.  ​She has led the organization through significant expansion in recent years, including rebranding from the Solar Electric Power Association to the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and merging with both the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid (ADS) and Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP).

Prior to joining SEPA, Julia worked for ICF International where she supported EPA’s implementation of the ENERGY STAR program.  Julia – a graduate of Cornell University – walks the talk, living in a PV powered energy efficient home in Northern Virginia.

Resources:

Connect with Julia on LinkedIn

Follow Julia on Twitter

Check out the SEPA website

Get the Build Back Better report

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

164: Building a renewable energy development platform. Mark Goodwin, Apex Clean Energy

Mark Goodwin is the CEO of Apex Clean Energy. We go deep into the process and definitions underlying building a renewable energy development company. So, if you’ve ever wondered what it looks like from the inside of what has been referred to as the leading independent clean energy company in the nation, tune in!

Apex Clean Energy is a renewable energy firm that develops commercial-scale wind and solar energy facilities.

Apex has been built with a singular focus: to speed the shift to clean electricity. Drawing from their experience with several of the nation’s leading renewable energy companies, Apex’s founders set out to create a company with the capacity to excel in every phase of project realization, from origination and financing to construction and asset management.

Resources:

Follow Mark on Twitter

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Check out the Apex Clean Energy website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

163: Bridging Silicon Valley & Latam, YPF Ventures’ Tomas Ocampo

Today’s Entrepreneur is helping bridge the technology and financing gap between Silicon Valley and Latin America.  Tomas Ocampo and I first met when he was a Graduate Student at Stanford back in early 2016, and Today we’re announcing both the investment fund he’s created, as well as their first two investments - backed by one of Latin America’s largest utilities. Stay tuned to learn all about how Tomas is bringing Silicon Valley savvy to his native Argentina.

Resources:

Connect with Tomas on LinkedIn

Follow Tomas on Twitter

Learn more about Adverse Selection

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

162: Drift, an Energy marketplace for consumers, w/co-founder Greg Robinson

Today’s Entrepreneur is building one of those pick-axe type of companies that Seattle is so famous for - you know, the kind that support the entire industry they serve? Microsoft, Amazon, the list goes on, as you’ll see, and I think that Drift has the potential to hold a similar place in our minds as Renewable Energy increasingly becomes the core of our infrastructure.

Greg Robinson and his team envision and have built a marketplace where the biggest companies in the world and individual consumers alike can buy true green power service at the best price possible.

Books Mentioned:

Primed to Perform - Neel Doshi, Lindsay McGregor

Venture Deals - Brad Feld

Blitzscaling - Reid Hoffman

Zero to One - Peter Thiel

Resources:

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Check out the Drift Website

Follow Nico and Greg on their Strava running goals

convoy.com

Freeing Energy - Podcast #006 – Greg Robinson: Making It Easy to Get Clean Energy 24/7

GeekWire - New unicorn in Seattle: Outreach raises $114M round, pushing valuation above $1 billion

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

161: Anne Hoskins, SunRun Chief Policy Officer

Today’s guest has one of the most intriguing and possibly most important jobs in our industry. Yet, the actual work she and her team do remains a great mystery to many of us, until today. Tune In as I sit down with Anne Hoskins live at Solar Power Puerto Rico to ask the question “what exactly does a Chief Policy Officer do, anyway?” Anne has a fascinating story, and she is leading Sunrun into unchartered waters by paving the way for their DER products, opening key new markets like Illinois and Puerto Rico, and much much more.

As Chief Policy Officer, Anne leads Sunrun's state and federal policy and regulatory advocacy. Sunrun, the largest residential solar and storage provider in the United States provides clean energy to homeowners in 23 states. Anne previously served as a Commissioner on the Maryland Public Service Commission, where she also served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. As an attorney and executive with regulatory, public policy and government affairs experience, Anne has held positions in federal and state government, at energy and communications companies and in academia.

Anne was a senior officer at PSEG, a visiting research fellow at Princeton University, a senior counsel at Verizon Wireless, an attorney at McCarter and English and a governor's policy advisor. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and has also served on other non-profit boards of directors, with a strong interest in the intersection of technology, policy and sustainability.

Resources:

Connect with Anne on LinkedIn

Check out the Sunrun Website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

160: TT, Sunrun Dir. of Policy & Storage Strategy, Chris Rauscher

If you, like me, have ever felt a bit like Policy is that thing that those people do in those big capital buildings that I don’t really understand how to influence or how it all works, then today’s episode will surely help clear that up. Chris Rauscher is one of the folks responsible for Sunrun’s strategy regarding new markets and innovative storage initiatives.  Perhaps you heard they won a DER auction in the Northeast earlier this year? Chris was involved. And you see that Sunrun is now leading the charge to help Puerto Rico achieve a 100% renewable standard? Yep, Chris is involved. In fact, Chris is on a select team of folks who quite literally carry their companies, including Sunrun, into uncharted territory, paving the way for the rest of us. You can learn more today, on this Tactical Tuesday.

Resources:

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

Check out the Sunrun Website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

159: Solar Pioneer Gary Gerber, 40 yrs of Sun Light & Power

Today’s entrepreneur has been building an iconic solar business since before many of you were even born! Gary Gerber founded Sun Light & Power in 1976, and has built one of the most trusted brands in the California market. It was humbling and educational to finally sit down with Gary and chat about his 4 decades of experience.

I learned the value of leaning in longterm when you’ve got a good idea, and why selling the company to his employees after 40+ yrs was a sound business decision. Gary also told me the secret to his success.

Books Mentioned:

"What the heck is EOS?” - Gino Wickman

5 Disfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

This is Lean - Resolving the Efficiency Paradox - Modig

Resources:

Connect with Gary on LinkedIn

Check out the Sun Light and Power website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

158: Know before you go, MIRECweek Mexico City

If you’re familiar at all with the Mexico market, then you’ll have heard of the Mexico International Renewable Energy Congress, now know universally as Mirec. Like many of you, I’ll be headed to Mexico City next week to participate in what is essentially the SPI of Mexico, so thought it a good time to tell you both about the conference and a bit about why you might be interested in Mexico’s market at all. Today’s guests are Jamie Dowswell - Dir. of Programs for MIRECweek, Jonathan Pinzon - Dir. of Gov’t Affairs for Invenergy in Mexico, and Carlos Abad - Head of Latam Markets for Chint Power Systems.

If you’ve listened to previous Know Before You Go episodes (last year’s Intersolar & SPI, then you know we highlight both what the show is about, but also how you can optimize your time on the show floor and in the conference sessions. Today we spend much less time on tips & tricks for showing up well at the conference, so if you are indeed interested in those, I strongly recommend you go back to the archives and listen to the SPI episode from September which is chock full of tidbits on how to make the most of any tradeshow.

Resources:

SPI: Know Before You Go Episode

Jamie Dowswell - LinkedIn

Jonathan Pinzon - LinkedIn

Carlos Abad - LinkedIn

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

157: Devin Welch, Sun Tribe Solar

Today’s entrepreneur is at the helm of a rocket ship of expansion in a market that has silently been on a phenomenal growth curve. Devin Welch is Chief Strategy & Development officer at Sun Tribe Solar a relatively young but extremely impressive bunch of corporate renegades taking the Virginia market by storm. I recently had the chance to visit them in their new expanded Charlottesville VA office and tried to capture the essence of the culture at the heart of this fast-paced market leader. I hope you’ll stick around to hear how Devin and his partners are building a Tribe and a profitable business in a market many might not consider a hotbed for solar or innovation. You’ll be surprised by both when you sit in with me on this discussion.

Resources:

Connect with Devin on LinkedIn

Check out the Sun Tribe Solar Website

Books Mentioned:

100 Year of Solitude - Gabriela Garcia Marquez

Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

156: Impact Positive - Sandra Kwak, Cleantech Woman of the Year

Today’s entrepreneur was recently announced as the EarthX Cleantech Woman of the Year! She’s a serial entrepreneur and one really smart and savvy leader. Sandra Kwak founded 10 Power to provide light and hope to the people of Haiti and beyond, and today we dig deep into the details on the who, what, when where and why of the Impact she seeks to make.

This is instalment two of our Impact Positive series with Jon Bonanno.

Resources:

Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn

Echoing Green - Sandra Kwak: 2017 Climate Fellow, Founder of 10Power

Sandra’s TEDx Talk:

10Power’s Website & Team

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

155: Mexico Hedge Fund Artha Capital Betting Big on Solar with Prana

Welcome to Episode 155 of SunCast!

Jose Jove is VP of Distributed Energy at Prana Power, one of the fastest growing and most well-capitalized clean energy developers in Mexico. Today I take a peek behind the curtain to hear how Jose feels about the current state of the solar union in Mexico.

Prana has been on a Nextera-esque buying spree of late, snapping up major DG portfolios and building a solid team. I wanted to learn more about the state of the solar union in Mexico directly from one of the major players, so Jose agreed to take some time with me. This is a complete departure in interview flow, questions, and direction from my typical episode, so I am very curious to hear what you think.

Next week, I’ll be at Solar Power Puerto Rico, and also hosting a 1-day think tank on Monday the 29th, you can learn more about that at www.attendprecharge.com.

Resources:

Check out the Prana Power website

Connect with Jose on LinkedIn

Connect with Prana Power on LinkedIn

Visit MIREC-Week

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

154: Jeff Wolfe, Solar Pioneer to E-Mobility Executive

Welcome to Episode 154 of SunCast!

When I first started my solar company in 2006, one of the distributors I relied on was a smaller New England company called groSolar. Jeff Wolfe, was one of the smartest sales & marketing minds in the biz, and we’ve been friends for over a decade.

Over 18 yrs, groSolar deployed more than 150 megawatts (MW) (2,000 installations) of solar PV systems across the US. Jeff sold the RESI piece of the business to SolarCity in 2011, and the rest to EDF in 2016.

Today, we’re going to learn what Jeff’s been doing with his time since the exit. Hint - he didn’t retire…

Resources:

Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn

Follow Jeff on Twitter

Check out the Tritium website

Books Mentioned:

The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits, and Lasting Value Paperback – by Frederick F. Reichheld

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

153: New Energy Nexus, Jon Bonanno

Welcome to Episode 153 of SunCast!

Opportunity Zones are all the buzz in investment circles, but few in the solar industry understand them or how they can be leveraged to finance deals. Jon Bonanno from New Energy Nexus has built an extensive repository of resources directed at helping you figure it out. We dive deep on the subject in today’s SunCast.

If you’re unfamiliar with Jon Bonanno, I encourage you to listen back a couple of weeks to Episodes 146 & 147 as he is my cohost for Impact Positive. He’s also a mentor, friend and savvy cleantech investor. Danny Kennedy at CalCEF believes so too and hired Jon to help build the New Energy Nexus. Not long ago, Jon explained to me what exactly he was working on, and I was left bewildered and befudled. I had to have him explain it to me again with the recorder going so I could avoid feeling silly for asking him to explain it another 5 times.

Don’t miss out on the upcoming Puerto Rico Event! To learn more about our 1-day Mastermind, check out www.attendprecharge.com

Resources:

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn

Check out the New Energy Nexus website

Check out the CalCEF website

Books Mentioned:

Winners Take All - Anand Giridharadas

This Changes Everything - Naomi Kline

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

152: PreCharge is Coming, Puerto Rico is on the Rise

Welcome to Episode 152 of SunCast!

Today is a mini-sode with James Ellsmoor, specifically focused on an upcoming opportunity for us to spend some time in real life together really getting into the mechanics of improving your business and market penetration. Specifically, Puerto Rico and the broader Caribbean markets.

James Ellsmoor is the Director and co-founder of nonprofit Solar Head of State, which installed solar on the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica and Government House in Saint Lucia currently executing similar projects on 20 islands around the Pacific and the Caribbean

James is a key figure in thought leadership around policy for island nations, and is a prolific contributor to Forbes on these topics.

PreCharge brings together industry leaders to focus on overcoming the market's biggest obstacles and collectively generate solutions. By getting industry leaders together in one room we will facilitate a discussion around some of the most compelling issues in the market.

Resources:

Sign up for PreCharge now! - Code: PRECHARGE10

Catch the PreCharge Webinar here

James Ellsmoor’s Forbes Article: Puerto Rico Has Just Passed Its Own Green New Deal

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

151: Puerto Rico's Green New Deal with PJ Wilson

Welcome to Episode 151 of SunCast!

PJ Wilson is the Founder and President of the Solar + Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA). SESA successfully advocated for what some are calling PR’s New Green Deal, Senate Bill 1121 which will help Puerto Rico reach the ambitious requirement of 100% renewables by 2050.

In February 2018 in response to the blackout caused by Hurricane Maria, PJ moved to Puerto Rico & despite his declaration of retirement from organizing wound up founding SESA. Now with 18 member companies representing the majority of the solar and battery storage market on the island.  SESA is squarely focused on growing the solar + storage industry through clean energy policy creation and implementation, direct dialogue with PREPA, and coalition building to address challenges along the way.

PJ and SESA will be hosting the Solar Power Puerto Rico event on the 30th of April and the 1st of May. Listeners of SunCast can get a discount with the following code P10PR19NJ

Register Now

Resources

Connect with PJ on LinkedIn

Check out the SESA-PR Website

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

150: What Tetris Did For Energy Storage, with Henk Rogers

Welcome to Episode 150 of SunCast!

Today’s entrepreneur is Henk Rogers, one of the world’s leading advocates and activists for weaning humankind from fossil fuels.

His efforts through Blue Planet Foundation have helped pave the way for Hawaii’s 100% renewable energy commitment by 2045.

Through Blue Planet Energy, Henk has led development of a leading energy storage system advancing safety, reliability and energy output of battery systems.

Henk Rogers (Left), Nico Johnson (Right)

Prior to focusing his talents on environmental protection, Henk is also known as the father of role-playing games in Japan, but what many mainstream enthusiasts recognize him for is Tetris. That’s right, the game of TETROMINOES that sold more than 35Million units on Nintendo Gameboy alone, and is the paid downloaded game of all time

We dive into how Henk has leveraged his software development and licensing savvy to tackle what he considers the greatest problem of our time - Climate Change. And we’ll hear Henk’s reasoning for deciding to build Blue Planet Energy around the Lithium Iron phosphate battery chemistry and how he negotiated the rights to that technology play as well.

Henk’s ‘100% by 2045’ Shoes

Resources:

Follow Henk on Twitter

Connect with Henk on LinkedIn

Check out the Blue Planet Energy Facebook

PBS Hawaii CEO of the Year for 2015 - YouTube

Business Insider: Henk on Living Completely Off the Grid

Hawaii Business: Off the Grid, Winning CEO of the Year

CNBC: Tetris, What You Didn’t Know

Polygon: Henk Wants to Build a Moonbase

Books Mentioned:

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein

1Q84 - Haruki Murakami

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

149: Bernadette del Chiaro, CALSSA’s Solar & Climate Policy Maven

Welcome to Episode 149 of SunCast!

Today’s Guest doesn’t consider herself an entrepreneur, but after listening in I’m sure you’ll agree most corporate leaders and startup founders alike can learn a lot from Bernadette del Chiaro. Her accolades are many, and we discuss them in the episode, but I thought it would be great to round out this Women’s History Month with someone who has made an indelible mark on the solar and energy sector through her advocacy and political organizing.

Bernadette has been a leading voice in California clean energy & climate advocacy for 2 decades. Now, as the Executive Director of the California Solar and Storage Association, she is directly responsible for providing a voice and platform for over 500 member solar companies. Hear how she helped create the California legislative initiatives we now credit as a huge impetus to the current solar boom in the US! She’s now instrumental in driving forward energy storage initiatives like SB700, dubbed the Million Solar Roofs of Energy Storage. We dig into these and more, including Bernadette’s advice on how You can be more active in lobbying and policy right where you live.

Also, next week we’ll hit episode 150! Woot! I’ve got an amazing guest lined up, Mr. Henk Rogers, who is the founder of Tetris, Inc, yes, the popular game you no doubt have spent hours playing. He also has an energy storage startup, and it’s a fascinating story, so stay tuned.

Remember you can always find me onTwitter,LinkedIn oremail and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find Rick or his recommendations on theSunCast Blog.

Resources:

Connect with Bernadette on LinkedIn

Follow Bernadette on Twitter

Follow CALSSA on Twitter

CA Solar & Storage Associations Website

The Million Solar Roofs of Energy Storage Passed California Assembly!

California's Solar Success Story: How the Million Solar Roofs Initiative Transformed the State's Energy Landscape

2002 Vote Solar Summary of California Solar Initiative SB1 Fact Sheet

Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Million Solar Roofs (SB1 & SB1017)

Books Mentioned:

Angle of Repose by Stegner Wallace

About the Host of SunCast:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular conversation with Solar Industry professionals who are leading in emerging solar markets. 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 a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.  He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar PV expansion in the region.

Nico can be reached on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus