212 - Eliminating Capital Constraints for C&I Development with Jim Spano, RadiantREIT [SPI 2019]

Hey! Welcome to a new week, Solar Warrior. This is Two For Tuesday, whether that's a Tactical Tuesday or just content from our many live events like SPI Podcast Lounge, this is going to be a short form conversation typically with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tools tips and advice for building your solar business or career, and grow with us here on SunCast as I know you will.

Today we are interviewing Jim Spano, Co-Founder of RadiantREIT. We discuss their new program that offers liquidity effectively to developers that would otherwise be cash strapped to be able to expand their portfolio, hence eliminating capital constraints for C&I developers as the episode title suggests.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Extensible Energy and

Chint Power Systems

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn

Check out the RadiantREIT 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 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

211 - History of Shoals w/ Dean Solon & Ben Macias [SPI 2019]

Heeeeey welcome back #SolarWarrior, it’s a new year and a new decade. Are you ready for it? I am, and I'm thrilled that you've chosen to start your new year tuning in to SunCast for this 211th episode. Time is our most valuable and non-renewable resource so thank you again for lending us your ears today. 

We are kicking off the new year with an interview that has taken me the entire 4 years of SunCast to finally nail down but it has been so worth it. Dean Solon founded Shoals Technologies more than two decades ago, and it is one of the most well-known fast-growing and highly profitable businesses that I know of in our industry. But do you know the inception story?

Well, wait no longer my friend, today you will get the full details, not only the how and why Dean started shoals, but we are also joined in the first half by his prodigy and VP of Sales, Ben Macias. The relationship has been one full of struggles but also full of wild success, incredible growth, and love. Indeed, Ben and Dean appear more like father and son than mentor and mentee, or founder and prodigy. They have both discussed the perspective of our solar industry and today we will dive into what, from their point of view, makes shoals tick and keeps them at the bleeding and leading edge of the solar revolution.

This discussion was recorded live at SPI Podcast Lounge, and Dean gave us great insights into the mind and process he's undergirded the staggering success and stain power of Shoals.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Extensible Energy and

Chint Power Systems

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn

Connect with Dean on LinkedIn

Check out the Shoals 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 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

210 - Is California still a role model for other State's renewable policy? Lloyd Levine of Filament Strategies

Today's episode is about California, the policies therein, and whether or not California is still serving as a bellwether for things to come for other states and the different ways they can apply policy.

Joining us in this conversation is Mr. Lloyd Levine, president of Filament Strategies. He is a former member of the California State Legislature, recently appointed as Senior Policy Fellow in UC Riverside School of Public Policy. He was notably involved in the early legislation that led to California’s market dominance - namely, SB1 otherwise known as the Million Solar Roofs initiative. CA recently completed the Millionth solar roof. Will other states follow the same trajectory or have we evolved beyond the market mechanisms that the California Solar Initiative (CSI) introduced?

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Lloyd on LinkedIn

Connect with Lloyd on Twitter

Check out the Filament Strategies 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 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

209 - Podcaster Roundtable: Jon Powers, Barry Cinnamon and Nico discuss using Podcasts as a marketing channel [SPI 2019]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: www.mysuncast.com/survey

Welcome back, Solar Warrior. If you are unfamiliar, we call this Flashback Friday, and it’s my way of giving you a glimpse back at something we did recently that I think you should have a listen to. Whether it’s content from one of our many live events (Like the Podcast Lounge at SPI!), or perhaps a replay of older archived episodes that have gotten thousands of downloads, or just a glimpse at what was published on the podcast during the week.

This Flashback Friday is with my good friend Jon Powers, whose podcast, Experts Only, is also required listening If you are into the solar and finance of our business, as well as the respectable Mr. Barry Cinnamon, one of the entrepreneurs I admire most in our business. He's got a long track record not just as a solar entrepreneur, but also as a broadcaster with his show the Energy Show that has been syndicated in California for quite some time.

I admire both this gentlemen for their ability to navigate the conversations so their deep and rich, and I invited them to join me at the Podcast Lounge Live at SPI 2019 specifically to talk about what is going on today within the podcasting activity, and how folks in business are leveraging the power of podcasting to broadcast their message, and not just to start their own podcast as the 3 of us have done it. We give some tips on how you as well can leverage the power of this fast-growing medium for your own business.

Resources

Connect with Barry on LinkedIn.

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.

You can visit the websites of Cinnamon Energy Systems and Clean Capital here.

You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out?

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

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

208 - Community Solar Roundtable w/ Jake Rozmaryn, David Amster-Olszewski & MJ Shiao [SPI 2019]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: www.mysuncast.com/survey

Today's episode is a longer segment from our recording for live at the SPI Podcast Lounge earlier this fall. We had so many great conversations there that I'm doing my darndest to get them out to you every opportunity I get.

This is one of the few Community Solar sessions that we've hosted here on SunCast. In fact, one of today's guests is a returning guest: Mr. David Amster-Olszewski of SunShare, and he graced the SunCast pages as it were back in January of 2019. He's joined by another alumnus, Mr. Jake Rozmaryn of Antenna Group, and a longtime friend and someone I've wanted to get onto the show Mr. MJ Shiao of Arcadia power. I've wanted to interview MJ since his Green Tech Media days so I’m thrilled he was able to participate in this Community Solar Roundtable.

We dig into the hot markets, the how and why of Community Solar, where are the stumbling blocks, but also how do we really see this as a model that can/would expand? Tomorrow we're going to be featuring another Podcast Lounge episode in our Flashback Friday series with fellow podcasters Barry Cinnamon and Jon Powers, so make sure you are subscribed to SunCast so that you won't miss that one.

Resources

Connect with Jake on LinkedIn.

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.

Connect with MJ on LinkedIn.

You can visit the websites of Antenna Group, SunShare and Arcadia Power.

You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out?

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

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

207 - Black & Veatch 2020 Megatrends [report] w/Brian Sifton, Sustainability Manager

Welcome to Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career. 

Today I’m joined by Brian Sifton. Brian is the Sustainability Program Manager for Black & Veatch, one of the most respected engineering consulting firms in the power & infrastructure sector. And he’s also one of the authors of the new Megatrends report that B&V is releasing today Dec 17th. B&V surveyed hundreds of customers from Water, Infrastructure, Power and other industries and the report triangulates convergence in these Megatrends.  Today we highlight for you some of the opportunities to think about how these trends might correlate to your own business. 

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn

Check out the Black & Veatch website

Download the Megatrends 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

206 - Unlocking Financing for Unrated Organizations [SPI 2019]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: www.mysuncast.com/survey

Welcome back, Solar Warrior. If you are unfamiliar, we call this Flashback Friday, and it’s my way of giving you a glimpse back at something we did recently that I think you should have a listen to. Whether it’s content from one of our many live events (Like the Podcast Lounge at SPI!), or perhaps a replay of older archived episodes that have gotten thousands of downloads, or just a glimpse at what was published on the podcast during the week.

I had the honor of sitting down with the Chief Operating Officer of Energetic Insurance, Jeff McAulay, and the Executive Vice President of Energy and Infrastructure Group of Live Oak Bank, Jordan Blanchard, to discuss a recurrent barrier in the Commercial & Industrial solar industry: unrated small organizations.

They highlighted their collaborative business model, some background on why is it that they joined forces to address this problem, and things to consider from the perspective of a solar C&I developer who wants to kick off their project, but lacks a secure funding source to make it happen. This interview, rather than being sales-driven, underlined the educational importance of these companies to express that the capital is there for C&I developers to make those unrated deals happen.

If you are struggling with your marketing strategy, you are in luck! Today's episode is from our SPI Podcast Lounge where we had a Marketing Agency Roundtable with the best and the brightest in the solar marketing industry: Deborah Knuckey from Kiterocket, Mike Casey from Tigercomm, Keith Zakheim from Antenna Group, and Lauren Glickman from RenewComm. We talked about the tips, tactics, strategies, and ways that you can (and should) take your marketing to the next level as we look into the 2020.

Resources

Connect with Jeff and Jordan on LinkedIn.

You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out?

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

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

205: Vote Solar, Adam Browning [SPI 2019]

Today’s Entrepreneur knows all about the power of voting with your feet!

Since 2002, Vote Solar has been working to make solar affordable and accessible to more Americans, supporting the policies and programs needed to repower our grid with clean energy.

Adam Browning and Vote Solar have served a critical role in the rollout of successful state solar policies nationwide. When Adam sat down with me at the Podcast Lounge in Salt Lake City this past September, I wanted to dig into the origin story, and Adam gave me much more. Today you’ll learn the 4 pillars of policy success Vote Solar stands on, the 5 focus areas they’re leaning into, hardest won battles (and States), Adam’s Theory of Change model and his 2050 prediction.

If you love this episode, let me know on Twitter, LinkedIn or email!

And Let Adam know too! Twitter

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out?

Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources:

Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

Connect with Adam on Twitter

Read Adam’s annual year-end predictions letter

Vote Solar’s 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

204: Tim Effio of Fluence on How Storage is Disrupting Caribbean Thermal Generation Models

Welcome to Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career. 

That almost always translates to a shorter conversation, and that was the intention today, but frankly we just kept peeling back the onion and before we knew it, we had recorded an hour of great conversation!

Tim Effio is responsible for Latam & Caribbean markets for the global energy storage market leader, Fluence. This conversation is a veritable treasure trove for anyone considering the macro and micro implications of Solar + Storage and how it can integrate into the Caribbean and other emerging or developing markets. Even if You’re NOT specifically looking at these markets, there are a LOT of first principles of storage discussed by one of the market leaders on the topic. 

We discuss the role of storage in the evolution of the Caribbean energy markets, and we go down the rabbit hole of Utility grid services, solar plus storage and even business development concepts that just might help your company grow!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn

Check out the Fluence website

Read Tim’s recent LinkedIn Article on Storage in the Carribean

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

203: Marketing Trends 2020 - Marketing Agency Roundtable [SPI 2019]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey

Welcome back, Solar Warrior. If you are unfamiliar, we call this Flashback Friday, and it’s my way of giving you a glimpse back at something we did recently that I think you should have a listen to. Whether it’s content from one of our many live events (Like the Podcast Lounge at SPI!), or perhaps a replay of older archived episodes that have gotten thousands of downloads, or just a glimpse at what was published on the podcast during the week.

If you are struggling with your marketing strategy, you are in luck! Today's episode is from our SPI Podcast Lounge where we had a Marketing Agency Roundtable with the best and the brightest in the solar marketing industry: Deborah Knuckey from Kiterocket, Mike Casey from Tigercomm, Keith Zakheim from Antenna Group, and Lauren Glickman from RenewComm. We talked about the tips, tactics, strategies, and ways that you can (and should) take your marketing to the next level as we look into the 2020.

Resources

Connect with Deborah, Mike, Keith, and Lauren on LinkedIn.

You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email 

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out?

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

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

202: Engineering a Startup While in Grad School, Mikhail Gofman of Green Think Energy

I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey

Today’s Entrepreneur is a young gun but is no stranger to hustle and has proven his grit and worth in the startup world. Mikhail Gofman started Green Think Energy, a solar design firm, from his graduate school dorm room while pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Today his company is doing thousands of designs per month and these savvy Millenials are here to teach us about the value of hard work, starting early and taking risks to get ahead!

Mikhail and I get into the company’s humble beginnings, how they’ve 100% bootstrapped the venture to date and the future of engineering automation. This is one up-and-comer’s story you won’t want to miss!

I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out? (I discuss more in the episode)

Looking for today’s guest on Social Media?
Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

And you can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email 

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Check out the Green Think Energy website

Connect with Mikhail on 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

201: Giving Tuesday: Energy Access for All with Kristina Skierka, founder of Power for All

Today I’m doing my first ever episode dedicated to Giving Tuesday, a fitting way to kick off Season 5 of SunCast!

Today’s Entrepreneur, Kristina Skierka has been a catalyst since early childhood, and today is dedicated to inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs, governments and nonprofits globally to lift others out of energy poverty. She started Power For All in 2015 with a bold mission: delivering access to energy for the 85 percent of the 1.1 billion people without reliable power that live in rural areas by the year 2025. And we’re closer than you might think! I hope you’ll also be inspired to give back, and we provide some thoughtful ways to do that near the end of today’s episode.

Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Find Kristina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinaskierka/

Giving Tuesday, it’s a thing: https://www.givingtuesday.org/

Learn how you can support Power For All:
https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/campaign-updates/campaign-update-november-2019

More on PowerForAll’s mission
https://www.powerforall.org/about

Check out PowerForAll’s own Podcast:
https://www.powerforall.org/resources/audios

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

200: Winners! American-Made Solar Prize Round 1 [SPI 2019]

The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing through a series of contests and the development of a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country.

Hey there Solar Warriors, this is episode 200 of SunCast! I never thought I’d be able to say that to be honest when I started this show. The last 4 years have really flown by, but so have the last 200 episodes. I never had more fun doing this show than these last 6 months, so I want to thank you for continuing to join us here and be my inspiration for putting this show together every single week.

To celebrate our 200 SunCast episode, we are releasing more SPI Podcast Lounge content. Back in September, the American-Made Solar Prize folks really impressed me. The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition from the US Department Of Energy that is designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing through a series of contests and the development of a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country. 

Competitors are entrepreneurial individuals or teams legally residing or based in the United States. Competitors can be individuals of one or multiple organizations, students, university faculty members, small business owners, researchers, or anyone with the desire and drive to transform an idea into an impactful solution.

The winners of the first round of this solar prize were announced at Solar Power International, and those lucky winners were featured live at our Podcast Lounge in Salt Lake City to talk about the next steps after winning that $500K check. What a phenomenal surprise it was for me when I discovered the two previous guests of SunCast turned out to be winners! So today you’ll learn about the prize and find out how you too can participate.

As a way to express my gratitude, I’m offering my first ever Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. Kicking off today, I am offering the SunCast Tribe Membership at the lowest price it’ll ever be offered, only $85. To get access to the special Black Friday coupon, you need to be a subscriber to my email list so head over to mysuncast.com and subscribe to the email newsletter, check your email, grab your coupon and you’re all set! You’ll enjoy our thriving private Slack group, Book Club, LinkedIn Growth group, private webinars, Live Q&A w/guests and much more coming in 2020. But first, you must be a SunCast Tribe email subscriber. So go do that now, and I can’t wait to see you inside the tribe!

Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Visit americanmadechallenges.org/solarprize for details about competing in Round 3 of the Solar Prize

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

199: Sam Adeyemo, Aurora Solar Co-Founder & COO

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here at SunCast, we are thankful for YOU (and turkey tacos!)

Today’s entrepreneur is Sam Adeyemo, Co-founder and COO of Aurora Solar. I’m sure many of you have heard of Aurora, as their flagship design software has been used to design over 2 Million solar projects since they launched in 2013! And believe me, they are just getting started. This interview introduces a lot of never-before-asked-on-SunCast questions and a lot of things that even Sam admits he hasn’t really talked about in public before.

But today’s episode is even more special because it was also recorded in front of a live audience at the Aurora headquarters in San Francisco last month at our first ever SunCast Live event! It was such fun, and I’d like to give a Special thanks to listener and friend, Ravi Mikkelson of ClimateLink, and Aurora’s content-marketing goddess, Gwendolyn Brown, for helping make this event a reality! I’d also like to thank all those who attended in person. It’s always amazing to meet so many of you in real life and thank you for showing up!

Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and

Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn

Check out the Aurora 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

198: ESG is the New Black - with Karin Berardo of Abren

Welcome to Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips, and advice for building your solar business or career. 

I got great feedback on episode 183 back in September with my friend and returning guest Karin Berardo where we touched on the topic of ESG. It’s clear that ESG is a hot topic these days, and it’s also clear that it’s not one that’s well understood. So, Karin is back to give us a primer on the subject to which she’s now dedicating most of her time.

Today we discuss the increasingly important role sustainable and socially responsible investing is commanding for Corporate and Institutional investors, and the Environment, Social and Governance criteria that are driving the adoption worldwide.

While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey. I’ll be doing a drawing soon as a Holiday gift pulling from our Survey takers (if you leave your email of course) and our email subscribers to gift a 1-yr membership to the SunCast Tribe Premium Membership. And stay tuned later in the week for a Special Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer - to get details, subscribe to the Tribe! You’ll find the survey and subscription options on the homepage and thanks again for helping us learn how to better serve you!

Resources

Check out the Abren website

Check out the Chicago Global website

Connect with Karin on LinkedIn

CGS ESG Policy article

Chicago Global ESG article

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

197: The evolution of SPI w/ Julia Hamm & Abby Hopper [SPI 2019]

Hey there solar warriors, I know many of you have been waiting for us to release the episodes recorded LIVE at the Podcast Lounge SPI 2019. We're kicking things off with this dynamic duo, by no means strangers to the renewables industry: Julia Hamm and Abigail Hopper. Together, they run two of the most prominent organizations providing advocacy for the solar and smart-power industries.

Julia is the President and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). And, Abby is the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

While I'm sure many of you, as I, still refer to this tradeshow as SPI, one of the first things we discussed is the rebrand to being North America Smart Energy Week (NASEW). Our conversation was framed by many other questions that perhaps some of you have asked yourselves recently, such as why Salt Lake City for this year's SPI, or how much time they plan in advance to decide venues? Julia and Abby also gave their insights into the expectations for SPI as the largest clean energy show in North America. SPI has definitely evolved over the last decade+, so Julia and Abby took the time to explain why that matters to all of us who have been focused predominantly on solar during that time (Hint: They are taking more market share!)

Thanks to SETS, SEIA, and SEPA for hosting the Podcast Lounge Live at SPI, ESI & North America Smart Energy Week (NASEW) 2019.

Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with Abby and Julia on LinkedIn

Connect with Abby and Julia on Twitter

Check out the SEIA and SEPA websites

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 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

196: Value-Added Project Finance w/John Chaimanis, Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure

Today’s entrepreneur, John Chaimanis, is co-founder and Managing Director of Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure. And our discussion swings from what to consider in a career change, to Lessons learned from working in a predominantly coal-fired portfolio.

John found a way to merge his Distrust of the stock market, love of real assets, and passion for doing good while doing well and carved out a slice of the market he’s dubbed “value-added finance”. Learn how John and his team achieve what they refer to as a “frictionless closing” while building long term value and relationships with their development partners.

Special thanks to listener and KSI employee, John Stroud, for helping get John on the show!

Be sure to Stick around to the end because John and I get into some of the psychology of project development, project pricing, etc.

Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find Jake or his recommendations on the SunCast Blog.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy

Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

Resources

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Check out the Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure 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

195: A Better Way to Sell Commercial Solar; Robert Styler, SunCrew

Today’s entrepreneur happens to be one of the best salesmen in our business, or maybe any business.  Jigar Shah has said of Robert Styler that he’s an expert in bringing multi-level marketing to solar. In fact, his current company, SunCrew, was launched from a phone call with Jigar Shah. 

Many of you might recall, as I did, the first solar network marketing company in our space, called CitizenRE. Robert was the driving force who first introduced the solar lease, way back in 2005! Talk about being ahead of his time. But his story is not one of riches and glory, quite the opposite. Robert and I dig deep into the pains of failure, the hardships he’s endured being what he called “The stuttering networker” and how he overcame the impediment. 

Today we also discuss his new model for re-envisioning customer acquisition and sales commissions, which he calls SunCrew. And Robert is the first to point out, SunCrew is not a network marketing company - it’s what he calls a Capitalist Cooperative. Stick around to learn more about that, and some really great sales advice, life tips, and book recommendations. This is one of the most vulnerable and insightful interviews you may hear all year.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to you!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy

Resources

Connect with Robert on LinkedIn

Check out the Suncrew 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

194: Is Perovskite Ready for Primetime? Dave Buemi, Energy Materials Corporation

Today’s Entrepreneur has enjoyed a broad 22-year history in the solar PV, clean energy innovation, climate change activism and climate resiliency consulting sectors. Rarely do I meet executives with such passion and wide-ranging interests as Dave Buemi. Our mutual love of kitesurfing and energy issues created a fun and inviting atmosphere to discuss topics as wide ranging as the economic viability of the Perovskite technology he’s currently commercializing to Dave’s top 3 list of interests to pursue in the workplace. The founding story and team of Energy Materials Corporation has deep credibility, so I now believe that if anyone can pull of commercial scale perovskite it’s them, but don’t take my word for it, have a listen and judge for yourself!

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to you!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy

Books Mentioned

Fifteen commitments of conscious leadership - Jim Dethmer

Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

Losing Earth - Nathaniel Rich

Resources

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn

Check out the EMC Website

Check out Dave Buemi’s blog

Limits to Growth

Jingsong Huang - Perovskite Scientist/scholar at UNC

Losing Earth - an epic story by Nathaniel Rich

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

193: Ed Heacox Has Built #1 Market Share in Inverters... Twice!

Today’s entrepreneur has been a power electronics executive for 3 decades. From his early days at GE till today, Ed Heacox has established credibility as a power executive. And since moving into the solar power industry with AE mid 2000’s, he’s been at the helm of not one but two inverter companies that have taken #1 market share in their respective segments. I’ve been an admirer of Ed and his business partner, Casey, for years and have long-awaited the opportunity to learn more about how they have blended their entrepreneurial and corporate endeavors. Today we dig deeper into Ed’s trajectory, including his first startup experience post-graduation from Standford. The stories are telling of an entrepreneur with grit, insight, intuition and perseverance. I hope you’ll get as much out of this discussion as I did.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to you!

IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help:

Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy

Resources

Connect with Ed on LinkedIn

Connect with Ed’s Envect & CPS business partner, Casey Miller on Linkedin

An article by Ed promoting Envect

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