Episode 547: How To Master The Solar Coaster: Utility-scale Insights From 2 Expert Analysts, Special guests from Wood Mackenzie & SEIA

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The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has supercharged U.S. solar market forecasts. But growth will be tempered by still prominent supply chain issues.

That's just some of the insights you'll hear more about in this impactful Tactical Tuesday featuring Sylvia Leyva Martinez, a senior analyst in Wood Mackenzie's Power and Renewables team, and Shawn Rumery, senior research Director at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). 

"We all agree the IRA has been great news for the industry, and we're considering that for forecasts. But in the short term, we still have supply constraints," Sylvia said.

The quarterly SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables U.S. Solar Market Insight is the longest-running U.S. solar industry trends report. It has been tracking deployments across all four market segments — residential, commercial utility-scale, and community solar — since 2010.

The U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2022, released in September, provides an early look at how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will transform America's energy economy. Forecasts suggest the IRA will help the U.S. solar market grow 40% over baseline projections through 2027, equal to 62 gigawatts (GW) of additional solar capacity.

Wood Mackenzie predicts the utility-scale sector will lead the solar industry's growth during the next five years with 162 GW of new capacity. Cumulative solar installations across all market segments will nearly triple, growing from 129 GW today to 336 GW by 2027.

The IRA will provide crucial support for U.S. solar, Shawn said. After a record year in 2021 with 24 gigawatts installed, forecasters expected installations would climb to 30 gigawatts this year — with more than half from utility-scale projects.

"Unfortunately, starting at the beginning of the year, we started seeing a lot of supply chain challenges, as many folks are aware of, with most of that stemming from the pandemic. And then, layered on top of that was the Auxin Solar trade case, which overnight created major issues," Shawn said. "So we're not looking at 30 gigawatts this year, but probably closer to 15 to 17 gigawatts."

Auxin Solar, a California-based manufacturer of solar modules, petitioned the Commerce Department in February to investigate whether Chinese companies operating in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia circumvent existing antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese solar products.

In a new report this month, the Commerce Department agreed imports sourced from those Asian countries are skirting existing U.S. regulations, pavinng the way for new tariffs on imports.

Shawn oversees SEIA's research and analysis activities, helping to provide data and insight in support of SEIA's communications and advocacy goals. Since joining SEIA in 2011, he has been a contributing author to the U.S. Solar Market Insight report series and SEIA's Solar Means Business report series and led the development of SEIA's National Solar Database.

Sylvia researches market dynamics, business models, market developments and financial strategies of utility-scale solar P.V. projects in the U.S. and Canada.

They have a wealth of solar industry insights to share, so I hope you'll join us for the show.

Today's episode is a rebroadcast from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

TIMESTAMPS:

(02:48) Introduction
(06:38) How IRA has impacted solar deployment expectations
(08:40) Sylvia's view on the challenges in the industry
(12:47) Long-term impact of IRA on deployment
(16:27) How the PTC impacts the market
(17:13) Domestic Content Provisions
(18:39) Why solar procurement is slowing down
(20:20) Things in place to improve inter-connection challenge
(21:56) Bold prediction
(22:44) How to find Sylvia
(23:00) Wrap up

RESOURCES:

Connect with Sylvia Leyva Martinez on LinkedIn 

Connect with Shawn Rumery on LinkedIn.

Follow Wood Mackenzie on LinkedIn and its website.

Follow the SEIA on LinkedIn and its website.

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 546: Can THIS Put More Money In Solar Developers' Pockets? Jim Spano|Sol-REIT, and guest host, Tim Montague!

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Jim Spano is used to being out front, creating markets and products ahead-of-their-time and being the point person for the industry and a very vocal advocate in the halls of State Houses throughout the Eastern US. Jim helped develop the solar market in the mid-Atlantic region — and after bumping into numerous issues getting his own projects financed(and dozens of other developers as well), he's bringing a new innovative product to market. New York City-based Sol-REIT is a unique solar financing platform — one he thinks will put more money in developers' pockets.

It's the first investment vehicle to bring real estate investment trusts (REITs) to the solar energy market. By financing solar in the same way as real estate, Sol-REIT can offer long-term, fixed-rate, lower-cost debt that matches the operational life of assets. 

Jim, the co-founder and head of originations at Sol-REIT, wants to "break the solar industry free of the binds of niche financing."

On today's podcast, Tim Montague, a cleantech consultant and project developer for solar companies such as EDPR and Continental Energy Solutions, joins me to talk to Jim about his latest venture.

The conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

If you're a regular SunCast listener, you may recall Jim's a frequent contributor to SunCast and supporter of our live events (you can hear his appearances on Episodes 172, 212, and 284). Through his role as managing partner at New Jersey-based Spano Partners Holdings and related opportunities, he's earned a leading role in the clean energy revolution, and many (including Tim and I) look to Jim as a mentor and friend. 

Jim is also the founder and president of the New Jersey Solar Grid Supply Association (NJSGSA), a director of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSSIA), and a board member of the International Battery and Energy Storage Alliance (IBESA). He also sits on several corporate and nonprofit boards. 

With his extensive background, we were eager to learn about his goals and objectives for Sol-REIT — including the specific problem he aims to solve.

Jim told us he wants to empower developers to capture the value they create and not pass it off to the aggregation market. Through Sol-REIT, he seeks to streamline access to capital for solar developers while providing investors access to green investments.

"Most banks treated solar systems more like equipment and short-term, mini perm debt, which stresses any developer's ability to own a project," Jim said.

Sol-REIT embraced a new approach that allows it to assume the risk of funding 100% of the construction costs. Eliminating that capital constraint enables developers to take projects to the commercial operation date (COD) instead of a notice to proceed (NTP) stage, he explained.

"It's just a whole new approach to financing solar by recognizing the long-term nature of the asset and matching the debt to the term of the asset," he said.

Today's podcast explores how Sol-REIT is creating an ecosystem that brings together homeowners, real estate developers and financiers — potentially unlocking the door to solar mass residential adoption. It's about making solar easier and adding value for the developers and installers to develop an additional revenue stream.

"Sol-REIT has done an amazing job at getting our investors to accept the high risk during the construction period to enable the proliferation of solar to a much greater degree in the United States," Jim said.  

"If we're going to address climate change, we can't just do it at the utility-scale level. We have to be down to the very back end of the distribution systems. We have to serve the residential systems and pay particular attention to low and middle income because that's the market excluded from our industry for so many years."

RESOURCES:

Connect with Jim Spano on LinkedIn

Follow Sol-Reit on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and its website.

And check out Tim’s podcast, The Clean Power Hour as well when you get a chance!

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 545: Shipping Is Dirty And Antiquated: This Guy Has A Solution. Matt Heider, CEO Nautilus Labs

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

The pandemic transformed shipping delays and other supply chain issues into dinner-table topics. But those conversations invariably focused on "When do you think I'll get my stuff?" rather than the more critical questions of shipping's impacts on the planet.

"Today's shipping ports are pollution hotspots," said Matt Heider, CEO of Nautilus Labs, a maritime technology company that aims to reduce emissions while maximizing commercial returns.

Matt said bottlenecks in local ports — particularly Long Beach and Los Angeles, California, where ships emit more than 100 tons of smog daily — are causing a headache for regulators worldwide. 

"Aviation has solved bottlenecks at airports with just-in-time arrival, and ground shipping has optimized delivery pick-ups and drop-offs along routes and maximized fuel efficiency. The question becomes, 'Why hasn't shipping done the same?'" 

He said the shipping industry is responsible for 3% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, if left unchecked, will account for 17 percent of GHG emissions by 2050. Yet, even in a data-driven, digitized world, the shipping industry remains dependent on unreliable and inefficient manual processes.

Matt  — who found his entrepreneurial passion at age five when he shared his visions for novel GI Joe characters with the toy's manufacturer — thinks things could be different.

"Climate technology innovation and investments are coming to fix the shipping industry's legacy structures," he said. Nautilus is already working with hundreds of vessels in shipping hubs worldwide, cutting emissions equivalent to taking hundreds of thousands of cars off the road yearly.

Shipping may seem off-topic for a podcast dedicated to solar industry-related content. But if you think about it for a minute, you'll understand it's an adjacent category because, in many very concrete ways, ships are floating microgrids. 

As Matt said, "The thing that might resonate well with your audience is to think of a ship as a power plant at sea. It's out there floating, generating power that provides propulsion and helps maintain the cargo on board. 

"But if there's no internet connection, because there's no satellite coverage, particularly in the older era, the ship only needs to operate successfully to get to the next port. Optimizing along the way was not a real-time consideration."

Until now, that is, because Matt has ideas. Before Nautilus, he built sales and account management systems at software startups that have grown to unicorns and worked in global software engineering for IBM on its Watson team. In 2021, Forbes named him to its Next 1000, a list of ambitious and inspiring leaders redefining what it means to run a business today and create change that matters.

Nautilus  recently closed its $34 million Series B funding round led by M12 and Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, marking their first collaborative investment. "This speaks to our combined mission of entrepreneurial development and sustainable innovation, striving to continue growing our business and address the shipping industry's emissions on a macro level," Matt said.

"As a legacy industry that carries our global supply chains, the shipping industry must put environmental and social wellbeing at the core of its work. Nautilus  supports shipping owners and charterers, using data to reduce fuel consumption and save costs during shipping voyages."

He believes data and artificial intelligence offer invaluable tools to improve every part of shipping voyages, reducing supply chain issues and port congestion and unmooring global shipping from its centuries-old business model.

These solutions will transition the shipping industry to sustainable and fuel-efficient operational systems. He predicts that by embracing voyage optimization, the maritime industry can set an example globally for placing ESG initiatives at the forefront of business efficiency.

It's a fascinating vision — and one I encourage you to join us to learn more about in today's show.

TIMESTAMPS:

(05:15) What Matt was trying to address that got him his job
(09:41)  How Matt’s background influenced his career
(11:57) What Matt's professional journey is like
(13:55) Matt's IBM career experience 
(17:13) Skill sets Matt learnt at IBM
(19:58) What Matt's advice is for young entrepreneurs
(25:16) How Andela's mission motivated Matt 
(27:34)  What IBM saw in Matt that has contributed to his success
(31:54) How Matt found the best market fit as a new CEO
(35:03) Where Matt got his brand map idea from
(37:08) Where Matt learnt his customer’s exploration skills
(40:35) Is Nautilus Labs now a client of Andela
(42:00) Why investors believe in Nautilus Labs
(43:26) How Matt qualifies & quantifies decarbonizing the shipping industry
(47:26) Meta data modeling
(52:16) Matt's advice to young entrepreneurers 
(55:02)  Book recommendation
(59:30)  How to find Matt
(1:00:05)  Matt’s bold prediction
(1:01:41)  Wrap up

RESOURCES:

Connect with Matt Heider on LinkedIn 

Follow Nautilus Labs on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and check out its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

 
 

NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:

“When you’re a founding team, you have to be self-aware of the strengths and weaknesses that you have and know where the gaps are, because you got some really big problems to solve. And you need the right people around the table to figure it out.”
— Matt Heider

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 544: What Every Community Solar Developer Needs to Know About the IRA, Presented by Perch Energy

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Solar developers have been intrigued by the possibilities of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 since President Joe Biden signed it into law in August. With nearly $370 billion in incentives for clean energy and climate-related programs, it's one of the most significant advances for climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

In today's replay from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media, Bruce Stewart leads this discussion on what every community solar developer needs to know about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Bruce is president and CEO of Perch Energy, a clean energy tech services platform and provider of community solar services.

He speaks with three solar notables to gain their insights on the IRA from accounting, banking and legal perspectives.

  1. Tony Grappone is a partner in the Andover, Massachusetts, office of Novogradac. He provides accounting, tax and consulting services to developers, syndicators and investors of developments that qualify for federal and state tax incentives. "We help folks structure deals to raise the money so they can build and operate community solar projects like the ones Perch works on," he said.

  2. Adam Altenhofen is a senior vice president of U.S. Bank's Environmental Finance Group, where he leads the development of new products, structures, and services. "We see community solar as a great catalyst to expanded access to solar and enabling low-income communities to participate in this energy transition," he said.

  3. Bryan Didier is a partner at Leverage Law Group in Leawood, Kansas, where his specialties include Renewable Energy Tax Credits. The firm has been doing renewable deals since its founding in 2009, with many in the community solar space. "It's exciting to see what the IRA has to offer these types of developments. We're looking forward from a policy perspective and how that will impact access to solar across the board," he said.

Tony said the federal government has long used tax credits to stimulate private sector investment into socially minded causes, like renewable energy, to drive job creation into low-income communities and provide affordable housing. Until 2006, there was little solar investment in the United States. 

"But at the end of 2005, the federal government created the 30% solar investment tax credit (ITC), which launched this industry. It's been a critical financing element for renewable energy and has helped bring the industry to what we see today," Tony said.

The wind industry, in contrast, was given a Production Tax Credit (PTC). The PTC generates a credit for each kilowatt-hour produced for the first ten years of a project's lifetime, while the total value of the ITC is upfront.

Adam noted that the IRA will allow solar developers to choose between the ITC and the PTC starting in 2023.

"The smaller end of the market now has alternatives when it maybe didn't have any before," Bryan added. 

Join us to learn more about the IRA — a game-changing law with broad potential impacts and corresponding complexities. Our panelists will help you sort out all you need to know.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Bruce Stewart on LinkedIn 

Connect with Tony Grappone on LinkedIn

Connect with Adam Altenhofen on LinkedIn

Connect with Bryan Didier on LinkedIn

Follow Perch Energy on LinkedIn and check out its website

Follow Novogradac on LinkedIn and check out its website

Follow U.S. Bank on LinkedIn and check out its website

Check out Leverage Law Group’s website

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 543: Sunnova CEO John Berger, On Enron, Innovation And The Future Of Solar

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

John Berger has an enviable grasp of the renewable energy business and an equally clear understanding of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. "You can throw the idea of work-life balance out the window," he said.

But with the support of his wife of 22 years, John — officially William J. Berger — has created one of the most influential solar services companies in the United States and arguably the world.

John founded Sunnova in 2012 and has served uninterrupted as its CEO, president and board chair. An energy entrepreneur with more than two decades of industry experience, he supports free market competition, consumer choice and the advancement of technology to power energy independence. 

Houston-based Sunnova is an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) provider that wants to make clean, renewable energy more accessible, reliable, and affordable by providing "better energy service at a better price."

Today's podcast focuses on John's perspective from the perspective of a leading solar services company. We explore his thoughts on energy transformation, what it means for consumer choice, and how his experience informs his vision for a renewable energy future. 

If you're a regular listener, you may recall John's insights from Episodes 113 and 465. It's always interesting to hear from John because he's a clean-energy prophet in the heart of the United States' oil and gas country. 

Before Sunnova, John founded SunCap Financial, a residential solar service provider, and Standard Renewable Energy, a provider and installer of renewable energy and energy-efficient products and services. He also worked for several years in Enron's experimental fuel cell division, leaving in August 2001 to attend Harvard Business School.

So we dig in a bit during today's show to learn more about his backstory, including the impact of his Enron experience. He shares what he learned from the collapse of Enron and how he uses it in his work, and addresses contemporary issues like the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the energy industry.

John talks about coming from an entrepreneurial family — his dad started a geotechnical materials consulting firm after losing his job in the 1985 oil bust — and credits his wife — an entrepreneur's daughter — for adding to his success.

"Being an entrepreneur requires real sacrifices, but it's who I am. So I needed to marry someone who would understand — and it's a little hard to understand if you've never experienced it.

"There are plenty of other attributes like personality fit, life fit. Do you want to family? How big? What do you want to do? What's important to you? Is God important to you or not? These things can also weigh as much in any equation as being an entrepreneur. But I personally heavily weighted the entrepreneur piece, and, in retrospect, that was right," he said.

John said he wants "to leave the world better" than he found it — and credits his wife's support and dedication for giving him the runway to transform Sunnova into a powerhouse. 

It's a perfect podcast for this Thanksgiving Eve, filled with information and insights, of course, but sparked as well by a lot of gratitude.

RESOURCES:

Find John Berger on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Connect with Sunnova Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

A Message to Garcia
by Elbert Hubbard

NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:

“Understanding the physical system I very quickly came away with this is archaic, the way that we’ve set up our power system is industrial age, not digital age.”
— John Berger
“First of all, I think Wall Street and many people don’t fully appreciate the impact of the IRA yet, this is going to end up being a monumental event in the energy business as a result of monumental event for the country and for the world.”
— John Berger

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 542: How to double solar customer value through follow-on sales, an all-star panel shares their secrets!

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

How can you work smarter rather than harder and get the most from your carefully cultivated customer relationships? Today's special edition podcast gives you practical and tactical advice to earn more business from happy customers. 

Through this all-star panel discussion led by Bodhi CEO Scott Nguyen, you'll learn how to double the value of your solar customers through follow-on sales. This Bodhi Media Zone Takeover is a replay from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

Bodhi is a software platform that helps growing residential solar companies remove operational headaches and sell more to more people. 

"How do we look beyond that initial solar sale and unlock the extra revenue hidden in our existing customer base?" Scott asked. 

We get some great answers from Ryan Barnett, market development officer at Palmetto; Preston Booker, Head of Strategic Accounts at BayWa r.e. Solar Systems; Adam Hinckley, Vice President, Corporate Development at Enphase Energy; and Mark Liffman, co-founder and CEO of Omnidian.

You'll hear excellent perspectives on follow-up sales for solar companies and discover how solar installers can help cultivate more sales through thoughtful customer relations.

Mark noted that solar customers are evolving from early to mainstream adopters. "Early adopters will take on more risks and want solar for quasi-religious reasons. Today's customers want something that works and will be easy for them," he said, noting that early claims of decades of maintenance-free use are no longer relevant.

"We've got mountains and mountains of data to say that's not true," Mark said. "We shouldn't tell customers otherwise because it sets unrealistic expectations and a potentially bad experience with solar. If we set the right expectations and have a plan to deliver against, customers will have a fantastic experience with solar."

Ryan said the assumptions and conditions of the initial sale are essential to consider. "Some organizations look at customers as liabilities and burdens. Others look at that customers and ask, 'How can I continually engage and feed them helpful information so they can enhance the asset in which they've already invested? 

Preston said the potential for repeat sales also depends on the installer type. "There're two categories of customers we're serving. One is highly hands-on, setting expectations up front and positioning itself as an energy solutions provider versus a detached sales organization that's just going to do an install," he explained. Of course, he noted, there is "everything in between" those two extremes.

Adam said there are increasing opportunities to amortize the high solar customer acquisition costs across second or third sales. "Software development is the future. And everything we're doing is coupling software with the hardware products we provide," he said.

Mark said solar success comes down to the value of the products and the clarity of the message. "If we, as an industry, can find ways to simplify the electrification process, then the mainstream consumer will embrace it," he said.

Intrigued? I am. Join me in listening to this outstanding RE+ replay.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Ryan Barnett, Preston Booker, Adam Hinckley, Mark Liffman, and  Scott Nguyen on LinkedIn.

Follow BayWa r.e. Solar Distribution on LinkedIn and its website.

Follow Bodhi on LinkedIn and its website.

Follow Enphase Energy on LinkedIn and its website.

Follow Omnidian on LinkedIn and its website.

Follow Palmetto on LinkedIn and its website.

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 541: Why Falling in Love With Failure Matters So Much, with Piper Wilder, 60Hertz Energy

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Piper Foster Wilder is a non-technical founder of a company that enables microgrids and their managers to use their assets more effectively and efficiently. 

She is the co-founder and CEO of 60Hertz Energy, an Anchorage, Alaska-based company offering computerized maintenance management software for microgrids.

"From villages to remote industrial sites like mines, telecom or fleets of backup power units," she said.

Piper is thoughtful and candid, quipping, "let me count the ways," when I asked her whether she's faced any entrepreneurial challenges since starting her company five years ago. 

"I have a Google doc called 'What I've learned starting 60Hertz, and periodically I'll lay down some of the more painful lessons or dumb things that I did or should have known better. It's cathartic, and it's fun to look back on — to think of the things that seemed so important at that time, or that actually were important that I should have paid better attention to," she said.

Piper is, first and foremost, an intelligent woman who understands failure is instrumental to success. "As a culture, we love best practices, success stories and celebrating good work. And that's important; I'm not taking anything away from that. But in my own experience, from my vantage point, I believe failure lessons are far more important," she said.

Piper suggests the willingness to share lessons learned helped move the renewables industry forward and helped lead her to her current role.

After completing a bachelor's degree in politics from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, Piper served as Executive Director of the McBride Family's Sopris Foundation in Aspen, Colorado. A few years later, she earned a fellowship from Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and worked two years at the Ecologic Institute in Berlin studying land use planning to accommodate large renewable installations. 

She learned about renewable technologies through her work as Vice President of Amatis Controls, an Internet of Things (IoT) hardware and software venture-backed start-up company in Aspen. She developed the company's thermal metering product line during her three-year tenure. She was also named one of 10 significant women by Aspen Magazine and helped launch Colorado's Energy Smart initiative.

Piper relocated to Alaska in 2015 to serve as Deputy Director of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project in Anchorage. There she became acquainted with the opportunity and challenges of project development, financing, and maintenance of remote power grids. 

In 2016, she led a contract with the Colorado Energy Office to develop a solar-thermal-as-a-service program in partnership with six rural electric cooperatives in Colorado. She launched her company in 2017.

"The driver for me has always been, 'How can I be a solution?' I don't mean that to sound lofty. I woke up one morning in my 20s wondering what I was doing with my life and realized, 'How can I be a solution? How can I help?' was the minimum viable I could settle on," she said.

60Hertz helps by offering maintenance software purpose-built for distributed energy resources (DER). DERs are physical and virtual assets deployed across the distribution grid, typically close to load and usually behind the meter, and used individually or in aggregate to provide value to the grid, individual customers, or both.

60Hertz's remote management platform enables maintenance personnel to optimize the potential of solar, wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), microgrids and backup diesel assets. 

In today's podcast, Piper and I explore the growth of 60Hertz and her commitment to creating meaningful work. Her company supports the energy transition while making the best of existing diesel-fueled microgrids. 

Regular listeners may recall her appearance on Episode 457 when she advised how to work with electric cooperatives.

You'll enjoy the conversation as we unpack how Piper successfully created this entrepreneurial venture. "It's so unglamorous getting a company off the ground. And yet the reward of having customers find value in our product, of hearing conversations about how it's working for them, makes it worth it," she said.

And one more thing. Piper shares a fascinating story about her decision to move to Spain somewhat impulsively after college graduation. "There was no way to get a job in Spain, except for doing things you couldn't tell your parents that you did. We faced with the option of dancing on tables," she recalled.

Tune in to find out what she did to survive — even though she conceded she's not very good at it!

RESOURCES:

Connect with Piper Foster Wilder on LinkedIn & Twitter

Follow 60Hertz Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and check out its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“I feel my prayer life is one of the most dynamic and renewing parts of who I am and what I want to give in the world. And that the value of making space for grace to be the sun that is shining on our work, and on our experience, I wish more people had a space for that because it is so dramatic and renewing and powerful. And I think it’s ultimately a lot of the engine that is accomplishing all that’s happening for us.”
— Piper Wilder

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 540: The IRA Solves One Problem, But Creates Another, with Andy Redinger of KeyBanc Capital Markets

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM) — Cleveland-based KeyCorp's corporate and investment banking arm — is North America's leading renewables project finance lender and provides services to clean technology firms in the power generation, smart grid, energy management, and pollution control sectors. 

In today's Tactical Tuesday, we talk with Andy Redinger, head of KBCM's Utilities, Power & Renewable Energy Group. The conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

KeyBank has been financing renewable power generation in the US since 2007, funding more than $15 billion of renewables in the past 12 years.

In 2021, KBCM demonstrated its commitment to its renewable investment banking team by doubling in size and enhancing its advisory and capital markets capabilities. Andy said the new team has extensive renewable energy M&A, capital raising and advisory services experience, allowing Key to continue providing superior client service to the US power sector.

"We bank most of North America's investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and have been doing so since the late 1990s," Andy explained. About 15 years ago, he and his colleagues decided, "the utility space was getting pretty boring, and we went looking for the next big thing."

"We saw renewables coming like a freight train, and I thought there would be a lot more convergence between renewables and IOUs, and I thought it was right around the corner."

Andy concedes his prediction was premature. "We were about 12 years wrong," he said. 

Now, the long-expected convergence is happening. "Renewables used to be a niche business, which attracted enough capital to grow it from where it was to now. Now the industry has become mainstream," he said.

Developers are seeking funding for renewable energy projects "earlier and earlier," he said, no longer content to wait until they were ready to put a shovel in the ground. 

"Fast forward to today, developers are coming to us months, if not years, before projects are ready to be constructed. That's just a natural maturation of the industry," he said. 

In today's podcast, Andy discusses KeyBank's response to a spate of fast followers in the renewable energy lending space, examines the role of construction and term debt and equity, and looks at lessons learned from the unfortunate demise of yieldcos.

Yieldcos are tools for financing clean energy projects with cheap stock market capital from a diverse pool of dividend-focused investors.

"Wall Street did a bad job educating the investor universe to get the correct buy and hold investors. So when clouds appeared on the horizon, many hedge funds sold out, and the market collapsed," he said. 

And he gives his perspective on the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes extensions and enhancements to existing tax credits to spur the development of renewable energy projects. "It was like throwing gasoline on a roaring bonfire," Andy said. "The IRA just made that fire burn even hotter, and it will make the developers more profitable. But it was throwing money at a problem that didn't exist."

Why does he think that? Tune in to find out that and more about financing renewable energy projects.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Andy Redinger on LinkedIn.

Follow KeyBanc Capital Markets on LinkedIn and Twitter and check out its website.

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“The inflation Reduction Act absolutely it was like throwing gasoline on a roaring bonfire. The renewable space you know, the issue was not capital, capital before the Inflation Reduction Act was wildly available. And I understand what the IRA did, the IRA just literally made that fire burn even hotter, it clearly is going to make the developers more profitable. But you know, it was kind of throwing money at a problem that maybe didn’t exist.”
— Andy Redinger

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 539: Democratizing Energy for Everyone, One Smart Solar Battery at Time, with Electriq’s Aric Saunders

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Growing up in Hawaii, Aric Saunders appreciated the beautiful environment, the hard-working people and his good fortune to live in what he describes as a "dream world." But he learned along the way about the state's dependence on imports and how people panicked over shipping outages "because there's no way to truck things in."

"As I got older, it came to light what a bad situation it is with all the imports and reliance on coal and oil," he said. "And that planted the seeds of getting into the energy industry."

Aric is a clean energy champion well versed in reaching low to moderate-income communities, creating innovative products, and integrating storage into the grid. "My interest in the environment and sustainability has always been there, understanding how integrated humans are with nature," he said.

He's now VP of Sales for Electriq Power, a battery storage company in San Leandro, California. He joined Electriq as director of business development in 2017 to advise the company on its residential energy storage and go-to-market strategy. 

Electriq has developed a smart battery storage solution for homes and small businesses that helps owners harness the power of smart batteries to achieve a more renewable energy solution. 

Before Electriq, he founded three companies in Hawaii and was the first to bring a specific kind of solar power purchase agreement (PPA)financing to the market, which we discuss in today's podcast. You'll hear how he incorporated sales operations, product management, and finance into an interesting and diverse career. 

A serial entrepreneur, Aric spent eight years in real estate development post-college before venturing into the renewable energy industry. The lightbulb moment occurred when he realized solar was comparable in many ways with his real estate work based on its financing. 

"The only difference I saw was this is overall a depreciating asset versus an appreciating asset because you'll have replacement costs. But once you have that site lease, you can replace panels down the road," he said. "There are no occupancy risks, and maintenance is much less."

Aric entered the solar industry in 2009 and, two years later, started his first company, Hawaii ECO Project, a provider of photovoltaic systems focusing on nonprofits. 

He helped create and implement the first no-credit-check residential PPA for Native Hawaiians, reducing electric bills for low-income participants by more than 30%. "We found the investors, created the document, did community outreach, procured and installed the equipment and still operate and maintain the PPAs today," Aric has said. "This project allowed us to maximize the benefits of renewable energy and cut through outsider complaints that solar only benefits the wealthy. It was proof that renewable energy could change everyone's lives."

As an innovator, Aric said his next step deepened his involvement in technology. "We saw a big need for energy storage and knew that would be the future."

In 2014, Aric founded SolarHale, which provides consumers with transparent information and pricing for residential rooftop solar, and HyGrid Energy, a renewable energy consultant, developer and financier.

Three years later, he decided he could be more impactful by joining an existing company as an employee where he could be "laser-focused" on helping it build its business. 

"That was one of the key emotions I had," he said. "And I'm not going to lie. I also had a kid right before that. So that played a role in the decision."

Aric thinks we're at the beginning of a fundamental change in how humans use and purchase electricity. He said he wants to look back and know that he and those he works with made a difference and made the world better. 

"Democratizing energy is critical to what we're trying to achieve," he said. "One of our core values is making energy ubiquitous. It's one of our goals [at Electriq], and we're making it happen."

If you're curious to learn more about Electriq, how the battery storage markets are growing and how the recently passed US Inflation Reduction Act will affect it, tune in to today's show.

TIMESTAMPS:

3:32 Misconceptions about Hawaii
5:51 First glimpse of alternative energy
7:02 Aric's journey into renewables
10:21 From energy project developer to creating a solar marketplace
14:15 From SolarHale to Electriq Power
16:22 Aric's proudest moment in the early years
18:54 A first time no credit check product
22:47 Decision to work for someone else
27:25 Gaps in the marketplace that needed to be filled
29:49 How companies can differentiate themselves
31:19 Providing financing for different sectors
33:30 Hurdles that developers are overcoming
37:17 How grid service programs work
40:34 Democratizing energy
41:36 Key lessons or takeaways from mentors
42:46 Advice for entrepreneurs going through a startup
44:16 How the Infation Reduction Act effects energy storage
44:59 Aric's book recommendations
47:40 Where to connect with Aric
48:24 Aric's bold prediction
50:49 Wrap up

RESOURCES:

Find Aric Saunders on LinkedIn

Follow Electriq Power on Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and check out its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“I’m really excited about what the future brings, right? I mean, the goals of this energy transition and democratizing energy will have such a huge impact on, you know, our society in general.”
— Aric Saunders

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 538: How Sungrow Keeps Its Global Edge in Inverters

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Earning a market-leading position is one thing, but maintaining it is another. Sungrow, the leading global inverter solution supplier for renewables, is successfully navigating the challenge by embracing innovation to enhance its product's performance, quality and stability.

Founded in 1997, Sungrow is the world's most bankable inverter brand, with more than 269 GW deployed globally — and 47 GW installed in 2021 alone.

It's a leader in the research and development (R&D) of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering photovoltaic (PV) inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial and industrial (C&I), residential and floating PV plant solutions.

In today's Tactical Tuesday, Hank Wang, president of Sungrow Americas, credits Sungrow's enviable position in the market to product and service excellence and steady investment in products and services. The conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

Sungrow outspends all of its competitors in R&D. "We have the ability and capability to keep innovating to enhance the performance, quality and stability of our product. We also keep it cost-effective, so our customers benefit from both the cost and technical perspective," Hank said.

More than 40% of Sungrow employees — 1,800 — are involved in R&D. "On average, we develop a new generation product every two years," he said, noting that each generation is more cost-effective and efficient than the earlier one.

Hank has more than a decade of experience building solar businesses in China. He spent five years as general manager of overseas sales at Yingli Solar and a year as group vice president at RealForce-Power before joining Sungrow in 2016.

Sungrow has deep integration with its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partners, which helps inform the direction of its product iterations. Hank said Sungrow always tries to address cost and how easy products are to install and maintain.

Join us today to hear how Sungrow maintains its market-leading position and its plans for the future as it prepares for expected rapid growth in the US market.

RESOURCES:

Follow Sungrow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and check out its website.

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“We have to prepare ourselves with the rapid growth of the market and make sure that we’re ready from a capacity of employees, from R&D, supply chain and everything to be well prepared for the rapid growth of this market.”
— Hank Wang

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 537: 'People Are The Heart Of Renewable Energy Project Development', With Industry Veteran CEO Kimberlee Centera, TerraPro

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Kimberlee Centera relied on intelligence and ambition to blaze an impressive, three-decade career in the renewable energy industry. As President and CEO of San Diego-based TerraPro Solutions, she's one of the only female CEOs of a privately held, privately funded utility-scale renewable energy consulting practice. 

In 10 years, she has taken the company from a one-person start-up to an industry leader and earned an enviable reputation as a risk management expert for developing and financing large-scale generator energy projects. She and her team have financed more than 12 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage projects valued at more than $6 billion. 

She credits her success to the love of the land she gained in her childhood and a father who taught her to think — and views people as the priority in renewable energy project development. 

"I strongly believe that renewables are about communities, and sometimes we don't do a good enough job of really making it personal for people," she said.

Suitable, appropriately zoned land and procuring the relevant permits are critical to every wind, solar, storage or transmission project. Yet she said land agents only finalize about 10% of land lease or purchase agreements for renewable energy projects.

"People are sometimes surprised when they hear renewable projects are so difficult. They're like, 'Well, you guys are green, you should be the good guys, and it should be easy.' But it takes a lot of fortitude and perseverance to get these projects through because there's one barrier after another," she said.

Developers have to overcome landowner and community opposition — obstacles Kimberlee said can be defeated by building trust and listening to local stakeholders' concerns. Many of those trusting relationships have endured decades across generations of families!

"One landowner called me for 25 years whenever she had questions, and we had long since sold the projects and moved on. Eventually, I was dealing with her daughter and then her granddaughter. Unfortunately, she's now passed away. But it's always been about relationships, which have always been compelling [motivation] for me," she said.

She suggested that developers can present projects with empathy and concern instead of just data by getting to know the people potentially affected by a project — along with their values and the local economy — and defining areas of mutual interest.

Kimberlee and her four siblings grew up in Mountain View, California, "when there were still lots of farms and before it turned into the environment that it is today. "We picked strawberries and cut and dried apricots and gained an appreciation for the land," she recalled."

Her father was a teacher. "There was a challenge, an encouragement, to learn and to grow. That was foundational regarding my thinking, approach to my business, and life. I still always want to be learning," she said.

In today's podcast, Kimberlee explores her nearly 30 years in the still male-dominated renewables industry. From starting in 1993 at SeaWest WindPower, which AES Corp. acquired in 2005, to deciding in 2012 to "leap off the cliff and trust" her abilities to start her own business.

"You don't have all the answers, and you're not going to have all the answers. But you have to be willing to take the first step — and I think this is where my focus on learning became so important," she said.

"You need that entrepreneurial, willing-to-learn spirit when starting a business. There isn't a rule book. Nobody hands you a book and says, 'okay, just check all these boxes, and you'll be a fabulous success.' You have to sling it out."

Join us as we explore ways to mitigate risk in your projects and learn from Kimberlee's decades-long experience. You'll benefit from her deep knowledge and understanding of how solar projects come together and how the renewables industry has developed over the past 30 years. She also gives practical examples of how her team helps remove the common obstacles to getting these projects permitted and financed, often being a key contributor in her clients’ meeting project completion deadlines! 

You'll also learn how her roles as a mother and grandmother — and her commitment to the environment and society — influences her business.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Kimberlee Centera on LinkedIn 

Follow TerraPro Solutions on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and check out its website

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

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VIDEO:

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 536: 10 Millionth Solar Design, $200 Million Series D, How Aurora Empowers the Solar Industry With Mission-Critical Digital Tools, with Co-founders Chris Hopper & Sam Adeyemo

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Chris Hopper and Sam Adeyemo met at Stanford Business School and quickly became friends — a not-surprising development since they are both entrepreneurial. 

"We initially wanted to start a solar installation business. So we put together a pilot project for a commercial scale installation of about 50 kilowatts for a boarding school and went through the whole project, soup to nuts," Chris recalled.

They soon fell into the complicated, cumbersome process of solar project design. With no readily available software to support it, it devolved into "a tool soup of Excel spreadsheets Frankensteining out of control." 

"Then more and more people started inquiring whether solar would make sense for them, and we were like, 'We don't know. We need a better way of figuring this out.' And that's how Aurora was born," Chris continued.

Chris and Sam founded Aurora Solar in 2012 with a mission to reduce solar design costs. Their cloud-based platform aims to make solar simple and predictable.

The software quickly and accurately designs rooftop panels through aerial photos, eliminating the need for the installer to climb on the roof with a tape measure. 

In today's Tactical Tuesday, Chris, Aurora's CEO, and Sam, its Chief Revenue Officer, talk about the Menlo Park, California-based company's incredible track record and the origin of its industry-leading software platform. Now a leading software for residential and commercial PV sales and design, Aurora is used in about 100,000 PV systems designs every month by more than 7,000 installers across the globe. And, they recently hit 2 huge milestones - their 10 Millionth solar project design on the platform, and a massive $200 Million Series D fundraising. It’s the first time I’ve had the opportunity to interview both Founders at the same time, and we took full advantage of the moment.

Regular listeners may remember my first conversation with Sam on Episode 199. And in Episode 394, we shared news of Aurora's acquisition of a leading competitor, Folsom Labs, the developer of HelioScope, a leading software platform for the commercial solar sector. As the two teams became one, they benefited from a larger engineering team and an expanded product suite.

Aurora is considered one of the primary “essential” design products in the industry by many and —arguably offers some of the industry's best training and visual graphic support. Sam called that intentionally strong support and robust marketing a strategic advantage.

"Our mission as a company is a future of solar energy for all. And we want to build a platform through which all these solar installations pass and are better off. The intent is it's more accurate, and the homeowner has a better idea of what they're getting," Sam explained.

Sam and Chris noted that their pilot project was in Nairobi, Kenya.

"It was so far away that we couldn't visit. So it amplified the pain points," Chris said.

The remote design software they invented bridged the gap. "And then we looked at the US and realized all these folks are climbing on roofs, adding to installation costs. It was a big cost we knew we could solve that with technology," he continued. That focus on remote design optimization proved a potent advantage these last 2 years through the pandemic, and Aurora has firmly seated itself at the head of the Solar Software table here in the US residential solar market. 

Join us to hear how these two business owners grew a company to become one of the few real unicorns in a space where few thought there would be unicorns. You'll learn how the evolution of Aurora has impacted the industry and what's next for the company. 

Coinciding with the release of this episode, Aurora is also presenting their annual Empower Virtual Conference, which is a Free 2-day event designed to provide inspiration and education to empower our community with greater insights and community gatherings. And they lined up legendary Hollywood actor, Edward Norton, to keynote the kickoff at 9:30am PT - so if you are reading this in time, you should head over and Register so you don’t miss out! 

Today's conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 535: Turning Entire Neighborhoods Into Better Power Plants, w/Geoff Ferrell of sonnen

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Geoff Ferrell got involved with residential construction through a friend on a mission to build healthier, more energy-efficient and more sustainable homes. "He was looking for a nerd to help him wrangle all these new technologies and bring all these things together to produce a fundamentally better home," Geoff said.

Then the friend shared a phrase Geoff has never forgotten. "He said, ‘insulation is sexy.’ I thought about it for a second and said, 'You might be right.'"

"It turns out insulation is sexy because of what it does and how it's applied," he said, explaining insulation takes the bare bones of a house and makes the structure livable. 

Since that lightbulb moment, Geoff has worked to transform more houses into homes with everything from insulation to the latest energy technologies.

Geoff is vice president of the virtual power plant (VPP) and commercial and industrial (C&I) project business at sonnen, a German-based global energy storage provider.  A VPP gives access to the storage capacity of an asset to provide services to the grid. In this way, homeowners and service providers, like Shell vis-a-vis sonnen, can pool the collective power of smaller distributed energy resources to mimic a larger, central power plant.

"A virtual power plant is software that can communicate with a set of assets and swarm control them to do whatever you want them to do. In this case, you want the power plant to absorb or supply energy at a specific power rate and have very, very fine control," Geoff said.

"It is fundamentally taking a bunch of small assets, aggregating them to be able to communicate with them very quickly, and asking them to supply products to the energy market."

Royal Dutch Shell invested in sonnen's energy generation, storage and distribution ecosystem in 2018. It acquired 100% of the company in 2019 to expand its residential smart energy storage and energy solutions.

A pioneer for intelligent lithium-based energy storage, sonnen offers customers energy storage and digital energy services like the sonnenBatterie, which optimizes residential solar power and supplies energy at night using stored solar power generated during the day. 

It advanced the energy market by combining technology with new business models for a decentralized energy system.

In today's podcast, Geoff talks about how he evolved his role from a buyer of sonnen products to one of its top executives in the U.S. 

Before joining sonnen in 2020, Geoff was chief technology officer at Mandalay Homes, where he championed technological innovations in home building and building science. Mandalay Homes is an energy-efficient production home builder in Northern Arizona, and Geoff helped it win the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Housing Innovation Award 12 times.

Geoff has experience in energy management, environmental building practices and, importantly, using sonnen's residential products. He weaves that knowledge through today's conversation, which stretches from his birth in Las Vegas through "falling in love" with residential construction and nurturing his interest in solar and battery storage.

Join us for a great discussion about Geoff's evolution from a potential pilot to a solar warrior bringing cutting-edge renewables and energy storage to the world.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Geoff Ferrell on LinkedIn & Twitter

Follow sonnen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and check out its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

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NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“I think what’s going to really happen is, the market is going to become very competitive, very nimble. And it’s going to drive the cost of generating energy down, which again, ultimately is a win for everybody.”
— Geoff Ferrell

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 534: How Better Battery-Based Energy Storage Will Save Power Grids, w/ Fluence’s Head of Growth, Kiran Kumaraswamy

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

The "generational opportunities" created by the recently passed US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could double the addressable market for utility energy storage in the United States from 70 gigawatts to 140 gigawatts and create a $200 billion industry by 2030.

That's the projection from Kiran Kumaraswamy, a high-caliber energy storage executive focused on the commercialization of technology — specifically, righting the ship around techno-economic analysis and justification of deployment of commercialization. 

"If you're excited about energy storage — if you're listening to this podcast — why does the growth of the energy storage market matter? It matters because you're part of a $200 billion industry in the US. 

"So let's feel proud about it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But it's actually an incredible moment to feel proud," he said.

Kiran is Vice President of Growth and Head of Commercial at Fluence, a global energy storage technology and services company created and backed by Siemens and AES.

Fluence was named the top global provider of battery-based energy storage systems in the 2021 Battery Energy Storage System Integrator Report published by IHS Markit, based on the market share of installed and planned projects.

"We're blessed to be in the position of a market leader, but competition is always on our tail. We've had the good fortune of shaping the marketplace," he said.

"To some degree, we are market-making, and the aspect of Fluence leading the charge and leading from the front is of significant value. It keeps me highly motivated. And it's very close to our mission, which is to enable the pathway to clean energy and make energy storage a central part of the clean energy transition."

Kiran is an engineer who can translate technology to make it easy for customers to understand and teams to model and deploy. 

After earning his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Madras in India and a master's in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he took a course in energy economics.

"That's how I learned about the beautiful nature of power markets, asset trading, and a bunch of related things," he said.

In today's Tactical Tuesday, Kiran shares insights on how the IRA will catalyze domestic production of batteries and other renewable energy options. He explains how Fluence is stabilizing its supply chain through domestic manufacturing and discusses the effect of innovative technology on the future of battery storage.

"Adoption of renewable energy is the most common sense approach right now. It's a chance to increase reliability and resiliency by lowering costs for consumers, given the uncertainty we see in the oil and gas market overall," he said.

I hope you join us to learn more about Kiran's insights and how Fluence is poised to add reliability and resiliency to the power grid.

Today’s conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Kiran Kumaraswamy on LinkedIn

Follow Fluence on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and check out its website.

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“Uber actually broke the utilization model because they use technology and figured out a way in which you can utilize these assets much more. Airbnb broke that for the hotel network, right? And so what does technology and innovation do? It helps you break the cycle of utilization on really high capital cost items.”
— Kiran Kumaraswamy

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 533: What You Need To Know About Mainspring Energy's Low-Emission, Fuel Flexible Generator, with CEO, Shannon Miller

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Shannon Miller considers herself a pragmatic optimist — a dreamer with the vision, education and scientific knowledge to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon electric grid.

Shannon is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Mainspring Energy — a Menlo Park, California company that believes the long-sought clean, efficient, affordable, and resilient grid is within reach. Mainspring is developing a linear generator that converts multiple fuel types to electricity.

"Many people are familiar with rotary or regular electric generators where you have a rotor with magnets, which spins inside a set of copper coils to produce electricity. We take that same rotor, but instead of rotating, it moves back and forth linearly," she said.

"It's producing electricity from that linear motion. And that's why we call it a linear generator."

The U.S. power grid, cobbled together over the past century, is under increasing threat from extreme weather events and rising costs, and we need to act fast to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Quick reduction of GHG requires rapid development and deployment of innovative new electricity generation, storage, and transmission technologies and steady, reliable power sources.

Batteries aren't cost-effective at an industrial scale. So what's the answer? Mainspring is betting its innovative linear generation platform will ensure that facilities with baseload power requirements can keep the lights on (and the internet, too). 

Mainspring Energy was founded in 2010 by Shannon and two other Stanford engineers in search of a new power generation solution for clean, reliable, and cost-competitive electricity. 

Shannon leads the design, manufacture, and commercialization of the Mainspring linear generator, whose fuel-agnostic design enables it to adjust dynamically for varying fuel quality and different types of fuels, including biogas, green ammonia, and green hydrogen.

"Our goal is to deliver affordable, reliable and fuel-flexible power to businesses and utilities at the local level. Our system is dispatchable, so it can ramp up and down and turn on and off. That allows us to enable options like solar and wind and add resiliency to the grid overall. 

"We're also very fuel flexible, which helps customers shift from today's fuels, like natural gas, to biogas, hydrogen, and ammonia. The grid is still 60% fossil fuels, and we need to put a whole lot more solar and wind on it. Then we need to add clean, firm power to get all the way to 100%," she said.

Mainspring's innovative generator aims to increase grid reliability and resilience while accelerating the transition to clean fuels. How does it do that? Where did the idea originate? And how did Mainspring grow from zero in 2010 to near unicorn status?

Mainspring Energy has raised $468 million in funding, including $290 in the Series E round. That's no small feat. 

Global growth equity investor Lightrock led the Series E, joined by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), Shell Ventures, Hanwha Power Systems, and other new private investors, along with existing investors Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, Fine Structure Ventures (the private equity firm affiliated with parent company Fidelity Investments), Princeville Capital, and others.

While Shannon generally avoids talk about valuation, she agreed this round puts Mainspring close to unicorn territory. 

If you're unfamiliar with the term, a "unicorn" applies to a privately-owned startup with a valuation of over $1 billion. 

Shannon is a remarkable woman. She has a bachelor's, master's and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and was recognized in 2012 by the MIT Technology Review as one of the "35 Innovators Under 35." And just this month, she was recognized for advancing women’s leadership in clean energy as one of only 9 annual DOE awardees for the C3E initiative.

A former National Science Foundation Fellow, Shannon received funding from the Global Climate Energy Project to advance her research at Stanford on improving fuel conversion efficiency to electricity. She collaborated with Mainspring Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Matt Svrcek to design and develop the early prototype that served as the foundation for Mainspring's linear generator technology.

"Linear generators work by compressing the fuel and air that creates the reaction that then expands and drives out electricity production. They have high efficiency because they span that reaction as much as possible, and it's evident in theory that that's how it will work. 

"But we wanted to test the idea in practice to ensure that if you went to high expansion, you could get high efficiency. And so that's what we were proving in Chris's lab Wand we weren't making electricity at the time; we were expanding that reaction and seeing if we could get higher efficiency," she said.

Join us to learn more about how Shannon, Matt and Chief Product Officer Adam Simpson, the company's third co-founder, combined low cost and low emissions with high efficiency, fuel flexibility, and full dispatchability to create the Mainspring Linear Generator. You'll get a fuller understanding of pragmatic optimism and hear about "excellence without ego" and "proactive collaboration," Mainspring's other core values.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Shannon Miller on LinkedIn

Follow Mainspring Energy on LinkedIn and check out its website.

VIDEO:

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 532: AES’s innovation culture, 24/7 carbon free energy, Agrivoltiacs and more with Woody Rubin, Chief Development Officer

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

The AES Corporation has a long history of delivering power to countries worldwide. Now the Arlington, Virginia-based global power company is changing with the times: it's building on its founding principles and innovative work culture to grow its renewable energy portfolio.

Woody Rubin, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at AES's wholly-owned clean energy development business, credited the company's success to a "straight climb up of incremental growth" at an "unbelievable scale." 

AES is a Fortune 500 global power company that provides electricity in 15 countries through a diverse portfolio of distribution businesses and thermal and renewable generation facilities.

For more than 40 years, the company has focused on bringing power to underserved markets and improving lives by delivering low-cost, affordable energy. Now it's amplifying those founding principles to meet today's challenges.

"Decarbonizing our sectors — and confronting the challenge of our generation, climate change — follows that spirit of bringing power where it's needed. But the new flavor is a renewable, 24/7 product. So now we want to not only bring power to underserved communities but also bring it responsibly, clean and safe," Woody said.

AES is a behemoth in almost every category it's ever embraced, and clean energy is no exception. In today's Tactical Tuesday, you'll learn how it builds on an innovative work culture to grow its renewable energy portfolio. Today’s conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

Woody joined AES in 2014 when it moved into the distributed solar market with the acquisition of Main Street Power. Woody was a senior vice president and general counsel for Boulder, Colorado-based Main Street, a distributed solar project developer in the 300-kilowatt to 5-megawatt range.

Even though Main Street was initially just a small team focused on renewables within a large company, Woody said AES had "the DNA for the kind of innovation and agility it takes to scale up a renewables business."

"The transformation has been profound, in terms of AES' commitments to reduce the use of coal and its carbon impact, and the vast, quick ramp up to renewables. All the pieces were there and evident in my first couple of weeks with the company," he added.

AES has evolved its clean energy business through mergers and acquisitions, growing its team from 30 to 900 people in the past eight years. It's working with its customers to co-create and deliver smarter, greener energy solutions that meet their needs, including 24/7 carbon-free energy. 

In 2020, it merged with Alberta Investment Management Corporation's (AIMCo) sPower, a leading renewable energy Independent Power Producer (IPP), and it bought Valcour Wind Energy from global investment firm Carlyle in 2021. Valcour's six wind farms comprise the most significant operating wind platform in New York State, which wants to produce 70% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030.

2022 has been a notable year for AES on multiple fronts, including external recognition. 

AES was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the ninth consecutive year by Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. 

Fast Company recognized the company on its 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators list, citing its commitment to clean energy, developing talent, encouraging clean energy innovation and nurturing "innovation opportunities for employees just getting started in their careers."

Fast Company also named AES on its 2022 list of the World's Most Innovative Companies for accomplishments like its May 2021 first-of-its-kind agreement to supply 24/7 carbon-free energy for Google data centers in Virginia. AES will help ensure that the energy powering those data centers will be 90% carbon-free when measured hourly from a portfolio of wind, solar, hydro and battery energy storage resources. 

So how do we get to "24/7 carbon-free"? Woody gives some insights, citing data centers, which have to work 24/7. He explained AES co-creates solutions with its customers to build "a portfolio of renewable projects, not just solar and wind, but also energy storage and other technologies."

"Our customer partners are saying, 'We can do better; the grid needs to do better; and we as a renewable energy community need to do better to decarbonize the grid, on a 24/7 time matched basis,'" Woody said.

I hope you tune in to hear more of Woody's insights about renewables, scaling clean energy and how AES will benefit from the tailwinds of the US Inflation Reduction Act. There are lots of good insights today.

Today’s conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Woody Rubin on LinkedIn 

Follow The AES Corporation on LinkedIn and check out its website.

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 531: 8 Amazing Cleantech Podcasters Offer Insights on Industry Trends (Quarterly Podcasters Roundtable)

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

What are the big trends leading cleantech podcasters are tracking — and what makes them so significant? That’s what you’ll learn in Episode 6 of our quarterly Cleantech Podcaster’s Roundtable, brought to you by Tigercomm, a cleantech public relations, marketing communications and public affairs firm, and SunCast Media.

I’m Nico Johnson, host of the SunCast podcasts, and I’m joined today by my friend Mike Casey, host of Tigercomm’s ScalingClean, a podcast and blog focused on the clean economy. 

We’ll be talking with six additional industry experts for a rich, one-hour discussion about energy trends, developments, challenges and opportunities. They are:

  1. Marie Burgquist, one of Palatine, Illinois-based GRNE Solar’s Watts Up podcast hosts. She’s also director of branch operations at GRNE, a residential and commercial solar installer with seven offices across five Midwest states. 

  2. Gil Jenkins, the co-host of Hannon Armstrong’s Climate Positive podcast. He’s also vice president of corporate communications and public affairs at Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company dedicated to climate solutions investments.

  3. Tim Montague, co-host of Clean Power Hour, a weekly roundup of clean energy news. He’s also a solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage executive, speaker, trainer and consultant.

  4. Bill Nussey, host of one the top 10 renewable energy podcasts, Freeing Energy. A TED speaker and serial entrepreneur, Bill is also the CEO and founder of the Freeing Energy Project, which aims to accelerate the shift to cleaner, cheaper energy.

  5. Josh Porter, the principal consultant at SolarCoaster Consulting and co-host of The Solar Coaster, a renewable energy-themed talk show broadcast every Friday from Maui, Hawaii.

  6.  Julia Pyper, one of the hosts of Political Climate, a podcast on global energy and environmental issues. She’s also vice president of public affairs at GoodLeap, a point-of-sale platform for sustainable home solutions.

From thermal and hydrogen to micro grids, hybridization and US policy changes, the conversation is lively, informed and well worth your time. Mike also raised some important points about the impact of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 

“The passage of the IRA was essentially a baton pass from the .gov world to the .com world — and that calls into question, ‘Are we ready to take the baton and finish the race? We're the last leg on the sprinting team. Are we going to win?” he asked.

What do you think? How can we move forward and ramp up without repeating the phony Solyndra scandal? 

There’s reason for concern, our panelists suggest. But there’s also plenty of indications for optimism.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Nico Johnson on LinkedIn

Connect with Mike Casey on LinkedIn

Connect with Marie Burgquist on LinkedIn

Connect with Gil Jenkins on LinkedIn

Connect with Tim Montague on LinkedIn

Connect with Bill Nussey on LinkedIn

Connect with Josh Porter on LinkedIn

Connect with Julia Pyper on LinkedIn

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 530: Today Is The Most Important Thing — Not Tomorrow; Nobel Chang on Building with Purpose

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Growing up in California shaped Nobel Chang's "want and need to jump into cool ventures." But there were other forces at play, too, like the influence of his Taiwanese grandmother, who believed anything was possible, and the evolution of new and exciting technologies.

So it's not surprising Nobel made his way into the solar industry — or that after discovering how much he could help improve people's lives, he opted to immerse himself deeper into the possibilities of renewable energies.

"My passion has only grown with the worsening state of the world," he said.

Nobel Chang is a co-founder and managing partner at Jacksonville, Florida-based Palladium Energy, a utility-scale solar investor and developer. Since its founding in 2019, the company has built upon the track records of its principals to develop, finance, construct, and operate solar, wind, gas and biomass projects in the US and internationally.

Palladium's core team collectively has more than 50 years of experience in power generation, including renewable and conventional resources. Nobel began his solar career in 2009 at Topco Scientific, a Taiwanese semiconductor company. He spent more than five years at Topco, first building off-grid systems for rural applications in Africa and Asia and then expanding to project management in the United States. 

Nobel left his role as vice president of development at US Topco to start a greenfield development company, Radiant Sky Energy. He joined Pine Gate Renewables in 2018 as the vice president of new markets and capital strategy before leaving to start Palladium.

Today's podcast follows Nobel's journey from real estate development to solar entrepreneur. He shares how he capitalized on his learnings at Topco to start a development shop of his own in 2014 and, five years later, co-found Palladium. He also shares some deeply personal stories that have shaped not only his career but the way he views the world.

As an entrepreneur, he understands the need to hustle, put in the effort and work hard to succeed. But he learned a hard lesson along the way: you can't let work define you and get in the way of your life.

Nobel and his fiancee delayed their wedding so he could launch Palladium in 2019 and close its first significant deal. "We saved our money, lowered our spending, and sacrificed the present for a rosy future. I had pushed through things before by focusing on work and getting things done. That defined me for a while. 

"So, on May 4, 2020, we closed our first big deal. On May 5, I said, 'Hey, we did it. Now we can get married, and it's time to have children,'" he recalled.

On May 6, he woke to discover the woman he planned to marry had died in her sleep. "I gave my wife's eulogy before I gave her my vows. And that was a very, very difficult thing," he said.

"My entire world was flipped upside down. I had lost more than I'd ever lost. And I was trained by this hustle culture that I had to sacrifice today for enjoyment and fulfillment would come at a later date."

While Nobel continues to find meaning in his work, he suggests it would be better for our society "to shed the idea that our work defines us."

Citing "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, he said we find meaning in our deeds or work, the experiences or love we share, and our attitude toward suffering.

"I focused much of my meaning on number one, creating work and doing deeds while bypassing the other two. And so I was thrown into the worst grief most people will ever go through. The business was doing well, but I had no one with which to share it."

Work is essential, he stressed, and effort is a virtue. "But many other things in life are also important," he said. "I hope this is a wake-up call for some people trying to do something, but forgetting today is the most important thing — not tomorrow."

RESOURCES:

Connect with Nobel Chang on LinkedIn 

Follow Palladium Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and check out its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

style=

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“The meaning of life always changes, but it can be discovered through multiple ways. One is through creating work and doing a deed. Second is by experiencing something or loving someone. Three is by the attitude we take towards suffering, which is ultimately unavoidable.”
— Nobel Chang

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 529: How Clean Power Research Is Driving Energy Transformation

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Think about renewable power economics, and you'll probably also think about Clean Power Research. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company provides cloud solutions for utility workflow automation, customer engagement and solar data services.

For the past 24 years, leading utility and energy enterprises have relied on Clean Power Research to navigate the energy transformation. 

Clean Power Research CEO Jeff Ressler explained how he learned to leverage data and software to improve customers' lives in SunCast Episode 221. He returns for today's Tactical Tuesday to tell us how his company's cloud software services are powering the energy transformation.

I reconnected with Jeff and met his company's product manager, Akanksha Bhat, at the September 2022 RE+ conference in Anaheim, California. RE+ is the clean energy industry's largest and most comprehensive event in North America, and SunCast was proud to sponsor its PowerUp Media Zone.

Jeff said enterprises and developers have evolved beyond using historical data primarily for site prospecting to embracing real-time data for forecasts and operations.

"It turns out the need for things like forecasts goes beyond the operational context. And certainly, that's growing," he said. "But one of the things we've expanded our capabilities around recently is the ability to do hindcasting and use forecasting early on in the development stages."

Clean Power Research was founded in 1998 by Tom Hoff, who now serves as the company's chief research officer. Tom, a pioneer in the science of valuing distributed solar generation, holds several patents in the area of PV fleet power estimation. His research is vital to utilities and Independent System Operators (ISOs) who want to maintain reliability while integrating ever-increasing levels of photovoltaic (PV) generation on the grid.

Tom is an old friend of Jeff's and brought him into the company from Microsoft in 2008, first as VP of Software Services and then, three years later, as President. Before taking the CEO role in 2017, Jeff spent 10 years leading the company's software team. He's credited with building Clean Power Research into a trusted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider that informs, streamlines and values energy-related decisions and processes for utilities, energy professionals and consumers worldwide. 

Akanksha, a product manager on the SolarAnywhere team at Clean Power Research, said they now see a lot of hybrid energy resources, particularly solar and storage. "It's dominating the interconnection queues. So we see a need for accurate forecasts as early as the pre-construction stage rather than just when the project is just operational," she said.

Akanksha focuses on how solar developers, owners and other stakeholders can use SolarAnywhere's data and intelligence solutions to make better energy decisions.

While data is always useful, it's especially relevant as we grapple with climate change. It's hard to predict when extreme weather events will occur, but using the data gives you a better sense of what to expect.

Join me for fascinating insights on the evolution of data use by developers and enterprises and why accurate forecasts are imperative across a solar project's lifespan.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Jeff Ressler and Akanksha Bhat on LinkedIn.

Follow Clean Power Research on LinkedIn, Twitter and its website.

Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!

SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow

Hey Sunshine! Clouds got you down? SolarAnywhere® is the leading commercial solar data solution for planning, operating and forecasting solar power production. Learn more at mysuncast.com/solaranywhere.

ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.

Episode 528: EDPR’s Sandhya Ganapathy on becoming #RebelsForChange

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Sandhya Ganapathy has lived and worked worldwide, gaining first-hand exposure to multiple cultures, religions and perspectives. 

It's a fair supposition she understands the message ecologist Barry Commoner advanced in his pathbreaking 1971 book, The Closing Circle — that "everything connects to everything else."

"Life is not always black and white. For me, it's always shades of gray," she said.

Sandhya, a passionate proponent of clean energy, is the CEO of EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and a member of the Management Team of EDP Renewables (EDPR).

EDPR is a global leader in renewable energy and the world's fourth-largest wind energy producer. Working there, Sandhya said, is a chance to constantly uncover new ways to put "seed into the ground" — and "harness the powers of the sun and the wind and make a difference for a better tomorrow."

Sandhya joined EDPR in 2012 as Head of Investments and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) North America. It was a pivot from her earlier roles in banking. "I wanted to be where the world was moving towards in terms of not only energy but also focus and infrastructure investment. And then I started thinking about renewables, obviously," she recalled.

"Many of us had ambitions when we were small. I had my baby steps, and I'm glad where things eventually landed," she said. 

From 2017 to her CEO appointment in early 2022, she served as Global Head of Investments and M&A, responsible for M&A, investment and capital allocation decisions, and asset rotation for EDPR across its geographies. She was also a member of EDPR's investment committee.

Sandhya has extensive experience in renewable energy evaluations, leading acquisitions and evaluating investments enabling geographical and asset class diversification. She ran EDPR's asset rotation or self-financing strategy, putting herself at the helm of one of the company's core income generators and critical enablers of future growth.

Before joining EDPR, Sandhya worked as an investment banker for more than a decade with regional and global banks across multiple geographies. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon and is a Chartered Accountant from India.

Today's podcast explores how this ambitious woman from a small city in India's southernmost state of Kerala is making a big impact on the global clean energy stage. 

Sandhya grew up in Kochi, also known as Cochin, a coastal city 

widely known as the "Queen of Arabian Sea." It offers international travelers opportunities to catch glimpses of life across the centuries, from pre-history through the modern era.  

"It's where the Western world discovered India. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama, landed very near my hometown. I had a lot of influences growing up, and you will find this in different parts of India. There is always the influence of the West and influence from the Persians. It's very intercultural. I also went to a Catholic school and had that perspective. This experience makes one much more global," she said.

Sandhya was born into a "family of accountants." So even though her mother wanted her to become a physician, and she took a combination of economics, business, accounting, and law during her university days, she ultimately followed the family path.

"The Chartered Accountancy program in India is not solely focused on accounting, which is the beauty of it. There is so much of taxation that we study and a lot of auditing and law. Personally, my affinity was always towards law," she said.

The law background gave her excellent preparation in argument, which is incredibly important in negotiating and cleared the way for her later role as a self-described "deal junkie."

"Depending on what kind of deal you do, it takes between three to nine months, sometimes a year. And when you finish a deal, there are 60 seconds of absolute bliss. I've always chased those 60 seconds of absolute bliss, and so I truly believe I'm a deal junkie," she said.

I invite you to listen to the podcast to hear more about Sandhya's path from India through Pittsburgh to Houston, where she currently lives and works. It's a fascinating journey that landed her exactly where she said she's thrilled to be — at the forefront of the clean energy revolution.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Sandhya Ganapathy on LinkedIn

Follow EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA)on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and its website.

BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:

“Depending on what kind of deal you do, it takes between three to nine months, sometimes a year. And when you finish a deal, there are 60 seconds of absolute bliss. I’ve always chased those 60 seconds of absolute bliss, and so I truly believe I’m a deal junkie.”
— Sandhya Ganapathy

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