We’ve heard that we need to focus on workforce development. Yet many times the workforce we’ve developed has to re-invent the wheel for lack of reliable systems to a) know what good looks like, and b) replicate it in the field with minimal oversight.
What if any solar installer had reliable, step-by-step installation guidance straight from any manufacturer? Would this improve the process?
Solar projects are custom-built each time, often with components from a range of OEMs. This means that installers have to spend costly hours figuring out how to connect different solar technology on a per-project basis (what we often refer to as commissioning).
Sierra Fan, cofounder of illu, offers a solution to this age-old efficiency hurdle. illu is a software platform that allows manufacturers (and installers) to create custom easy-to-follow processes to aid installers in completing fieldwork of all types. This system eliminates the need for manufacturers(OEMs) to develop their own bespoke software, and it guides installers through solar system installations and commissioning safely, every time.
It’s the simple yet effective idea that won illu the Solar Prize from the DOE and I believe it could be the perfect solution for OEMs trying to better support Installer operations.
Expect to learn:
This is a startup-story that you won’t want to miss!
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
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What if solar installers could easily integrate energy storage with any inverter on the market? LG Energy Storage Systems (ESS) makes that possible, and in an important and elegant way.
At the 2024 NABCEP Conference, Jim Brown, Senior National Sales Manager at LG ESS, highlighted LG's new "Home 8" AC-coupled energy storage system, a game-changing product for solar installers. In today’s episode, Jim and Nico discuss AC vs. DC-coupled systems, homeowner misconceptions, and a new technology that will help homeowners maximize the their solar plus storage investment. . Expect to learn:
Still reading? Come on, hit play! It’s what the cool kids are doing…
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
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We often take access to electricity, refrigeration, and running water for granted. In many parts of the world, these are luxuries.
In today’s episode, Andi Kleissner and Kurt Kuhlmann, Co-founders and Co-CEOs of Amped Innovation, discuss how they’re changing lives by installing high-performance off-grid solar systems and appliances across Asia and Africa. Nico visited with the pair in their CA headquarters; Seated on two of their high-efficiency solar freezers, they share insights from making solar products that empower impoverished families in the “developing world” to earn stable incomes.
Expect to learn:
Their entrepreneurial journey is inspiring; we hope you feel the same!
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
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New York set an ambitious goal for a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.
What will it take to get there?
Turns out, hydrogen may be a key component to New York's climate strategy, especially for difficult-to-electrify sectors.
Haiyan Sun is the program manager and team leader for hydrogen and clean fuels at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). With over a decade of experience in the power sector (much of which was in GE’s gas division), she has valuable insights to offer on hydrogen’s potential to fuel NY’s clean energy goals, so listen up!
Expect to learn:
Curious about how hydrogen fits into the green energy puzzle? Press play!
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
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Is solar plus storage magically going to fix our grid? If you listen to many of the conversations I’ve heard the last 2+ years, you’d easily assume “we got this, just throw some batteries out there and we’re well on our way to 100% RE!”
Turns out it’s not that simple.
Building hybrid power (solar+storage) projects requires a deep understanding of the unique challenges they present, from how to forecast revenue to building integrated software solutions that can handle massive complexity. Leigh Zanone, an 18-year solar industry veteran, shares his insights and experience from working in leadership roles at meteocontrol and Avantus (formerly 8Minute Energy) plus a long tenure in the monitoring & asset management side of the business long before that was even the terminology. Leigh’s expertise spans the technical, legal, and financial aspects of solar project management, and his perspective on what it takes to finance and build these projects will challenge your conventional wisdom.
Expect to Learn:
Press play, get smarter.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
How do we solve yesterday’s interconnection problems with today’s technology?
Alexina Jackson, Vice President of Strategic Development at The AES Corporation, pulls back the curtain to show us how AES is using cutting-edge technology to integrate MORE renewable energy into the grid. Because we need to add new energy fast and our current grid isn’t up to the challenge, AES is inventing solutions as they go.
Expect to learn:
AES is the leading developer for commercial and industrial customers in the US. They’re on the front lines, inventing technologies to augment the efficiency of existing utility assets.
Ready for the most useful fifteen minutes of your week? Hit play!
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
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As our Secretary of Energy says, deploy deploy deploy! It’s incredible to see how hard we’re pushing to modernize the grid, but, we also must maintain and ensure solar projects are delivering on every kilowatt hour that we promised. Today’s guest has been delivering on those promises for nearly two decades.
Josh Fraughton, a renewable energy veteran with nearly two decades of experience in the solar industry, has seen firsthand the increasing need for a stable supply chain for solar O&M. So Josh collaborated with RNWBL at the founding of R7 Supply, a venture so immediately successful that it scaled to meet to start filling the gaps within 18 months and continues strong today under RNWBL.
Today, he shares his entrepreneurial journey with us.
Expect to learn:
Don't miss out – press play to learn more about optimizing the O&M side of the solar industry and Josh’s extensive experience solving the industry’s problems.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Increasing extreme weather events year over year are forcing all energy assets to reconsider asset protection and resilience. The solar industry has been wrongly accused of grid reliability issues in the face of these extreme events, but what does the data say from operating assets that have “weathered” the storms?
Lightsource BP’s Kevin Christy is working to prove solar energy's resilience (especially during challenging weather conditions) and address misconceptions about renewable energy in grid stability and performance. As Head of Innovation and Operational Excellence for Lightsource BP, he and his colleague Dave Martin explore the future of solar energy, discussing advancements in technology, operational efficiency, and the crucial role of data analytics in optimizing solar plant performance.
Expect to learn:
This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the cutting-edge of solar innovation and the pivotal role renewables will play in shaping a stable power supply.
You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsors
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Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
Our guest today points out that energy efficiency is actually employing MILLIONS MORE than Renewable Energy as a sector!
Paula Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy, is fighting on the front lines to reduce energy waste. She uses her platform to champion energy efficiency as a cost-saving measure and a fundamental principle for achieving energy justice and economic growth. Paula believes that the "first fuel" is non-consumption.
Paula’s a returning guest to the show (Ep 333) but it’s our first time digging into her career evolution and role in championing Energy Efficiency.
Expect to learn:
Why are you still reading…click play and find out for yourself.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
By 2050, around 80 million metric tons of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules will reach the end of their life globally (according to NREL). 10 million metric tons will be in the United States. But this is not an issue for a far-off future. As we transition to renewable energy, we create a massive volume of waste just from manufacturing and transporting batteries and solar panels. So, what can we do to improve this process now, rather than in 25 years?
Kelly Weger, the Director of Sustainability for North America at Qcells takes us through their plan to reduce embodied carbon across the entire supply chain—from manufacturing to end-of-life recycling.
Expect to learn:
This conversation lays out the proactive steps any organization can take to mitigate environmental impacts. A circular economy is not a far-off pipe dream, but to get there, we’ll need to be far more intentional with how we build.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Permitting. The word is enough to send shivers down the spines of most PV professionals.
Obtaining permits for solar projects, no matter the scale, is a major roadblock in the transition to renewable energy, and often causes project delays that last weeks or even months. Robin Laine, CEO & Co-founder of Transect,is working to simplify the land permitting process for solar developers.
Robin, who has a background in environmental consulting, founded Transect to address the inefficiencies plaguing the solar project permitting process. Their due diligence software is designed to streamline site assessments for land developers in the renewable energy industry. Transect reduces assessment timelines from weeks to minutes by leveraging an innovative mix of public and proprietary datasets, and helps developers ensure they are focusing their efforts on the right properties and activities to get more solar through the permitting queue.
Expect to learn:
Robin Laine's story showcases the entrepreneurial spirit needed to make the clean energy transition more efficient and accessible.
Ready to get inside the mind of a creative front-line solar warrior? Hit play!
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
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