Suncast

Entrepreneur and community builder, Steph Speirs, aims to unlock the possibility of solar power for the roughly 90 million households that are locked out of the solar market in the US. Some rent their homes, others have less than optimal credit scores, or their roof is too shaded or otherwise unsuited to a solar array.  Steph is the co-founder and CEO of Solstice, which wants to turbocharge access to clean energy through community solar and "make the clean energy revolution work for everyone in America."We've talked a lot lately on SunCast about the need for a more equitable and inclusive approach to solar for all households. In today's discussion, Steph and I explore this theme through innovations like the Solstice energy score, a proprietary underwriting standard for solar customers. It's more accurate in predicting who will pay their utility bill and more inclusive of low-income Americans than traditional FICO credit scores, those three-digit numbers used to assess creditworthiness. St

This solar industry is crossing the chasm, and the consumers at the “table” today, while they look similar, are much different from those consumers before who were predisposed to taking higher risks, trying technology in advance. We're now moving to the early mass market, and they're going to be more risk averse. The way we sold to the early adopters to get our first 3 million solar installations won’t get us the next 3 millionAnd, let’s be honest, solar has a dirty little secret: It's not "set it and forget it; no moving parts." When you step back and look at the 3 million solar assets in the field, there are assets that break every single day; the challenge is in finding them, surfacing them and responding to them.For too long the industry has ignored the post-installation experience, and the future of solar is actually dependent on changing this narrative and keeping the promises we’ve made, so we can scale to that next million consumers, and beyond.This is our latest educational series, and

If your mobile phone or laptop has ever become uncomfortably hot, you have first-hand experience with a concept called thermal runaway. It's one of the primary risks related to lithium-ion batteries, and it happens when the lithium-ion cell enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state.  Catherine Von Burg, CEO of SimpliPhi Power, recently returned from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) conference.  A key observation by Catherine and her team is that fire-safety in energy storage systems was a seemingly foreign topic [at the conference] with little-to-no knowledge or expertise on energy storage chemistry, form factors, risks, and mitigation measures. There was ample opportunity to educate the attendees of the conference on this important topic but there is still much more of the story that needs to be told. In today’s Tactical Tuesday, Nico & Catherine unpack the underlying philosophy behind the testing standards and protocols associated with the oft-confusing UL 9540 & 954

Showing up is half the battle.“Wow, 500! How did you do it, Nico?”Seems a lot of folks had this question on their mind as the date drew nearer to hit this milestone on the pod.And, when I asked you listeners “what can I do that’s special for Episode 500?”, time and time again I got a common reply, “Have someone interview you, Nico! We want to know what you’ve learned!”The answer to “How I got here” is really boring and simple. One foot in front of the other, following my intuition, and reaching out to every hero, founder, leader who inspired me in the solar industry. It’s the tried and true formula for consistent progress that Most (all?) of the over 400 entrepreneurs & Executives interviewed on SunCast have “revealed” over the years. Only ONE thing trumps (or compliments) Luck in the formula for success, and that is CONSISTENCY!Persistence. Sweat. Late Nights. Stretching what you believe you can do. And, for me, deciding each and every week to Press Record (and so, so much more that

My collaborator and industry veteran, Mike Casey of Tigercomm, and I convene a quarterly conversation with several leading podcasters to discuss what’s new, trending and impactful for your business. Mike moderates the lively discussion, and I get to join in and enjoy simply participating (we also produce the finished products that wind up here on this podcast feed and that of several of hte guests (oh, and Youtube).This past week, we convened this phenomenal cast of characters; I’d encourage you to follow them all on Linkedin as well as subscribing to their respective podcasts:Mike Casey of TigercommEmily Chasan of Generate Capital and the Energy Gang podcastGil Jenkins of the Climate Positive PodcastTim Montague of the Clean Power HourBill Nussey of the Freeing Energy PodcastJoshua Porter of the Solar Coaster PodcastThese convenings have become a destination for those involved in cleantech communications. We covered topics such as the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Senator Joe Manchin’

There’s so much good content (especially right here on SunCast) but I always get asked "what podcasts to you listen to, Nico?" This week, we’d like to introduce you to one podcast I’ve been really enjoying - it’s a new deep-dive podcast for the solar industry called "Factor This". Host John Engel from Renewable Energy World breaks down the biggest stories in solar with leaders who move the needle. I was really impressed with his four-part, in-depth series on the Auxin Solar tariff petition, featuring an exclusive interview with Auxin's CEO Mamun Rashid, and I would recommend that you check it out. John has also interviewed industry leaders like SEIA CEO Abby Hopper, ACPA CEO Heather Zichal, Lightsource bp Americas CEO Kevin Smith, Rhone Resch, Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk, and more.Today, we’re dropping in a segment of the first episode of that series to give our #SolarWarriors a taste of what I’m listening to and enjoying..Enjoy! And tune back in tomorrow for our next Tactical Tuesday episode, oh,

If you missed Part 1 of this epic 2-part interview, I recommend you queue that one up first…that’s why they go in order ;-) In Part 1, we learned what a technology entrepreneur, a musician turned engineer and a corporate attorney have in common: They built TradeWind Energy and had not one but TWO successful exits as a team on virtually the same platform. If you haven’t heard of Tradewind, or Savion, well you’re in for a ride.  Tune in to hear how these 3 unlikely business partners engineered a 2-decade run together and managed to build (and sell) 2 of the most successful renewables development platforms in the world. In this Part 2, Rob, Geoff & Matt talk about the major inflection points in Tradewind, the evolution of the business to include solar and later storage, the creation of Savion, and all the fun details (that they’re allowed to discuss) related to scaling and selling both businesses. There are bits you’d expect (like they nearly went broke), and bits you might not (...

What do a technology entrepreneur, a musician turned engineer and a corporate attorney have in common? They built a company in middle America called Tradewind Energy that became one of the largest developers of wind energy projects in the U.S., and had not one but TWO successful exits as a team on virtually the same platform. If you haven’t heard of Tradewind, perhaps you heard of Savion?  And, if neither ring a bell, well, you’re in for a real treat bc today we’re  going to unpack a story that’s yet to be told, until this interview that is, of how these 3 unlikely business partners engineered a 2-decade run together and managed to build 2 of the most successful wind, solar and storage development platforms in the world. Along the way, they learned to trust one another, to build a team, find world class partners to help fund the vision, and find their unique value proposition. As you no doubt noticed - this conversation was so good, and so in-depth, that we are breaking it up in

In uncertain economic times, investors look for something — anything — to shore up their portfolios. But in 2022, there aren't many obvious options. Cryptocurrencies have crashed, bonds and equities are down, and globalization has rendered the idea of expanding from domestic to international markets moot. As Tyler Hurlburt, a licensed financial advisor and wealth manager, explained, "It seems there's no safe haven, no place to hide."In today's podcast, Tyler explores some fantastic ways to brighten your investment portfolio during these challenging times. He even offers a little goodie for you in the form of real cash you can invest today. Seriously. Real money.Tyler is director of investor relations at Energea, a retail investment platform created to connect retail investors to portfolios of renewable energy projects in select global markets (if you recognize the name, Energea’s CEO was a guest back in Episode 400 of SunCast). Energea wants to democratize investing through direct equity

Founded in a Wisconsin barn more than 60 years ago, Generac is a global leader in designing and manufacturing residential, commercial and industrial power generation equipment. Generac practically created the market for home standby generators and still commands an impressive market share in that category. Now it's fueling its transition to the renewable energy reality through an acquisition spree in clean energy products and services.Take Neurio, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based energy data company. Founded in 2005, Neurio focused on metering technology and analytics to optimize home or business energy use. Generac bought it in 2019 to accelerate its efforts around connectivity and remote monitoring — what it described as "critical parts of its 'Powering Our Future' strategy."Keith Marett was CEO of Neurio at the time of the acquisition. He said combining Neurio's intelligent energy management technology with Generac's products, distribution, and market creation capabilities created tremendous

Today’s Tactical Tuesday is a compilation of my favorite moments from the recent George Hershman 2-part interview. If you missed that one, then you’ll for sure want to queue up this more snack-able episode (but I’ll bet it will leave you ready to commit to the longer version!) It was packed with great stories and advice, but it was also a long interview, and maybe you're short on time. So think of this as the SparkNotes or CliffsNotes version of those two back-to-back podcasts. George is a solar industry icon and one of my heroes in the industry. His leadership & industry accomplishments have set the bar for so many who see him as a mentor, boss and colleague. And, he brings unparalleled insights into the clean energy revolution from his vantage point as the CEO of SOLV Energy and board chair of the Solar Energy Association (SEIA). Todays, preview give you a glimpse of the doubleheader mega interview I mentioned, which you can listen to in its entirety in SunCast Episodes 478 and 479. 

Solar Energy International (SEI) holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many #SolarWarriors who tune in regularly to SunCast. And SEI is equally important to me because it's partnered with SunCast for the entirety of our existence in support of nearly all our in-person and virtual events through the years.So I'm especially delighted to welcome SEI Executive Director Elizabeth Sanderson and learn how, in her first year, she’s growing into the leader role of expanding this beloved organization. In case you're new to the industry, SEI is a 30-year-old solar education and training organization that's changed how folks learn to install solar and energy storage. In simplest terms, SEI supports a diverse, inclusive, well-trained solar workforce to promote sustainable economic growth, mitigate climate change, and support energy independence. It aims to Educate, Engage and Empower — a mission it's meeting because it already has nearly 100,000 graduates. They attend programs online and at

You need a way to define winning solar projects fast, while eliminating all doubt that you've selected the most optimum configuration. And it’s frustrating to commit to a design strategy knowing that if you had the time or data, you could find something better. Furthermore, in the current procurement process, constrained by module availability, trade concerns and interconnection timelines, the need to modify project configuration is an increasing concern to keep these projects on-time. Today’s Tactical Tuesday conversation should help with that. I don’t often give such an overt (and free) endorsement of a specific design tool, but when I discovered the Solar Instant Feasibility Tool, I knew it was something I needed to share w/the community.  Today's guest will tell us about a product he created to solve his pain as a project development engineer. And I think you'll find it could help you make better decisions as well.Ashton Vandemark is the business unit manager for the Solar Instant Fea

Yoann Hispa has four science and math degrees, speaks four languages and cultivates a singular obsession with knowledge acquisition. I think you’ll have a lot in common with Yoann; you’re both insatiable infinite learners, that much we know. ;-)Yoann is the CEO and co-founder of LandGate, a company that aims to revolutionize the ways US environmental resources for everything from solar and wind to oil and gas are bought and sold. In his words, “We call ourselves the Zillow for land resources.” The six-year-old Denver-based company helps landowners, real estate agents, investors, developers and other stakeholders make more informed decisions through data and valuation benchmarks, and their thesis has been validated by the likes of Nextera’s venture arm, which led a recent $10Million Series B funding round.In today's podcast, he discusses the catalyst for his career path, his philosophy on building a business and explains how land values for wind and solar compare to traditional oil and gas leases. "

What does it look like to build a career of purpose that also engages your natural talents for educating and relationship building? This week’s Tactical Tuesday will show you! In today’s episode, we feature Miguel Gil Mast of Schneider Electric.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/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!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 730 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 w

If you’ve been following along the touchstones that make up the community solar market…“In this final episode of our 5-part series, we still have one more segment of this quilt of knowledge left to weave - the money - how does it work? You heard David Sandbank in Episode 1 refer to the Value Stack. The ways in which the market participants are incentivized to participate is an important element of any complete understanding of an industry sufficient that you could actually begin to participate in it. So, today I’m sitting down with Sy Kim, an industry veteran who has become a go-to resource for those who wish to develop market entry and business development plans for community solar. I first met Sy back when he was a project developer at SunPower before he went on to take senior leadership roles in NRG Energy and what would become Clearway. Sy’s market understanding surpasses most others I’ve met when it comes to explaining the one piece left to unravel in this tapestry - just how does the revenue in these pr

So far, we’ve taken a look at how Policy works at both the State & Federal Level. And we’ve also heard from a solar developer about the nuance and important differences for community solar from the other verticals.In Episode 4 of this series, we’ll hear from Kate Henningsen, Co-founder and COO at Arcadia Power. Prior to joining Arcadia Power as its sixth employee, Kate spent several years as a litigator at an international law firm, providing counsel to businesses on a wide variety of high-stakes issues. She has helped grow Arcadia to perhaps the most well-known among a category of service providers known as “aggregators” in Community Solar. We often hear community solar buyers referred to as subscribers. But, who actually finds, enrolls and services these subscribers? How does customer acquisition for community solar actually work? And how do you get beyond the general notion that it is just Too Good to be True? To answer these questions and more, I reached out to Kate Henningsen. Kate and the Arcad

The US Department of Energy considers community solar “an indispensable source in our future energy mix.” In Episode 3 of our Community Solar Series, we’ll hear from Nicole Steele, Senior advisor for Energy Justice & workforce at the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.Nicole runs the National Community Solar Partnership, which as you heard in Episode 1 has set an ambitious goal of achieving $1B in energy savings across 5M households by the year 2025. This would represent an increase from 3 to 20GW of community solar capacity in the US, and reflects an average bill reduction of 20%.How does the DOE plan to support this program? Why did it need to exist at all? And how can you benefit from it in your company or community? That’s what we intend to understand and illuminate in this discussion with Nicole Steele.Key Questions we cover in this interview:Why is the DOE supporting Community Solar, specifically?Who are the stakeholders DOE is engaging, and how?What is the “5 pathways

In  today’s Episode 2 of the Community Solar Series, our solar expert is David Kane, a seasoned developer at EDP Renewables. Dave gives us the view from the developer’s perspective:What exactly is entailed in his role as project developer? How does the organization rely on he and his team for progress?How does a developer think about policy as an enabler or driver for how to structure his/her time & team?What does the ecosystem of stakeholders look like? What are the kinds of people that one looks for in “local” partners?We learn what unique skill sets community solar developers need.And, I ask the question that seems to really be on many people’s minds: “Are these skills & needs all that different from Utility scale development?” If you’ve been wonderingHow do you decide where (market, team requirements, partner development) to focus the effort?Where do people most often fail or mess up in the development process for community solar?What sets successful projects apart from the rest - w

Over the years, a segment of the industry has emerged as what has been referred to as the fourth vertical for solar. It’s not just a phenomenon in the United States, but worldwide, and it’s called Community Solar. Community solar is the model where community members can collectively purchase clean electricity from a central offsite solar array, and this model has been gaining massive attention and momentum of late, offering an option for equitable access to clean energy while helping to reduce carbon emissions and promising to keep energy prices low for consumers. But is it really different from any other type of solar energy project? Perhaps more importantly, what does it mean for you as we embrace this clean energy revolution? We’ve dedicated this series to those of you who are trying to figure out “is this right for me, is this right for my company,” and “what decisions do I need to think through before I can actually throw my hat in the ring for community solar?” In this new mini-series, we’ll navigate t