Clean Power Hour

In today’s episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Parker Schram, the founder of EnergyScape Renewables, a company aiming to revolutionize the solar industry by offering an all-in-one ecosystem for solar enterprises. Parker shares his journey from renewable engineering to building a company that handles everything from site surveys and sales proposals to engineering, design, and...

The solar energy industry is booming, but maintaining and optimizing solar installations is an evolving challenge. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Chris Grablutz at RE+ Northeast in Boston. Chris is the founder of Triforce Energy and an alum of PurePower Engineering. We explore the world of solar operations and maintenance (O&M)—a critical yet often overlooked aspect...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Andrew Birch, the founder and CEO of OpenSolar, to explore the stark differences between solar markets around the world and what the U.S. can learn from countries like Australia and Europe. With over 20 years of experience in the solar industry, Birchy shares his insights on why Australia has achieved an impressive 33% solar penetrati...

In this engaging bi-weekly news roundup, host Tim Montague welcomes back John Weaver, "the commercial solar guy," to discuss major developments in the renewable energy sector. The episode highlights Bloomberg NEF's report of nearly 50 gigawatts of solar deployed in the US in 2024, a significant increase from the previous year that demonstrates solar's growing dominance over win...

In this illuminating episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Joe Ordia, the creator of Solar Surge on YouTube, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of residential solar technology. With 13 years of industry experience, Joe shares invaluable insights on the transformation of home solar and battery storage solutions, from early "science experiment" setups to...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague engages in a conversation with Mitch Ratcliffe, Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation at Intentional Futures and host of the Earth 911 podcast. Together, they explore the complex intersection of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and society's future. Ratcliffe brings his extensive experience in technology and sustainability to disc...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague explores the cutting-edge developments in geothermal technology with Joselyn Lai, co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Energy. Lai discusses how her company is revolutionizing the geothermal heating and cooling industry by dramatically reducing installation costs and time through innovative drilling technology. The conversation delves into how Bedrock Ener...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Joe Ross, Associate Director of National Accounts and Channel Sales at CPS America, to discuss the evolution of power electronics, detailing the shift from central inverters to the more efficient and scalable string inverters. He explains why string inverters are revolutionizing commercial and utility-scale solar projects, offering gr...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague welcomes back Marc Palmer, founder and CEO of Conductor Solar, for an in-depth exploration of ITC (Investment Tax Credit) transfers in the solar industry. With over 15 years of experience in renewable energy finance, Palmer breaks down the complexities of tax credit transfers and explains how this mechanism is revolutionizing solar project financing...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague explores two critical aspects of modern solar development: effective industry partnerships and IRA compliance. Four industry veterans share insights on how collaboration and compliance can coexist with aggressive timelines: Successful Partnership Dynamics: OMCO and Sunstall have collaborated on over 100 projects together, including nearly 100 projec...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with David Huebsch, Field Service Engineer and Manager for CPS America's Central Region. Drawing from his unique background transitioning from wind turbine maintenance to solar inverter service, David shares valuable insights into the critical role of field service in the solar industry. The conversation delves deep into the daily cha...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Eric Goodwin, Vice President of Business Development at OMCO Solar, to explore the evolution and future of solar manufacturing in the United States. From its roots as a truck bumper manufacturer in 1955 to becoming America's largest custom roll former with 13GW of annual solar racking capacity, OMCO's story exemplifies the transf...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague explores an innovative approach to geothermal energy with Johanna Ostrom.  Johanna is the COO of Gradient Geothermal, where she leads efforts to transform the energy sector by harnessing geothermal resources to reduce emissions from oil and gas wells. With a strong background in engineering and a proven track record in the oil and gas sector, Johanna and...

Check out CPS Product Innovation Day 2025: https://loom.ly/Ll19EVk Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Bryan Wagner, President and GM of CPS America, the number one string inverter manufacturer in the US solar market. We discuss the company's upcoming Product Innovation Day event (April 2, 2025, in Dallas TX) and their unique approach to business in the solar industry....

We wrap up 2024 with a rather unique agrivoltaics episode. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Nick de Vries, Chief Technology Officer of Silicon Ranch, to explore the groundbreaking concept of regenerative energy. This innovative approach goes beyond traditional solar energy production by integrating sustainable agricultural practices that enhance soil health and promote bi...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague brings you Rick Wrenn, author of "A Pragmatist's Guide to Energizing the U.S.A.", to explore the economic forces driving America's energy transition. Rick, who has a specialty compounds and operations management background, brings a fresh perspective to the energy conversation by focusing on the numbers rather than political rhet...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague brings you John Witchel, CEO and founder of King Energy, a company dedicated to solving the multi-tenant solar project problem for 3rd party owned real estate. The discussion centers around the concept of the split incentive problem, which has historically hindered solar installations on buildings where tenants do not own the roof. Witchel explains...

In this episode of The Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague welcomes Derek, known as Derek the Solarboi, a seasoned solar professional and content creator. The discussion begins with Derek sharing his journey into the solar industry, highlighting his transition from general electrical work to becoming an expert in operations and maintenance (O&M). With over a decade of experience, he provides v...

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague is joined by Sean White, a renowned NABCEP-certified trainer, solar educator, and author. Sean is a global leader in the solar energy industry, known for his engaging training sessions and dedication to advancing the field. The discussion begins with a reference to their recent experiences at the Oregon Solar Conference, where they participated in unique...

When weather gets gnarly, the solar panels can fly, the racking can be destroyed, and the powerplant might actually die. But never fear, Azimuth Advisory Services is here to help prevent climate chaos from getting the best of your solar and storage projects. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, we take a deep dive with two expert advisors, Frank Oudheusden and Chris Needham, principals at Azim...

Putting solar canopies on row homes and high-rise buildings in NYC! Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with T.R. Ludwig, the founder of Brooklyn Solar Works and Brooklyn Solar Canopy Company. The episode explores the unique challenges and innovative solutions associated with installing solar in the urban core of New York City. T.R. shares his insights on how he and his team...

Batteries are the new black for solar (solar is already black so maybe batteries are the double black?). If you’re a solar contractor you MUST go long into battery storage. As the value of net metering goes away (NEM 3.0 beware), the importance of BESS goes up. In California, ESS attachment rates have gone above 80 percent. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Faviola Angulo, a performance improvement engineer at CPS America, to explore the intricate world of solar inverter technology and performance monitoring. Faviola shares her journey into the solar industry, highlighting her transition from oil and gas to renewable energy, driven by a desire to contribute positively to the pl...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague engages with industry leaders Dr. Zhehan Yi and Ryan Mayfield to discuss the critical topic of safety in grid-scale battery systems. As the demand for renewable energy surges, understanding the safety protocols and standards surrounding battery storage has never been more essential. The conversation delves into the rapid growth of battery insta...

In this episode of Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague interviews Drew Bond, CEO and co-founder of Powerfield Energy, about their innovative solar racking system. The company's flagship product, the PowerRack, represents a significant departure from traditional solar mounting solutions. At its core, it's a highly engineered HDPE plastic tub that holds solar panels at a 25-degree angle, r...