Clean Power Hour

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Joe Marhamati, co-founder of Sunvoy, a customer relationship management and system monitoring platform for solar installers. Joe discusses his background working at the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office during the early days of utility-scale solar development in the U.S. He then started his own solar installation compa...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Dan French, the founder of the Solar Farm Summit, an event dedicated to promoting and advancing agrivoltaic solar (also known as dual-use solar or solar grazing). Dan shares his background, starting from his work as an attorney for BP Oil, then making his mark in brownfield solar development to his current focus on agrivoltaics and a...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague talks with Hunter Johnson, Vice President of Alliant Insurance, about the crucial role of insurance in the solar industry and how climate change is impacting the way insurance companies assess and underwrite solar projects. The discussion covers various factors that solar installers, developers, and asset owners need to consider when insuring t...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague interviews Sebastian Heitmann, the co-founder of the venture capital firm Extantia. The discussion covered a wide range of topics related to the energy transition and decarbonization efforts. Sebastian shared his journey from the early days of investing in clean tech 1.0, which primarily focused on solar energy, to the realization that mor...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague interviews Kelly Warner, CEO of Lumin (or Lumin Smart), a company that produces smart electrical panels for load management and electrification. Kelly shares his extensive background in the energy industry, spanning roles in consulting and running technology companies focused on areas like wind power and virtual power plants. The discussio...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague brings together a panel of experts from CPS America and EnergeiaWorks to discuss proven tactics for talent acquisition and retention in the rapidly growing solar sector. The discussion kicks off with insightful introductions from the panelists, including John Drummond, senior applications engineer at CPS America, William Liuzza, the founde...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague is joined by Scott Tess, the Sustainability and Resilience Officer for the City of Urbana, Illinois. They discuss the 5.3 megawatt community solar project that was developed on the city’s closed municipal solid waste landfill in Urbana Illinois in Central Illinois (home of the University of Illinois). This episode holds a special place in...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Adib Nasle, the co-founder and CEO of Xendee, a company that provides a software platform to design and optimize complex on-site energy systems. The discussion revolves around Xendee's unique approach to addressing the complexities and uncertainties associated with distributed energy systems. Nasle explains that the core problem...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague hosts a special live webinar with Austin Carr, founder and president of Greenlink Energy Solutions, and Jim Keeling, a business attorney and partner at Hinshaw law, both based in Rockford, Illinois. They discuss the opportunities and challenges of behind-the-meter solar PV installations for churches and universities in Northern Illinois. Austin...

The hydrogen economy is all the rage, with billions in government funding and skyrocketing private investment. But should we buy into the hype? Energy and utility guru Peter Kelly-Detwiler joins Tim Montague to separate fact from fiction about the promises and perils of the hydrogen economy.  They discuss the existing hydrogen economy, which is largely centered around industrial processes like ref...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague talks with Nate Owen, founder and CEO of Ampion, about the evolution and future of community solar. Key topics and takeaways include: - How community solar is moving beyond its roots in state-specific programs to more flexible models that can scale rapidly. Nate discusses "Community Solar 2.0" - applying the shared solar concept...

Solar trackers have swept the utility-scale solar industry in recent years, with single-axis trackers now deployed on a staggering 94% of large-scale projects. While a few big names dominate the tracker market, one company - Nevados Solar - has carved out a distinct niche with its unique all-terrain tracking technology. In this episode, host Tim Montague chats with Nevados founder and CEO Yezin Ta...

The solar industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, with string inverters playing a pivotal role in this evolution. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with John Drummond, the Senior Applications Engineer at CPS America, to explore the advancements in string inverter technology and how they are shaping the future of the solar industry...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Aviv Shalgi, CEO and co-founder of Solar Simplified, to discuss the growing and important niche of community solar. Aviv shares his journey into entrepreneurship, starting in the advertising industry before finding his passion in the energy transition. He explains how Solar Simplified was founded in 2020 with the goal of hel...

In this episode, Tim Montague sits down with Francois Byrne, CEO of Hybrid Power Solutions, to discuss the company's innovative approach to decarbonizing mobile power and construction. Francois shares his journey from working on hybrid race cars to developing cutting-edge battery and solar hybrid systems that eliminate the need for diesel generators. Hybrid Power Solutions offers a range of r...

In this episode of The Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague interviews Alex Nussey, co-founder and CEO of Wattch, a cutting-edge solar monitoring and asset management platform trusted by top installers, developers, and utilities. Nussey shares the origin story of Wattch, which began as a college project building IV curve testers for a solar car racing team. Nussey explains how Wattch differentiates...

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague is joined by Brian Baxter, Director of Sales East at CPS America, to discuss the rapid evolution of the solar and storage industry. As string inverter technologies gain traction in the utility-scale segment, CPS America is at the forefront of this trend with their innovative three-phase string inverters and battery storage products. Brian...

America's thousands of closed landfills represent a massive untapped opportunity to generate clean solar power. These unused brownfield sites, which are often seen as burdens on their local communities, have the potential to be transformed into renewable energy assets that provide a range of benefits. In this episode, Tim Montague explores the possibilities and challenges of developing solar...

In this expert panel webinar, Tim Montague hosts Monroe Jett, CEO and founder of Title Leader, and Mike Koehler, Director of Solar Development at Azimuth Renewables, to discuss how solar developers can accelerate project timelines and boost ROI by modernizing the often overlooked bottleneck of land title search and management.  Key discussion points include: - How siloed, decentralized title workf...

The solar industry has come a long way since its early days of small off-grid systems. With utility-scale solar farms now measured in the 100s of megawatts, grid penetration rising fast, and batteries no longer a novelty but a necessity, there's a world of knowledge required to be successful in solar + BESS. To help make sense of the current solar and storage landscape, we're joined toda...

Solar PPAs are a popular way to finance commercial solar projects, but the process remains nebulous to many installers and developers. In this illuminating webinar, host Tim Montague gets candid insights from two solar financing experts - Marc Palmer of Conductor Solar and Nick Perugini of Solaris Energy. With decades of combined experience structuring, financing, and closing commercial solar PPAs...

Imagine a world where anyone, from a 10-year-old child to a seasoned professional, can access top-notch training in clean energy technologies like solar, batteries, and energy efficiency – all from the comfort of their living room. That's the vision behind Heatspring, an online learning platform co-founded by Brian Hayden back in 2007. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague int...

Stay up to date with the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news and analysis. Join co-hosts Tim Montague, solar & storage expert, and John Weaver, PV Magazine journalist, as they reflect on the latest tools, technologies, and trends driving the energy transition forward. With a strong commitment to decarbonizing the economy and building a safer, healthier future for humanity, this show is...

Earn, save, protect - energy storage is revolutionizing the way we think about and utilize electricity. Batteries are no longer just backup power sources - they have become assets capable of providing a multitude of services to the grid and customers. Earn - you can turn a battery into a cash machine by providing ‘ancillary services’ to the grid operator with your battery. Save - you can reduce de...

Austin Carr, founder of Greenlink Energy Solutions, joins us to discuss his journey from military service to clean energy entrepreneur. We cover electrifying homes and buildings in a 360-degree approach - improving energy efficiency, upgrading mechanical systems, and adding solar and storage. Solar installers take note - this is the future of the solar company, a 360-degree approach to making the...