Clean Power Hour

The solar industry is rapidly evolving, with new technologies and mounting competition forcing companies to adapt or be left behind. On this week's Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Kelly Shamblen, Regional Sales Manager West for Chint Power Systems (CPS America), the leading three-phase string inverter manufacturer in North America. Kelly has been with CPS for six years which is...

Solar developers know that securing site control is mission-critical. But painstaking manual title search processes bog down developers every day, wasting valuable time across dozens of projects. What if you could centralize and streamline title management, gain visibility into individual workloads, and never miss a beat when team members are out? That’s exactly what Monroe Jett envisioned when he...

In this episode, Tim Montague interviews Marc Palmer, CEO and Co-Founder of Conductor Solar, a platform that aims to accelerate commercial and community solar deals by connecting solar developers and investors to streamline project financing.  Marc is a repeat guest on the show and one of the nicest people in solar. He cut his teeth on the solar industry working for Invenergy in Chicago - one of t...

The solar industry in Illinois has come a long way over the past decade, but its continued growth relies on overcoming legislative and regulatory challenges. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague talks with Michelle Knox, owner of Wind Solar USA and former Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) board member, about the organization's crucial role in protecting and advancing r...

The Inflation Reduction Act has supercharged clean energy investment in the US through generous tax credits for renewable energy projects. But monetizing those credits can be cumbersome, especially for smaller project developers. My guests today are working to change that. In this episode of The Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Erik Underwood and Derek Silverman, co-founders of Basis Cli...

The solar industry is constantly evolving. With new technologies, regulations, and business models emerging every year, it can be challenging for solar companies to keep up. That's where joining your state's solar energy association can make all the difference. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague talks with Lewis Butler, head of sales and business development at Nelnet...

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides major incentives and tax credits to accelerate the clean energy transition in the United States. But how can solar, storage, and electrification companies take advantage of the IRA? In this episode, Tim Montague talks with Jamie Skaar, founder and CEO of Luna Energy, about the opportunities and challenges in implementing the IRA. Jamie explains how sola...

Hawaii is a living laboratory for the future of solar, storage, EVs, and grid innovation. Today on The Clean Power Hour, hosts Josh Porter and Jason Verkaart of the SolarCoaster podcast join Tim Montague and share their in-depth knowledge of Hawaii's clean energy landscape. Josh and Jason explain how Hawaii's high electricity rates, plentiful solar resources, and early adoption of a 100%...

Just a decade ago, solar installation costs were a whopping $15 per watt. Today, prices have plunged below $3 per watt, thanks to the cost adoption curve. Illinois is now a top 10 solar state. But the meteoric growth didn't happen by chance. Behind the scenes, the Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) has been working for years to clear obstacles, influence policymakers, and pave the way f...

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...

Happy New Year Folks. The clean energy industry is booming, with projections to double by 2030. This rapid growth represents an immense opportunity for the over 200,000 service members transitioning from the military to civilian life every year. Helping veterans translate their skills and find purposeful work is crucial, and this week's Clean Power Hour dives into how. On this episode of the...

The Illinois solar market has exploded in recent years thanks to favorable state policies, turning the state into a national leader in renewable energy. Today on the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague talks with Brian Haug, President of Continental Energy Solutions. Brian is a past President of the board of ISEA, the Illinois Solar Energy Association, and an early adopter of solar in Illinois sin...

Please take our listener survey. The global rooftop solar PV market was valued at 101 billion USD in 2022 and is expected to hit 435 billion by 2032 (a CAGR of 16% from 2023 to 2032). At the heart of this growth is a company called PanelClaw, the number one flat roof racking maker in the US. My guest today is Costa Nicolaou, CEO of PanelClaw and the man driving some serious innovation. Racking is...

Please take our listener survey. 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...

Please take our listener survey. The Illinois solar industry is booming thanks to forward-thinking policies like the Future Energy Jobs Act and the recent Climate & Equitable Jobs Act. Solar companies looking to tap into this growth market must engage locally to capitalize on opportunities fully. That's why joining the Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) can pay dividends through sup...

Please take our listener survey. Installing solar PV on commercial buildings can significantly reduce electricity costs but it requires careful coordination with roof repairs and replacements. Today on the Clean Power Hour, experts from the solar and roofing industries advise facility owners and contractors on best practices for integrated solar roof projects. The speakers include Daniel Sammon fr...

Please take our listener survey. The clean energy transition requires an unprecedented deployment of wind, solar, storage, and emerging technologies across the globe. However, friction and complexity in financing these projects remain key obstacles to reaching scale. Our guest today sees a major opportunity for software innovation to unlock abundant capital and accelerate the energy transition. To...

Please take our listener survey. The promise of "clean" natural gas has led many U.S. utilities to bet big on gas infrastructure, but how clean is gas? In this episode, we dive into the risks utilities are taking with massive investments in natural gas, which may be far worse for the climate than coal once methane leakage is accounted for. Expert Nancy LaPlaca joins us to expose the flaw...

Please take our listener survey. The renewable energy transition requires a massive overhaul of power grid operations and infrastructure. While utilities will play a critical role in this transformation, many face challenges integrating distributed resources like rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles. How can legacy grid operators embrace the distributed energy future? Our guest today, A...

Please take our listener survey. The Biden administration has set an ambitious goal of decarbonizing the US grid by 2035. Achieving this target will require rapidly scaling up renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and battery storage. The DOE has a little-known office called the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) that “accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in sup...

Please take our listener survey. The residential solar market has come a long way since the early 2000s, but there's still ample room for growth. Our guest today on the Clean Power Hour is a true veteran of the industry who's been innovating in rooftop solar for over 14 years. Dave Anderson, founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Complete Solaria, joins Tim Montague to discuss the evolut...

Please take our listener survey. How is one of the world's leading engineering firms driving the clean energy revolution? Today on the Clean Power Hour Patrick Hogan, Chief Client Officer at Black & Veatch, joins Tim Montague to discuss how utilities and other stakeholders can work together to green the grid by 2035. He provides insights from Black & Veatch's 2023 Electric Report...

Please take our listener survey. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Hugh McDermott, Senior VP of Sales at ESS Inc., joins Tim Montague for an illuminating conversation on long-duration energy storage. Hugh has dedicated his entire career to the energy transition. He shares how he went from advising companies on cleantech to developing infrastructure for conventional power, and now innovating at the cu...

Please take our listener survey. Today on the Clean Power Hour Tim Montague is joined by Tyler Hortin, president and co-founder of Lion Energy. Lion Energy is an American company focused on making smart energy storage solutions to enable buildings and homes to become energy-independent. They manufacture lithium-ion phosphate batteries and battery control systems that can store solar or grid power,...

Please take our listener survey. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Gregor Macdonald, author of Oil Fall (ebook) and The Gregor Letter, a weekly publication about the global energy transition. Gregor provides a big-picture perspective on how wind, solar, batteries, and electric vehicles are disrupting the fossil fuel industry. Gregor Macdonald became interested in energy and t...