Energypreneurs

In this episode, our guest is Michael Sura, a passionate engineer and energy expert with decades of experience in gas transit and hydrogen research. Drawing from his time managing large-scale natural gas operations and early hydrogen experiments, Michael offers an honest, technically grounded reality check on the hydrogen hype dominating today's energy discourse. He challenges the feasibility of h...

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Jose Bienvenido Manuel M. Biona, Executive Director of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) and the Enrique Razon Logistics Institute at De La Salle University. Dr. Biona dives deep into the current state and future of electric mobility in the Philippines—from key policy breakthroughs like the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act to the...

In this episode, our guest is Jaap Burger, a leading voice on EV smart charging and consumer energy flexibility. Based in Brussels and focused on EU policy on EVs, Jaap unpacks how electric vehicles, bi-directional charging, and automation are transforming consumers from passive users into active participants in the energy transition. We discussed: Why Norway's EV policy is more about smart taxati...

In this episode, our guest is Daisy Vardy, co-founder of ForeseEnergy, a 100% minority women-owned cleantech EPC company based in British Columbia. Daisy shares her company's inspiring journey and mission to decarbonize transportation by retrofitting diesel fleets—from mining trucks and postal vans to tugboats and cranes—with state-of-the-art electric drive systems and battery swapping technologie...

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Ancha Srinivasan, a veteran climate change expert and agripreneurship advocate. With decades of international experience in climate policy, precision agriculture, and energy access, Ancha dives deep into how democratizing clean energy technologies can revolutionize farming—especially for smallholders. He reflects on his journey from rural India to global instituti...

In this episode, our guest is Candace Miller, a seasoned global development and public health expert who has spent decades leading impactful programs across Africa, with organizations like the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID's Power Africa. Candace shares how her hands-on experience in energy access—particularly through solar mini-grids for health facilities—sparked her shift into clean...

In this episode, our guest is Angus McDonald, Co-founder and Chair of the Maritime Emission Reduction Coalition (MERC). Angus shares how battery-powered boats are reshaping marine transport, from electric ferries to outboard conversions for island fishermen. He explores the economic, safety, and regulatory challenges of maritime electrification—and why this sector may soon follow the EV boom. From...

In this episode, our guest is Robert Schoellhammer, recently retired from a 25-year career at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Robert shares reflections from his time working across Asia and Europe, highlighting how MDBs can and should lead with bold, transformative investments. From climate finance and energy access in Mongolia to electric vehicle policy in Manila, he unpacks why trust, innovati...

In this episode, our guest is Jan Tore Gjøby, a seasoned electrical engineer and independent consultant from Norway. Jan takes us through his inspiring journey from setting up one of Norway's first DC fast chargers to shaping national EV and charging strategies with the Norwegian Automobile Federation. He shares insider insights into how Norway rapidly transitioned to 95% electric car sales, the p...

In this episode, our guest is Tim Ryan, a seasoned voice in Australia's energy and digital technology landscape. Tim unpacks the evolving dynamics of energy supply in rural Australia — from community perspectives on wind farms to the transformative potential of batteries, EVs, and smart grids. He explores curbside charging, Distribution Network Service Provider's (DNSP) as enablers rather than gat...

In this episode, our guest is Samy Sriram, Head of Marketing and Operations at Clearbot, a pioneering startup building electric, solar-powered boats designed to clean polluted waterways. Samy shares the inspiring journey of scaling Clearbot from a humble prototype into a fleet of smart, autonomous vessels now operating across five countries. She breaks down their service, rental, and sales models,...

In this episode, our guest is Sidhant Gupta, the co-founder of Clearbot—a startup transforming how we clean polluted waterways. From a student project sparked by a trip to Bali, Sidhant and his team have built a fleet of unmanned, solar-powered electric boats that remove waste from water bodies in India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. Clearbot's boats, equipped with AI and autonomous n...

In this episode, our guest is Vladimir Abdelnour, an electrical engineer and founder who transformed crisis into opportunity. He shares how Lebanon's chronic electricity shortages led to a surge in rooftop solar adoption and his creation of a smart microgrid startup that integrated diesel, solar, and grid energy. Vladimir also discusses his transition to the U.S. for a PhD in grid-edge technologie...

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Enebish Namjil, a veteran solar energy expert and pioneer of Mongolia's renewable energy transition. Dr. Namjil shares his journey from launching early solar research in the 1970s to developing large-scale PV systems, solar thermal heating, and even implementing innovative heat battery technologies in his own home. We explore Mongolia's immense potential in solar...

In this episode, our guest is Steven Letendre, an economist and regulatory strategist specializing in distributed energy and vehicle-grid integration. Steven shares his deep insights into the emerging world of bidirectional EV charging, or V2G, a concept he has helped shape for over two decades. From the regulatory frameworks needed to support innovation, to real-world use cases like electric scho...

In this episode, our guest is Sohail Hasnie, host of Energypreneurs, who shares his personal reflections on the game-changing potential of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. Driving through Metro Manila, Sohail explores the "10 things V2G can do for us"—a practical and visionary list that shows how electric vehicles can go far beyond transportation to become mobile power stations. He explains how V...

In this episode, our guest is Laura Jones, an electrical engineer, social scientist, and co-founder of the Circular PV Alliance. Laura walks us through the pioneering work behind Australia's first certification scheme for circular solar farms, CPVA Certified. From integrating circular economy principles into planning and operation, to practical reuse and repair strategies for PV components, Laura'...

In this episode, our guest is Danny Kennedy, a serial energy entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for distributed renewables. Danny shares his bold vision for a world powered entirely by solar energy and battery storage — a transformation he calls "Solar for Universal Need." Drawing on his experience leading startups and initiatives like the California Clean Energy Fund and New Energy Nexus, Danny...

In this episode, our guest is Glenne Drover, a passionate energy professional and currently the Company Secretary at Yarra Energy Foundation. Though semi-retired, Glenne remains deeply active in shaping Australia's energy landscape through consulting, advocacy, and public engagement. We discuss the evolving battery storage landscape, with Glenne providing rich insights into vanadium redox flow bat...

In this episode, our guest is Yongping Zhai, former ADB energy leader and now Senior Advisor at Tencent, leading their carbon neutrality strategy. He shares his journey from early solar projects to driving green innovation in big tech—covering dramatic cost drops in renewables, the rise of AI in grid management, and why mindsets must shift for the energy transition to succeed. Yongping also discus...

In this episode, our guest is Gavin Dufty, National Director of Energy Policy and Research at St Vincent de Paul Australia. Gavin brings decades of experience advocating for consumer equity in Australia's energy transition. He shares valuable insights on evolving from kilowatt-based billing to energy-as-a-service models, rethinking subsidy frameworks, and the importance of involving everyday consu...

In this episode, our guest is Daan Boom, former Knowledge Management Specialist at ADB, who shares how knowledge systems have evolved—from early platforms like K-Map and E-Star to today's AI-driven environments. He reflects on building a culture of learning within development institutions, his current work on climate resilience in Bangladesh, and how to stay intellectually and physically active in...

In this episode, our guest is Daniel Bleakley, co-founder of New Energy Transport, who shares how his team is building a vertically integrated, zero-emission road-freight company that can compete at diesel price parity by pairing electric trucks with on-site generation and smart participation in Australia's wholesale electricity market. He explains why heavy line-haul routes are the best first mov...

In this episode, our guest is Bruce Nordman, a long-time researcher from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Bruce brings four decades of experience in energy efficiency and introduces his revolutionary vision for transforming how buildings use electricity, drawing strong parallels with the evolution of internet technology. We explore the concept of "nanogrids," price-responsive appliances, and...

In this episode, our guest is Cheree Bonnici, a startup founder based in South Australia, and the driving force behind Topicks, a global content platform focused on community, education, and sustainability. Cheree shares the story behind creating a curated digital space where users choose what they learn—free from algorithms and noise. From solving content quality challenges with AI moderation to...