Factor This

Tell us what you think of the show! Over the past year, DroneBase, a company that conducts aerial assessments of utility-scale solar projects, drove up and down the western and eastern seaboards of North America to develop what it hopes will become a comprehensive database of every major solar project. A resource like this would give DroneBase the ability to rate developers, EPCs, asset owners, an...

Tell us what you think of the show! As Labor Day weekend came to a close, a sense of dread settled in at the home of Allison Clements, who was appointed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2020. On the cusp of entering fifth grade, Clements' daughter was tasked with completing a homework assignment over the summer break. And of course, it wasn’t done. Upgrading the U.S. electric gr...

Tell us what you think of the show! The Inflation Reduction Act established historic incentives for clean energy and climate change. It may have also created a gold rush with potentially dangerous consequences. In Episode 15   of the Factor This! podcast, Erik Lensch, founder and CEO of Leyline Renewable Capital, shares how the Inflation Reduction Act is impacting clean energy capital markets, whi...

Tell us what you think of the show! With the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in clean energy and climate change in place, U.S. solar power development is expected to explode over the next decade.  But meeting lofty decarbonization goals won't be easy— siting challenges, interconnection delays, and supply chain constraints all stand in the way.  In Episode 14 of the Factor...

Tell us what you think of the show! The power purchase agreement has done wonders for the deployment of clean energy.  Corporations can offset their annual energy consumption with long-term offtake contracts for solar and wind farms. But what if that financial model doesn't work for every business—especially smaller ones that still want to make an impact? And does traditional clean energy pro...

Tell us what you think of the show! In this bonus episode of Factor This!,  we introduce you to the RENWABLE+ Series™ from Renewable Energy World. Don't worry, we'll get back to tackling solar's biggest stories on Monday. In this +Series discussion, panelists from EDP Renewables, Generate Capital, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory break down what's next for green hyd...

Tell us what you think of the show! Around 70% of solar systems in the U.S. are less than five years old, and with a lifespan of 30 years or more, recycling may not seem urgent.  But multi-gigawatt demand for solar recycling awaits the industry in the decades to come. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates global solar PV waste will reach 78 million tonnes by 2050—with those raw mater...

Tell us what you think of the show! Think back to June. President Biden had just paused new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast Asia—a lifeline for the solar industry after months of tumult caused by the Auxin Solar tariff petition.   Shipments resumed. Projects restarted. Stability returned.   Then came rising interest rates, record inflation, and recession anxiety, all complicating...

Tell us what you think of the show! Up until a few days ago, Congress had been a frequent disappointment to clean energy advocates. Even the current optimism around budget reconciliation is... cautious.  But a few blocks north of Capitol Hill, seismic change has been underway. In June, FERC laid out a set of proposed rules to address what possibly is the biggest threat facing clean energy deployme...

Tell us what you think of the show! In a shocking turn of events late on the afternoon of July 27th, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that he had reached a deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on a budget reconciliation package that includes $369 billion.   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes:  10-year extensions of the ITC for residential and commercial solar A new ITC for...

Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 7 of the Factor This! podcast, Nextracker founder and CEO Dan Shugar explains his company's decision to invest heavily in U.S. manufacturing amid supply chain constraints and trade disputes facing the solar industry. Plus, he gives a sneak peek at Nextracker’s next manufacturing announcement. Enjoying Factor This!?  Leave a rating and review. Pro...

Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 6 of the Factor This! podcast, rooftop solar's biggest fight — California's net energy metering reform process — is back on. The California Public Utilities Commission has reopened the docket for NEM 3.0, which rooftop solar advocates warn could have a devastating impact on the industry nationwide. Vote Solar's new executive director, S...

Tell us what you think of the show! How to manage and monetize distributed energy resources is one of the most rapidly changing pieces of the energy transition. Every few weeks it seems a new software startup has raised tens (sometimes, hundreds) of millions of dollars in pursuit of those challenges. Meanwhile, utilities are watching the electricity distribution model that has stood up for a hundr...

Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 4 of the Factor This! podcast , Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group, shares how the solar industry swayed President Joe Biden to pause new tariffs on module imports from Southeast Asia, while also boosting domestic manufacturing. And later in the episode, Intersect Power CEO Sheldon Kimber discusses the earl...

Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 3 of the Factor This! podcast, Rhone Resch, the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association from 2004-16, looks back at solar’s “boom” and his regret as the former head of the industry’s leading trade group of not prioritizing domestic solar manufacturing. He explains why now is the time to invest in a domestic supply chain. Plus, Martin Pochtaruk,...

Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 2 of the "Factor This!" podcast, Lightsource bp Americas CEO Kevin Smith describes how one of the world's largest solar developers is approaching the Auxin Solar tariff petition and the threat of additional tariffs on imported modules. Also in this episode, American Clean Power Association CEO Heather Zichal, a former Obama administrati...

Tell us what you think of the show! For the first episode of the "Factor This!" podcast,  Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid gives his first extensive interview since filing the tariff petition that has rocked the solar industry. The episode is the first in a 4-part series on the Auxin Solar petition. Find more information about the Auxin Solar tariff petition, show notes, and a transcript fro...

Tell us what you think of the show! Factor This! is a weekly podcast that takes on solar's biggest stories with industry leaders who actually move the needle.  After launching with a four-part series on the Auxin Solar tariff petition, featuring an exclusive interview with Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid, Factor This! became required listening for solar industry leaders.  Join us every Monday fo...