Sean White‘s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast

In this conversation with Ezra Auerbach, we cover a lot of topics, especially solar sales, and ethics. Ezra is especially passionate about ethical solar and storage sales practices. Ezra and Sean both teach NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) classes.   Ezra also has lived off-grid on an Island on the West Coast of Canada for 50+ years. He started his first solar company in 1986.   Most people know h...

In this episode, Sean White is joined by Sierra Fan, co-founder of cleantech software platform Illu ( www.illu.works ) and fellow board member of NorCal Solar . They discuss everything from the importance of nature education for children to the balance of pollutant vs carbon mitigation in Chinese regulatory policy to the difficulties of running a microgrid installation crew in Myanmar. Finally, th...

Matthew is the Communications Lead at the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (  MACH2 ). As one of the leading figures in the hydrogen energy sector, he recently delivered a compelling Opening Keynote at the  North American Hydrogen Summit 2024 , highlighting the transformative potential of green and pink hydrogen in achieving significant environmental goals.   1. Green and Pink Hydrogen Initiatives:...

Christopher has and has had many roles in the solar and storage industry. Currently he is a consultant and has fractional leadership roles in various companies, such as Kevala. Christopher was also the CEO and COO of Blue Planet, which is pioneer in using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) lithium-ion batteries. Christopher has worked with SEPA and Seneca Environmental. Christopher Johnson takes things...

Back in the 2009/2010 Ontario FIT era, Sean was teaching classes for the Ontario Solar Academy and the Solar Coaster ended that job and the Ontario Solar Academy, however Sean discovered 14 years later that solaracademy.com has a 2nd live and Kerim is posting videos on the site. This podcast can also be seen on YouTube and on solaracademy.com . Kerim is an entrepreneur with a passion for renewable...

This podcast episode, hosted by Sean White, features an extensive conversation with Paul Subzak about solar energy and energy storage. Recorded in Orinda, California, Sean and Paul discuss a range of topics from utility-scale solar projects to the technical details of electrical infrastructure, including wire sizing and inverters. They also delve into the impacts of regulatory aspects on renewable...

In this episode Sean White welcomes Ed Rottman, CEO of Chroma Energy Group, for a comprehensive discussion on renewable energy, particularly focusing on solar power and energy storage developments. They delve into Ed's background, Chroma Energy Group's operations, and the intricacies of distributed generation, utility scale storage, and the evolution of the solar industry. The conversation also co...

In this podcast, Sean White is joined by Tony Diaz, a seasoned roofer and solar expert, and Johan Alfson, a solar installation specialist. They dig deep into the evolution of solar roofing techniques, discussing early practices, industry standards, and the importance of quality installations. The conversation covers the challenges of maintaining roofing integrity, the impact of using modern materi...

Sean White talks to John Coffman from Commercial Solar about the innovative hybrid power tree. This new technology combines solar and wind energy. John shares insights about the design, engineering, and potential of these hybrid power trees, which are being manufactured in the Philippines. They also discuss partnerships, financing options, and the advantages of combining solar and wind power. Tune...

In this episode, Sean White hosts Joe Marhamati, the visionary behind Sunvoy, as they explore the revolutionary solar and energy storage solutions reshaping the industry. From discussing Sunvoy's innovative customer portal and fleet management app to delving into wider topics like the impact of solar on the grid, the program offers insightful discussions on the future of energy. Join us as we unco...

Celebrating 50 Years with NorCal Solar: Insights, Innovations, and Impact   In this special episode, join Sean White at the 50th NorCal Solar Anniversary Party in Oakland, California. Sean captures the essence of this vibrant gathering, filled with pioneers, innovators, and advocates for solar and energy storage. Each conversation shines a light on the diverse contributions to the solar industry a...

Johan Alfsen is the Senior DIrector of Training at K2 Systems. He was also the Director of Training at Quick Mount PV for 12 years. Johan started the Solar Battle of the Bands, the Solar Comedy Slam and seems to me that he must be in charge of the Solar Games at Intersolar. All super fun competitions.  Topics covered: Quick mount PV K2 and Everest www.k2-systems.com/en-us/ Solar battle of the band...

Richard Lawrence has a long history in the solar industry and is very knowledgeable in many areas (He was formerly the Executive Director of NABCEP among other things). Our main focus of this podcast was apprenticeship programs. This is a big deal, since to qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for projects over 1MW, fulfilling the apprenticeship and prevailing wa...

Cameron works and lives in New York where having a NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) helps you qualify for the NY State program that helps fund projects.   Here are some of the topics we discuss: NYSERDA = New York State Research, Energy Research Development Association www.nyserda.ny.gov NY Sun Program NABCEP Certifications Indent Builders www.indentbuilders.com IBEW = International Brot...

Hermann Scheer (RIP) was a German politician who is responsible for making grid-connected solar profitable in about the year 2000 as he brought the German policy for reimbursing people for solar energy, so that they would make a profit. This brought about years where over half of the World’s installed PV was in Germany. This created the modern solar industry and kick-started modern PV manufacturin...

Where do we start, in this podcast we covered many things and Jeff Spies is very active and connected in the solar industry.   Here is a short list of what Jeff does and has done:   Owner of Planet Plansets www.planetplansets.com NABCEP Board of Directors www.nabcep.org/about-us/board-of-directors CALSSA Board of Directors www.calssa.org Solar Roots, the Pioneers of PV Documentary, Executive Produ...

This is my first interview with a real US Military General and I am honored that he took the time to meet with me. I am not worthy!   John Kem is in the civilian sector now and is the President of American Battery Factory! In this podcast we discuss their huge Gigafactory, which they are building in Arizona and which will go online towards the end of 2025 making made in the USA lithium iron phosph...

Joe McCabe has been in the solar industry since before there was a solar industry. In this podcast we talk about many things.    Here is a list of topics:   ASES Fellow American Solar Energy Society  www. ASES.org International Solar Energy Society  www. ISES.org MREA = Midwest Renewable Energy Association SMUD = Sacramento Municipal Utility District PVUSA Davis California PV Policy SAM software P...

In this podcast, we learn how UL issues first certification to UL 9741 (and UL 1741 SA) for an AI-Driven Vehicle-to-Grid Compliant EV Charger to Fermata Energy.   https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-issues-first-certification-ul-9741-and-ul-1741-sa-ai-driven-vehicle-grid   Alex Cattelan has been working on EVs for 2 decades and has experience engineering many famous electric and hybrid vehicles,...

One week before recording this podcast, Garret Little passed his NABCEP PVIP exam, scoring impressively after nine years since his first attempt. In this episode, we discuss his exam experience, memory techniques, and the differences between the Ecotech and HeatSpring prep classes. Garret shares insights on what’s essential for passing exams and highlights the NABCEP courses available. Garret also...

I came across a really cool YouTube video, rivaling Mr. Beast, but for solar, which was a purple bearded solarboi going off on Rapid Shutdown UL 3741 PV arrays, I immediately contacted him and a week later, here we are recording this podcast. This guy is entertaining and we are lucky to have him in the industry. This industry needs to be fun!!   derek the solarboi has 3 NABCEP Certifications   PVI...

Great conversation with Tyler Hortin! His company does everything from Wh to GWh and focuses on prismatic cells that are almost 1kWh! This makes for less cells and less connections that can go wrong. The technology here is Lithium-Iron Phosphate (LFP) and we will talk about the supply chain and implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). They are affiliated with American Battery Factory, so...

Tor "Solar Fred" Valenza is a regular in the solar industry. Tor has a podcast called Probably True Solar Stories, which takes his expertise as a former Hollywood writer and merges that with the solar industry. Some of his Hollywood work was on popular shows, such as Stargate SG-1, Dharma & Greg, and The Dead Zone. Tor's current day job is he is a chief solar public relations geek at UnThink S...

In this episode we are triple fortunate to have three of the smartest individuals in a discussion on science and policy from the Federation of American Scientists (fas.org), a nonpartisan think tank connecting scientific research with policy making to address today’s most urgent needs. Transition to renewable energy is urgent! We talk about how we can transition to solar fast, and how science and...

In this show we talk about the different stages of development of solar projects, which are projects that are from 1MW in size to GW sized projects.   Matias Sigal is an entrepreneur and has worked with many startups and incubators in different countries. He started off by being born in Argentina, and is currently a resident of Israel (which we discuss at the end of the podcast).   Matias has a co...