Silicon Ranch Radio

What if a solar farm could operate as a real cattle agribusiness? Loran Shallenberger , Silicon Ranch's Vice President of Regenerative Energy and Agrivoltaics joins Nick de Vries to explore the launch of Cattle Tracker , Silicon Ranch's patented platform designed to to integrate commercially viable cattle operations within utility-scale solar projects. We examine what it truly takes to build an Ag...

Rob Andrews, founder of Heliolytics and Engramiq, joins host Nick de Vries to explore how advanced data analytics and AI are reshaping solar development and operations. From using drones and thermography to detect faulty modules at scale to building "data-complete" digital models from project documents, Andrews explains how better data organization enables more reliable, trustworthy AI. Dives into...

In the season‑opening episode of Silicon Ranch Radio for 2026, host Nick de Vries sits down with Ann Will , founder and CEO of Groundwork Renewables, to explore why certainty is the cornerstone of building a durable solar business. From resource assessment and PV soiling to hail resilience and module testing, Ann shares how high‑quality, trusted data enables confident decisions across development,...

In honor of Veteran's Day, host Nick de Vries is joined by former U.S. Army Special Forces officer Keyes Metcalf to explore how his military training prepared him for leadership in the solar industry. We'll find out how drones, digital twins, and AI are transforming project management, boosting efficiency while keeping human expertise at the center. From navigating complex construction schedules t...

Scott Canada , President of Renewable Energy at McCarthy Building Companies, brings over 27 years of experience in the solar industry. In this episode, Scott shares with host Nick de Vries how solar project construction has transformed over the past 15 years, with a sharper focus on data, safety, quality, and productivity. He highlights McCarthy's innovative use of digital tools, from GIS systems...

Jeff Dykes , president and CEO of BrightRidge Electric , shares how the Tennessee-based public power utility partnered with Silicon Ranch to develop solar projects under TVA's Generation Flexibility Program, enabling BrightRidge to deliver renewable energy while lowering costs for customers and funding STEM and tech programs in local schools. Focused on community service over profit, the utility a...

Jim Malooley , Director of Agrivoltaics Operations at Silicon Ranch, joins host Nick de Vries to discuss the innovative intersection of solar energy and regenerative land management. Jim shares how he went from running his own sheep farm to leading a team that oversees sheep grazing across three large solar ranches in Georgia. He dives into the unique challenges of managing flocks on solar sites—i...

On this episode, host Nick de Vries is joined by Winston Vaughan , head of climate policy at Clearloop, Silicon Ranch's Carbon Solutions platform. Winston shares insights into Clearloop's innovative business model, which helps businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint by commissioning new solar projects in American communities where significant economic and environmental benefits can...

As Director of Market Strategy at Silicon Ranch, Adian Markocic spends a majority of his time analyzing industry trends, regulations, and data to help guide the company's growth strategy. Adrian joins us to provide insight into the strategic planning and considerations that go into siting and developing new solar projects, as well as the evolving landscape of electricity demand and how solar power...

Silicon Ranch partner Nextracker has pioneered several innovations in solar tracker technology, including independent row, weather aware tracking algorithms, and have been leading the charge on domestic supply chain improvements. CEO Dan Shugar joins us for a discussion on how their innovations have reduced both costs and environmental impacts while also creating local jobs and community support f...

Anna Clare Monlezun , rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist, joins Nick de Vries to discuss grassland ecosystems, sustainable grazing practices, and the co-location of solar energy generation and regenerative agriculture. Anna Clare shares updates on a project close to her heart, Cattle Tracker , which aims to co-locate cattle grazing with solar energy generation. This conversation explores th...

In this episode, we're celebrating Veterans Day as Nick invites two military veteran team members, Daizjah Morris and Chris Frobuccino , on the show to discuss their journey between ending their time in service and finding their next mission in civilian life. For many, this transition can be one of the more challenging milestones in a military career, as veterans have to cope with a new identity a...

Our eighth episode in the series exploring domestic manufacturing takes us to Middle Tennessee, where Nick is joined by  Ben Macias , Chief Revenue Officer of Shoals Technologies Group, a leading global provider of Electrical Balance of Systems (EBOS) for eMobility, solar and energy storage systems, with three facilities located in Portland, Tennessee. They'll discuss Shoals contribution both to r...

Our seventh episode in our on-going series exploring domestic manufacturing takes us to West Tennessee, where Nick is joined by Jason Neal , President of Hyosung HICO and Senior Executive VP of HICO America. They'll discuss what makes Memphis a truly unique location logistically for HICO's manufacturing of transformers, a real life case study for high-tech, green energy driven domestic manufacturi...

In part six of this series, we'll explore the era defining opportunities presented by the clean energy transition and highlight innovative solutions entrepreneurs are developing to level up domestic manufacturing in the United States. In today's episode, Nick speaks with Jim Tharp , Sr. Director of Operations at Wacker Chemical Corporation, a leading player and one of the world's most research-int...

We continue to explore domestic manufacturing and the innovative new solutions entrepreneurs are developing to fully leverage opportunities the solar industry offers. In today's episode, Nick speaks with Suvi Sharma , co-founder & CEO at SOLARCYCLE — the country's most advanced solar panel recycling solution, about the need to produce the parts and raw materials we need right here in the United St...

The conversation on the future of domestic manufacturing in the solar industry continues with Vinayak Gupta, Senior Vice President of Operations of Clean Energy Associates, a global company operating in the United States, Asia, and Europe, working on the soup to nuts of solar supply chains in terms of what it takes to bring new technology to production at scale of high quality. In this episode, Vi...

The conversation on the future of domestic manufacturing in the solar industry continues with John Fluker , President and CEO of Grenzebach North America, a leading global automation company with expertise manufacturing glass, plywood, solar panels and even the luggage wheeling through just about any airport across the globe. In this episode, John discusses the role automation plays in the opportu...

In this episode we continue to explore the unprecedented opportunity to bolster domestic manufacturing while transitioning our energy infrastructure to cleaner, more reliable, renewable energy sources. Here in the U.S. labs are already testing new technologies, their stress points, and long-term reliability. The type of information these labs produce is crucial to people building the next generati...

To support the continued growth of solar and other industries it is becoming increasingly clear that the US needs to bolster its own domestic manufacturing infrastructure and shorten supply lines. Doing so requires a number of essential elements including leadership. In today's episode, hosted by Nick de Vries, we kickoff a special series blueprinting domestic manufacturing and how it can be suppo...

In previous episodes, we heard from Clearloop's founders, Laura Zapata and Bob Corney about how their company is helping businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint while also expanding access to clean energy to communities that need it most. In this episode, Laura joins the conversation again, this time with Brad Robison of the Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association and Joe Aza...

Discover how we at Silicon Ranch continue to keep all of our solar plants operating at peak performance, and meet some of the technology partners and talented teams whose skills help us interpret data to predict and prevent future problems. In this episode, Jim Bausell is joined by Clay Helms , Performance Engineer on Silicon Ranch's very own Technology and Asset Management team, and Peter Koblisk...

With us today on the show are Davin Smith , Regional Manager for Power Plant Maintenance for Silicon Ranch, and Jason Boatwright , one of Silicon Ranch's Solar O&M Technicians. So, join us to hear how these two master detectives and craftsmen, are helping to make solar do more! And stay tuned for the end of our episode to hear "Home" an original tune from the talented Taylor Downes.

The solar energy industry is rapidly creating new jobs, new positions, and new opportunities for workers of all kinds, and at a rate never before seen. But with all that great power comes great responsibility, specifically to create valuable outcomes beyond clean, reliable energy generation. To help achieve those outcomes, Silicon Ranch teams up with regenerative ranchers across the country to del...

Today we're going to shine a light on local clean energy and, how through Regenerative Energy®, we and our partners are leading the way to a brighter agricultural—as well as energy—future in the local communities we serve. In this episode, we're joined by one of our Regenerative Energy® partners, Trent Hendricks of Cabriejo Ranch. Listen in and hear how we're making solar do more!