SunCast

In the final episode of Season One of our Green Hydrogen series, we’re looking at how Hydrogen might be useful to aid hard-to-abate industries such as Steel in achieving a zero-carbon future.  Let’s get serious about carbon intensity for a minute: the steel industry produces approx 2.6 GIGATONS* of carbon emissions  annually, that’s over 7% of total  global emissions and it’s a prod...

If you’ve been around the solar industry for long, you might recognize the name, Raffi Garabedian. If you don’t, however, it’s probably because you haven’t studied the rise of one of the largest solar manufacturing brands in the world, First Solar, or perhaps you didn’t sell against First Solar for years like Nico did in his past life! Raffi was the Chief Technology Officer at First Solar for the...

In the words of today’s guest, Hanan Fishman, “Planning a DC microgrid is no different than any other technical undertaking. You need to start with defining the problem you are trying to solve. In the realm of microgrids, several buzzwords often come to mind including resilience. But you’ll need to drill beyond just buzzwords and really understand the problem you want to solve, whether it is offse...

Biraj Borkataria is always looking at the details to determine how they affect the big picture.  As an analyst for RBC, ranked #7 globally for his sector, he’s a respected voice in the discussion around Big Energy’s transition toward climate solutions. In this Part 3 of our Green Hydrogen series, Biraj and I aim to take stock of how Green Hydrogen is developing through the lens of major globa...

Two decades ago, Jason Goodhand was working in Hydrogen. But he says it’s different now. “Whether it's renewable energy, or oil and gas, every sector is trying to ramp up to have enough people to work on hydrogen projects. And it's incredible how fast it came around this time.”  How has the market developed?  What’s changed over the last twenty years?  Did he just say “electrolyzer”...

It’s time to bet on the future. Climate change is here, disasters are daily, and even financial systems are strained to breaking. In Episode One of our Green Hydrogen Mini-Series, Sheldon Kimber is thinking outside the grid and betting on dramatic change, with his eyes set on five inevitable technologies of the zero carbon future. What markets will be both profitable and scalable? Why is Green Hyd...

Hydrogen, the most abundant element on earth, has been hailed for decades as a beacon of the coming clean energy revolution. So why has it still not arrived? And why is everybody all of a sudden talking about Green Hydrogen? In this mini-Series, in partnership with Intersect Power, we will help you filter hope from hype and reality from fiction to see where the true opportunities exist with Green...

I’ve said it a lot from the pulpit of SunCast, but there really is a LOT that the Renewable energy sector can still learn from the traditional power sector. The fundamentals of how the power sector works can often feel like a lost art. Today’s guest, Mitchell Samuelian, recounts the many stories and examples where he helped fill those gaps in skills and knowledge from his early days in Renewables...

Bill Nussey’s book comes out TODAY! Freeing Energy: How Innovators Are Using Local-Scale Solar and Batteries to Disrupt the Global Energy Industry from the Outside In is a handbook for navigating the clean energy transition. Last week, we released a 2+ hour in depth interview with Bill. Today, we’ve got a highlights reel, to help you get to know the author and share some key points from that longe...

The transition to clean energy is moving far too slowly. Trapped by a century of fossil fuel investments and politicians that struggle to plan beyond the next election, the “Big Grid” that powers our modern world is outdated and in dire need of an upgrade. Bill Nussey is on a mission to understand how this transition will benefit us all, especially with regard to what he refers to as “Local Energy...

Today is Giving Tuesday , yes, yes it is a real thing, and each year we highlight the GivingTuesday campaign of one Nonprofit that we see doing world-changing things. This year we are thrilled to highlight GivePower, one of the most impactful nonprofits in both rural electrification and clean water. If you missed it, we had GivePower’s President, Michele Magee, on Episode #388 of SunCast and we we...

Today’s Thanksgiving Episode features Youness Scally, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit, Everybody Solar. Over the past ten years, they’ve developed systems to aid other nonprofits and charitable organizations in installing their on solar projects, and he did it all as a side-project! Hear what it’s like to tackle the details of solar installation from the nonprofit perspecti...

FRIDAY BONUS EPISODE.  Today’s episode is EXTRAORDINARY and is not limited to energy professionals.  It’s about storytelling, and I bring it to you, solar warrior, because I love this industry and I want to inspire each one of you to tell your unique story to the world.  You give me hope. Your hard-earned skills, aspirations, drive and creativity are making this industry a permanent...

Few Clean Energy entrepreneurs are as familiar with the bumpy road from coal to clean energy as Kiran Bhatraju. The son of an immigrant doctor, Kiran grew up in a rural Kentucky town where the economy practically depended on coal.  His knowledge on the subject is deep enough and his perspective unique enough that he even wrote a book on the subject.  From author, (check out his biography of Eulla...

You need to tell compelling stories. Rain Bennett can help. In his recent TED Talk, “You Don’t Get Hired for Your Expertise” Rain breaks down what you DO get hired for in a very personal and compelling way. Moreover, in today’s Tactical Tuesday, Rain and I break down exactly how he does it, and I extract the lessons you can apply to your very next creative project. Rain is an accomplished film pro...

This is the Full-length interview with Energy Ogre founder and CEO Jesson Bradshaw, who also appeared on the podcast a couple of weeks ago on a Tactical Tuesday. In this episode, I learned: Why TX is an attractive place for industry How deregulated markets work The perspective of a retail energy provider How you can be sure you're getting the best electricity prices I was surprised to hear Jesson...

For the las six months, the solar industry has been under a shroud of confusion and uncertainty with regard to a handful of policies that are affecting all of us. Whether you have felt it yet or not, the WRO (Withhold Release Order) has slowly crept into the solar industry consciousness and is impacting everything from project equipment and project delivery timelines to supply chain and equipment...

Nathan Jovanelly believes everyone should have the right to purchase clean energy. In today's discussion, we talk about his childhood in a blue collar family, how he almost enlisted in the military, and how discipline and diligence paved the way to success, first in engineering and now as the Director of Business Development for IGS Solar. As is often the case, good relationships and excellent wor...

In Today's Tactical Tuesday we spend 15 minutes diving into the reality of deregulated markets with of Jesson Bradshaw of Energy Ogre. Most of us in the US do not have choice when it come to who powers our homes. But in Texas, and a several other "choice markets" (deregulated energy markets), energy is as competitive as telecom services. Much like the airline industry and natural gas, deregulation...

Auston Taber launched Solar Support after years behind the scenes at companies like REC, SMA, Huawei and GInlong, where he learned how to repair systems and mitigate damages from failing hardware. From aging inverters to hurricanes, there's always something threatening productivity of a solar array and Auston's mission is to keep those unproductive hours to a minimum. We talk about how he pivoted...

Today's Tactical Tuesday is our Final Debate of the Great Debate Series for 2021, and features four solar industry experts - 2 who represent Distributed Generation, and 2 who represent Utility-scale "Central" Generation. The hot topic being debated: "Distributed vs Central Generation - How do we create the 100% Renewable Grid of the Future? " Barbara Lockwood of Arizona Public Service, and Emilie...

Starting, failing, transparency, humility, organization, leadership, family, burnout...these are just some of the themes that emerged in today's riveting discussion with Reid Wuntke. Reid is a highly intentional and focused leader. You may recognize him as President of one of the world's leading solar software platforms, Energy Toolbase, but he came into the Renewables field with the same thoughtf...

The Solar Power World 2021 Top Solar Changemaker award-winner is Kate Gold, director of community engagement at  Solar Landscape . From the Article feature on SPW's website: "Talking about diversity and inclusion in the solar industry is a good start, but the 2021 Top Solar Changemaker is actively bringing underserved communities into the green economy. Kate Gold’s mission as direct...

Welcome back, Solar Warrior. This is a SunCast Rewind that’s also a Tactical Tuesday, typically a short form conversation with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tools, tips, and advice for building your solar business or career. Today is a special collaboration with Mike Casey from Tigercomm as host of our Quarterly Podcasters Roundtable. Originally recorded live as a video...

When Eric White met a group of Louisiana oil guys at an OPEC Summit while studying abroad in Vienna, he scarcely could have imagined that his career would soon center around two of the most powerful sectors in the world: Finance & Energy. And when he began to see the renewable energy sector scaling, his traditional finance & energy training suggested that the solar sector in particular was...