The Green Room - Energy Innovation & Renewables Industry Podcast

What do most engineers get wrong about lightning protection?   In this episode, Veli sits down with Franco  D'Alessandro from LPI to explore lightning protection for commercial solar, battery storage and critical infrastructure.  From astrophysics to lightning engineering, Franco explains how lightning forms, why blunt air terminals outperform sharp rods, and why surge protection, earthing an...

What happens when defence-grade software analytics meets renewable infrastructure, and why is 30% of commercial solar offline right now? In this episode, we sit down with Chris Martell: Managing Director of GSES (Global Sustainable Energy Solutions): to explore solar engineering, training evolution, and advanced asset management. Chris shares his journey from working on military radar arrays at Ra...

What does honest politics actually sound like? In this episode, we sit down with Nick McGowan,  Victorian MP, Shadow Minister for Environment, and Shadow Minister for Fire Services, for one of the most open, direct, and thought-provoking conversations we’ve had on the podcast. Nick shares his journey from knowing in grade five that he wanted to be a member of parliament, to standing for council at...

What really happens when massive consumer demand for home batteries meets the harsh technical realities of the field? In this episode, we sit down with Mick Klose, licensed electrician, solar specialist, and Operations Manager at Hayes Power, to discuss the nitty-gritty of high-end solar installations, home battery storage, and commercial energy management. Operating out of San Remo, Victoria, Mic...

What happens when electrification, data centres, renewables and customer behaviour all collide?    In this episode, we sit down with Liz Fletcher , energy consultant and former Flow Power, Transgrid and Energy Power Systems professional, to examine the future of Australia's energy transition.    From early work in wind, coal, lobbying and carbon policy, to corporate PPAs, data centres, energy...

What happens when a chef, food journalist, start up founder, lecturer and energy innovator all become the same person? In this episode, we sit down with Puja Ganguli-Kerr to explore nonlinear careers, innovation, sustainability, energy transition, entrepreneurship and community building. From training as a chef and working in food journalism to building startups, lecturing at Monash University and...

What happens when AI, automation and consumer protection collide in the solar industry?    In this episode, we sit down with Sophie Wright, General Manager of OpenSolar Australia & New Zealand , to explore the future of solar software, battery sales, AI-driven workflows, and the growing risks facing the renewable energy industry.    Sophie now leads one of the industry’s most widely used propo...

What happens when AI starts controlling the grid? In this episode, we sit down with Gokul,  lecturer in electrical engineering at Swinburne University and researcher at the Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub,  to explore the future of renewable energy, AI-driven electricity systems, microgrids, and autonomous grid control. From growing up in India and breaking TVs to learn how they worked, to...

What does it actually take to sell solar systems properly? In this episode, we sit down with Cameron Blair from Solarhart to unpack the real world of residential solar, batteries, heat pumps, commercial solar, and the sales process behind helping customers make the right energy decision. Cameron’s journey starts far away from solar. From growing up in Ferntree Gully, becoming a diesel mechanic, mo...

In this episode, we sit down with Gaurav  Gaikwad from Pixii, an electrical engineer whose journey spans from Mumbai’s competitive hustle to Australia’s cutting-edge battery and microgrid industry.    From early solar projects in India to large-scale PPAs and now advanced battery systems in Australia, this conversation explores how energy systems are evolving , and why batteries are becoming criti...

What actually powers the future of energy? In this episode, we sit down with David Minchin,  an engineer’s engineer with over 40 years of experience across batteries, solar, telecommunications, and electrical standards,  to understand the reality behind modern energy systems. From early off-grid solar in the 1980s to today’s lithium battery boom, David shares a rare, behind-the-scenes perspective...

What if everything you’ve been told about your carbon footprint is wrong? In this episode, we sit down with Alastair Matcott from Green Energy Trading to unpack the truth about climate change, clean energy, and the systems driving it all. From calling out the origins of the “individual carbon footprint” narrative to breaking down how renewable energy incentives actually work, this conversation goe...

Join Laurie Kane from Solar Plus on Season 2 Ep 13 of THE GREENROOM podcast. Laurie is an undisputed Industry veteran who takes us inside his journey. We start in the middle of underground parties in Sydney… rooftops, wild nights, people pushing limits. The kind of chaos that somehow teaches you more than anything structured ever could! The conversation will have twists and turns you wont see comi...

Discover how solar canopies are transforming the future of commercial solar, EV charging infrastructure, and sustainable design. In this episode, we sit down with Will Beaumont from Canyon Solar to unpack one of the fastest-growing innovations in renewable energy - solar carports (also known as solar canopies). From prefabrication breakthroughs to reducing installation time from months to weeks, t...

What does it take to spend over two decades at the forefront of renewable energy, and still be hungry for more? From selling off-grid systems in the early 2000s to managing gigawatt-scale solar operations, Hayden has seen it all, and tells it exactly how it is. In this episode, we sit down with Haydn Fletcher, a true pioneer of the Australian solar industry and now General Manager at Clenergy.  Fr...

Lee’s journey is anything but ordinary! From growing up in Dubai and working his way into business at a young age, to now building a reputation in the Australian solar sector with companies like Canadian Solar and Prana Energy, Lee has carved out a powerful presence in the industry through relentless work ethic, deep technical knowledge, and a genuine passion for renewable energy. Today, Lee is th...

What does it take to build the next generation of Battery energy storage systems (BESS) powering the renewable energy transition? In this episode of the GREENROOM, we sit down with Richard Maldini from Evo Power - an experienced engineer shaping the future of energy storage, grid stability, and battery technology.  From Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to grid-forming inverters, FCAS markets...

Craig has spent over 25 years in the Australian renewable energy industry. He founded XESS to build practical energy storage solutions that actually work in Australian conditions. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to build, sell, and support serious off-grid power systems in Australia, this one’s for you. Craig's someone who’s been in the renewables game since the late 90s.  He s...

🎙️ The Journey of Building an Engineering Company in the Renewable Energy Era What does it really take to build an engineering company from the ground up? And keep it thriving in one of the fastest-changing industries in the world? In this in-depth conversation,  Veli chats with Demian Khan to explore the real story behind the evolution of a renewable energy engineering firm, from early curiosity...

Is Australia leading the world in renewable energy, or falling behind in climate policy? In this powerful episode of The GREENROOM Podcast, we sit down with Wayne Smith, renewable energy strategist, former political advisor, climate advocate, and long-time leader in Australia’s clean energy transition. From working alongside Anthony Albanese and Peter Garrett to shaping national conversations arou...

The GREENROOM podcast is joined by Darren Johannesen - Executive General Manager of Sustainability from the Smart Energy Council, for a grounded and wide-ranging conversation on the future of renewable energy, climate responsibility, and the real challenges facing Australia’s clean energy transition. Darren brings a rare mix of strategic foresight, policy experience, and systems thinking, cutting...

Welcome to one of the most technically satisfying renewable energy podcasts you’ll hear this year. In this episode of the GREENROOM, we sit down with Gareth Thomas, Application Engineer at DPA Solar, to dive deep into the world of batteries, off-grid power systems, inverter technology, and emerging storage chemistries. If you’re an electrician, solar installer, engineer, energy geek, or someone wh...

Australia’s solar and battery industry isn’t being shaped by opinions: it’s being shaped by policy, regulation, market operators, and the people working behind the scenes to keep the grid optimal! In this episode of the Greenwood Academy Podcast, we sit down with Alistair, a key voice from the Smart Energy Council, to unpack what’s really happening inside Australia’s energy transition from battery...

🎙️  In this episode of THE GREEN ROOM, we sit down with Samir Jacob, Clenergy Global Marketing Director whose career spans solar, batteries, off-grid systems, manufacturing, and clean energy education. From growing up across India, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia, to shaping some of the most recognised renewable energy brands, Samir’s journey offers rare insight into how the clean energy in...

A brand new year 2026 - The Greenwood Academy Podcast returns as we sit down with Mohit Kumar:  A-Grade electrician, engineer, and renewable energy specialist to unpack one of the most fascinating journeys we’ve had on the show. What do Indian classical music, Fiji, batteries, FCAS, microgrids, and energy trading have in common? One very switched-on engineer! 🎧 What you’ll learn in this episode:...