Watts Up Solar Podcast

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , Emmitt Muckles talks with Brad Stutzman , founder of O3 Energy , about the real business behind commercial solar and renewable energy development. Brad shares how he entered the renewable energy space after the Great Recession, how project finance shaped the early days of his solar career, and how O3 Energy g...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast, Emmitt Muckles sits down with Joe Marhamati, founder of Sunvoy, to discuss how solar companies can finally solve one of the industry’s biggest blind spots: customer engagement after installation. Joe explains how Sunvoy’s white-label customer portal helps installers unify solar, storage, EV charging, monitorin...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of Watts Up Solar Podcast, host Emmitt Muckles interviews Matthew McAllister, CEO of SolarAPP Foundation. Together they explore how SolarAPP+ is revolutionizing solar permitting by reducing soft costs, standardizing compliance, and accelerating solar deployment through automation and AI. Topics include:  Instant solar permitting   Cost redu...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Most solar companies think they can take what worked in one market and drop it into another. That mindset is costing them—big time. In this episode, Emmitt sits down with Luis Vasquez of Power Media Partners to break down the real-world challenges of entering new solar markets. From Puerto Rico to the mainland U.S., Luis shares what actually happens during...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Most people think solar is just panels and installs — but the real game happens before the install even begins. In this episode, Emmitt sits down with Wesley Muscleman from Solo.io to break down the hidden side of solar sales: proposals, speed, accuracy, and the systems that determine whether a deal closes or dies. You’ll learn:  Why slow proposals kill de...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! The solar industry is going through a major shift—and most people don’t fully understand what’s happening. In this episode, Emmitt sits down with Will White from Fluke to unpack the reality behind the headlines. They cover:  The phase-out of residential incentives and what comes next   Why rising utility rates are accelerating solar adoption   The role of...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Clean energy marketing is tough—and it’s not because marketers lack skill.  It’s because they’re often alone , under-resourced, and expected to explain complex technology while justifying their own existence. In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , I’m joined by Jacob Yang , clean energy marketing strategist and founder of Amp Your Story , a global...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , Emmitt sits down withWilson Matthew Betances — electrician, inspector, and trade-school builder — for a real talk on the trades, solar, and what it’s going to take to build a workforce that lasts. We get into: Why the “ 30 years in the trade ” line isn’t proof you’re doing it right Hazing, gatekeeping, and to...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode, I step slightly off the roof and into the kitchen. I’m joined by Katharina Burger-Holzer , a holistic nutrition coach based in Austria and founder of Eat4Life (eat4life.at) . We talk about how food, sleep, stress and movement impact your ability to show up and do demanding work in the solar industry – and why the sun isn’t just hitting you...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! At InterSolar Texas 2025 , I caught up with  John Tostanoski from EG4 , and we went deep on where the brand is headed next. EG4 built its name on making solar accessible – RVs, off-grid cabins, and DIY systems that regular people could actually understand and install. Now they’re stepping into a much bigger arena: FlexBoss 21 whole-home backup inverter (21...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , Emmitt sits down with Piper Wilder , founder & CEO of 60Hertz , to talk about the messy, beautiful reality of keeping renewable assets alive and performing in the real world. The conversation starts with microgrids in remote Alaska, indigenous operators running million-dollar systems, and a legit grizzly...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Emmitt sits down with Kate Collardson , a 20-year PV pro from Denver, to unpack life after OB3: layoffs, the “overqualified” trap, and the massive opportunity in orphaned residential systems . They dig into why U.S. residential solar still carries heavy soft costs (dealer fees, sales stacks), how VPPs beat peaker plants on speed , and where the next wave o...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Brittany Boyette Services LLC Brittany Boyette left corporate success to build a business around intentional, aligned marketing, the kind that sounds like you, serves your audience, and converts. We dig into her why (family, inclusion, and community), how to find your authentic voice , and the practical systems that make growth feel human: CRMs, onboarding...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Emmitt visit Vienna Austria and has a laid back socail conersation with Laarak Labbafi a PV engineer who jumped from physics to hands-on and technical support in solar, launching her career in Iran before moving to Austria. They unpack: How gender dynamics can shape early career experiences, and how to push through Iran’s solar story: sunshine abundance vs...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Emmitt welcomes Jill and Logan from AlertHub , a platform built to help residential solar companies pivot from installs to service . They aggregate inverter alerts across major brands, layer in a homeowner portal and payments, and streamline RMAs—so small teams can manage bigger fleets with fewer truck rolls. We unpack the origin story (from edtech to sola...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! America’s energy story is mid-pivot. Incentives shifted, EVs are scaling, and the grid is creaking like it’s still 1947. In this episode, Emmitt chops it up with Mats Larsson of the Global Energy Transformation Institute about what full electrification really takes: winter EV range hits, smart-grid load control, VPPs (virtual power plants), and why plannin...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Honey isn’t just something you stir into tea; it’s a reflection of soil, flowers, and the ecosystems that sustain us. In this episode of the What’s Up Solar Podcast, Emmitt Muckles sits down with Thad of Chicago’s Westside Bee Boyz, a true “bee entrepreneur,” to explore how local honey connects us to nature in ways most people never realize. Thad shares wh...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Rebekah Carpenter didn’t just “get into” solar—she jumped on a plane to Mali to install an off-grid system after teaching herself the trade. Two decades later, she’s still providing results and calling BS where needed. We cover the early net-metering era, 48V throwbacks, the DIY wave, when batteries are smart (and when they’re just expensive), and the unco...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , I sit down with Ziwen Deng, a startup founder, innovator, and renewable energy trailblazer. We get real about the challenges of immigrant grit, the future of skilled trades, and why the renewable industry desperately needs fresh hands in the field. Ziwen shares how his journey from micro-loan projects in Nort...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast, Emmitt Muckles sits down with Cesar Barbosa, founder of New Life Power, for an unfiltered conversation about leadership, grit, and the evolving landscape of solar energy. From pulling panels in the field to leading multi-million-dollar repowering projects, Cesar shares the truth about what it takes to stay rel...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast , Emmitt Muckles sits down with solar veteran and quality engineering manager David Compaan of IGS Solar. David has inspected over 3,000 PV systems and holds NABCEP PVIP and PV System Inspector certifications. Together, they dive deep into the importance of code compliance , equipment standards , and the growin...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! In this honest and wide-ranging episode, solar installer Clayton Hanks of CH Electrical joins host Emmitt Muckles to reveal what it’s really like installing solar in Southern Illinois. From fighting misleading PPA contracts and educating coal miners about solar to experimenting with agrivoltaics in his own garden, Clayton doesn’t hold back. Together, Emmit...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Aaron Nichols' solar story is unlike anything you’ve heard. From Peace Corps dreams cut short to meeting circus girls on an Ecuadorian beach, Aaron’s path into clean energy is fueled by passion, missteps, and purpose. Join host Emmitt Muckles as he and Aaron unpack the real solar story—from the ground-level door-knocking grind to creating nationally r...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," enacted on July 4, 2025, has dramatically and abruptly eliminated the Residential Clean Energy Credit (RCEC) for homeowner-owned systems after December 31, 2025. This legislative action starkly contrasts with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, which had extended the RCEC (a 30% federal tax credit with no...

Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast! Join Emmitt Muckles on the Watts Up Solar Podcast as he talks with Brick Maier of HeatSpring, a media-savvy L&D expert revolutionizing solar education. They dive deep into how AI and LMS platforms are transforming training for solar professionals and consumers alike. From the future of voice narration to the importance of consumer solar education, this...