What if a renewable energy power plant could achieve capacity factors above 70%? Wouldnât that make it, finally, FIRM baseload power, dispatchable and âreliableâ for the grid?
Can ai help? What else is required?
The simple answer is hybridization, but a long-time industry pioneer is here to tell us more.
Martin Hermann has spent the last 2 decades pioneering the future of utility-scale solar. From founding 8minutenergy, one of the first to bring Utility-scale solar parks to the US, to launching BrightNight, focused now on making solar dispatchable, Martinâs mission has stayed consistent: make renewables not just cleanâbut reliable.
In the latest episode of SunCast, youâll hear how BrightNight is rethinking the way we build power plants, why Martin deliberately didnât hire solar industry veterans, and how AI is changing the way utilities plan for grid stability.
This isnât about adding more megawattsâitâs about turning renewables into baseload power, with capacity factors north of 70%.
Martin shares how heâs using hybridization (wind + solar + batteries + market integration) to unlock grid value, and what it takes to design dispatchable renewables from the ground up.
Expect to learn:
đč Why utility-scale solar must escape the âreal estate developerâ mindset
đč How BrightNightâs software optimizes entire systemsânot just individual tech stacks
đč The future of long-duration storage and why multi-day batteries are on the verge
đč Why AI could become the most important tool in designing next-gen power plants
Ready to rethink solar's role in the power stack? Hit play.
If you want to connect with today's guest, youâll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about todayâs guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
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