DER Task Force Going Permissionless with Cole Ashman,CEO and Founder of Pila Energy
21 snips
Jul 2, 2025 
Cole Ashman, Founder and CEO of Pila Energy, discusses the revolutionary concept of permissionless distributed energy resources (DERs), aiming to simplify energy installations. He shares his journey from Hurricane Katrina to working at Tesla, highlighting the push for resilience in energy solutions. The conversation dives into the benefits of permissionless battery systems, innovative energy management ideas, and the transformation of home energy use, including user-friendly designs and the significance of energy storage during outages.
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Battery Safety Balances Risks
- Lithium-ion batteries pose fire risks through thermal runaway and fire propagation but newer chemistries like LFP improve safety.
- Proper standards development balances risk mitigation without over-regulation that could drive unsafe DIY practices.
Balcony Solar Simplifies Export Limits
- Germany’s balcony solar limits export power to simplify interconnection and uses one panel per outlet rules.
- This practical limit enables safe easy plug-in solar installations without complex permitting.
Backfeeding Outlets Explained
- Backfeeding an outlet works electrically like a shared pool of current; direction does not matter to breakers.
- Safety depends on properly matched dedicated outlets per circuit and load monitoring to prevent overloads.