When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment -- a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Donnel Baird, an energy upgrader, shares his ambitious plan of retrofitting millions of buildings with all-electric equipment to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in homes. He highlights the harmful effects of gas leaks and the importance of transitioning to greener and smarter electric systems. The podcast also discusses the role of cities in reducing emissions and electrifying to combat climate change, and explores the concept of creative confidence and overcoming fear of judgment.

When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment ⁠— a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn how buildings contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and the innovative solutions to revolutionize energy efficiency. Discover BlocPower's mission to green America's buildings while creating jobs in low-income neighborhoods. Explore the challenges of transitioning to sustainable energy and the importance of diversifying the green workforce. Dive into the financial models and policies driving building renovations for a greener future.

Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower, shares his climate journey and mission to serve low-income communities. The podcast explores green energy solutions, BlocPower's initiatives, engaging communities in climate action, geoengineering perspectives, leveraging crypto for green buildings, Bitcoin energy usage, Ethereum transition, and the need for data expertise in sustainable building projects.