Factor This

Tell us what you think of the show! There’s a press release almost every week.Increasing demand for solar modules, paired with supply chain constraints and trade disputes, have some new players eyeing the US market.Some module manufacturers are building new factories to capitalize on fresh federal incentives to boost the domestic solar supply chain. Others are hoping to import their products into the US.Both have created a set of new, largely unknown players for buyers to make sense of. And standard certifications don’t go far enough to determine a module's long-term performance and reliability.Episode 36 of the Factor This! podcast features Tristan Erion-Lorico, VP of sales and marketing for PV Evolution Labs. The firm helps manufacturers prove themselves to new markets, and offers investors and asset owners an extra level of certainty over long-term performance.Show notes: -PVEL's 2022 PV Module Reliability ScorecardFactor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! It's time that we talk about energy storage.Not just because solar-plus-storage is a natural fit, but more and more developers will soon be branching out into the world of batteries, emboldened by new federal incentives.That transition could be overwhelming for some. Energy storage deployment comes with its own unique set of nuances and challenges.What differentiates one energy storage company from another? How do investors view the nascent sector? What are some of the risks to avoid?Yann Brandt, CCO of the energy storage solution provider FlexGen, joined Episode 35 of the Factor This! podcast to answer those questions and more.If you've worked in solar long enough, you probably know Yann— either from his various stops throughout the industry or SolarWakeup, his must-read daily newsletter that has become a staple for industry insiders.Fresh off his election as the first-ever chair of the Energy Storage division at the Solar Energy Industries Association, Yann answers your burning questions about energy storage.That's all next on Factor This!Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! Our grid is vulnerable to disruption and even failure. Wildfires, floods, and more frequent extreme weather events routinely highlight the imperative of adding distributed energy not just for resiliency, but to reach our climate goals.But incumbents, purposefully or not, are delaying the transition. And markets still don't fully value the qualities of distributed energy resources. Will we come to embrace DER's myriad benefits before it's too late?Episode 34 of the Factor This! podcast features Tim Hade, the co-founder and COO of Scale Microgrid Solutions.This wide-ranging conversation covered the role of distributed energy for the grid of the future, the perils of scaling a climate tech hardware company, and what's holding back the Inflation Reduction Act.Hade shared how his time in the military mobilized him to fight climate change, why he's so optimistic that DERs will one day breakthrough, and his five tips for anyone starting a clean energy company. Spoiler alert: get smart on tax equity. Or find someone who is.That's all next on Factor This!Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! California is a leader in the energy transition. There's no doubt about it.But even the most mature solar market in the country hasn't always gotten it right.A community solar program implemented in 2013 never really panned out. And while the community solar sector grew rapidly in other states, California watched as few projects got built.   Episode 33 of the Factor This! podcast features Aaron Halimi, president and founder of the California-based community solar developer Renewable Properties. Halimi breaks down the state of community solar, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, and California's second attempt to craft a successful program.  Can they get it right this time?That's all next on Factor This!About the sponsor:This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler Company.Heila is changing the way complex microgrids are managed and operated with its EDGE control and optimization platform, which makes each asset in a system smarter while making the whole microgrid more efficient and resilient.The EDGE helps EPCs and developers simplify microgrid deployment through a flexible approach that ensures systems operate reliably while unlocking new revenue streams.Heila is a proud sponsor of the 2023 GridTech Connect Forum. Register now at www.gridtechconnect.com to learn more about Heila and the EDGE platform.Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! The pitfalls of the energy transition are on full display in a Southeast state. A 2021 law set North Carolina on its way to slashing carbon emissions by 70% by the end of the decade and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. HB 951 represented an unprecedented, bipartisan effort for a state to tackle climate change and deploy clean energy.But clashes between Duke Energy, the utility governed by the law, and clean energy developers showcase that historic policy is only part of the equation. Execution is just as challenging.Episode 32 of the Factor This! podcast features Steve Levitas and Tyler Norris, who both work on clean energy policy for utility-scale solar and storage developers. They share why what's happening in North Carolina should be a warning to the rest of the country.About the sponsors:This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Rolls Battery. Available in four popular case sizes, Rolls Battery's new R-Series 12-volt & 24-volt lithium models offer a maintenance-free, lightweight alternative to traditional deep-cycle batteries. With fast charge/discharge capability and up to 4 in-series and 4 in-parallel connectivity for 48-volt system configuration, Rolls LFP lithium are a true drop-in replacement. Lithium iron phosphate technology and built-in protections ensure safe operation and exceptional cycle life, and all models are backed by a 3-year, full-replacement manufacturer warranty. Visit RollsBattery.com to find a distributor near you.This episode of Factor This! is also sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler Company.Heila is changing the way complex microgrids are managed and operated with its EDGE control and optimization platform, which makes each asset in a system smarter while making the whole microgrid more efficient and resilient.The EDGE helps EPCs and developers simplify microgrid deployment through a flexible approach that ensures systems operate reliably while unlocking new revenue streams.Heila is a proud sponsor of the 2023 GridTech Connect Forum. Register now at www.gridtechconnect.com to learn more about Heila and the EDGE platform.Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company.Episode 31 of the Factor This! podcast features Aaron Bates, the CEO and founder of Toledo Solar, a manufacturer of cadmium telluride thin-film solar modules.Bates cares deeply about who is making solar modules and, just as importantly, where. And he has strong opinions about the direction the solar industry is heading.In response to the Inflation Reduction Act, Toledo Solar is scaling its production capacity to 2.3 gigawatts by 2027. It's bringing the technology that made First Solar a household name to the commercial and residential sectors, and doing it right down the street from First Solar's factory in Ohio.Bates discusses Toledo Solar and its ties to Ohio's rich history of manufacturing, silicon vs. CadTe modules, tariffs, and what he calls the "untruths" behind Made in America solar.About the sponsor:This episode of Factor This is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler Company.Heila is changing the way complex microgrids are managed and operated with its EDGE control and optimization platform, which makes each asset in a system smarter while making the whole microgrid more efficient and resilient. The EDGE helps EPCs and developers simplify microgrid deployment through a flexible approach that ensures systems operate reliably while unlocking new revenue streams.Heila is a proud sponsor of the 2023 GridTech Connect Forum. Register now at www.gridtechconnect.com to learn more about Heila and the EDGE platform.Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company. Corporate demand for clean energy couldn’t be hotter. And it’s not just for far-away solar and wind farms anymore.In a year plagued by trade disputes, supply chain constraints, and missed targets, onsite commercial and industrial deployment of solar, batteries and EV charging grew in 2022 when other areas sank.Leaders in the C&I space say it’s about to explode. That growth doesn’t come without its own challenges for grid reliability.Episode 30 of the Factor This! podcast features Raphael Declercq, CEO of the C&I solar, storage, and EV charging developer PowerFlex.Owned by EDF Renewables, PowerFlex is a leader in the C&I space, recently raising $100 million to expand its onsite energy management hardware and software offering.Declercq weighed in on the impact of the California net metering decision, intelligent EV charging, and the outlook for an often overlooked segment of the industry.About the sponsor:This episode of Factor This is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler Company.Heila is changing the way complex microgrids are managed and operated with its EDGE control and optimization platform, which makes each asset in a system smarter while making the whole microgrid more efficient and resilient. The EDGE helps EPCs and developers simplify microgrid deployment through a flexible approach that ensures systems operate reliably while unlocking new revenue streams.Heila is a proud sponsor of the 2023 GridTech Connect Forum. Register now at www.gridtechconnect.com to learn more about Heila and the EDGE platform.Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! It was a best-of-times, worst-of-times sort of year for solar: long-awaited federal policy support tempered by ongoing trade disputes involving some of the industry’s biggest suppliers. As the year closes, giving new meaning to the term ‘solar coaster,’ we invited Paula Mints, who has been tracking the industry for more than two decades, to shed some light on what 2022 means to the solar industry and what to watch out for in the new year. She joined Episode 29 of the Factor This! podcast to break down everything from the Auxin Solar petition to the Inflation Reduction Act and to discuss the industry’s path forward amid mounting headwinds.Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! When the American clean energy industry met at RE+ in September, seemingly every conversation exuded an optimistic tone about the future. Historic incentives for clean energy in the Inflation Reduction Act, paired with a generational industrial policy, brought U.S. climate goals within reach at a point when their prospects appeared bleak at best. Now, billions of dollars of investment is flowing into American clean energy manufacturing. The outlook couldn't be more different in Europe, where industry leaders recently came together at Enlit Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated an already dire energy crisis, and the continent that once led the energy transition is watching its influence slip. Two of Europe's clean energy leaders joined Episode 28 of the Factor This! podcast from Frankfurt to discuss Europe's path forward and the prospect for transformational industrial policy. Guests:Jochen Hauff, Director Corporate Strategy, Energy Policy & Sustainability, BayWa r.e.Axel Thiemann, CEO, Sonnedix Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter. Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Tell us what you think of the show! Clean energy is in broad agreement: the Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer for the industry and our goals of staving off the worst effects of climate change. But underneath the optimism is a shared anxiety that significant headwinds still plague the industry. Costly and time-consuming permitting and interconnection processes remain poison pills for projects. On Episode 27 of the Factor This! podcast, we introduce you to two climate tech entrepreneurs who are taking on these challenges. Robin Laine, CEO and co-founder of Transect, used her background as an environmental engineer to shrink the environmental assessment process down from weeks or months to just minutes. James McWalter, CEO of Paces, is developing what he calls the "Google for site selection," which allows developers to start with a set of criteria, like distance to an interconnection point, to find available parcels for development in just minutes. The platform also tracks ever-changing policies that could impact projects all the way down to the local level. Factor This!  is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com