Interchange Recharged

This week, we’ve got our year-end recap — with an Interchange twist. We’re going to cover the following topics:The story that didn’t warrant the attention it got. The story that should have gotten more attention than it did.The energy tech/sector/personality that had the biggest breakthrough of the yearThe energy tech/sector/personality that had the biggest setback of the yearA notable trend that you wish you had predicted.The "most 2018" story of the year. In other words, a story that embodies the zeitgeist.Get your GTM Squared discounted membership here using the promo code, PODCAST.This podcast is sponsored by Sungrow. Sungrow is the leading pure-play solar inverter supplier with a range of solutions for both solar and storage applications. Find out more about how Sungrow is investing in U.S. solar.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we've got a live episode recorded at GTM's storage summit. We'll talk about the hottest energy storage stories of 2018, Oscars style.Julian Spector and Stephen Lacey debate nominees and award recipients in the following categories:Best original policy and regulatory developmentBest application for storage in a hybrid or supporting roleBest foreign storage marketBest new artistBest financial contributionBest storage project in a market leading rolePlus, we remember the fallen storage companies of 2018.If you didn't make it to the summit, GTM Squared members can watch every single panel here.The Interchange is brought to you by Sungrow. Sungrow is the leading pure-play solar inverter supplier with a range of solutions for both solar and storage applications. With more than 2 gigawatts of inverters shipped to the Americas, find out how Sungrow is investing in U.S. solar. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re road tripping across Europe. In Poland’s coal country, diplomats are breathing in smog-filled air, preparing to strengthen a global climate deal.In France, angry protestors are rioting in the streets over a gas tax as part of the president’s climate policy.And in the U.K., Britons may leave the European Union without a deal in place, threatening the health of energy markets and the economics of renewable power plants.So as we close out the year, what better time to take a tour of the top European stories?During our tour, maybe we’ll scope out a few subsidy-free offshore wind farms and battery manufacturing plants along the way.We're joined this week by Jason Deign, GTM’s prolific contributing writer, who reports on a range of international energy topics for us. He’s with us from Barcelona, Spain.Read Jason's reporting for GTM here.If you want to go deeper, read Jason's deep reporting for GTM Squared on materials supply constraints caused by the battery boom.Want access to our deep editorial analysis? If you sign up for GTM Squared using the promo code PODCAST, you'll get $50 off. Help support our reporting and treat your mind!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back with another edition of “consensus” this week. GTM Co-Founder Scott Clavenna joins us to explain the arcane and hyped up world of blockchain to our listeners in the energy business.We promised not to discuss blockchain on The Interchange until we saw some newsworthy developments — now we have too much to sift through. So we’re going to survey the most important stories of the last year.We’ll start with a quick rundown of Amazon’s plan to develop blockchain-as-a-service: does this signal anything special about the market?Then we’ll address a basic question: where are we in the hype cycle? Are people moderating their expectations?Other stories we’re tracking:How did WePower tokenize Estonia’s grid data?Why did Grid+ face so many regulatory hurdles in Texas’ electricity market?The year of standardization: how are the players rallying around data and privacy standards?The cryptocurrency price drop: how does it impact investor enthusiasm in these new energy applications?We’re giving listeners major discounts this fall. Use the promo code PODCAST to get a $50 discount for a GTM Squared membership and 20% off our final GTM conferences of the season.Get your GTM conference discount here. Get your GTM Squared discounted membership here.Support for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.We're also supported by Shoals Technologies Group, the gold standard for solar and storage balance-of-systems solutions. Learn more about how Shoals can make your project operate at the highest level.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are tradeoffs to everything in energy. So why not put those tradeoffs to a test?We recently crowdsourced some "would you rather" scenarios from our listeners. On this week's Interchange podcast, we'll choose our favorites and debate the scenarios.Here are the scenarios:Would you rather have $10 billion in renewable deployment funding, startup funding, or R&D? (Bryan Birsic, CEO of Wunder Capital)Would you rather see oil suddenly go to $20/bbl or $200/bbl? (Eric Hittinger, professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology)Would you rather have perfect load forecasting capabilities or perfect wind + solar forecasting algorithms? (Elizabeth Buechler, PhD student at Stanford)Would you rather have a national HVDC overlay grid or ready-to-go next generation nuclear plants with excellent ramping capability? (Michael Noble, CEO of Fresh Energy)Would you rather have an Electric @Ford F-150 or $15,000 EV? (Matt-Stephens Rich, electric vehicle specialist at Electrification coalition)Would you rather have shared autonomous fleet or more mass transit coverage in cities? (Brinda Thomas, engineering and public policy at Stitch Fix)Support for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.We're also supported by Shoals Technologies Group, the gold standard for solar and storage balance-of-systems solutions. Learn more about how Shoals can make your project operate at the highest level.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you grow plants with electrons rather than the sun, what happens to the grid?This week, we’re talking about the energy profile of indoor plant factories.Indoor farming is having a moment. Venture capitalists are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into vertical farming startups growing in urban, industrial facilities. Cities are easing restrictions to encourage more plant factories. And even Elon Musk’s cousin founded a vertical farm.We’re tackling this booming business: what’s driving it, what’s the potential, and what are the energy consequences?We’re joined by Logan Ashcraft, an indoor agriculture expert who previously served as the manager of energy & power at Plenty. She’s currently doing research on the broader impact of these operations on the energy system.Support for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.We're also supported by Shoals Technologies Group, the gold standard for solar and storage balance-of-systems solutions. Learn more about how Shoals can make your project operate at the highest level.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re taking bets on the future of energy. Shayle wrote a piece celebrating his colleague’s expected daughter, nicknamed Bug. Bug will be born at the beginning of 2019. She’ll enter high school in 2033 and turn 30 in 2049. What will her future look like?In this episode, we outline 8 different scenarios that Bug may face in her lifetime — and decide whether or not to take Shayle’s bets.The bets:Bet #1: Bug will control machines with her voice more than with her keyboard.Bet #2: Bug will never personally drive a car.Bet #3: By the time Bug buys her first home, especially if she’s in an urban environment, her surroundings will transformed. Bet #4: By the time Bug shops for her own groceries, >20% of her produce will be grown indoorsBet #5: In Bug’s first home of her own, more than half of her electricity load will dynamically respond to grid or price signalsBet #6: By the time Bug reaches 30 (in the year 2050), electricity’s market share of final energy consumption will more than double.Bet #7: More than 50% of Bug’s electricity, as represented by the national breakdown, will come from renewables by the time she’s a sophomore in high school.Bet #8 : Bug will live over 200 years, and for most of her life, electricity will be her only food.Would you take these bets? Hit us up on Twitter!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How are residential customers shopping for solar?This week, Stephen shares his solar experience. He’ll explain how and why he made his decision — and what it tells us about the way people look for solar offerings today.Brian Sadler, the VP of project development at Revolusun, describes the residential solar sales cycle.Vikram Aggarwal, the CEO of EnergySage, talks about how installers can better serve the solar window shopper.Josh Garrett, an account director at Antenna Group, shares his bad experience with community solar.Kiran Bhatraju, the CEO of Arcadia Power, explains the residential “energy concierge” concept for community solar, wind RECs, smart home devices and other services.Recommended reading:Vikram Aggarwal's column at GTM: It’s Time for the Solar Industry to Embrace Window ShoppersJosh Garrett's colum at GTM: My Experience With Community Solar: Excessively Complicated and FrustratingGTM: Shopping for Community Solar? Contract Terms Are Getting FriendlierSupport for this podcast comes from Wunder Capital. Wunder Capital is the leading commercial solar financing company in the United States. Click here to find out how Wunder Capital can help you finance your next commercial solar project.We're also supported by Shoals Technologies Group, the gold standard for solar and storage balance-of-systems solutions. Learn more about how Shoals can make your project operate at the highest level.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, a conversation with Joe Aamidor, an expert on smart buildings. Over the last two years, large multinational energy firms have dumped billions of dollars into commercial energy management — acquiring companies in smart lighting, demand response, battery storage, energy billing, microgrids, smart controls and software.But there’s no one-size fits all approach to the built environment. Creating a scalable business that serves the diverse needs of building owners is tough. Joe explains.Read Joe Aamidor’s three-part series for GTM Squared on building energy management. Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you find your audio content. Or integrate our RSS feed into the app of your choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we present an original podcast, brought to you by Wunder Capital.Katie and Becca do a lot of solar deals. They're closing tens of millions in commercial solar projects every month.Karen is an SREC trader and longtime real estate pro. She recently approached Katie and Becca with a complicated merchant solar project. The three of them worked hard to refinance the project -- and when it was all over, formed a deep relationship.Katie Lynch is lead director of finance at Wunder Capital. Becca Gallery is the manager of business development at Wunder. And Karen Lichtin is the president of Cleanlight Power + Energy.Despite their ability to do high volumes of deals, they often get the same reaction from men: "You are not what I expected."Solar is more diverse than other energy sectors. But there are few women working on the business side of projects.In this episode, talk with Katie, Becca and Karen about how they do deals, how gender dynamics play out in the solar industry, and why more diverse teams are good for business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.