SunCast

Today's Tactical Tuesday gives you an overview of regenerative energy — a transformative new standard of excellence for solar power plant design, construction, and operations that normalizes regenerative agriculture practices on solar farm sites. "If you’ve never heard about the amazing potential of regenerative agriculture and land use practices to naturally sequester a critical mass of CO2 in the soil and forests, you’re not alone. One of the best-kept secrets in the world today is that the solution to global warming and the climate crisis (as well as poverty and deteriorating public health) lies right under our feet, and at the end of our knives and forks."  - Ronnie Cummins, Regeneration International Steering Committee MemberOur guest today, Michael Baute, believes in the power of Regenerative Agriculture to help ensure solar farms care for the arable land and communities where they reside.  Solar occupies the property on which it’s built for upwards of 25 or more years, and Michael realized from his training in sustainable agriculture the possibility to utilize that land not just to avoid generating power from fossil fuels but to actually sequester CO2, thus giving the asset double duty! Now Michael, Vice President of Regenerative Energy & Carbon Removal at Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, is helping one of the country's largest independent solar power producers provide not just clean energy, but carbon negative solutions. Founded in 2011, Silicon Ranch Corporation (SRC) provides customized renewable energy, carbon, and battery storage solutions to various partners in the U.S. and Canada. Its portfolio includes more than 4 gigawatts of solar and battery storage systems contracted, under construction, or operating. We covered the amazing trajectory of SRC through the story of one co-founder, Reagan Farr, back in Episode 399 of SunCast.Silicon Ranch pioneered utility-scale solar in the Tennessee Valley and has continued as the region's market leader through 35 operating facilities. It owns and operates all projects in its portfolio and promotes a holistic approach to land management. Michael tells us how Silicon Ranch co-locates clean electricity generation and regenerative agriculture to provide further environmental, economic, and community benefits.Silicon Ranch trademarked its co-location process as Regenerative Energy™, and Michael shares how this creates added value for its customers and communities, as well as how they have decided to share their strategies and processes so more developers can adopt these practices.. Join us for a fascinating conversation.Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Fellow solar warrior and podcaster, Nate Jovanelly, took over the PowerUp Media Zone studio at RE+ to lead the Industry Pulse segment, with support from Enerflo, at Noon each day during the annual conference in September. The segment highlighted the leaders, trends & opportunities in the industry in 10-minute bits of advice and insight. In this compilation episode, we have pulled together several of the interviews that we believe best capture the essence of the Industry Pulse segment so you can learn and grow as we round out the week. If you missed the show, or any of our past replays of the Live content, you can see them along with ALL of the Industry Pulse segments in their full glory (where Nate interviewed more than a dozen guests throughout the week!) at www.suncast.live where we have listed out EACH and every interview in the exact order & schedule as they appeared during the show.I know you’ll get a ton of value from the conversations today ranging from Hiring best practices (Alex/BayWa RE) and the Inflation Reduction Act (Abby/SEIA) to Entrepreneurship and Culture-building (Pat/Enerflo) and Consolidation and growth in the Residential Solar industry (Brian/Brighton). Nate curated an all-star lineup that really delivered at the show.  Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Today's conversation is a wide-ranging look at how to provide reliable power using renewables while mitigating intermittency and helping Independent Power Producers (IPPs) deal with the annoying curtailment problem through novel software and hardware solutions. Been wondering when I’d do an episode on Bitcoin mining + Renewables? Buckle up and let’s roll."Curtailment" occurs when a clean energy electric generating system is prevented from exporting to the grid or is temporarily shut down by the grid operator (usually because of a glut of electricity in the market), effectively wasting energy.Many people have talked about this issue, but few have delivered on it like John Belizaire,  CEO of Soluna.Soluna Holdings develops green data centers that convert excess renewable energy into global computing resources. Soluna builds modular, scalable data centers for computing-intensive, batchable applications such as cryptocurrency mining, AI and machine learning. John said Soluna provides a cost-effective alternative to battery storage or transmission lines by using technology and intentional design to solve complex, real-world challenges. It's addressing significant changes in the electric grid — away from power plants fired by coal, oil and gas that contribute to climate change — to more sustainable green electricity generation. But even the staunchest supporters of clean electricity acknowledge the industry is dealing with growing pains, including curtailment. John said up to 30% of renewable energy goes to waste. To address it, Soluna is building data centers that enable clean electricity asset owners to 'Sell. Every. Megawatt.' In today's podcast, John breaks down Soluna's mission and how its solutions address curtailment. Join us for insights on an increasingly critical renewables issue.Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Everyone talks about B2B marketing these days, often without a clear understanding of its meaning or importance. So today, we shine a light on business-to-business or B2B marketing to gain a better perspective on the term and, most importantly, strategies for maximizing your B2B renewable energy-focused marketing investments.Our conversation includes top renewable industry marketers Naveed Hasan, director of external affairs and marketing at Sungrow North America; Kathy Heilmann, vice president of marketing at Shoals Technologies Group; Kristan Kirsh, vice president of global marketing at Nextracker; and Tom Weirich, senior marketing manager EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA).These four industry experts share all you need to know about marketing aimed at individual companies and their decision-makers as customers. There are some similarities as well as significant differences between B2B and B2C — that is, business-to-consumer marketing — and we'll hear all about it in this engaging podcast.Today's episode is a rebroadcast from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media. And you can watch all the live broadcasts from the Media Zone at www.suncast.live!Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Homeowners are on a remarkable journey toward more convenient living through connected technology. Adopting things like smart thermostats, lighting, network cameras, door locks, and garage door openers is moving from an early market dominated by innovators and early adopters to the Early Majority — or mainstream — market.We're finally Crossing the Chasm, and today's guests have some relevant insights to share about the future of smart home technology. Our conversation includes industry experts Hannah Bascom, Ryan Harris, and Chris Rauscher. It was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.Hannah was head of Energy Partnerships at Google, leading the team developing industry and ecosystem partnerships for Nest Renew and other energy-related products and services at the time we recorded the show in September. She's since joined Ryan at SPAN — creator of the SPAN smart electrical panel and SPAN Drive smart EV charger. Ryan is the company's Chief Revenue Officer, and Hannah is now its vice president of Regulated Business. (I had No idea of this forthcoming change at the time! haha)And returning guest, Chris Rauscher, is the senior director of Market Development and Policy at Sunrun, which provides photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage products primarily for residential customers.Join us to learn more about the evolving customer journey and how companies make it easier for homeowners to electrify and decarbonize their homes with beautiful products.And you can watch ALL the live broadcast segments from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone at www.suncast.live if you missed them!Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Jerry Coleman is a serial entrepreneur with a passion (and quite a track record) for developing and growing companies on a national scale. Over the past 20 years, Jerry has co-founded and cultivated multiple real estate-related ventures throughout the US, including Invitation Homes, the $10Billion real estate juggernaut in partnership with Blackstone. So it was no surprise when he turned his attention to solar in 2014, nor that the resulting enterprise has become a successful & respected national player in the residential solar market. Along with his longtime business partner, Jerry co-founded Elevation Solar, in his home state of Arizona, to package their real estate and finance acumen and deliver homeowners innovative energy solutions while increasing real estate values. Jerry’s law degree and undergraduate in accounting form the connective tissue that has helped him tie real estate and finance together — so he quickly recognized them as keys to scaling a business in the solar industry. We unpack many gems of business advice with this seasoned serial entrepreneur. It’s a rare glimpse into the mindset of someone who’s scaled multiple businesses and understands the secrets to success. I hope you join us today to hear more about this entrepreneur's intriguing ideas, ventures, and background.Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Sylvia Leyva Martinez, a senior analyst in Wood Mackenzie's Power and Renewables team, and Shawn Rumery, senior research Director at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), discuss significant trends in the U.S. solar market in this timely Tactical Tuesday.The quarterly SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables U.S. Solar Market Insight is the longest-running solar industry trends report. It has been tracking deployments across all four market segments — residential, commercial, utility-scale, and community solar — since 2010.The U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2022, released in September, provides an early look at how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will transform America's energy economy. Forecasts suggest the IRA will help the U.S. solar market grow 40% over baseline projections through 2027, equal to 62 gigawatts (GW) of additional solar capacity.Wood Mackenzie predicts the utility-scale sector will lead the solar industry's growth during the next five years with 162 GW of new capacity. Cumulative solar installations across all market segments will nearly triple, growing from 129 GW today to 336 GW by 2027.Today's episode is a rebroadcast from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media. And you can watch ALL the live broadcasts from the Media Zone at www.suncast.live!Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Solar industry leader and returning guest, Jim Spano, helped develop the solar market in the mid-Atlantic region — and now he's bringing a new innovative product to market. New York City-based Sol-REIT is a unique solar financing platform that aims to give developers a new option and keep more of the project for themselves while also providing much-needed scaleable financing to the middle market.It's the first investment product to bring the novel model of real estate investment trusts (REITs) to the solar energy market. By financing solar in the same way as real estate, Sol-REIT can offer long-term, fixed-rate, lower-cost debt that matches the operational life of assets. Jim, the co-founder and head of originations at Sol-REIT, wants to "break the solar industry free of the binds of niche financing."On today's podcast, Tim Montague, fellow podcaster and also a developer himself, joins the show as a stand-in host and chat w/Jim about his latest venture.The conversation was part of the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Matt Heider is CEO of Nautilus Labs, which is using artificial intelligence (AI) to create more efficient ocean commerce. While shipping is an adjacent category to our usual renewable focused podcasts, Matt has earned a spot. Before Nautilus, he built sales and account management systems at software startups that have grown to unicorns and worked for IBM on its famous Watson team. Now, he’s trained his attention to advancing the efficiency of ocean commerce (ie, cleaning up the wasteful shipping industry we all rely on!)Forbes recently named him to its Next 1000, a list of ambitious and inspiring leaders redefining what it means to run a business today and create meaningful change.Matt has an inspiring story about the woefully antiquated global shipping industry that he believes can use AI for a more sustainable tomorrow. Shipping is responsible for 3% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and will grow significantly by 2050 if left unchecked. Matt and his team envision delivering a clear alternative to the shipping companies that currently emit hundreds of tons of pollution daily. We discuss how his software can maximize the profit of every voyage and the yield on every vessel, all the while pulling this antiquated industry out of actual paper tracking and into the 21st century!Stick around. You'll want to listen to the rest of this conversation.Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Welcome to another Tactical Tuesday on SunCast, where we bring you subject-matter expertise, deep insights, and content from our many live broadcasts and trainings. Today's episode is rebroadcast from the RE+ PowerUp Media Zone, a live production of SunCast Media.The Media Zone featured interviews with industry thought leaders, executives and founders to glean their insights about trends and forecasts. Bruce Stewart, president and CEO of Perch Energy, a clean energy tech services platform and provider of community solar services, leads this discussion on what every community solar developer needs to know about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. He speaks with three solar notables to gain their insights from accounting, banking and legal perspectives:Tony Grappone is a partner in the Andover, Massachusetts, office of Novogradac. He provides accounting, tax and consulting services to developers, syndicators and investors of developments that qualify for federal and state tax incentives. Adam Altenhofen is a senior vice president of U.S. Bank's Environmental Finance Group, where he leads the development of new products, structures, and services.Bryan Didier is a partner at Leverage Law Group in Leawood, Kansas, where his specialties include Renewable Energy Tax Credits.If you want to connect with us and find more ways to grow your business, your career, or your influence, you should check out our amazing Discord community!Get your Solar Fight Night tickets before they're gone: https://tinyurl.com/522wf8v3Also check out Renewables UnWind Las Vegas: https://tinyurl.com/2ea2c6k3And don't forget about the pickleball games: https://tinyurl.com/p9h5nv42If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll 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 today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus