SunCast

Shannon Miller is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Mainspring Energy — a Menlo Park, California company that sees itself as part of the affordable, reliable, net-zero carbon grid of the future. She leads the design, manufacture, and commercialization of the Mainspring Linear Generator, whose fuel-agnostic design enables it to adjust dynamically for varying fuel quality and different types of fuels. Those fuels include renewables such as biogas, green ammonia, and green hydrogen — which is why many of you solar warriors will want to listen to this podcast.This innovative generator aims to increase grid reliability and resilience while accelerating the transition to clean fuels. How does it do that? Where did the idea originate? And how did Mainspring grow from zero in 2010 to near unicorn status? We'll explore all those questions in today's conversation with Shannon, a remarkable woman who holds a bachelor's, master's and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and was recognized in 2012 by the MIT Technology Review as one of "35 Innovators Under 35." And just this month, she was recognized for advancing women’s leadership in clean energy as one of only 9 annual DOE awardees for the C3E initiative.Mainspring Energy has raised nearly a half a billion in funding, including $290 in the Series E round announced only a few weeks ago. That's no small feat. A former National Science Foundation Fellow, Shannon received funding from the Global Climate Energy Project to advance her research at Stanford on improving fuel conversion efficiency to electricity. She collaborated with Mainspring Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Matt Svrcek to design and develop the early prototype that served as the foundation for Mainspring's linear generator technology.Join us to learn more about how Shannon, Matt and Chief Product Officer Adam Simpson, the company's third co-founder, combined low cost and low emissions with high efficiency, fuel flexibility, and full dispatchability to create the Mainspring Linear Generator.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

The AES Corporation has dominated almost every category it's ever embraced, and clean energy is no exception. In today's Tactical Tuesday, you'll learn how the Arlington, Virginia-based global power company is building on an innovative work culture to grow its renewable energy portfolio.Woody Rubin, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at AES's wholly-owned clean energy development business, credited the company's success to a "straight climb up of incremental growth" at an "unbelievable scale." He also points to the company’s cultural focus on innovation and ability to embrace new technology risk as key elements of the success AES has garnered in transitioning from a traditional fossil fuel power company to a clean energy powerhouse.Woody joined AES in 2014 when it moved into the distributed solar market with the acquisition of Main Street Power. Woody was a senior vice president and general counsel for Boulder, Colorado-based Main Street, a distributed solar project developer in the 300-kilowatt to 5-megawatt range. Even though Main Street was a small team within a large company, Woody said AES had "the DNA for the kind of innovation and agility it takes to scale up a renewables business."AES has evolved its clean energy business through mergers and acquisitions, growing its team from 30 to 900 people in the past eight years and over 4.5 Gigawatts of operating powerplants. It’s working with its customers like Google to co-create and deliver smarter, greener energy solutions that meet their needs, including 24/7 carbon-free energy. Tune in today to hear the practical, tactical strategies AES is using — and learn more about the award winning company itself, which has earned successive accolades for innovation and ethics.Today’s 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

Six leading clean energy advocates join me and my friend Mike Casey on Episode 6 of our quarterly Cleantech Podcaster’s Roundtable. The rich, one-hour discussion about energy trends, developments, challenges and opportunities is brought to you by Tigercomm, a cleantech public relations and marketing firm, and my company, SunCast Media.What are the leading trends in renewables and clean energy? Tune in for insights from the hosts of notable podcasts like Watts Up, Climate Positive, Clean Power Hour, Freeing Energy, The Solar Coaster, Political Climate, ScalingClean and, of course, SunCast.From thermal and hydrogen to micro grids, hybridization and US policy changes, the conversation is lively, informed and well worth your time.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

I like to believe that SunCast opens the door for both you and our guests to be vulnerable with the stories that drive us forward. Today’s episode is one of the more vulnerable and impactful stories I’ve had the privilege of recording, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help our guest, Nobel Chang, discuss the underlying motivations and life lessons that inform how he lives, works and seeks to better the world around him. A special thank you to Nobel for trusting me with his story, and to you dear listener for trusting that we will honor your most important investment, your time. Nobel Chang is a co-founder and managing partner of Jacksonville, Florida-based Palladium Energy, a utility-scale solar investor and developer. Since its founding in 2019, the company has built upon the track records of its principals to develop, finance, construct, and operate solar, wind, gas and biomass projects in the US and internationally.Palladium's core team collectively has more than 50 years of experience in power generation, including renewable and conventional resources. Nobel began his solar career in 2009 at Topco Scientific, a Taiwanese semiconductor company. He spent more than five years at Topco, first building off-grid systems for rural applications in Africa and Asia and then expanding to project management in the United States. Today's podcast follows Nobel's journey from real estate development to solar entrepreneur. He shares how he capitalized on his learnings at Topco to start a development shop of his own in 2014 and, five years later, co-found Palladium. He also shares some of his fascinating life hacks to ensure success and effective leadership.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

Jeff Ressler explained how he learned to leverage data and software to improve customers' lives in SunCast Episode 221. He returns for today's Tactical Tuesday to tell us how his company's cloud software services are powering the energy transformation.Jeff is the CEO of Clean Power Research, which provides cloud solutions for utility workflow automation, customer engagement and solar data services. I reconnected with Jeff and met his company's product manager, Akanksha Bhat, at the September 2022 RE+ conference in Anaheim, California. RE+ is the clean energy industry's largest and most comprehensive event in North America, and SunCast was proud to sponsor its PowerUp Media Zone.Before taking the CEO role in 2017, Jeff spent 10 years leading the company's software team. He built Clean Power Research into a trusted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider that informs, streamlines and values energy-related decisions and processes for utilities, energy professionals and consumers worldwide. Akanksha is a product manager on the SolarAnywhere team at Clean Power Research. She focuses on how solar developers, owners and other stakeholders can use SolarAnywhere's data and intelligence solutions to make better energy decisions.Join me for fascinating insights on the evolution of data use by developers and enterprises and why accurate forecasts are imperative across a solar project's lifespan.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

It's no surprise that Sandhya Ganapathy describes herself as a passionate proponent of clean energy. Sandhya is the CEO of EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and a member of the Management Team of EDP Renewables (EDPR).EDPR is a global leader in renewable energy and the world's fourth-largest wind energy producer. Working there, Sandhya said, is a chance to constantly uncover new ways to put "seed into the ground" — and "harness the powers of the sun and the wind and make a difference for a better tomorrow."Sandhya joined EDPR in 2012 as Head of Investments and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) North America. It was a pivot from her earlier roles in banking. "I wanted to be where the world was moving towards in terms of not only energy but also focus and infrastructure investment. And then I started thinking about renewables, obviously," she recalled.From 2017 to her CEO appointment in early 2022, she served as Global Head of Investments and M&A, responsible for M&A, investment and capital allocation decisions, and asset rotation for EDPR across its geographies. She was also a member of EDPR's investment committee.Sandhya has extensive experience in renewable energy evaluations, leading acquisitions and evaluating investments enabling geographical and asset class diversification. She ran EDPR's asset rotation or self-financing strategy, putting herself at the helm of one of the company's core income generators and critical enablers of future growth.Before joining EDPR, Sandhya worked as an investment banker for more than a decade with regional and global banks across multiple geographies. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon and is a Chartered Accountant from India.Join us to hear how this ambitious woman from a very small city in India's southernmost state of Kerala is making a big impact on the global clean energy stage. 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

The American-Made program is your fast track to the clean energy revolution. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, it incentivizes innovation through prizes, training, teaming, and mentoring, connecting the nation’s entrepreneurs and innovators to America’s national labs and the private sector. The prize, now in its 6th round, recently awarded the 5th round of innovators with millions of dollars to help bring their startup ideas to the world.James Nagel and David Penalva, Co-Founders of HelioVolta were two of the American-Made Solar Prize winners. They joined Nico Johnson and Sarah Gomach on the PowerUp Media Zone stage at RE+ in Anaheim, CA on September 21st. The founders discussed the purpose of HelioVolta and how they plan to use the cash award (and non-cash prizes) to continue building their company. SolarGrade, developed by HelioVolta, is a field work management software that helps decrease downtime and increase uptime. They plan to grow the team and continue to implement their technology in the field.Two hardware teams, Origami Solar, represented by Eric Hafter and TECSI Solar represented by Samuel Truthseeker joined the stage as well to talk about their technologies and growing companies. Origami Solar intends to reverse the solar industry’s reliance on aluminum, unlocking dramatic cost savings and reducing environmental impact (GHG) with an innovative and patent pending design for steel module frames. TECSI Solar was established with the single purpose of advancing the engineering capabilities of companies in the solar space, with competency in all aspects of product development.Sierra Fan, founder of illu and another prize winner, joins Nico and Sarah as well. illu is software for field teams deploying, operating, and maintaining distributed power assets. She discusses how to increase quality during the install process. 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

SMA has been a cornerstone of renewables for nearly four decades. While their counterparts, like Tesla, didn’t have solar divisions until much more recently, SMA has gradually built one of the largest install-bases of solar customers in the world. With all those installs come hundreds of thousands of satisfied homeowners, many of whom are now eager to embrace the future of the electrified home. How do they remain relevant in this new modern solar+ economy where every manufacturer is tempted to expand its offerings, in an effort to increase share of wallet, extend brand value, and keep up in an ever-changing industry? This and more are part of the discussion in today’s RE+ PowerUp Media Zone replay, which was recorded live from the Anaheim show floor only a couple of weeks ago on September 21st, 2022. In Jan Van Laethem’s own words, it all started in 1981 with three university students who wanted to do things differently. They wanted to do electronics with a good cause. The mission of protecting and serving Planet Earth has been embedded in SMA’s DNA since its founding. After a few years of trying different technologies out, the three university students decided to go all in on solar, specifically solar inverters. They gained momentum with the Hundred Roofs and Thousand Roofs programs in Germany (many of you remember similar programs in the US in the 00’s.) Around the turn of the century, SMA became the key player in photovoltaic (PV) power conditioning (through a technology known as a solar inverter). How do you remain a key player over the long haul? Laethem gives a few tips: 1. Be in it for the long run; 2. Deliver quality; 3. Ensure your production is energy neutral. Tune in to the episode to understand the rest of the SMA backstory with Nhan Pimentel, VP of Home Solutions,  & Jan Van Laethem, Executive Vice President, Business Unit Home Solutions. In particular, how Nhan and Jan translate their corporate learning from global markets like Europe and Australia to the burgeoning market here Stateside.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

Many of you have heard one of my close friends & repeat podcast guest, Mike Silvestrini, on how he “and his team” grew Greenskies to be the largest C&I Player in the US (then successfully sold it to Goldman.) However, the story yet-told is the other half of that team, the guy down in the dirt actually drumming up all those sales to iconic companies like Wal-Mart and Target Corporation…Mr. Andrew Chester.  He’s been on my Must-Get list for about 5 years now (seriously, it takes the patience of Job to podcast these days! hah), but I’m so grateful that Andrew has finally opened up to the interview, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.Andrew spent nine years growing the Greenskies Renewable Energy portfolio into the country's largest commercial and industrial solar company, successfully exiting the company with Mike after its 2017 acquisition. He’s never talked about it publicly, until now.In today’s founder profile, we get to journey with Andrew through the highs & lows of entrepreneurship, the joy of exit and the emptiness of not knowing where to go next. For someone as driven and talented as Andrew, the idea of sitting on the sidelines just doesn’t sit well.  After a brief hiatus from the game, Andrew has set out to repeat his success by partnering with a Greenskies alum and a global bank to create another solar energy development company.Telyon — the brand name for Telos Clean Energy — is a clean energy solutions provider supporting project management and ongoing community, industrial, and commercial solar operations. The 2020 joint venture partnership connects Andrew with his former Greenskies colleague, Michael Daly, and the alternative energy investing group at Goldman Sachs. Telyon owns and operates solar energy assets and assists companies worldwide with their clean energy initiatives through developing solar, battery storage, EV charging and energy efficiency measures. Andrew is not only an accomplished solar industry veteran. He's a longtime friend who impresses me with his passion, perseverance, and tenacity to build the perfect portfolio of clients — ones that the business can best serve and reciprocally serve the business's best interests.In today's podcast, we'll look back at his experiences at Greenskies. (You can get the perspective of Greenskies founder and CEO Mike Silvestrini in Episode 85 and Episode 400). We'll explore his backstory and consider his predictions for both Telyon and the broader renewables arena.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 guest is a veritable expert on solar and climate change, and has recently served as a lead author for the IPCC’s 6th assessment report. He made his name a few years ago in the energy sector writing a book which explains how we got to the level of low-cost solar we presently enjoy - what was the combination of entrepreneurial effort, technology, and policy that got us here? Further, he explores how that is relevant for future solar & whether the lessons learned can extrapolate to other technologies. Gregory Nemet is an author and a professor at the University of Wisconsin, where he teaches courses in energy systems analysis, policy analysis, and international environmental policy. His research focuses on understanding the process of technological change and how public policy can affect it. Dr. Nemet received a master’s and Ph.D in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in geography with economics from Dartmouth College. From 2013-18 he chaired UW–Madison's Energy Analysis and Policy certificate program, and in 2015, he received the H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship for outstanding research contributions. He was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow in 2017, which particularly calls to me as I'm a big fan of Andrew Carnegie. The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program supports high-caliber scholarship in the social sciences and humanities that ideally results in the publication of a book or major study. Gregory turned his research into his first book, How Solar Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation. Published in June 2019, it makes the case that other low-carbon technologies with similar properties can benefit by understanding the drivers behind solar energy's success. In today's Tactical Tuesday, we'll explore takeaways from his 20 years of research to understand how solar prices dropped dramatically and spurred an energy revolution. We'll also dive into his work as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). Join us to learn more about how lessons learned in the solar arena can be a catalyst for innovation in climate change and climate technology.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