SunCast

In the fifth episode of our six-part Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar series, we examine the scalability of service teams from the perspective of two women well respected in the solar industry. Our guests, Angela Burke and Julie King, are experienced leaders who built installation, customer service, and operations and maintenance teams from scratch. One thing we’ve continually heard throughout this series is that as you seek to scale outside your home service territory, one of the true bottlenecks and critical path pain points for growing your solar business comes in the form of maintenance of the already-installed fleet. Increasingly, installers & developers are seeking a reliable service partner or network they can tap into so they can focus on what they do best.Angela was a long-serving core team member at Namaste Solar before joining Pivot Energy to help build its service operations. She now directs Pivot's operations and management (O&M). During her time at the two Colorado-based Certified B Corporations, Angela's teams have designed, built and managed more than 15,000 projects.Julie is CEO of Harmon Electric, one of Arizona's oldest solar installation companies. Julie explains how she and her husband transformed her father's legacy electrical contracting business into one of the state's most recognized solar installation and service organizations. Harmon IS one of those local providers helping to ensure the fleet health of nationwide installers like SunRun and Spruce Finance among others.We'll hear how both Harmon and Pivot Energy rely on the service network provided by Omnidian to monitor and remotely diagnose problems relating to the performance of the solar assets they manage. Omnidian is partnering with SunCast to bring you this educational series. You can check out the series and the experts who comprise it at www.mysuncast.com/futureofsolar. You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

Everett Brewer is CEO of storage company Storz Power and COO of the solar project matching platform WattHub. He’s a serial entrepreneur who caught my attention lately as an example of someone who manages to have a modicum of balance amidst what is truly a chaotic high-growth time in our industry, despite running not one but TWO successful businesses and balancing the demands of a growing family. From running a crew of 3,300 people at age 21 to dominating the door-to-door alarm business, his remarkable solar journey has seen him navigate successful stints at SunEdison and Evolve Solar before developing nano-printed lithium for OEM applications. His two companies: Lehi, Utah-based Storz Power has experienced large multiples of growth year-over-year, and Watthub has developed and supported the deployment of more than $1.2 billion in projects. Recently, Energy Tech Review named Storz Power a top energy storage provider in 2021 and featured Everett on the cover of its December issue. Curious to learn more? You’re in the right place. We’ll learn the secrets to Everett’s versatility and peak performance in today’s episode of SunCast.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

Since 2018, Milwaukee-based Sun Badger Solar has evolved into a full-service solar installer offering what customers describe as a "perfect blend of performance, quality, and return on investment." Co-founder and President Trevor Sumner said the company's success results from a partnership with Seattle-based Omnidian, which handles its post-installation services. In this fourth episode of our Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar series, Trevor explains how Sun Badger leveraged its relationship with Omnidian to grow the company from four employees to 112 in five years.Sun Badger provides solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and "the best customer experience," including education, design, and application for state and federal rebates to commercial and residential customers in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Omnidian enables it to offer proactive customer service.We've already heard some great messages in the first three episodes of The Future of Solar, including Omnidian Chief Operating Officer Dave Kenny's discussion on why the solar industry needs retail-inspired customer experience (CX) excellence. In part two, Distributed Solar Development (DSD) Asset Management Director Chris Larkin shared how his company gives commercial and industrial customers peace of mind. And in part three, we heard Kevin Schulte of GreenSpark Energy's insights about keeping the customer first and building a culture that equally values the planet's climate and the workplace. Learn more and follow along as we unwrap this six-part series in partnership with Omnidian. You can check out the series and the experts who comprise it at: www.mysuncast.com/futureofsolar. You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

In this third episode of our Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar series, Kevin Schulte of Greenspark Energy shares his insights about keeping the customer first and building a culture that values the climate of the planet and the workplace equally. You’ll hear from this field-tested veteran how to build trusted partnerships, and how it’s quite often your ability to trust those partnerships that help you scale while keeping your promises.GreenSpark has grown to the largest residential, community and commercial solar provider in Rochester, Central and Western New York through a commitment to people and the planet. For CEO Kevin Schulte, providing an excellent customer experience is essential to the company's mission to be a force for good. Established in 2002 as Sustainable Energy Developments, Kevin and co-founders George McConochie and Ernie Pritchard credit GreenSpark's partnerships and commitment to the tenets that underlie its Benefit Corporation status for its steady growth. Learn more and follow along as we unwrap this six-part series in partnership with Omnidian. You can check out the series and the experts who comprise it at: www.mysuncast.com/futureofsolar You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

Today we explore energy management and the customer-focused opportunities it creates to monitor, control and conserve energy. We'll examine the topic through the lens of CPower Energy Management — better known as CPower, a leading provider of commercial and industrial demand-side energy management programs.CPower is one of the most recognized load management companies servicing clients in the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) market. DER has been defined by many entities (including way back in 2002 by NREL!), but I prefer the SEPA definition circa 2017:  DERs are physical and virtual assets that are deployed across the distribution grid, typically close to load, and usually behind the meter, which can be used individually or in aggregate to provide value to the grid, individual customers, or both.If you’re totally unfamiliar, you’re in good hands, just sit back and enjoy today's conversation with Mathew Sachs, senior vice president of strategic planning and business development at CPower.Mathew is a seasoned cleantech executive with experience developing and implementing distributed and renewable growth strategies that leverage technological advances in solar, energy storage, intelligent software and other DERs. He was one of the earliest team members at Yingli Solar (where many of you might have met him) and has been a trusted voice in the sector for many years.Join us today for an interesting show and perspective on DERs from an industry leader.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

Distributed Solar Development (DSD) has grown from a stand-alone offshoot of a multinational conglomerate to a powerhouse in its own right. In the second episode of our Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar series, DSD Asset Management Director Chris Larkin explains how DSD serves as a "one-stop shop" for large-scale, custom solar PV and energy storage solutions.DSD provides customized solar PV energy and energy storage solutions — from analysis through design and finance to commercial operation — to commercial and industrial customers looking for a hedge against increasing energy costs and kilowatt-hour demand. You can learn more about their story in SunCast podcasts 338, 363 and 364.Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar is a six-part series we present to you in partnership with Omnidian. Omnidian's mission is to protect and accelerate investments in clean energy through innovative technology, passionate teams, and an amazing customer experience. It’s industry-leading service optimizes solar asset performance for projects of every size, providing end-to-end peace of mind.You can check out the series and the experts who comprise it at: www.mysuncast.com/futureofsolar. You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

Dave Kenny, co-founder and chief operating officer of Omnidian, has spent more than 15 years building solar plants and the teams and software to keep them running. In this first episode of our Beyond O&M: The Future of Solar series, Dave discusses the evolution of solar as an asset class through his deep experience in building operations and fleet management for both utility-scale solar portfolios and national residential solar leaders such as SunRun. Dave is passionate about delivering retail-inspired excellence in customer experience (CX) to solar customers. In our conversation, he presents compelling data that underscores the need for a more robust, customer-centric experience. He also illuminates how enterprising entrepreneurs can leverage data and the evolving Internet of Things (IoT) to deliver on customer-centric experience at scale. Learn more and follow along as we unwrap this six-part series in partnership with Omnidian. You can check out the series and the experts who comprise it at: www.mysuncast.com/futureofsolar. You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

This isn't a typical SunCast podcast episode. Today, I'm sharing my interview done by the inimitable Lee Krevat on his podcast, The Climate Champions.I became acquainted with Lee through the pandemic, and have truly come to deeply appreciate his perspective and insight into the energy transition. He’s an entrepreneur, leader, investor and speaker who has had a front-row seat to the way the energy grid is evolving. Lee is a Carnegie-Mellon grad with more than three decades of experience in the energy and technology industries. Now, he helps clean technology start-ups, utilities, regulators, legislatures, and environmentally-focused companies and communities bring clean energy and clean transportation solutions to market.It was an honor to sit down with him to reflect on the meaning of the work we do at SunCast and why I do the work that I do. I love his format. And more than that, I love Lee's candor as he explores leadership in the fight to mitigate climate change.After nearly 16 years in the solar industry and more than 500 podcasts of my own, I can tell you the greatest weapons we have to fight climate change are our voices. I hope you enjoy hearing my conversation with Lee today as I share a few more yet-to-be-told stories.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

For nearly three decades, Andy Tang has led business development, strategic planning, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions for some of the most influential players in the energy and telecom sectors. From modernizing the electric grid with smart meters to replacing aging grids with energy storage and microgrids, Andy stands at the bleeding edge of the digital energy frontier. As vice president of energy storage and optimization for Wärtsilä's global Energy Business, he works directly with utilities and power producers to accelerate the shift toward a 100% renewable energy future. His position at Wärtsilä evolved from a role he began in 2014 at Greensmith Energy, a provider of energy storage software and integration services. Helsinki, Finland-based Wärtsilä acquired Greensmith in 2014, greenlighting Andy into a new role with full responsibility for Wärtsilä's energy storage business. In the past year, Andy has led massive growth in the Energy Business, increasing order intake more than tenfold. Tune into today's podcast to hear more about Andy's journey and his insights, observations and forecasts about power markets and the technologies that will enable them to evolve. 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

Did you know that clean energy hardware startups can benefit from millions of dollars in testing at world-class labs?Today's expert industry guide, Tenley Dalstrom, will explain everything you need to know. But don’t queue it up and forget… the next deadline is August 19th!As Director of the California Testbed Initiative (CalTestBed) at New Energy Nexus, Tenley works with all types of clean energy technologies and helps innovators and entrepreneurs bring clean energy concepts to market. CalTestBed provides $8.8 million in testing vouchers to California clean energy entrepreneurs for third-party technology testing at more than 70 facilities across nine University of California campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (aka Berkley Lab) near UC Berkeley. In addition to CalTestBed, Tenley explains the American-Made Solar Prize, a multi-million-dollar U.S. Dept. of Energy competition to energize U.S. solar manufacturing for which she’s served as an advisor over the past few years. We’ve covered the AMSP here on SunCast all the way to its inception (the first Solar Prize was granted to podcast friend and past guests, Bill Nussey and Ben Damiani - Episode 200) 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