SunCast

How did Zvi Alon become Chairman and CEO of one of the early MLPE pioneers, Tigo Energy? By believing in the strategy he mapped out and invested in! When the original founders lost hope in the plan, Zvi stepped in, and the rest is history. Hear today how one of the iconic power electronics companies birthed here in Silicon Valley stayed alive amidst the Asian manufacturer influx to the solar power electronics sector. And Tigo didn’t just stay alive, but managed to thrive, driving innovation across the value stream, pioneering & championing change in the way rooftop solar was installed, at least in the USA that is.We get a rare glimpse of the inside story from the man who made it happen, Zvi Alon. Zvi recently hired past SunCast guest (and longtime friend) Jing Tian as their Chief Growth Officer. Jing joins Zvi in this interview to discuss what got her excited about sparking Tigo’s new chapter of growth. And, of course, we get into their big news, the launch of a residential storage product to compete head to head not just with Enphase and Solaredge but Tesla, Generac and the rest of the field!I’m grateful for the opportunity to have time with Zvi, which I have patiently waited for since I first met him in 2016! Now, you don’t have to wait. You’re welcome. Press Play.Link to Jing’s previous blog post: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/041Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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’ve been getting a LOT of inbound over the last year since President Joe Biden took office as investors and renewable energy developers the world over increasingly see the United States as a “great place to invest”. Sergio Blanco was my direct boss at Conergy, the last real “job” I held, at a time when I was trying to learn what it takes to develop and acquire pipeline in the then-booming Latin America solar market. We went through a LOT of projects, market consideration and strategy meetings, and on-the-ground hunting. So, you could say we both understand what it looks like to develop new markets through trial-by-fire. Sergio is now the Director of Project Finance at Partner Engineering and Science (Partner) and is focused on helping Partner’s stakeholders evaluate and due-diligence the Renewables sector. He leads the Due Diligence process, financial modeling, project accounting, and feasibility reports for lenders of solar PV and Storage projects, amongst others. He has managed the acquisition and financing of more than 1GW on solar projects throughout the USA and Latin America, and has also managed organizations and M&A Transactions for S&P 500 Companies and relevant Renewable Energy Developers throughout Latin America and the US. In today’s discussion, we focus on the 3 key areas that international companies must focus on when investing in new markets:Knowledge gathering / best practices - How well do I understand the market?Foreign direct investment - What kind of investment will it take, and what are the expected returns?Operational Readiness - What must I understand about place, people, projects to stand up a functional business in the region?It’s a treasure trove of insight packed into a tiny package, so I hope you enjoy this Tactical Tuesday, Solar Warrior! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I’d love to hear from you. How did this episode land? Good timing? Leave you with more questions than answers? I’m here for you…DM me or better yet leave your Questions as a comment on my LI Post for today’s episode (might have to scroll to find it)! And I get into a little more of the back-story on the blog post for the episode, so hope you’ll check that out as well!Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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 first met Cary Hayes back when I was working at Trina Solar circa 2012. He was still at REC Solar, and we had an unforgettable dinner (and too many laughs) in Phoenix. I’ve always wanted him on the show, and am so glad to finally have the chance. Cary and I have a lot of fun in this interview because that’s the kind of human and leader Cary is…he exudes both fun and confidence while remaining one of the most fiercely competitive people I’ve had the pleasure to know. You’re going to love every second of this interview - I sure did.Cary is now President of REC Americas, but his journey to that role is anything but ordinary or direct. Today you can learn the secret trick he used to land his first real job, at Smith-Barney no less, after being a professional ski-bum for 8 years. Then, hear why he quit his high-paying job to write articles and follow his passion. He moved to California, slept on a couch, and was actually doing hard labor making $20 an hour before he finally landed at REC Solar.  It was at REC Solar that he got to work with the pioneers in the solar industry and that is where his story really gets interesting.Cary’s 3 pillars for leadership and excellence should go on everybody’s office wall.And it makes sense, because he has worked with some of the most iconic and impressive leaders, many you maybe have never even heard of. He even tells how one mentor ripping him apart for 15 minutes was actually one of the best things to happen to him. Today we get to sit at the feet of one of my favorite solar leaders, and it’s well worth the investment of time.Listen to the full interview here at Suncast. Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

Andrew Birch, affectionately referred to by many as simply “Birchy”, joins Nico in this live interview [rebroadcast] from the Intersolar N. America expo hall floor from Thursday January 13, 2022. Birchy is the Godfather of online solar sales (you may remember him as the co-founder and CEO of Sungevity), and always has keen insight into what’s trending and what to consider within the fast-growing distributed solar arena.Birchy had just come from the CALSSA “Save our Solar Jobs Rally” in LA, and gives an update on the state of the industry in light of the recent negative press on CA’s NEM3.0 ruling. From the CALSSA website: “The CPUC’s proposed decision on NEM-3 would destroy net metering, ending our state’s clean energy leadership and decimating our industry, and our jobs, in the process. This is our SOS, our chance to make our voices heard and insist that the PUC change course. Now is the time to go big.Our industry is on the line. Our jobs and livelihood are at stake. This is it.”And thousands did - they shut down their offices all over the state, took the day off, and came down from the roof for one morning to be there! If you couldn’t make it, you’re in luck because Nico asks Birchy for an update from the front lines. He then goes into what he sees as trends for the coming year as well as what he’s changed his mind about (and it might surprise you, it did Nico!)Special thanks to Drone Base for supporting this live interview.Learn more about Drone Base and their worldclass aerial thermal imaging.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

Jason MacDuff is President of greenpenny, a virtual carbon-neutral bank dedicated to financing a sustainable tomorrow.  Money deposited in greenpenny is secure, earns interest, and is only used to finance renewable energy systems and carbon reducing efficiency projects - no fossil fuels.  And greenpenny has been offering their residential and commercial solar loans in the midwest for longer than just about anyone. As Jason said, “It’s time for banks to offer green products and services  that empower customers to take their own climate actions.” But greenpenny is distinct in the market because unlike most solar financiers or banking fintech startups, it’s part of an actual century-old midwestern bank!After 24 years at Wells Fargo, Jason was ready for a change.  He took two years off to travel the world and came back with a new perspective & passion, determined to use his experience in banking to make serious progress on climate change.  It’s a big leap from major bank to banking entrepreneur.  We talk about the challenges, frustrations, inspirations and big ideas of his role leading greenpenny, including their unique approach to solar loans (and the long heritage doing so), hiring (they’re hiring!), pivoting and fine tuning the marketing message.  Hear all about where he came from and where he’s going, right here in our conversation on Suncast.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

Some of you will recall, Nico was live-broadcasting from the CleanPower21 tradeshow in Salt Lake City back in December.  While he was there, Nico got the chance to sit down with Heather Zichal, the CEO of the organization that runs the CleanPower show and that has been shaking things up in Washington for you and me in a good way all last year.The three areas covered in today’s episode are:1. AWEA rebrand to ACP & 2022 Goals2. Messaging to the solar industry specifically, from Heather & ACP3. Acquisition of ESA Launched at the start of 2021, the American Clean Power Association is a new trade association unifying the wind, solar, storage and transmission companies that are driving jobs and investment in the U.S. economy and providing solutions to the climate crisis. Many of you will recognize is as “the AWEA rebrand” or something along those lines, but I believe it’s much more than a simple rebrand.From their website: The American Clean Power Association works to champion policies that will transform the U.S. power grid to a low-cost, reliable and renewable power system. By uniting the power of wind, solar, transmission and storage companies, along with manufacturers and construction companies, developers and owners/operators, utilities, financial firms and corporate purchasers, their goal is to make renewables the dominant energy source in the United States.And, as of July, American Clean Power Association (ACP) and the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) agreed to merge their staff, programs, and members into ACP!Remember, you can always find the resources and learn more about today's guests and recommendations in the show notes at MySunCast.com. While you’re at it, be sure to subscribe to the show right there in your podcast player, pretty please! And, to hear more about Heather and ACPs thoughts on the ESA integration, specifically, we'd encourage you to read Julian Spector's insightful interview with Heather in December, which we link to it in the show notes on the blog (link above).Let’s get down to business, and to tune up your skills Solar Warrior with another practical tactical conversation here on SunCast.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

You probably assume that the Utility-scale solar market, having deployed hundreds of GW globally, has surely by now figured out the necessary software suite to manage projects.  It’s hard to imagine how everybody would just keep building novel tools in silos like it’s still 1998 and Salesforce still doesn’t exist!Well today’s guest, Andrea Barber, founded RatedPower to solve the same challenges she noticed many of her colleagues were struggling with, including her former employer and their customers.In today’s episode, we get into the details of how and why this powerful female leader found herself answering the call to step out on her own and start a company focused on solar project design & management software. Fresh off a ~$6M Series A, Andrea and team are bringing their SaaS suite of utility-scale solar project development tools to the US market, and Nico gets down to the details with Andrea on the acute problems they aim to solve, along with the usual how, when, where & why of choosing her founder team, scaling an MVP and capitalizing a new venture. Impressively, RatedPower has been profitable since year one, so the fundraising was to fuel expansion. If you’ve been considering how to take your nascent idea and turn it into a viable venture, then you’re going to love this candid discussion with Andrea.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

Mark Culpepper, who heads up global solar for Drone Base, is on a mission to simplify the process and amplify the importance of solar site data gathering with aerial methods. As the name might imply, Drone Base has built an entire business around aerial thermographic inspection. They’re on a role, hot off a $20M round of investment and acquisition of India-based Airprobe to add a sophisticated A.I. engine to their platform of global data analysis. And Mark is the guy who’s bringing them into the Solar industry at-scale. While at SunEdison, Mark created the solar industry's first global monitoring operations centers designed to track power, energy and revenue on solar power plants around the world. Now, he's designing programs for both drones and manned aircraft to capture thermal imaging of solar energy systems and turn that into actionable data. He sees a big need ahead -- solar at utility-scale, which means that monitoring and identifying systems defaults quickly is even more important. For a system that is thousands of acres with millions of panels, monitoring and fixing defaults has significant generation and revenue implications. Nico asked Mark a long-pondered question, especially since we’ve had several other aerial imaging companies on the show - which is best, especially for Utility-scale, the manned-aircraft or drone-based approach to information gathering? The answer might surprise you!  Along the way, Mark reflects on his conversations with asset managers and points out their greatest fears moving into 2022, a year when we expect unprecedented growth in solar globally. In today’s Tactical Tuesday, We’ll show you how to save money by keeping your operators focused on their highest & best use tasks. And, Mark outlines an approach that he’s honed over the last 6 years that provides a flexible, cost-effective, and accurate view of the performance of your solar assets. Mark offered to provide a free scan of their existing N. America database to see if your solar site is already on their flight path! Go to www.mysuncast.com/dronebase to check for yourself…And, IF you’re headed to Long Beach for Intersolar North America, you can use that same link to schedule an appointment with Mark and check out their wares for yourself!Hey, I’ll also be in Long Beach. If you’re planning to be there, find me and say Hi! You can DM me on Linkedin and let’s set up an in-person meeting! www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusAre there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 850 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/

If you have yet to set out your goals for 2022, then you’re absolutely in the right place.If you have, then maybe this anecdote will help support your courage to achieve them!As we wrap 2021, most of you overachievers have likely already mapped out your 2022. But for some of you, goal-setting (actually really writing it down) has not been a regular practice.Well, today’s guest credits his practice of goal-setting since age 19, I mean really committing it to writing, to becoming a 4-time All-American athlete, hitting over $1.3 Billion in sales, retiring “early” by age 32, and ultimately finding his current passion: Regenerative Capitalism.Jim Gale, CEO of Food Forest Abundance, is a remarkable and inspiring human, and this interview is a great way to wrap this current year.  I believe it can help vault us into the New Year by breaking down Jim’s story and success markers so that you and I can enter into the next year ready to set a  new bar for personal growth, self-expression, achievement (if that’s what’s important to you) and excellence. And, if you’re curious at all about what the heck Regenerative Capitalism is, well, Jim explains it all in the interview. But the short version of “what the heck is he doing?” is building resilient and self-sustaining food systems that are easily duplicatable using his team’s proven “blueprint” along with clean renewable energy, to provide true off-grid sustainability for anyone, anywhere!If that sounds interesting and you’d like to start your own food forest, you can get started by going to www.mysuncast.com/foodforest. Jim and his team are there to help you get everything set up, and get you on your way to personal freedom and abundance as you head into 2022.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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

Merry Christmas!As a special bonus for these longer days, I decided to NOT break out this 100 minute episode into 2x50min episodes bc I believe you don’t need to be tricked into listening when the content is good enough - just know that it’s long and you might need to pause and come back - or like listener Alex recently did you can just binge for 10 hours while you paint the house! (thanks for telling me your story, Alex! Stoked you’re loving SunCast.)I believe today’s guest’s journey is my journey, and maybe it’s yours. I identified so much with him and had so much curiosity about how he built his company, that I ended up interviewing him for 2 solid hours! In short, Geoff Greenfield uses the power of business as a force for good.  If you think this is white-guy speak for “i really want to feel good about what I do” well then you’re in for a treat bc you and I both want to hear how Geoff rationalizes his privilege (hint: he’s very aware of and in touch w/it) and contextualizes the equity & diversity he says his company, Third Sun Solar, stands for. Geoff founded (B-Corp) Third Sun Solar, now a woman-owned and led company, as well as solar financing software company New Resource Solutions from his attic more than 20 yrs ago in rural Ohio, and has served the Appalachian (mainly coal-miner) communities surrounding him for 2 decades helping wean them off fossil fuels. Geoff’s an ADD kid, and a visionary - likes to start stuff and can barely finish it. Sound familiar?He hitchhiked across the SaharaHe is no stranger to the DE&I discussion; in fact, he’s on a mission to get more white straight males to recognize their privilege!Speaking of which, He also hosts the podcast Solar For All (all about Equity & Diversity in Solar), is an owner and former board member of the Amicus Solar Cooperative and has been on the Board of NABCEP since 2012.  He also served in the Peace Corps in Africa and is yet one more reason that I have an affinity for this Solar Warriors story. So I hope you’ll click “Play” or “queue” or whatever your app does to make this the next thing in your earballs. You won’t regret this investment of the next 100 minutes of your life. I promise.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolarIf you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.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