SunCast

Solar Module Recycling and Refurbishing is a critical (if often overlooked) element of our green, clean energy future.Janette Freeman is passionate about saving the landfill from the millions of solar panels which will be coming to end-of-life in the years ahead. She is the Director of Business Development for FabTech Solar Solutions, which does solar panel refurbishing and recycling; giving panels a second life or a proper cremation.As we've discussed here before, the solar industry has a problem that many are only just becoming aware of...end of life. What do we do with all these solar panels when they are "used up"? What about when they break? Most solar panels have a life span of 20-30 years, and many of the early projects are starting to reach their end of useful life. In fact, by 2050, The International Renewable Energy Agency projects that up to 78 million metric tons of solar panels will have reached the end of their life, and that the world will be generating about 6 million metric tons of new solar waste annually! (*thanks to today's guest, Janette for these facts!)Not sure what "Circular economy" means? Wondering what are the key reasons that lead to addressing this end-of-life discussion? What are the common concerns folks have, and what prevents us from taking action today? How much does this actually cost?I dig into all these questions and more today with Janette, and she graciously provides detailed insights all the way down to how much to budget in your disposal and refurbishing budget! I've never had anyone go into such detail, and I love how she ties it back to economic principles like Circular Economy for us.There's a lot to dig into today, so sit back and enjoy When it's done, I'd love if you'd leave us a 5 rating & review (if you haven't already), or find me on Linkedin and let me know what you thought of this episode! (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus) 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

Residential Solar finance is a hot hot market, and few companies have stormed the proverbial castle and taken a leadership position so decisively as Sunlight Financial. On the surface, it looks like a rather traditional "this banker left his banking job for another banking job" kind of story. But as you'll hear in today's interview with Sunlight's CEO, Matt Potere, it's anything but "traditional". Son of a gas station owner, Matt says "I grew up in the Hamptons like many did, but now quite in the same way they did". In truth, while the hedge fund manager's families were headed to vacation, it was Matt and his family who filled their cars on their way. Those years of entrepreneurial insight gleaned helping with the family business helped create the leader Matt has become. And in today's interview, you'll learn a lot more about a man who has overcome tremendous odds to lead one of the most successful solar finance institutions to come along in a decade.Matt serves as Sunlight’s CEO and is a member of the Board of Directors. Over the past 25 years, Matt has held leadership roles in credit, business development and strategy from Fortune 50 companies to venture capital backed start-ups. Since joining Sunlight from Bank of America (where he was a Senior Vice President responsible for the Bank’s $90 billion home equity portfolio), he's formed a team that has helped 150K families go solar, finances ~$200Million/mo in loans, and recently became a publicly traded company!There's a lot to dig into today, so sit back and enjoyWhen it's done, I'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review (if you haven't already), or find me on Linkedin and let me know what you thought of this episode! (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus) 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

Despite their widespread use in the renewable energy industry, using an 8760 to project financial performance can lead to significant errors in revenue models. In particular, revenue models that pair an 8760 with historical prices miss the impact of hourly renewable energy generation on hourly power prices. Because wind and solar plants are relatively inexpensive sources of generation, there tends to be a negative correlation between generation and power price in markets with high renewable penetration.Not quite sure what all that means?Well, we've gotcha covered on today's Tactical Tuesday.Join Nico as he learns more about a recent study completed by Dr Jennifer Newman, VP of Atmospheric Science research at REsurety that aims to equip you to better understand yield and performance metrics of renewable energy plants.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 Amy Simpkins, CEO of Mu Grid.  We talk about her life as a clean energy consultant, her history in astronautics and her new podcast, Power Flow.  Growing up in a culture of theater, music and performance, Amy has deep love for words and a connection to story.  But she spent years taming the right brain and training the left as an engineer, studying aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, interning with NASA and working for the Space Systems Division of Lockhead Martin.  Amy still has a pending application to be an astronaut.But in the meantime, she has stepped away from building systems for space shuttles and has turned her focus to Resilient Microgrids.  After all, what is a spacecraft, but a microgrid in the sky?  Together with her husband, electrical engineer Dr. Travis Simpkins (see episode 56), they have formed a consulting company dedicated to helping establish grid-tied microsystems that can withstand grid failure.  Governments, schools, grocery stores, hospitals, everyone needs to move into sustainable energy consumption that can handle the wild ride of climate change.  Mu Grid helps clients tackle unpredictability (see the definition of stochastic*) with data and better modeling.  But, you know me, I like to ask personal questions. You'll  hear what it's to manage a highly technical consulting firm with her husband while also traveling the world and homeschooling three small children.   In a pandemic.  How their family is growing and adjusting.  And why she launched Power Flow, a podcast dedicated to elevating diverse voices in the new energy economy.  Pass the microphone.  *Stochastic - randomly determined; having a random probability distribution or pattern that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely.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, #SolarWarrior, to another Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips, and advice for building your solar business or career. Ten years ago, if you called on a solar company to give you a rooftop solar system proposal, one of your installer’s first steps was to come to your house, climb up on your roof, and take a bunch of measurements and pictures to evaluate the project. This process is now starting to change, however, with the rise of new technology...Drones.From the opening games of the Olympics to search & rescue, Drones are finally inspiring and aiding humanity in wasy we only dreamed of when I began in the solar industry.According to Ryan Tong, director of marketing at DJI,“Roof inspection [for solar project evaluations] hasn’t changed significantly over the past decade. Introducing safe and accurate drone-based 3-D models to replace survey wheels and measuring tapes is a step forward for the industry.”Drones in solar have a number of advantages that make them appealing to both homeowners and installers, including saving time and money for everyone involved. Today, we’ll take a look at how drones are used in solar projects and chat w/one of the leading companies helping solar installers adopt this technology to scale their operations. Joining me for the discussion is Jason Steinberg, CEO of Scanifly, the only drone-based solar software focused on the survey & design 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, Nico shares his 400th conversation with clean energy experts on Suncast. Each episode investigates a small piece of the big puzzle by asking CEO's, founders, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders to share their story and answer questions like "how did you get here?" and "where are you going?" One by one, these intimate conversations help unite a tribe of energy professionals from all sectors, walks of life and stages in their careers, recognizing that we have so far to go and many, many more people to integrate into the #CleanEnergyRevolution.Episode 400 brings back past guest and close friend of the podcast, Mike Silvestrini of Energea (Episode 085). Since his last appearance, Mike & Co. have created a clean energy investment platform empowering anyone to own renewable energy projects with above-average returns, for as little as $100. Let's face it; We need over $1 Trillion a year moving toward climate action to the damage climate change is already having. Mike and his co-founder, Chris Sattler, are moving money to make a difference, first building renewable power projects in Brazil and now the US and Africa, continuing to track global trends looking for the best places to invest in growing markets. Hear how it works, is it really as simple as an app?... and what markets is Energea eyeing next?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/nickalusDisclosure: Spero Ventures (the parent company of SunCast Media) is an investor in Energea, and Nico is a Board Member.

This is Part Two of our two-part series with Reagan Farr, CEO of Silicon Ranch, a pioneer of solar development in the Southeastern US. If you missed part 1, it's probably useful to queue that one up first, as it sets the tone for this episode. And, this one is a longer episode, as we get into the details of how Reagan and his cofounders Matt Kisber and former Governor Phil Bredesen, put the business together and grew it over the last 10 yrs to become one of the largest and most respected Independent Power Producers in the industry. Along the way, we learn how they raised the capital, where they directed their efforts, philosophy on types of projects and development they seek to foster, and ultimately how they decided to sell the business to global energy giant, Shell.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

This is Part One of a two-part series with Reagan Farr, CEO of Silicon Ranch, a pioneer of solar development in the Southeastern US. We talk about his childhood in Baton Rouge, where "curiosity ruled the day" in a home of educators, law school, and 8 years as a commissioner with the Governor of Tennessee. Reagan was there when the state decided to attract clean energy companies both for headquarters and production in TN, tweaking the tax code to encourage entrepreneurship and the light bulb moment when policymakers realized that tax credits would quickly lower the production cost of solar and ultimately customer & industry operating costs through clean renewable power.Hear the whole story here, and visit the blog for show notes and links mentioned in the interview.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 Power International was officially cancelled last Friday. 😩 Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering and in the arduous process of Rebuilding that great city, yet again.In today's Tactical Tuesday Nico chats w/Danielle Danko of Solar Power Events (the org that produces SPI) about how we can support the NOLA community, and what the next events are that you can get ready for (assuming we can still meet in person in the near future). Next, Nico has Jake Rozmaryn back to share ideas about how you can level up your biz dev & marketing efforts in light of no more SPI. There are some true gems, and even surprising ideas, and Nico shares some of his LinkedIn mojo to help you get your creative juices flowing.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

What does it look to disrupt an industry? What does it take to make a career of it? And as Jim Collins suggested, WHO do you need to get on the bus?In Today's episode Nico gets into these details with Solar pioneers Daniel Flanigan and Charles Pimentel as we navigate their clean energy career paths through Offgrid solar, Hydrogen (Plug Power), Solar modules & Development (Canadian Solar, Solar Frontier), Installation & Construction (Zep Solar, Solar City, Tesla, Depcom) & more! Along the way, we discover how & why they have come together for a second time to upend a well-established sector of the market (Utility-scale solar deployment) through innovation, timing and ultimately building a great team - this time, with Erthos.The discussion focuses on changing the way we all think about developing, designing, constructing, and operating utility scale solar plants. The $19B solar tracker market is but a slice over the overall market, but Erthos is taking on some of the industry titans with a "new way" of doing things reminiscent of Daniel's time at Zep.Erthos has assembled a veritable dream team of industry veterans to bring a very simple solution to what is otherwise a pretty complicated and risky business, constructing solar plants, in an attempt to, as they put it, "fundamentally transform the utility-scale solar industry globally”.  They're on a quest and taking the industry norms head on to do just that. Will it work? What could stop them? Tune in and let me know Your takeaways, or push back. Either way, we welcome the dialogue, and hope you enjoy this one.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