SunCast

Welcome to another minisode here on SunCast. If you're new here, I'm your host, Nico Johnson, and we're here to help you unlock your potential as a leader in the solar industry.The show is usually long-form narrative, so these minisodes are brief 20 min or so morsels of sunlight to get you through the workweek.I'd like to wish a belated happy birthday to today's guest, Santiago Barcon, who I had the distinct pleasure of spending time with on a recent trip down to Mexico.  The recording was done on the terrace of a café on a busy Mexico City street, so while we've tried to clean it up, you will certainly hear the usual street noise.Nonetheless, I think you'll get value from the conversation today if you'd like to know more about:The recent Mexico energy auctions and his thoughts on the energy reformWhat Santiago believes more energy professionals should do to strengthen their creativity and analytical capabilitiesDetails of the historical 120MW energy contract with the capital city Metro companyThe 4 things you need in order to enter the Mexican market as a foreign companyAnd examples of the types of "dead bodies" we're starting to see in wake of the energy reform. Santiago has been in the energy business for a long time and knows the sector in Mexico better than just about anyone.  Indeed, he owns and publishes the magazine, Energia Hoy, which is a fantastic resource to keep tabs on not just policy and movement but editorial content around the evolution of the Mexico Energy market, especially post energy reform.And, It's not too late to get your ticket to SolarPlaza's Unlocking Solar Capital LATAM event in Miami coming up on June 15 & 16.I'll be there, along with key leaders in the Latin America Market, and it's a great place to not just meet folks but also learn how and where investors are looking at the Latam solar market. Head over to www.mysuncast.com/plaza for more details on registration.SunCast listeners will get a 10% discount by using the code "SUNCAST" on the registration page.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

Welcome to Episode 33 of SunCastToday you'll meet my friend, Sarah Chapman, Co-Founder & CEO of Faro Energy.  I Some Takeaways from today's episode:Looking at the C&I solar market in Latin America from a developer perspectiveHow to partner with financing sources who are targeting this marketThe transition from boutique social impact investment to mainstream investor interest in LatamThe importance of diversification and paying attention to energy market dynamics, in particular how they can dramatically change your business modelAnd, Sarah's take on What's Hot & What's Not in Latin America DG solar financeFaro Energy is a solar financing firm focused on the distributed generation market in Latin America. Faro offers long-term solar finance contracts to commercial & industrial customers, and has built a local team of expert solar professionals who are leading the charge in these frontier markets, many of which are in their infancy regarding solar financing or solar energy at all.  I've had the pleasure of working with the Faro team for a few years now and can attest to their professionalism, depth of knowledge and local partner model to earning their place in the Latin America DG market.  So I was thrilled to finally have Sarah on the show to talk about their roots, and dig into where she sees this market going.You can get the full show notes and links to books and other resources if you head over to the blog at mysuncast.com.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!Sarah will be a speaker at the upcoming Unlocking Solar Capital LATAM event in Miami June 15th & 16th, hosted by this week's SunCast partner, Solarplaza.SunCast listeners get a 10% discount, just use the code "SUNCAST" when you begin registration.SunCast is also brought to you by Solrates. SolRates helps solar installers provide instant online financing quotes for commercial and industrial customers with projects $100K value and up. If you'd like an invitation code to join the platform, please reach out to me directly. Solrates is currently only offered for US-based projects.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

Welcome to Episode 32 of SunCastToday we spend time with Andy Bindea of Sigora International, a company revolutionizing energy access in Haiti and beyond.  Listen in if you're interested in hearing:How Andy thinks about scaling electrification to serve the 1.3B people in the world without energyWhat it means to be the first Micro-utility with a concession to bring electricity to an entire region of Haiti, the largest market in Latin America for electrification and energy accessThe reason he believes building a technology-first company is what will empower their growthAnd using a franchise-like model for expanding their technology and business model beyond HaitiSigora is a specialty provider of micro-utility energy systems designed for frontier markets.  They have focused on Haiti as a proving ground for their innovative grid-control hardware and software, and have built a very promising model for community empowerment that I hope you enjoy learning more about. I sure did.You can get the full show notes and links to books and other resources if you head over to the blog at mysuncast.com.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!Andy will be a speaker at the upcoming Unlocking Solar Capital LATAM event in Miami June 15th & 16th, hosted by this week's SunCast partner, Solarplaza.SunCast listeners get a 10% discount, just use the code "SUNCAST" when you begin registration.SunCast is also brought to you by Solrates. SolRates helps solar installers provide instant online financing quotes for commercial and industrial customers with projects $100K value and up. If you'd like an invitation code to join the platform, please reach out to me directly. Solrates is currently only offered for US-based projects.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

Welcome to Episode 31 of SunCastToday we will be spending time with Juan Fermin Rodriguez of Kingo Energy.  Stick around if you're interested in hearing:The strategy behind starting an off-grid solar company focused on Latam instead of Africa and AsiaThe size of the Latam offgrid marketThe difference in technology's role in Latam versus other marketsHow Kingo has become one of the best-capitalized solar startups in Latin AmericaAnd a detailed discussion of both their fundraising and go-to-market strategy  Today's episode is a doosy.  I'll be honest; it was NOT what I expected.  I would say that I enjoyed this conversation as much as any I've done, and I believe it's one of the most valuable we've brought to you yet.You can get the full show notes and links to books and other resources if you head over to the blog at mysuncast.com.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!Juan will be a speaker at the upcoming Unlocking Solar Capital LATAM event in Miami June 15th & 16th, hosted by this week's SunCast partner, Solarplaza.SunCast listeners get a 10% discount, just use the code "SUNCAST" when you begin registration.SunCast is also brought to you by Solrates. SolRates helps solar installers provide instant online financing quotes for commercial and industrial customers with projects $100K value and up. If you'd like an invitation code to join the platform, please reach out to me directly. Solrates is currently only offered for US-based projects.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

Welcome to Episode 30 of SunCast (woohoo, Thirty!).Today, we will be spending time with Patrick Doyle of MGM Innova Capital.  You should have a listen if you're interested in:Structured finance for the DG Solar market in Latin AmericaLessons learned financing private sector deals at the IDBAnd how to compete as a developer for the limited capital available to the DG market Patrick knows what he's talking about when it comes to financing private sector renewables, having been among the first to do so for the Latam DG sector during his tenure at the Inter-american Development Bank (IDB).  Today, he continues doling out financing, but this time for more than just renewables, and on behalf of private investors.You can get the full show notes if you head over to the blog at mysuncast.com.And as always, you can check the blog page for resources from today's show.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!Patrick will be a speaker at an upcoming event hosted by this week's SunCast partner, Solarplaza. Solarplaza organizes some of the finest conferences and trade missions on solar energy in emerging markets that I've attended. And June 15th & 16th, I'll be joining them and other key leaders in the Latin America Market at the Unlocking Solar Capital LATAM event in Miami.SunCast listeners get a 10% discount, just use the code "SUNCAST" when you begin registration.SunCast is also brought to you by Solrates. SolRates helps solar installers provide instant online financing quotes for commercial and industrial customers with projects $100K value and up. If you'd like an invitation code to join the platform, please reach out to me directly. Solrates is currently only offered for US-based projects.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

Welcome to Episode 29 of SunCast.  Today we will be spending time with Latin America solar veteran, Alejo Lopez of Nextracker.  You should keep listening if you're interested inWhat's happening in the Mexico marketWhere else in Latin America Alejo believes hot, or notWhat it's like to convert from the Dark Side of Oil & Gas to the Renewables industryKey lessons and takeaways from one of the regions veteran developersAnd some fantastic book recommendations! Alejo has been a leader in the Mexico solar industry for nearly 6 years now, and has been involved in some of the most important deals in that country.  We turn over a lot of stones in this conversation.  Thanks again for taking the time to be here.  Enjoy this week’s episode of SunCast, with Alejo Lopez.And as always, you can check the blog page for resources from today's show.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it! This episode is brought to you by Solrates. SolRates helps solar installers provide instant online financing quotes for commercial and industrial customers with projects $100K value and up. If you'd like an invitation code to join the platform, please email me directly. Solrates is currently only offered for US-based projects.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

Welcome to Episode 28 of SunCast. Today's episode in many ways has been 18 months in the making.  I met today's guest way back when I was just recording the first episodes of SunCast, and have looked to him as a mentor and spiritual podcast guide longer still.Today on SunCast, you'll meet Stephen Lacey.  Stephen is the Editor-in-Chief of Greentech Media and host of the extremely popular GTM podcasts The Energy Gang and The Interchange.  Like many of you, GTM is one of my go-to-resources for up-to-date info on the bleeding edge of cleantech, so I'm truly excited to have Stephen on the show today.There's a Ton here to ponder today, but among the topics discussed, we discover:There's a Ton here to ponder today, but among the topics discussed, we discover:The origins of the Energy Gang podcastA modified version of Hot/Not where Stephen opines on topics from Distributed storage to SAAS startups in cleantechThe likelihood of a carbon taxStephen's view on the impact of the Trump AdministrationAnd some of his biggest takeaways from over a decade of clean energy reporting.Thanks again for taking the time to be here.  Enjoy this week’s episode of SunCast, with none other than, Stephen Lacey.And as always, you can check the blog page for resources from today's show.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!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

Today’s episode, back by popular request - is in English. ;-)This is Episode 27 of SunCast, and Episode 7 in the Latam Founders Series. It’s the final installment of this series, brought to you in collaboration with Enphase Energy. I’ve really enjoyed this series, as it's given us a real chance to dig deep into some of the up-and-coming solar companies in the Latin America region.  If you've enjoyed this series-style focus, would you shoot me a message? What else should we do a series on?  You can find me on Linkedin, or just drop by www.mysuncast.com and leave me a voicemail.Well Today on SunCast, you'll meet Juan Carlos Navarro, founder and CEO of N-Solar in Panama.  If you've never had the pleasure of meeting Juan Carlos, he's not only a luminary in Panamanian society (he was mayor of Panama City for a Decade!), but is also an entirely passionate fanatic of solar power and climate conservation.  We go into his background in non-profit management and his 10+ yrs as a public dignitary, and I'm sure you'll find some interesting takeaways on the how and why he decided to start a solar company.Among the many topics today, we cover:The value of technological innovation as a differentiator in the sales & marketing of a solar firmThe three areas Juan Carlos has learned the most in founding a solar companyCommon challenges facing all latam solar startupsThe logic behind building a 2.4MW utility project with microinvertersJuan Carlos's extensive reading list,And much, much moreWe hope you get a ton of value from today’s episode, but if you’re interested in learning more about Juan Carlos and his team, I encourage you to visit their website or their Facebook Page.And as always, you can check the blog page for resources from today's show.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!And be sure to check out all the rest of the episodes in this Latam Founder series!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

This is Episode 26 of SunCast, and Episode 6 in the Latam Founders Series, which is being brought to you through a collaboration with Enphase Energy. This is our final episode in Spanish, but do check out the intro if you would like access to a head-to-head inverter and MLPE document the Ecopartners guys have provided.Well Today on SunCast, you'll meet Hector Pomales and Gabriel Perez, founders of a leading Caribbean solar development firm, Ecopartners, based out of the Isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico. I'd like to state for the record that, though this series is brought in partnership with Enphase, at no point were the guests asked to provide any form of endorsement of Enphase product.  That said, today's guests do spend a decent portion of the show expounding on why and how they have evaluated the exclusive use of module-level power electronics in their portfolio, providing an example project along with specific numbers around the lifetime cost-benefit evaluation. And, even for those of you who don't stick around for the episode, you may opt to go over to www.mysuncast.com/enphase where you can download a pdf of the head-to-head comparision of Enphase vs. string inverters that Hector walks through on the show. I tell you, these guys know their stuff, so stick around, and enjoy this Spanish episode of Suncast.De nuevo, mil gracias por estar con nosotros hoy.  Espero que disfrutes este episodio de SunCast con Ecopartners.And as always, you can check the blog page for a longer writeup & resources from today's show.If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!And be sure to check out all the rest of the episodes in this Latam Founder series - stay tuned!!!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

This is Episode 25 of SunCast. And, today you get to meet one of the guys who’s most influenced my life in the last 5 years.  He’s not in the solar industry. He’s not even in the Energy industry.  But he could teach a lot of us in the solar industry about two things that matter most when going from Idea to Income - creativity and hustle.Today on SunCast, you'll meet my friend and mentor, Jason Zook.   Jason might be the best marketer, heck, best sales guy I’ve ever met.He made over $1Million wearing t-shirts for others.He sold his last name...3 times!He even got his first book sponsored by more than a dozen companies before he ever wrote the first word...or even knew what the book would be about.  No kidding.In the next hour, you’ll hear all about:The best investment I have made in the last 3 yearsJason’s advice for someone starting out on their entrepreneurial journeyCreating products that solve your own problems, and turning them into profitAnd what crazy thing he’s up to next.If this stuff resonates with you, You can also buy Jason’s future HERE.Disclaimer - This is an affiliate link, and SunCast will directly benefit financially from your investment in your own future. Thank you.If you like what you hear on today's show or think someone else needs to check it out, please SHARE it!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