SunCast

This episode of SunCast features a discussion with Matthew Harris of Solar Energy International (SEI). Matthew is the Program Manager for SEI’s Spanish-language solar training program, and he’s has been with SEI for over ten years (!), involved in many aspects of their mission of providing industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities, and businesses worldwide.Matthew has led the development of the Spanish training program for the last 4 years with a focus on Latin America, now boasting over 1000 students and counting.  In today’s episode, we discussState of the Industry for solar training in LatamTraining standards across the region and the need for further advocacySEI’s innovative partnership model that’s led to relationships with industry titans like First Solar leading their training efforts in ChileIn-person vs Online and the future of integrated learningAnd lastly, we get into one little practice You could be implementing that would boost your sales presence and “on your feet” alertness right now.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

This episode of SunCast continues our discussion with Alvaro Garcia of X-Elio, a Gestamp subsidiary. Alvaro has built one of the most significant solar projects to-date in Mexico, the 40MW Aura Solar project, and he’s got 3 years of experience there as an expat building 2 different companies.  We dig into stories from Aura, getting buy-in from regulators, the future of C&I as well as resi in Mexico, and finally how Alvaro starts each day on the right foot.  Alvaro is a wellspring of info, and this episode is short but very sweet.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 episode of SunCast features Alvaro Garcia of X-Elio, a Gestamp subsidiary.  Alvaro has the distinction of being chosen, during his Martifer Solar days, as the EPC for the first Utility-scale project ever financed and built in Mexico - the Aura Solar project in Baja California.  And as an ex-pat living in Mexico for more than 5 yrs now, he has some interesting insights into doing business within the confines of the Mexican “economy”.  You’ll be surprised to hear what he says about corruption.  We discuss the value of hiring local, the key roles to fill in your solar startup, and this year’s Mexico solar auctions.  If you’re curious at all about how to develop solar in Mexico, today’s show should scratch your itch.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 episode of SunCast continues our discussion with Karin Berardo of M+W Group. Karin has been a pioneer in solar through her involvement with MuniMae’s MMA Renewables, Cleanpath, and now M+W Group’s global expansion.  In this Episode, we dive into the dynamics of working for a 100 yr old company in a low-margin game, keeping your mind fresh and informed, and how to prioritize and do the right things as a company and individual for maximum impact.  We chat about EPC differentiation, organizing your thoughts, managing a company of 7000 individuals, and which markets she thinks are Hot or Not.  This is a fun conversation, and Karin dispels loads of wisdom. 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 episode of SunCast features Karin Berardo of M+W Group.  Karin has been a pioneer in a number of ways in the solar industry, being involved in what was one of the first companies in the US to finance large-scale solar using a Power Purchase Agreement.  She's now heading up international expansion for M+W and we cover her broad-ranging experience from Brazil to Mexico as well as what it takes to finance a solar project today.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

Host Nico Johnson and ABB Global Manager of Microgrids, Pablo Astorga.  Join in as Nico and Pablo discuss the global microgrid market.We talk about definition of microgrid, where microgrids are growing, projections for the global microgrid markets and more.  Pablo has had a nearly decade-long career at ABB, and is leading the effort at ABB to address what could soon be a fast-growing market which is often at the bleeding edge of power delivery and technology development.We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!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

Host Nico Johnson and Foley & Lardner Partner, Jeff Atkin.  Join in as Nico and Jeff discuss how their mutual time serving in volunteerism in Latin America (in particular, Guatemala) has informed their professional decisions.We talk about the Horus solar project in Guatemala, one which Jeff’s team at Foley was responsible for structuring; if you’re unfamiliar with this project, it was the first major tender-awarded and utility-scale project in Central America, and it’s one of the largest in the region now at about 75MW AC.Jeff gives his opinion on lessons learned from that project, and what he admired about the way the developer approached the project with the end in mind.We discuss the power of initiative, and how he leveraged the power of a large organization to gain traction in an emerging industry, and subsequently, how Jeff has differentiated Foley among the pool of international firms that have a Latin America focus.And, Jeff confirms the not-so-secret fact that the “wealthy families” are almost always the entry point for finding the early stage opportunities and localizing good partnerships, while providing great tips on how to develop and care for your own network.We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!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

Host Nico Johnson does a solo round this week providing a recap of the past few weeks episodes that constitutes the SunCast launch.  We take a look at 4 tips for positioning yourself as (or finding) a good local partner in Latin America.  And Nico discusses some of the ways he looks at planning for the new year as well as the main tool he uses to keep it all straight - meditation!  We believe today’s episode is value-packed, and trust you will too.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

Host Nico Johnson and SolaireDirect Managing Director for Mexico & Central America, Lamberto Camacho.  Join in as Nico and Lamberto discuss the similarities of International development between Africa and Latin America, and go deep on how Lamberto positioned SolaireDirect to win the Panama Solar PV Tender last year.  Lamberto has been involved in solar development for a decade, and has personally developed >200MW of projects on 3 continents.  Nico pulls a lot of tips and insights out of Lamberto to share with the SunCast audience, so listen carefully and probably multiple times, as they discuss Mexico, Central America and the regional differences that a good developer has to consider in market development.We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!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

Host Nico Johnson takes some time today in this first Question and Answer episode to respond to some questions received from the audience the past few weeks.  There are a lot of requests for whether the show will ever be in Spanish.  The short answer is "maybe" and "it depends".  Nico unpacks it a bit further.In our inaugural episode, there was quite a bit of data and market trend info shared between Nico and Adam James, and many really enjoyed this style approach for the show.  We'll definitely be bringing more of this back, but Adam is moving on from his role at GTM, so the recordings have necessarily been put on the back burner as he makes this transition.Conferences are an important way to gain exposure to the players in any specific region, and Latin America is no different.  Nico's been to, and spoken at most of the regional conferences, and takes some time here to highlight what he sees working.A common hurdle for someone entering into a new market is determining where and with whom they should partner. Nico shares some guidance on how you might go about making that decision.Finally, LACSA has been mentioned a few times on the 'cast, so Nico takes a moment to explain the reasoning behind it here.And, this Q&A tees up the Bonus Episode that you can listen to only on the SunCast website, which is our Live recording of the event we hosted in Anaheim during this year's Solar Power International (2015).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