SolarWakeup Live! with Yann Brandt

Dan Shugar is the CEO of Nextracker, a FLEX company. Dan, or Shug as his friends call him, has been in the solar industry for nearly 30 years and in some way always thought about trackers. In this interview we talk about his background and how he has built several companies in solar with success and why Nextracker is a market share leader in most markets around the world. This is an interview you don't want to miss. Some links to things we talked about in the podcast. His testimony to Congress https://www.nextracker.com/2020/09/testimony-of-dan-shugar-founder-and-ceo-nextracker-house-committee-on-natural-resources-subcommittee-on-energy-and-mineral-resources/ A video about his band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkjEmAtMOc Solar Battle of The Bands at the Warfield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aFYeRau0ME

13. CEO of SEIA, Abby Hopper, Reflects On Biden Victory And McConnell's Senate by Yann Brandt

In this episode of the SolarWakeup podcast, Yann talks to Mike O’Boyle from Energy Innovation where he is the Director of Electricity Policy. Energy Innovation recently published a report authored by Mike that looks at the southeastern US energy market if it were based on competitive power markets instead of monopolies. The results are as expected, consumers would have cleaner electricity at lower prices while more jobs are created. This RTO would span from Florida to the Carolinas and into the Gulf Coast. These energy service areas are largely served by the largest IOUs in the Country that have incredible regulatory capture. We talk about the politics of implementing this and where it has been done before. If you enjoy this episode, check out our other SolarWakeup podcasts. Please subscribe and leave a 5 star rating for us. You can find Yann on twitter @YannBrandt Energy Innovation Report on Southeast RTO Subscribe to SolarWakeup

In this episode Yann talks to Gabe Phillips, the CEO and founder of Catalyst Power. Catalyst received the backing of BP Energy Partners to the tune of $60million in order to scale their retail energy business. Gabe describes the novel approach to distributed generation development in coordination with the retail energy business under the same business umbrella. Gabe was the CEO and founder of GP Energy Management which was acquired by Genscape a few years ago. If you enjoy this episode please tell a friend, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Subscribe to SolarWakeup's newsletter at solarwakeup.com/subscribe-2 Follow Yann on twitter @yannbrandt Learn about SolarWakeup Buyer's Group at solarwakeup.com/pricing

In this episode Yann talks to Tim Rochman who leads all things solar at EagleView Technologies. Eagleview works with municipalities and insurance companies around the Country to provide data on real estate or after a natural disaster. Eagleview entered the solar market to help solar installers get better data through imagery for faster and more accurate sales and installation processes. If you enjoy this episode please tell a friend, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Subscribe to SolarWakeup's newsletter at solarwakeup.com/subscribe-2 Follow Yann on twitter @yannbrandt Learn about SolarWakeup Buyer's Group at solarwakeup.com/pricing

In this episode Yann talks to John Powers of Extensible Energy. Extensible sells the DemandEx platform which is referred to as a virtual battery. The virtual battery allows buildings to operate more efficiently with minimal hardware, lowering the cost of implementation and speeding up the process. By managing thermal loads, DemandEx is targeting the solar industry as an additional solution to lower demand charges. Please like and 5-star this episode on your podcast app. www.extensibleenergy.com

In this episode we talk with the CEO of Inovateus Solar, TJ Kanczuzewksi, about their recently released sustainability report. Inovateus sees sustainability in two parts, first being the sustainability of their customers and why they are going solar and second, the sustainability of the solar construction and life cycle. Inovateus is based in South Bend Indiana and we talk about the future of solar in the midwest, a market that has been quiet but ready to take off. TJ explains how they were able to build a solar farm with zero waste. You can read the sustainability report at inovateus.com

Eric Clifton is the CEO of Orison which announced a recent close of their $8.5million seed round. The latest capital came from Australia's Origin Energy. Orison has a wall mounted energy storage platform that is meant to be simple enough for homeowners to install. With their recent capital raise, I talk with Eric on the future of the company. The company is getting publicity around their platform's simplicity but also questions around how they will meet the code requirements. Eric and I talk about this and more in this episode of SolarWakeup Podcast. www.orison.com https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/introducing-energy-storage-as-an-appliance-orison-seed-funding

Nick Chaset is the CEO of East Bay Community Energy, a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA for short) based in Alameda County. Nick is a lifelong energy professional and has taken the relatively new organization to new heights. We talk about virtual power plants including their ongoing RFP for community microgrids and their pilot project with Sunrun. Nick also gives an update on the local resource adequacy ruling from the CPUC and how that loss of control will impact further energy storage procurement by CCAs across California. Lastly, I ask Nick how he will use his leadership position to help other utilities copy the work they've done. He makes a commitment that you will have to hear in the podcast.

John Farrell leads ILSR Energy Democratization Initiative and his plan to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic is to install 30 million solar roofs across the Country. In his thoughtful post, John outlines how, where and why this is the way to build our clean energy economy. Yann and John discuss what this means for the market, what is the cost and how it can be done. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe and rate the SolarWakeup Live! podcast and share it with a friend.

In this episode Yann talks with Rob Newman, the CEO of Nearmap. With online design tools becoming the only way solar is done anymore, aerial imagery data is more important than ever. Nearmaps flies a plan over your house 3 times a year, every year and can measure the roof dimensions with precision. This allows the remote salesforce to also answer the important question of how much solar fits on the roof. Make sure to subscribe and rate the SolarWakeup Podcast, a conversation about tech, finance and politics in energy.

Andy Klump is the CEO of Clean Energy Associates (CEA). CEA is a team of specialists that oversee and manage purchasing, quality control and quality assurance programs for manufacturers, suppliers and other cleantech companies. For example, large installers will hire CEA to ensure their modules are the highest quality possible. In recent days, Andy (who is usually based in China) has had to shelter in place in Texas like many others. We talk about the impact on supply chain and quality that COVID has. Relatedly, CEA has also expanded into the energy storage markets. On predictions, Andy gives us his view on where solar module and battery pricing is going to go in the future.

Yann is joined by Palmetto's CEO, Chris Kemper, and President, Sean Hayes. Palmetto has been serving the residential solar market for a decade since Chris drew up the concept. Over the years Palmetto has had to pivot many times to keep up with the changes in the market. As a mostly remote organization serving residential solar consumers and installers, Palmetto has been able to keep up with the post-COVID new normal. Recently the company launched a working capital product where installers are able to work with Palmetto to minimize the volatility that comes with the ups and downs of installing residential solar.

Yann talks with Tom Matzzie, the CEO of Clean Choice Energy. Clean Choice is a retail energy provider that serves customers with renewable energy and also has a community solar development division. With a data driven marketing model, Tom shares his views on how to acquire customers in the new normal. We also talk about the value of sharing your business issues with politicians and reporters. Especially in a noisy news environment, Tom says that it is important to be talking to your representation.

Taped at MREA's Energy Fair, I speak with Deb Erwin (Xcel Energy), Eric Udelhofen (One Energy Renewables) and Nick Hylla (MREA). We talk about the future of solar in the Midwest and how to grow it faster and bigger! Deb Erwin is the manager of regulatory policy for Xcel Energy in Wisconsin, supporting Xcel’s efforts to lead the clean energy transition and help customers and communities reach their clean energy goals. Eric Udelhofen is a Development Director for OneEnergy Renewables and spends his time working to develop as many community-scale renewable energy projects as he can for customers, communities and utilities throughout the Midwest. Nick Hylla is the executive director of the Midwest renewable energy association and spends every day working to increase the market potential for everyone in the Midwest. This event was sponsored by Panasonic!

Satya Rhodes-Conway is the Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin and when it comes to renewable energy, she is all in. I speak to the Mayor about the goals the City has given itself and how they plan to get there. We cover the ways that consumers can get solar and how regulators are working with the City to achieve the goals. This interview was taped at MREA’s Energy Fair in Wisconsin. Thank you to Panasonic for sponsoring this event. More info on MadiSUN More info on the City’s efforts

Taped at SolarWakeup Live! Boston, I speak with Marc Roper from Engie Storage about the storage market's growth and where it goes from here. Check out solargraf.com/solarwakeup to trial the exciting solar sales accelerator. The online platform allows for fast and simple design of solar projects and proposals. Solargraf.com/solarwakeup for your free offer. Thank you to the sponsors that made the event happen: Engie Storage, CleanChoice Energy and Pfister Energy.

Taped at SolarWakeup Live! Boston, I speak with Nathan Phelps from Vote Solar about the needs for regulations to keep up with solar's growth. Check out solargraf.com/solarwakeup to trial the exciting solar sales accelerator. The online platform allows for fast and simple design of solar projects and proposals. Solargraf.com/solarwakeup for your free offer. Thank you to the sponsors that made the event happen: Engie Storage, CleanChoice Energy and Pfister Energy.

Taped at SolarWakeup Live! Boston, I speak with Michael Judge about the progress SMART has seen over the last year. We talk about the issues and ongoing regulatory changes that the program is looking for. Check out solargraf.com/solarwakeup to trial the exciting solar sales accelerator. The online platform allows for fast and simple design of solar projects and proposals. Solargraf.com/solarwakeup for your free offer. Thank you to the sponsors that made the event happen: Engie Storage, CleanChoice Energy and Pfister Energy.

Taped live at SolarWakeup Live! Boston, I speak with Jon Bonanno about opportunity zones. If you are interesting in learning more and seeing some of the backup material, send an email to Yann. Thank you to the sponsors that made the event happen: Engie Storage, CleanChoice Energy and Pfister Energy.

In this episode of SolarWakeup’s podcast I talk to Mary Barber of the Environmental Defense Fund. Mary has been the lead on the EDF’s work regarding NJ’s push for more solar and took part in Governor Murphy’s transition team on clean energy issues. We talk about the work ahead for the State and what she thinks is possible for the State. Mary Barber has extensive experience in New York City government and nonprofit management. She served as chief of staff for former New York City Council Member Ronnie Eldridge where she directed Ms. Eldridge’s policy and legislative work. Following the City Council, Mary was the director of operations and external relations for a human services agency managing budget, development and government relations. As EDF’s Director, New Jersey Clean Energy, Mary Barber focuses on climate and energy in New Jersey. She works with New Jersey’s Office of Clean Energy, the Board of Public Utilities, and the legislature to advocate for our clean energy priorities. She’s helping develop policy related to electric grid resiliency in the post-Sandy era and working to introduce new clean energy technologies and the finance mechanisms that fund them to New Jersey. This episode is sponsored by UtilityAPI, the engine that speeds up your solar sales process. Stop making your customers get their utility bills and do it instantly with UtilityAPI. Go to UtilityAPI.com/SolarWakeup for a free single meter utility bill pull.

In this episode of SolarWakeup’s podcast I talk with Jim Spano of Spano Partner Holdings. Jim is well known in the New Jersey solar market and continues to develop solar projects across the State. He recently launched a new company, Radiant REIT. Jim Spano is a Managing Partner of Spano Partner Holdings and a nationally recognized expert in solar development and finance. He has been instrumental in the development of over 300 MWs of solar generation primarily in the Northeast U.S. He is the founder and President of the New Jersey Solar Grid Supply Association (NJSGSA), Vice-President of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industry Association (MSEIA), on the board of the International Battery and Energy Storage Association (IBESA), a conference committee member of the Intersolar North America Conference, as well as numerous other industry positions. This episode is sponsored by UtilityAPI, the engine that speeds up your solar sales process. Stop making your customers get their utility bills and do it instantly with UtilityAPI. Go to UtilityAPI.com/SolarWakeup for a free single meter utility bill pull.

In this episode of SolarWakeup Live I talk to Thomas Byrne of CleanCapital. We talk about the difficulty to scale smaller solar and what path CleanCapital is taking to achieve this. Since the interview CleanCapital has acquired several portfolios and taken an investment from BlackRock. Thomas Byrne is founder and CEO of CleanCapital. CleanCapital is a technology-driven investment platform that delivers capital throughout the clean energy sector, and offers capital to developers of new assets and liquidity to owners of existing assets. CleanCapital has built a proprietary technology platform that identifies, screens, and manages clean energy projects for owners, lenders and other market stakeholders. Since its founding in 2016, CleanCapital has acquired nearly $300M of operating distributed solar assets.  Prior to CleanCapital, Thomas was a partner at True Green Capital, a private equity firm, and a lawyer at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. He has led numerous landmark financings in the clean energy space with more than $5 billion of transaction experience. Thomas is widely published and speaks regularly on clean energy, finance, technology, policy and innovation. * CleanCapital Announces New Investment from BlackRock’s Renewable Power Group * CleanCapital Accelerates Solar Acquisitions, Announcing 13MW Deal in Indiana and Ohio * CleanCapital and BlackRock Announce New Partnership to Drive Capital into Distributed Clean Energy Markets This episode is sponsored by UtilityAPI, the engine that speeds up your solar sales process. Stop making your customers get their utility bills and do it instantly with UtilityAPI. Go to UtilityAPI.com/SolarWakeup for a free single meter utility bill pull.

In this episode I speak with Dave Rosenfeld of the Solar Rights Alliance about the bipartisan legislation that was filed in California last week, the Solar Bill of Rights. The bill is California focused legislation but the story rings true across the Country, consumers deserve the opportunity to go solar without obstruction from the electric monopolies putting barriers in the way. Dave runs the Solar Rights Alliance which brings together solar consumers and creates the response mechanism to help the solar industry push politics forward. Much like the NRA, SRA members join (for free) when they go solar and that is where the Solar Rights Alliance partners with solar installers to get customers involved. If we all do this together, installers will have a million solar customers to lean on for political response. This episode is sponsored by UtilityAPI. Get a free data pull for one meter by going to utilityapi.com/Wakeup. Support our sponsors! Join the Solar Rights Alliance at solarrights.org

Jenya co-founded PVEL in 2010 and now serves as CEO. He developed the first extended reliability and performance test protocols for the downstream PV industry as well as innovative methods of evaluating PV performance for power plant level risk assessment and mitigation. Prior to founding PVEL, Jenya was the Senior Quality and Reliability Engineer at SunPower where he designed accelerated test methods for high-efficiency solar cells and modules. Jenya began his career at NASA Ames Research Center’s hyper-gravity facilities. He also served as VP of Technology for Cypress Creek Renewables, a utility-scale project developer. Jenya received an MS and BS at Boston University and UC Santa Cruz, respectively, and holds two photovoltaic-related patents. He has authored many articles and regularly speaks at conferences. Jenya is an Advisory Board Member to NREL’s International PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force and serves on the Board of Directors of PVComplete, a solar design software company. Effective January 1, 2019, the management of DNV GL and PV Evolution Labs (“PVEL”) have jointly decided that PVEL will become a separate legal entity under the ownership of PVEL’s experienced leadership team. In the new setting, both organizations will have more flexibility to maximize value to customers. DNV GL and PVEL will continue to work together to provide a full portfolio of valued solar services to industry clients. For the global energy markets, DNV GL’s 2300 energy experts deliver trusted advisory and testing services to the energy value chain including solar, wind, storage, transmission, distribution of electricity and energy management services. With dozens of solar test experts and partners around the world, PVEL is the leading independent solar reliability and performance testing lab dedicated to providing trusted bankability data to downstream solar equipment buyers, project investors and project operators. It was founded in 2010 by Jenya Meydbray, who is returning to lead PVEL as CEO. The company is known worldwide for its annual PV Module Reliability Scorecard and groundbreaking Product Qualification Programs.

Kelcy Pegler Jr. is a solar industry veteran. Kelcy was Founder and CEO of Roof Diagnostics Solar, which was acquired by NRG Energy, where Kelcy continued on to lead NRG Home Solar. Most recently, Kelcy has joined the Board of Sofdesk, a software company aimed to accelerate sales in solar and other construction fields. Kelcy also serves as an advisor and investor in businesses looking to disrupt and do good.

In this episode of SolarWakeup Live, my guest is Gabe Phillips, Managing Director of GP Energy Management. Gabe has been a power and electricity market trader for over a decade including structuring solar and REC offtake agreements. Gabe joined me on stage in front of a sold out crowd at SolarWakeup Live in Jersey City to talk about the role that power markets plays in solar development and financing including virtual PPAs and contracts for differences with corporate off takers. This conversation goes deep into power markets and how it works for solar farm owners. Gabe and I went to college together and he has also trader electricity generated from a solar farm I used to operate. We get deep in the weeds and you'll leave this conversation knowing more of what you don't know. Today’s show is Presented by Pfister Energy. Changing the way energy is generated and delivered.Pfister Energy is a leading turnkey design-build renewable energy solutions company. Servicing C&I, community and utility sectors for solar, storage and O&M. Visit pfisterenergy.com for more information. I'd like thank our SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City Sponsors. PV Pros, Conti Solar, Pfister Energy and Aten Solar. Please take a moment to visit them to see all of the great things they are doing in the solar market.

In this episode of SolarWakeup Live, my guest is Abby Hopper, the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Abby has been leading SEIA for over a year and gives us an update on the mid term election day including some predictions, she is always an engaging and lively conversation and it was great to have this conversation. Abby joined me on stage in front of a sold out crowd at SolarWakeup Live in Jersey City to talk about the role that politics and policy play across the Country within the solar market and how the trade association manages this for the solar company members. The solar industry is becoming a reality as the leading new generation on the US grid and with that power comes national responsibility. I ask Abby how much money it takes to run SEIA the right way and she makes the pitch on becoming a member. Given the varying market segments in the solar industry, we talk about the decisions that the SEIA staff have to make in order to win without throwing any individual market under the bus. Abby also talks about the reality of advocating for the solar industry in DC where the mid term elections resulted in a split government. Today’s show is Presented by Quick Mount PV. Quick Mount PV is the top residential mounting and racking company in the solar market. No other company provides the number of mounting products at the highest levels of quality, made in the USA. Now out with a great rail system that has the lowest price in the market. Get quoted with your local solar distributor and head to quickmountpv.com for engineering resources and the free qDesign software tool. SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City is brought to you by Pfister Energy, Aten Solar, Conti Solar and PV Pros.

In this episode of SolarWakeup Live, my guest on the podcast is Joseph Fiordaliso, the President of the NJ BPU. He has been on the board for over a decade and appointed by Governors of both parties. President Fiordaliso joined me on stage in front of a sold out crowd at SolarWakeup Live in Jersey City to talk about the future of solar, energy storage and community solar markets in New Jersey. This episode is presented by PV Pros, PV Pros provides nationwide technical services for investors and asset managers. PV Pros manages your technical needs while you focus on the financial aspects of development, acquisition, and ownership. Their team of professionals offer technical due diligence, inspections and testing, subject matter experts for disputes, preventative maintenance, repairs, and monitoring across the United States. SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City is brought to you by Pfister Energy, Aten Solar, Conti Solar and PV Pros.

In this episode of the Energy Wakeup podcast, we sat down with Brad Klein, senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. He and the team at ELPC were instrumental in bringing Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, and Klein takes us behind the scenes to discuss exactly what that process – long and arduous as it sometimes was – looked like. Whether it was the threatened closure of nuclear plants or the coal industry piping up near the end of the process to get involved, Klein says what ultimately brought about the law was the willingness of the solar industry, in conjunction with community organizations and environmental justice groups, to stick together in the face of overwhelming pressure from well-organized opponents. He says it would have been easy to cut several different deals among the different participants, and the utilities are skilled at making that happen. But no one on the solar side blinked, and that’s why the bill has such a strong solar component to it. Listen to the whole discussion to hear Klein discuss the details of the negotiations and why, despite some early growing pains and speed bumps along the way, he believes the Future Energy Jobs Act has laid the foundation for a strong, vibrant solar industry in Illinois for years to come.

In this episode of the Energy Wakeup podcast, we sat down with Anthony Star, director of the Illinois Power Agency, to discuss the process for developing solar under the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, which will increase the amount of solar produced in the state in the coming years. Star discusses in detail the Illinois SREC procurement program, as well as what's coming with the adjustable block grant that will inform what happens with distributed generation and community solar. He also provides background on how these developments came to be. Listen to the whole discussion to hear Star talk about why low utility-scale SREC prices are good for community solar, how the RPS rollover timeframe could cause specific challenges moving forward and what role alternative suppliers will play in the state.

In this episode of the Energy Wakeup podcast, we sat down with Jon Carson, founder of Trajectory Energy Partners, to discuss early solar project development in Illinois—and the politics of solar. Carson has spent nearly a lifetime in Illinois politics, first running Tammy Duckworth’s successful Senatorial campaign and then was the field director and then national field director for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. So he knows a little about politics and how solar fits into our current political atmosphere. Carson discusses the importance of grassroots campaigning in early stage solar development—meeting with citizens in the area where you want to do development but going far beyond politicians. He describes the hours he’s spent crisscrossing the Land of Lincoln in his car, doing his best to talk solar to the people that will be affected by the installation of a solar farm: abutting neighbors, influencers and other townspeople. And, Carson says, when he puts in the time to make these connections, it turns out solar is a pretty easy sell in most areas of the state. Listen to the whole fascinating discussion to hear Carson talk about where solar is in the national political discussion and how we can do an even better job of bringing our issues to the forefront—and how he is effectively entering the burgeoning Illinois market, one project at a time.

This may be the most important topic to be organized in solar since the start of net metering. The permitting process in the US adds almost $1/watt to the cost of the installations and increases the cancellation rate for customers looking to go solar. In this episode of SolarWakeup Live! I speak with Andrew Birch who was a co-founder of Sungevity. Andrew tackles this issue by spearheading a two-day meeting which happened last week along with his co-chairs Billy Parish of Mosaic and Lynn Jurich of Sunrun. SEIA and The Solar Foundation will be intimately involved in the process. The idea is to get solar to be a retroactive permit, registered with the AHJ after having been installed. Sell on one day and install the next. If you agree that this ultimate goal is ideal for your business, listen to this conversation and get involved.

It feels as if the solar industry talks a lot – a lot – about how important federal policy is to pushing the solar industry forward. Which is why, when you have the chance to vote for a strong solar advocate and add another voice to the Congress in favor of our industry, we should do it. Meet Sam Jammal, who is running for the soon-to-be-open California’s 39th District (CA-39) in north Orange County. Jammal comes from a solar background, having worked for Tesla/SolarCity, where he traveled the country speaking on solar issues. As he talked to people around the country, he realized how much the industry needed more vocal support on Capitol Hill. So when his current Congressman announced his retirement, Sam Jammal decided to run as a Democrat in what has traditionally been a pretty conservative county – in large part because he believes strongly that solar will be the way the country is powered in the future. And not some distant future, either.

"It appears Florida is finally getting serious about becoming a viable solar market. Two weeks ago, the Public Service Commission decided, against all odds and the expectations of some seasoned solar observers, to allow third parties to own solar arrays without becoming regulated utilities. In the wake of the decision, at least one major residential solar company has decided to execute a Florida market plan it’s been working on for years and waiting for precisely the right moment to go in—and they’ve decided now is that time. To discuss this development is the the CEO of that company—Sunnova—John Berger."

In this episode of SolarWakeup Live!, taped live at the Midwest Solar Expo, I speak with the CEO of Connexus Energy, Greg Ridderbusch. Connexus Energy is one of the largest utility cooperatives in the Country and serves over 150,000 members in Minnesota. Connexus is building a 10MW solar farm which will be integrated with an AC coupled energy storage system. This project was done under a PPA and energy storage agreement which work to save money to the members. The conversations shows the power of solar for utilities around the country and we end the conversation talking about beer brewed with solar honey. Join us on June 21st in Chicago for SolarWakeup Live! to talk about all things happening in Illinois. Stay tuned for tickets and more info.

What Happened: In this edition of the SolarWakeup Live! podcast, Yann Brandt sat down with Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra, an electric vehicle manufacturer currently focused on building buses and driving and discussed: why China is so far ahead of the United States in EV development, how Tesla made it from being a small startup to the electric vehicle behemoth it is today (Popple was present at the creation), and how soon will there be an EV in every driveway (OK, that last one's made up, but they do talk about how quickly mass-transit EVs will be adopted) SolarWakeup’s View:  I will never tire of listening to energy visionaries describe the future in terms that I, with my limited understanding of my day-to-day life let alone the FUTURE, haven't even conceived of yet. And so I listened with great interest to Managing Editor Yann Brandt's podcast interview with Ryan Popple from Proterra, an electric vehicle (EV) company dedicated to putting electric, mass transit buses in all U.S. cities in the near future. The whole interview is worth listening to, but as you can see from the bullets above, three things really captured my imagination: First, Popple talks about what it was like to be present at the creation (or at least the early years) at Tesla. What I was most interested in, honestly, was his contention that you don't necessarily have to have the best technology when you first start a business as long as you have the top intellectual talent throughout the company to get you there eventually. It's a sentiment Popple shares with Jim Collins, former Stanford Business School professor and best-selling author of the book Good to Great: Put the best people you can hire in key positions first; then the products will follow. Second, Popple talks about why China is so far ahead of the United States in EV development. His explanation will be obvious to anyone who ever sat in their college dorms at 2 a.m. discussing the merits of communism vs capitalism and coming to the conclusion that ultimately, capitalism wins - eventually. Third, Yann asks Popple when he thinks EV development, at least on the mass transit front that Proterra serves, will hit 50% of all the purchases of those types of vehicles. Your jaw may well drop when you hear his answer (I know mine did). Oh, and he has a prediction of what long-haul trucking will look like in 20 years that will blow your mind.

Yann Brandt sat down with Blake Jones and Terri Mickelsen, the driving forces behind the Colorado-based Clean Energy Credit Union (CECU), which they expect will: - provide loans to people who want to invest in products like solar installations, electric vehicles, energy efficiency and other similar investments. - give new clean energy markets another financing option. It’s also important to note the CECU is a federally insured credit union, where advocates and enthusiasts can put their money and feel good about how their money is being used.

What Happened: Our own Yann Brandt, the proprietor of this place, interviewed Josh Prueher, CEO of FlexGen, about the concept of DC-coupled energy storage and what it could mean for the solar industry. What are the major advantages of DC versus AC coupled energy storage for solar? How does solar start integrating storage in its projects? SolarWakeup’s View: As the race to unlock the solar+storage market heats up, the idea of DC-coupled storage is an intriguing one. In such a system, the storage devices are placed between the solar modules and the inverter, instead of the traditional configuration of putting it behind the inverter. “OK, Frank, but what difference does that make?”, I can hear you saying out there. Here’s the difference it makes: It means there are fewer components to install, meaning there are fewer parts to break down. In addition, you eliminate the unnecessary step of converting DC power to AC power (at the inverter) and then back to DC power (at the storage level) and then back to AC to deliver the electricity to the offtaker. It lowers installation costs and stabilizes the entire project, including the power-output percentage. Such stability makes projects much easier to finance. And if you don’t think financiers are attracted to stability, I’d respectfully suggest you’ve never met a financier. At the moment, FlexGen is focusing on adding storage to existing C&I and utility-scale projects, but as the technology becomes better understood, Prueher expects it to become another storage option mandated by these projects before they have even begun. The concept of DC-coupled storage is an interesting one that is just coming into its own - and has the potential to revolutionize the storage industry as we know it.

This episode of EnergyWakeup, the podcast produced by SolarWakeup, Yann speaks with Costa Nicolaou from PanelClaw. The discussion centers around the 201 tariff process and a behind the scenes look at how industry leaders participated in the fight against the solar tax. As a racking company that actually creates the steel and aluminum manufacturing jobs that Trump is looking for, Costa found common ground around the racking industry. With the help of SEIA, the racking companies submitted multiple letters to the USITC to advocate against the 201 tariffs. The racking industry sees itself at the bad end of both the solar tariff and the steel trade case. There are well over 30,000 jobs in this space that are trying hard to grow and Costa is a leader in that space. This podcast gives you some views into the work that policy fights require. If you enjoyed this episode, please visit iTunes or applepodcasts.com/energywakeup and leave a 5 star rating and review. If you have any comments, please email Yann. SolarWakeup is the most influential newsletter in solar and available for free at solarwakeup.com

What: President of NY Green Bank, Alfred Griffin, Talks Solar Capital and Green Bank Success 
Summary: During an interview at SolarWakeup Live! New York, Alfred Griffin, the President of the New York Green Bank, gave an overview of the type of work that the Green Bank has been undertaking. The active pipeline is in excess of $500 million and is meant to create a level of comfort with the types of transactions for private capital. Griffin goes into detail on how the bank operates and how solar developers, investors and market participants can take advantage of NY Green Bank’s offerings. SolarWakeup View: The NY Green Bank is one of the highest profile attempts by a Governor to bring capital to the solar market. In 2018, the NY Green Bank is on track to be cumulatively cash positive, meaning the tax payers are off the hook on the overhead expense to running the bank. Griffin makes some news at SolarWakeup Live! when I asked him whether other States should do this as well. The NY Green Bank is on track to offer its services to other States and leverage the experience and overhead expense across State lines.

By popular demand, the audience of SolarWakeup Live! asked me the questions during this panel. Topics included the impact of 201, what is next for solar, the future of solar advocacy and how to increase the feedback loop with SolarWakeup readers.

What: Interview with LO3 Energy And National Grid On The Use Of Blockchain In The Future Energy Market Summary: Blockchain is a decentralized ledger technology driven to publicity by cryptocurrencies. In this conversation recorded at SolarWakeup Live! New York, Yann speaks with Lawrence Orsini, CEO of LO3 Energy, and Mathew Sachs from National Grid. SolarWakeup View: Blockchain is a new and early concept to the solar market. The Brooklyn microgrid is a pilot project that uses the concept of blockchain within an existing power marketplace. Overproduction of solar generation is delivered in power market credits to willing buyers. It can be sketched out how a distributed ledger within the blockchain can be the de-regulated version of net metering, matching overproduction with other energy consumers without having to have people in the middle of it. Related: Brooklyn Microgrid Subscribe to EnergyWakeup

What: On January 24th, SolarWakeup held a conference call to discuss the 201 Tariffs and their market impacts Summary: Joined by solar experts, Colin Rusch of Oppenheimer and MJ Shiao of GTM Research, SolarWakeup held a conference call to discuss the impacts and next steps from the President’s solar tariffs. Research from Oppenheimer suggests price increases echoed by GTM Research and MJ Shiao discussed GTM Research’s data about the decline in market size. SolarWakeup View: Prior to the call, Yann briefed the listeners about his view on the 201 results and what it meant to the businesses in the solar industry. With indication of a global settlement in the works, the question is what it will take to get it done. Related: SolarWakeup View: Trump Announces Section 201 Determinations for Cells and Modules

What: Interview with Mercedes Benz Energy Americas CEO, Future of e-mobility and Yann’s View On The Topic Summary: In this interview, Yann speaks with the CEO of Mercedes Benz Energy Americas, Boris von Bormann. Boris was previously the CEO of Sonnen in the US and has a background in solar prior to that. The conversation includes information about how the energy and transportation sectors converge going forward. What is the value of solar to the storage industry and how does it relate to the EV sector. This is a fast paced interview with a ton of information. SolarWakeup View: Prior to the interview you can hear Yann’s extended view on e-mobility and where it has become. Now that utilities and oil companies are competitors, you see both of them getting into solar. This isn’t an accident. Both trillion dollar sectors (oil/fuels and utilities) recognize solar and storage to be the cheapest and most valuable energy going forward. Related: EnergyWakeup 029 - Engie Executive Sees The End Of Coal, Gas and Nuclear Power – Interview with Thierry Lepercq

What: Axios Energy and Climate Change Reporter, Amy Harder, Joins SolarWakeup To Talk Politics and Energy Markets Summary: Amy Harder joined Axios from the Wall Street Journal and writes the Harder Line, part of Axios’ coverage of the energy space. Amy is well versed on the politics of energy and has been based in DC for over 10 years. She joins Yann in this recorded interview from SolarWakeup Live! to talk about coal and nuclear bailouts, COP proceedings in Bonn and impacts of jobs in the solar debate. SolarWakeup View: Amy is not a solar reporter and rarely takes pitches from companies. Her short form, no nonsense reporting doesn’t skirt the heart of the issue. In this conversation I ask Amy about the ongoing solar trade case, bills that are floating in Congress and how she will report on the solar trade rallies (she didn’t). This is a small way of leaving the echo chamber by talking with a well known, well connected and straight forward energy reporter.

Who: Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, Puerto Rico’s only representative in Congress Impact: Over a million Americans living in Puerto Rico are still without access to energy, more than 90 days after Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island. The solar industry has been coming together to show the potential of solar plus storage by powering hospitals, fire stations and homes across the island. SolarWakeup View: While the priority in Puerto Rico is to get the transmission and distribution systems back up and running (put the poles back up), reinvesting in traditional power sources makes no sense. The hurdle is that PREPA is bankrupt and without direction. Puerto Rico needs Congress to write down the loans and a utility comes in to operate the power system outside of the Government system. In the meantime, solar will find opportunities to rebuild through FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers. Related: Solar Foundation has an effort with the Clinton Foundation visit solarsaveslives.org Tickets for SolarWakeup Live! New York are now available

Who: Daniel Hullah, Managing Director at GE Ventures, focused on investing in the energy space. With a Phd in in Chemistry, Daniel has a unique view of clean energy in addition to 10 years of clean energy venture capital experience. What: How does the grid of the future evolve from central, fossil fuel power plants? We have this discussion during our live recording at SolarWakeup Live! Boston. With several investments in energy storage and grid technologies, Daniel’s looking to grow GE’s footprint in the energy space as it continues to evolve. Your Takeaway: GE is in the middle of a power transition itself with major layoffs announced at the power unit. Power plants are being closed and new builds are slowing due to the major increase of new and cleaner technologies. GE is investing in hardware that is participating in this market and Daniel walks through the thesis on some of those investments. Tickets for SolarWakeup Live! New York at now available, join us on January 31st. Please review the podcast on itunes.com/energywakeup

Who: Thierry Lepercq, EVP of Research, Development and Innovation at Engie. Member of the executive committee. Engie is a global energy company with $78billion in revenues and 150,000 employees. What: A discussion about the future of energy regarding the use of traditional power plants, transition to renewables and investing in innovative companies around the world. Impact to You: Engie has sold its US portfolio of coal and gas power plants. It closed a 45 year old coal plant in Australia and sees mobility as a massive impact to the energy system. If they view the future to be without central power fueled by fossils, what does that mean to your business and your customers? Thierry may be paid to be a futurist but getting Engie to turn its business strategy into this direction matters to you. Sometimes while in deep conversation with a leading energy executives, they say something extraordinary in such a casual way that unless you are paying attention, you might miss it. I had that experience the other day when SolarWakeup had an exclusive conversation with Thierry Lepercq of Engie’s Executive Committee and the company’s EVP of Research, Development and Innovation, in which he made a bold prediction: Rotating-machinery electricity production—meaning all fossil-fuel and nuclear plants—are going away. “That’s a given,” he said matter-of-factly, as if this as if it were common knowledge. I can attest, however, that I had never heard anyone say it out loud before—especially from someone leading the future for an energy company with 150,000 employees and over $75billion in 2016 revenues. After all, the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are on a fast-tracked course to bail out failing and dissipative nuclear and coal plants at an enormous cost to taxpayers. Listen to the episode to hear all of the other forecasts Thierry makes. Join us in New York on January 31st for SolarWakeup Live!

In this episode of energywakeup I talk about the current Tax Reform Bill with Audrey Louison from Mintz and Greg Jenner from Stoel Rives. The tax reform bill was in conference committee at the time of this recording and had several issues that impacted the solar industry. The corporate AMT, a lower corporate tax rate and the BEAT provision. I walk through each of the items with Audrey and Greg, get an explanation (because nobody understood the BEAT provision) and how it impacts solar project financing going forward. Greg has been around tax law for many years, including as a tax counsel for the senate finance committee when the last major tax reform passed in 1986 and Audrey has completed over 500 project transaction. This bill will have major impacts to the way you present projects to your clients and investors and this episode helps guide you through that process with a bit more knowledge. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SolarWakeup Live DC. Make sure to catch previous episode on your favorite podcast platform, episodes with the director of renewable energy at Massachussets DOER, the CEO of Sunpower, Former FERC Chairman and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Join us on January 31st in New York and look out for future events across the Country. Make sure to catch previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of energywakeup I am joined by Jon Abe the CEO of SunWealth. Sunwealth is a solar start up based in Boston Massachusetts focused on financing small commercial and nonprofit solar projects. The innovation at sunwealth is getting new capital into solar by educating them about the small C&I market. In our conversation Jon tells you about his work to grow a partner network for scaling and partnering with a corporate investor to fund the business. Jon is a solar veteran that made the jump to a startup and is looking to do great things. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SolarWakeup Live Boston. Make sure to catch previous episode on your favorite podcast platform, episodes with the director of renewable energy at Massachussets DOER, the CEO of Sunpower, Former FERC Chairman and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Join us on January 31st in New York and look out for future events across the Country. Make sure to catch previous episode on your favorite podcast platform, episodes with Mike Judge from Mass DOER Jon Wellinghoff on the DOE NOPR Sunpower’s Tom Werner