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Scott Sklar is indeed a prominent figure in the renewable energy industry. He has a rich background and extensive experience, making significant contributions to the field. Sklar is the President of The Stella Group, Ltd., a strategic policy and clean technology optimization firm. He has also served as the Executive … The post Scott Sklar's Renewable Energy Journey on The Green Insider appeared first on eRENEWABLE.
"Clean and Sustainable Energy" October 6, 2024 Speaker Series at St. John's, Lafayette Square Washington, DC
When there's a power outage, people gather at Sklar's place. During good weather, they take tours and check out what kids call his ‘Back to the Future' van. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/.
In 50 short years, solar energy transformed from a niche interest to a key driver of the global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has been at the forefront of this transformation, advocating for policies, fostering innovation, and driving growth in the industry. Founded in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, SEIA has worked tirelessly to give solar “a seat at the table” in Washington, and the fruits of their labor are plentiful.In honor of SEIA's 50th anniversary, key figures from SEIA's past and present discuss the evolution of the solar industry. Abby Hopper (sitting CEO & President) hosted this panel with Fred Morse, Scott Sklar, and Rhone Resch (all key SEIA past leaders) to share their stories of the trade association's 50 year rise and successes. From watching solar energy evolve beyond it's solar water heating roots to the sophisticated photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems of today, their stories highlight the milestones, legislative victories, and technological advancements that have propelled solar into the mainstream. Abby's Linked Post on the roundtable captured the moment well, from stories of the founding of SEIA, to how the Investment Tax Credit came into being. And we gained insight into where these legends believe both SEIA and the industry will be over the next fifty years.But we captured the moment as it happened, and we hope you'll actually give it a listen!Expect to learn:SEIA's fascinating origin story Early challenges and how the industry overcame (and is still overcoming) skepticismKey legislative victories that helped solar along the way The expanding applications of solar technologyWhat the future of solar and storage looks like Queue it up; get inspired by some of the OG pioneers of solar energy!If 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/.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 650 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...
President Joe Biden wraps up his appearance at the world leader's summit of the UN Climate Change Conference today. Biden addressed the conference yesterday. Later this afternoon he'll take questions from reporters, after which he will leave Glasgow, Scotland and return to Washington. His press conference is scheduled to begin at 3:30. WYPR will carry NPR's live coverage. The President echoed many leaders in his plea for unity, determination and cooperation in fighting climate change, describing the climate crisis as an existential threat. In remarks to the conference after his address, Mr. Biden apologized to his fellow leaders for the Trump Administration's decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords, a decision Mr. Biden reversed on the day he took office. Tom's first guest today is Scott Sklar, a clean energy expert and adjunct professor at George Washington University who serves as Energy Lead of the University's Environmental and Energy Management Institute, and Acting Director of GWU's Solar Institute. Scott Sklar joins us on Zoom from his solar-powered home in Arlington, Virginia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Quantum Quote: "The extraction, conversion and use of energy is the single largest cause of air & water pollution, single largest consumer of clean water, single largest funnel of resources supporting terrorism, and the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases ---- time for that to stop." –Scott Sklar 1st SuperNova. With wireless Cellular & Internet, if one tower or data center fails, the rest of the system picks up the pieces and keeps everything going. The electric system is following the same path– smaller, more distributed, integrated & self-sustaining. SuperNova #2. Technology always morphs & evolves. With music, we advanced from vinyl records to cassettes to 8 tracks to cds to dvds to mp3s. Energy is following a similar evolution. SuperNova #3. Always get several estimates. Check referrals. Were the contractors on time and on cost. Was the customer happy? What would they change? Look for contractors in your state or regional Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) or Renewable Energy Association. Worst Clean Energy Moment –Many. Scott was ridiculed most of his career. Example: the US Senate Chief of Staff of Appropriations & Energy Committees during the Arab Oil Embargo– “there will never be solar or wind farms." “Ah HA!” moment. Solar was originally most cost effective in developing countries & remote areas where people don't have good access to electricity. Best Advice: Don't take things personally. Be thoughtful about what the other person is looking for, and do your best to meet their concerns. Personal Habit that contributes to success: Extreme stubbornness & perseverance. “There is nothing like a Fine 'Whine' to get what you want.” Internet Resources: State & Regional Chapters of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) for contractors who operate under ethic guidelines. American Solar Energy Society (ASES) for technologies. World Resources Institute (WRI). Books: Any Amory Lovins book. Lovin's quote: "Electricity without fire." (quote: “The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of rocks”). Thomas Friedman: “Hot, Flat & Crowded” & “Lexus & the Olive Trees.” WTF or F: Arlington, VA– 5 minutes from DC. Lots of trees, but storms knock down wires. Scott installed solar & batteries– first to run his sump pump to keep his basement dry during storm outages, then for his whole house. Neighbors come to Scotts to drink his scotch & bourbon during power failures. He makes the neighbors who hate solar say why they don't like it– and admit that it's cool to have power when everyone else doesn't. What energizes Scott today: New emerging technologies. New Sensors & Apps. Material science renaissance– great for off-shore wind, tidal, wave, & ocean thermal power. Most people live next to rivers & the shoreline – they can now gain 24 hour access to clean power. Last Advice:“Take a small step and do something. Screw in an LED lightbulb. Get a smart thermostat. Get a small solar system for your garage or garden shed, or some power to run your refrigerator, wifi, & lights so you can ride out power outages. And, you'll save money every day. The step you take will make the world a better place for your kids. And if you do it, others will too! Visit us at www.AWESomeEarthKind.com
Ralph talks to Paul Gunter of Beyond Nuclear about all the lies the nuclear industry tells to stay afloat; and solar expert Scott Sklar joins us to talk about how solar energy is already creating more jobs than nuclear and fossil fuels combined.
Scott Sklar is a self proclaimed gadget guy. In his home, he has almost any clean alternative energy technology you can think of. On this episode, we visit him there, and he explains how he accomplished something almost no one else around here has... energy independence. This episode has just a taste of all of the systems at Scott's house. See links below for more info: http://www.thestellagroupltd.com/home/sklars-zero-energy-home-office/ http://energy.gov/eere/videos/energy-101-fuel-cell-technology Arlington home energy rebates - environment.arlingtonva.us/energy/rebates/ Music "Hurt Me" by Benjimanji is licensed under CC BY 4.0 "The Wonder" by Dave Depper is licensed under CC BY 4.0 " Cicadas in Rhododendrons on the Trail to Ghorepani, Nepal" by Samuel Corwin is licensed under CC BY 4.0 "How it Fades" by Scott Gratton is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Another “Best Of" episode is in the books! This week, we bring you a “Best of technology” episode. While it was tough selecting some of my favorite technology episodes, I finally picked the ones that made me truly geek out. Sit back, relax, and listen to some of the best clips regarding various aspects of technology. If you want a cheat sheet of what is in this week’s episode, here you go! Part 1 - Clips from Episode 110 - Alexis Ohanian. Alexis discusses Reddit, original (or lack thereof) ideas, and learning to code. Part 2 - Clips from Episode 99 - Nicco Mele. Nicco discusses computer advancements, web content creation, and privacy. Part 3 - Clips from Episode 53 - David-Michel Davies. DMD discusses The Webbys, where technology trends are heading, and the age-old question of, 'Are we really doing more work than previous generations?" Part 4 - Clips from Episode 115 - Scott Sklar. Scott discusses the return on investment of renewable energy and explains solar energy and other types of clean energy to Jon and Chris. Part 5 - Clips from Episode 48 - Josh Klein. Josh discusses the importance of sharing your ideas and the effect of piracy.
Scott Sklar - Clean & renewable energy expert, Founder and President of The Stella Group, co-author of Consumer Guide to Solar Energy and The Forbidden Fuel. Until this episode, I must admit, I never thought much about what happens when I plug something into the wall. Even if you don't turn the thing on, it still accounts for nearly 10% of our total energy usage - it's called vampire power! I didn't think about all of the blinking lights in my room at night, or the TV that drones on in the background. But as I learned, the energy used to power all of these devices is extremely costly, both in terms of my energy bill as well as the safety and stability of our environment. For example, did you know that 90% of the water used in the world goes towards growing food and making energy, with the majority going towards energy production? I never knew that we used so much water just making energy. With water being our most important and soon-to-be scarce resource, we have to find energy that is more sustainable. And there is more to it than that. When we drill for oil we disrupt the environment, when we frack we flush harmful chemicals into the earth, and when we try to use nuclear energy....well...can you say Chernobyl? We must find a way to utilize more efficient, renewable, clean energy. Luckily for us, we have brilliant people such as Scott Sklar, working on exactly that. Scott Sklar is an expert in the field of clean and renewable energy. He is the Founder and President of The Stella Group, a strategic technology optimization and policy firm advancing the utilization of clean, distributed energy applications. Scott is the co-author of Consumer Guide to Solar Energy and The Forbidden Fuel. He Chairs the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition and sits on the Boards of Directors of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and The Solar Foundation. He is also an Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University. Scott lives in a solar home and has a zero-energy office building in Arlington, Virginia. -- This episode is brought to you by Squarespace – the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to create your own website. For a free trial and 10% off, go to Squarespace.com and use offer code smart11. Easy – Everything is drag and drop. You can use drag and drop to add content from your desktop, and even rearrange elements of content within a page. 24/7 support – Squarespace has an amazing 24/7 support team in New York City. They do live chat during the week, and have extremely fast email support throughout the day and night. Design Focused – Squarespace really cares about design. All their templates are extremely clean, and allow your content to be the focus of your website.
Lisa Cohn continues her interview with Scott Sklar, founder and president of The Stella Group and chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition. He explains how people can move toward having net-zero homes through efficiency improvements and renewable energy system installations. We may not all achieve net zero, he says, but can take action that affects climate change, reduces energy and water use, and saves money.
Lisa Cohn welcomes back Scott Sklar, founder and president of The Stella Group and Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition. He explains how people can begin moving toward net-zero homes through efficiency improvements and renewable energy system installations. While not everyone may reach net zero, everyone can take actions that affect climate change, energy use, water use, and financial savings, he says.
Lisa Cohn of Energy Efficiency Markets interviews Scott Sklar, founder and president of The Stella Group and Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition. Energy efficiency will likely grow even more than it would have without a recession because of the strong efficiency stipulations outlined in the federal economic stimulus package, he says. What's more, businesses seeking to save money will find ways to invest in EE. He identifies the sector most likely to grow.