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969 episodes — Page 13 of 20

S8 Ep 369369 - How is the solar market evolving for developers, with Joe Tassone, ABOVEgrid

Many of you have probably listened to today's guests Joe Tassone Jr. from episodes 232 where we told his journey from the telecom industry to solar. He was also in episode 341 helping us give an overview of the clean energy industry.Joe is an experienced industry executive with access to the frontline conversations about what's happening in the world of project development. We brought Joe back to discuss what is happening in the world of solar project development in the United States, get his sense of how that front line is evolving, and learn about how his business ABOVEgrid is evolving so you can learn from his expertise.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

May 11, 202145 min

S8 Ep 368368 - GAF, Solar Tiles, Tax Equity and more - Martin DeBono Redux

Today’s guest is Martin DeBono, and he is by no means a stranger to distributed energy and high growth working in the startup industry. However, he didn't cut his teeth in solar energy. In fact, he has had a bit of an unorthodox entry into alternative energy. We talked about this especially in his first episode about a year ago where he mentioned being a decorated officer on a nuclear submarine in the US Navy.He has led sales and marketing for companies you'd recognize such as Cisco, Siebel, Insightful, and Pure Networks. He even headed SunPower's residential North American business and global commercial business before taking on the role he currently has as President of GAF Energy. We're going to get into how the new GAF Energy product rollout is going and what it means for the residential market looking forward.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

May 6, 202156 min

S8 Ep 367367 - Can Words Impact the Climate? How communication can drive real change with Scott Nguyen, Susannah Bradley, Brooke Betts, and Carter Lavin

On April 21st, the team of 17TeraWatts hosted a panel with a group of communication experts to answer the question, “How do we effectively communicate the severity of climate change and the solutions in a way that compels people to also take action?”.During the conversation moderated by a previous SunCast guest, Scott Nguyen from 17TeraWatts, we spoke to Susannah Bradley, Director of Emerging Audiences at SunCommon, Brooke Betts, VP US Climate Campaign at Rare, and Carter Lavin, the Director at California Solar & Storage Association. Together, we explored the growing nuances in climate change messaging, the innovative programs with real-world successes, and new approaches YOU can try in your business or community.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

May 4, 202149 min

S8 Ep 366366 - Solar Industry Insights From 4 Decades' Experience With Rusty Schmit Of Sage Energy Consulting

Today’s guest is Russell Schmit, a successful executive with extensive experience in energy‑related manufacturing, service, and consulting companies ranging from start‑ups to Fortune 100 corporations. At Sage Energy Consulting, he leads the growth initiatives for the company, works on selected projects that leverage his specialized experience, and guides internal operations to achieve high levels of client satisfaction.Beginning with his early-career work leading solar photovoltaic technology programs at the global semiconductor firms Motorola and Texas Instruments, and followed by entrepreneurial roles at manufacturing firms in the United States and Europe, Rusty has proven his skills building high-growth businesses based on energy technologies. He has led international technical and business teams to develop new, innovative products and has developed strong client relationships around the world.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 29, 202153 min

S8 Ep 365365 - Common Intellectual Property mistakes you can avoid, with Russ Krajec, Patent Attorney with BlueIron IP

Welcome to another Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips, and advice for building your solar business or career.Today we’re digging into the idea of intellectual property, patents, and other ways to protect your business and assets, and the guest in charge of explaining this process is Russ Krajec. How patents protect you (or not), and what should you do about it? Stay tuned to find out!Russ Krajec is an author, inventor, angel investor, podcast host, and patent attorney. After a 13 year career as an engineer, Russ switched to patent law to “reverse engineer” the patent system to create good patents. 20 years later, he has seen the deep, dark underbelly of the patent system.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 27, 202126 min

S8 Ep 364364 - Lessons in Solar Entrepreneurship, Robb Jetty, COO at DSD Renewables - Part 2

If you're tuning in for the first time, you're tuning in to a second-part episode of my conversation with a friend and industry colleague and leader mentor, Robb Jetty.I encourage you to check out part one of this inspiring conversation with Robb to capture more of the backstory, his origin of how he made his way into solar, and the role he has now with DSD Renewables. Today, we're gonna dig into the second half of the conversation more about what inspires him, how he made the eventual pivots, how DSD is differentiating itself in the marketplace and why Robb has decided to take this commanding role.If you are at all curious about the career of a true Maverick, a true apprentice who has found his way to a master in operations of the solar construction industry, you've come to the right place.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 22, 202149 min

S8 Ep 363363 - Journey To Chief Operating Officer, Robb Jetty, COO At DSD Renewables - Part 1

Happy Earth Day!I'm excited about all the wonderful events and activities that are going on today on Earth Day as we celebrate another year of work towards taking massive climate action.Today we are going to learn a lot about how the solar industry has evolved. The protagonist of the story is one of the guys I've watched grow in his career for more than 15 years. Robb Jetty and I have seen each other in the industry, and today we're going to dive into how he arrived at the company that he helped launch spin out of GE. If you are a longtime listener, you'll recognize the name of the company Robb works for: Distributed Solar Development, mainly because we just had Meghan Gainer on not too long ago. I hope that you are ready to learn all about how a career is built around execution and curiosity, because that is Robb’s story.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 22, 202145 min

S8 Ep 362362 - Free Legal Services from Top Legal Firms, with Stanford's Molly Melius and Jesse Lazarus

This is Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career.Today, we're gonna be chatting with the two people who run a program I didn’t even know existed until January, Stanford's Lawyers for Sustainable Economy (LSE) Initiative, managed by Molly Melius, the Director of LS, and Jesse Lazarus, Senior Associate of LS, and a second-year law student.The Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy Initiative, or the LSE initiative for short, is a law firm-led and Stanford-supported initiative that provides free legal assistance to sustainability focused entrepreneurs and nonprofits. And in particular, the initiative aims to support promising green entrepreneurs and nonprofits who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford legal services.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 20, 202120 min

S8 Ep 361361 - We Don't Have Time! Is Ingmar Rentzhog the Mark Zuckerberg of Climate?

Today's guest is a change maker named “The Green Mark Zuckerberg” by France TV's. I’m referring to Ingmar Rentzhog, The CEO and Founder of We Don't Have Time, the world's largest social network for climate action. We'll hear more about what that means and how the idea was formed.By teaming up with Twitter and the U.N We Don't Have Time is reaching millions around the globe. Ingmar will share how you can invest in We Don't Have Time and be a part of solving the climate crisis and getting good returns on your investment.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 15, 20211h 3m

S8 Ep 360360 - The 4 Quadrants of a Growth-focused company, with Robert Cross

Today’s guest is someone who I've been working with and who several of your colleagues have been working with behind the scenes to help clarify thoughts, especially around the topic of growth. Today's topic is specifically focused on whether or not you are ready for growth. Do you know what it looks like? Are you prepared for the way that you need to orient your team, your vision, and your mission?We’re talking about Robert W. Cross, the Founder & CEO of Cross Consulting Services. He helps cleantech and renewable energy CEOs address challenges in their business model so they may scale. His professional background includes experience in finance, economic development, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean technologies.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 13, 202144 min

S8 Ep 359359 - How can Clean Energy be dirty? EMF myth busting with B.D. Erickson, CEO of Satic USA

Have you ever wondered why your cell phone gets hot when it's charging? Few folks realize the electromagnetism that's picked up as dirty electricity and moves through the circuit, making the charging process less efficient, and it not only increases your phone's heat, but your energy bills, and it shortens the life of all of the devices and appliances around us.Well, today’s interview is with my friend B.D. Erickson who knows a thing or two about how to address that issue. His company, Satic USA has been building clean electricity products to address this issue since 2008. And more and more solar installers are beginning to install Satic products alongside their inverters to ensure a clean operating system inside your home.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 8, 20211h 7m

S8 Ep 358358 - Challenging The Status Quo: C-Suite Examples Of D&I Leadership, With Matt Hankey And Michael Healy

What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.Today you will hear from clean energy executives Matt Hankey and Michael Healy as they’re taking the charge in ensuring their organization and the industry as a whole represents a diverse and inclusive workforce. How are we approaching hiring and access to opportunities in one of the biggest job-creating industries in America?Related to the conversation that we're having today is our Dream Job Coaching Program, which we call Mission-Minded. You can learn more about that at events.mysuncast.com/dreamjob.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 6, 20211h 5m

S8 Ep 357357 - Design Principles to Drive Customer Engagement with Scott Nguyen, CEO of 17 TeraWatts

Thank you so much for lending me your ears and the only non-renewable resource that you have: your time! Today's entrepreneur is my friend Scott Nguyen, CEO of 17 TeraWatts. If you are in the broader energy business and you’re looking for an opportunity to get into climate tech and clean energy, you might want to take a listen for today's episode.Scott has 15 years of energy industry experience, 18 USPTO patents, and a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University. He is now working on specific technology to solve problems for the homeowners and residential solar space. We're going to talk a bit more about that and how Scott found his way into that area of expertise.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Apr 1, 20211h 3m

S8 Ep 356356 - Strategies to ask for the salary you deserve (and GET IT), with Karima Ladhani, Suparna Kadam, Tara Doyle, and Glenda Johnson

What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.Do you get nervous when you have to engage in conversations to negotiate your salary? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we have Karima Ladhani, Suparna Kadam, Tara Doyle, and Glenda Johnson sharing and discussing experiences of asking and getting their value in the workplace.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 30, 20211h 9m

S8 Ep 355355 - Special Report: Not All Solar is Created Equal with Michael Parr, Executive Director at The Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance

Michael Parr is the Executive Director of the Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance, a coalition of global solar companies using market forces to decarbonize the solar supply chain, making clean energy even cleaner. Following a 30 year career with DuPont Michael established The Parr Policy Group in 2015 to provide policy and political consulting services to businesses, with an emphasis on sustainability.For almost 20 years Michael lead DuPont’s federal government affairs efforts on the environment, energy, technology, manufacturing and sustainability-related topics, engaging with Congress, the White House, Administrative agencies and private sector stakeholders. He has successfully created advocacy coalitions to achieve major legislative changes related to chemicals regulation (TSCA), renewable energy and natural gas, tax policy for sustainable manufacturing, R&D and STEM education.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 29, 202129 min

S8 Ep 354354 - Andrea Luecke, The Roots and Fruits of The Solar Foundation

As we celebrate the impact of women in our culture, the way that women increasingly are being recognized as better leaders as better and more empathic executives in businesses, it's been a real privilege and honor to be able to have some of my friends and folks that inspire me on the show.This week on SunCast, as we wrap up Women's History Month, I am so excited to be able to bring to you a fearless leader. Today's entrepreneur is someone that I genuinely appreciate in the world and in the solar industry. Andrea Luecke is an entrepreneurial leader with a diverse international background. Over the course of a decade, she took an organization you may be familiar with, The Solar Foundation, from idea to globally renowned organization that's responsible for some of the industry's most trusted and valuable research and education.As a means for creating more efficiencies and impact, Andrea led The Solar Foundation through a strategic merger with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and made a voluntary commitment in to step down from her role following a successful merger agreement. This recently allowed Andrea to become free to launch a consulting firm – ALL IMPACT CONSULTING - with her 8-year-old daughter and be entrepreneurial once again in her approach to solving problems related to climate, the workforce, and equity.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 25, 20211h 6m

S8 Ep 353353 - D&I Fireside Chat with Erika Jefferson, President of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE)

What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.What do you need to start implementing a D&I Strategy in your organization? Should you be focusing on the talent management side? Join our fireside chat with the President and Founder of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), Erika Jefferson as we discuss the first steps when looking at your organization's D&I efforts.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 23, 202149 min

S8 Ep 352352 - Superconnector Anna Siefken on managing change & empowering the Clean Economy

Thank you so much for lending me your ears and the only non-renewable resource that you've got: your time. Today's guest, Anna Siefken has spent her career making the business case for energy efficiency, cleantech innovation, and building performance as a means to address the world’s energy challenges and the global urgency of climate change.She is the inaugural Executive Director of The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University. www.cmu.edu/energy. Through programming, targeted outreach, and partnerships, she guides the Institute’s efforts to optimize energy resources, reduce the environmental impacts of energy production and use, and develop breakthrough technologies that will have meaningful impact and accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low carbon energy future.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 18, 20211h 0m

S8 Ep 351351 - Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Hiring in Action with Catherine McLean, Paige Rutten, Melanie Santiago-Mosier, and Lindsay Reichert

What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.How are managers creating a diverse and inclusive work environment? You’re going to hear from a panel of hiring professionals and D&I experts as they dispense practical advice, best practices, and processes to efficiently implement D&I strategies to your hiring procedures.You’ll hear Catherine McLean, Paige Rutten, Melanie Santiago-Mosier, and Lindsay Reichert as they describe the D&I initiatives implemented by some of the most leading companies in the clean energy sector, their importance, and strategies to attract a more diverse workforce.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 16, 202159 min

S7 Ep 350350 - Career pivot, Heidi Lim's journey to Climatetech startup Opus12

Today's guest is our friend Heidi Lim of Opus 12. While I hope that we can do more on Opus 12, we actually don't talk a ton about Opus 12. Today we talk about her process of finding what she calls a “career on purpose and meaning”. Opus 12 happens to be now the vessel through which she pours that energy.I'm excited to bring that conversation to you, so I encourage you not just to listen in to this conversation, but also to go take the time to read the tome that she created, which was the genesis of this episode and this interview.I found Heidi by reading on my own around what is it like to get a job in the clean energy space and trying to really understand the journey that you all are on, and nobody that I've read in the last year has put it more succinctly and more action-oriented than Heidi.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 11, 202149 min

S7 Ep 349349 - Case Study: Inside the Job Seeker Experience with Patti Lowe, Malini Kannan and Eric Lindley

This is 2Fer Tuesdays. Whether that's a Tactical Tuesday or just content from one of our many live events like SPI Podcast Lounge, this is going to be a short form conversation, typically with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career and grow with us here on SunCast.What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.With a goal of taking candidates from being an outside observer to HIRED by a cleantech/clean energy firm in 60 days or less, I launched my Clean Energy Dream Job Case Study group in August. Hear from candidates from the program as they share their experiences.Related to the conversation that we're having today is our Dream Job Coaching Program, which we call Mission-Minded. You can learn more about that at events.mysuncast.com/dreamjob.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 9, 202158 min

S7 Ep 348348 - Success Stories: How to Land your Dream Job? with Caitlyn McCloskey, Rozina Kanchwala and Miles Braxton

This is 2Fer Tuesdays. Whether that's a Tactical Tuesday or just content from one of our many live events like SPI Podcast Lounge, this is going to be a short form conversation, typically with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career and grow with us here on SunCast.What you are about to hear is content from our Career Summit, a fantastic series of conversations all about not only how to find your dream job, the perfect opportunity to transition into clean energy as a career but also how as an industry we can improve the concepts of hiring with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.Hear from a panel of industry professionals who have landed their dream job (or internship). Take a look at their journey and get a few tips in helping you take on that next step.Related to the conversation that we're having today is our Dream Job Coaching Program, which we call Mission-Minded. You can learn more about that at events.mysuncast.com/dreamjob.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 9, 202157 min

S7 Ep 347347 - How To Build A Resilient And Sustainable Infrastructure, With ICFs Head Of Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, Anne Choate

As you probably already know, it is Women's History Month, and here at SunCast we have very intentional programming for the month of March. 3 years ago Miss Tara Doyle, a good friend of our show insisted that we do more for not just the gender diversity, but the equity across the board. We’re doing our best to keep that habit and intention here in March, promoting female voices and increasingly more equity generally, throughout our show.We want to nod here to all of the fantastic leadership that is coming into the solar industry that just continues to blow our minds away. It’s well documented that companies with female leadership excel across many different metrics, not the least of which is profitability. And leadership skill is something that I personally learned more from my female bosses than my male bosses.Today, we have someone that I'm really honored and proud to have on the show, Miss Anne Choate, and she’s been such an instrumental figure for so many organizations, public and private, across government lines across (country and state level) at ICF. If you haven’t heard about Anne, you’ll get to hear how she has risen through the ranks to command a legion of climate champions within an organization like ICF.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 4, 202152 min

S7 Ep 346346 - How-to career transition into Clean Energy, with Resume expert Amanda Rico

Welcome to another Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject matter experts designed to give you the practical tips, tools, and advice for building your solar business or career.If you’re outside of the clean energy or solar industry and you’re trying to transition from another energy sector, this episode will give you great insight into what steps you should take.Today we are going to feature Dr. Amanda Rico, an expert in the field of technical writing and resume writing. She runs Rico Editorial Services and specializes in helping folks in the energy sector level up and find the career they love. She’s also a mentor in our own Coaching Program, helping applicants achieve exactly that.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Mar 2, 202152 min

S7 Ep 345345 - The Patagonia of Banking with Ravi Mikkelsen, Co-Founder at Atmos Financial

This is financial Thursday and we're going to help you put your money where your heart is. There are some secrets out there about how your money is being invested against your better interests.Today's entrepreneur is my good friend Ravi Mikkelsen, and if you tuned in back in October 1st, 2019, you might remember that we did the episode with Samuel Adeyemo of Aurora Solar organized through ClimateLink, one of the organizations that this multifaceted entrepreneur has put together.Ravi is someone I've come to respect and admire, and today we're going to dig into his latest brainchild that is gathering traction. Certainly several of you have no doubt heard Jigar Shah and others mentioned it from the stages of Energy Gang and other platforms recently, it’s called Atmos Financial. We're going to learn all about that today and why in the world he would be trying to take on big banks.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 25, 20211h 24m

S7 Ep 344344 - Is rooftop solar+storage finally here for C&I? Omeed Badkoobeh, CEO of Yotta Energy

Today's entrepreneur is no stranger to the wild and crazy ride we call the solar coaster. He cut his teeth in the industry more than a decade ago and has worked at companies you'd recognize like Tesla. He got the entrepreneurial bug several years back, in this case, seeing before many others the coming wave and rise of energy storage and the need for a slightly different format and a form factor in the market that was underserving almost entirely unserved at that time in history.We'll hear more about that and how Omeed Badkoobeh and Yotta Energy have sought to address a little addressed market that is actually a huge total addressable market. We'll dig into energy storage for commercial and industrial as well as the journey of this young entrepreneur today on SunCast.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 23, 202159 min

S7 Ep 343343 - How the Texas grid failed? Insights from a former energy trader, Evan Caron

This episode will be different to the Tactical Tuesdays and long-form Thursday episodes we always publish. This is a mini episode if you will. Sometimes we do this on Fridays or other days, when we have a guest that has extraordinary information that we want to share with you and it's timely, but doesn't fit in our normal production schedule.If you are a Texas resident or if you've been watching what's happening in Texas, you should know by now that there is a crisis in ERCOT. There's a crisis in the electricity markets as well as a humanitarian crisis right now as a result of hard snowstorms. And since I'm not in Texas, but I have friends down there, I called on just such a friend, Mr. Evan Caron.He's an Austin resident, who is an energy trader and really deeply understands this market. So if you have been trying to figure it out, understand what the heck is happening in that market, we are here to give you some answers.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 21, 202132 min

S7 Ep 342342 - Serial entrepreneurs bring robotics to solar farms, Tim Matus & Steve Arters of Renu Robotics

Today's entrepreneurs are certainly no stranger to the start-up ride, as they have started a number of companies. Most recently, they have made it all the way to Round Three of the National Renewable Energy Labs’ American-Made Solar Prize, which we've discussed here before.Tim Matus and Steve Arters are intrapreneurs I've come to respect and making it that far in the solar prize is something noteworthy. They created automated robots that help us maintain solar sites, which is something that I took note of and I thought that you might find it interesting as well, not just the technology, but how exactly they got around to the technology, including some tinkering around in their garage, as all good startup stories should include.Their company, Renu Robotics was launched in February of 2018 to address initiatives to control costs on utility-scale solar farms. The collaboration of ideas led to interest in creating flexible autonomous robots able to be fitted with many different implements.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 18, 202158 min

S7 Ep 341341 - Clean Energy Industry Overview: Where do I Start? with Sarah Wilder, Becca Ward, Joe Tassone, and Eric Pasi

Welcome to another Tactical Tuesday, which is a short form conversation with subject matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business, or career.If you've clicked through on today's episode, an overview on where do I start in the clean energy industry, I suspect that you are thinking about a career change or you're thinking about how your career could or should be growing in the industry, and you are looking for some tips and practical advice.In fairness, this is a replay from our SunCast Career Summit, which happened back in September 2020, but it is a great overview. Not only myself but some of the guests (in particular, Eric Pasi) have written quite a bit about the answers to the oft-made question: “How do I get into this industry? Where do I start?”Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 16, 20211h 4m

S7 Ep 340340 - Innovation in ESG Data Collection with Zach Livingston, Head of Sales at ClearTrace

Today, we are going to have an intrapreneur and entrepreneur, a friend of mine down in Austin, Texas called Zack Livingston, Head of Sales at ClearTrace. We’ll get into the ins and outs of carbon accounting, and all the reasons why it has not to date been done very well, and how his company ClearTrace is leveling up their game and yours.ClearTrace is a cloud-based SaaS company enabling stakeholders to track, trace, and manage their clean energy footprint. Zach was previously the 'Vice President of Sales and Head of the Americas' at Locus Energy and became the 'Director of Sales - USA' at AlsoEnergy after Locus and Also merged. Both companies supplied solutions for the monitoring, analytics and performance optimization of renewable energy assets.Earlier in Zach's career, he spent time interning in the Clinton Foundation's Executive Office, working with the former President and his immediate staff, and interning for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s clean water advocacy group, Riverkeeper.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 12, 20211h 12m

S7 Ep 339339 - 5 Pro Tips to actually make Salesforce work FOR you, with Geraldine Gray, Endiem (Saleforce MVP)

Today's entrepreneur is someone I've had the pleasure to get to know recently, through the context of exploring how software can serve and also sometimes be the bane of our existence. She has worked over the past several decades helping businesses improve their business operations and processes using a little piece of software. Maybe you've heard of it: it’s called Salesforce.Geraldine Gray is the CEO and founder of Endiem, and you're going to hear what that company is all about today as well. I would encourage you to stick around to the very end because this decade's long Salesforce MVP is going to share her Top Three App Exchange Secret Weapons. Of course, we'll discuss the Salesforce platform and how solar businesses can get ROI from that platform.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 9, 202136 min

S7 Ep 338338 - Marketing 101 for Commercial Solar: lessons learned with Meghan Gainer at DSD

Today's intrapreneur has been inside the leadership team of some of the most successful brands in the solar industry and at critical times in their growth journey. We're going to take a look at her view from the Bridge as it were.Meghan Gainer is Head of Marketing Communications at Distributed Solar Development, or DSD, as we'll refer to it, which originally was incubated inside of General Electric. Her 14 years of commercial Marketing and Communications experience help her thread the needle for marketing and communications, public relations, strategy and execution for the companies that she's been privileged to help build companies like Comcast, SunEdison, Solar City, Tesla, GE, and now of course, DSD.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 4, 20211h 17m

S7 Ep 337337 - 5 key decisions for effective strategic partnerships with Josh Beck, Managing Director of BCI Technology Investments

It’s February 2021 and I’m stoked to have you here. Today's entrepreneur is a good friend of mine that many of you perhaps listened to in 2020, especially when he brought the 10 things that every entrepreneur needs to know when they're trying to raise capital: that's my friend Josh Beck.Josh is the Chief Investment Officer at BCI Technology Investments. He's had, in many ways a storied career. He's one of my favorite insider investor minds when I get to just chat with someone about what is happening in the world of global supply, especially with regards to obviously BCI is a big steel manufacturing concern.He's had some opportunities to be involved in major organizations in the industry like NEXTracker, which we spoke about in previous episodes.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Feb 2, 202136 min

S7 Ep 336336 - Marc Andreessen is Wrong. Clean Energy can drive a domestic infrastructure boom, with Sheldon Kimber, CEO of Intersect Power

If you listened to Episode 261, then you're no stranger to Mr. Sheldon Kimber of Intersect Power. But I wanted to bring Sheldon back, especially in this month, where we're thinking hard about what can the current administration and our industry do to elevate our voice to ensure we take massive action on climate change.Sheldon wrote an article back in the fall, and it got a fair amount of traction on LinkedIn (even Jigar Shah and many others commented on it). I wanted to bring Sheldon on to talk specifically about this article that he wrote, titled “software is eating the world, but steel is the hardware runs on” and it's a reply to Marc Andreessen's essay "It's time to build" where he posits that we don't have the drive to build the infrastructure and that complacency is killing the opportunity. Not so, says Sheldon...and we get into just exactly why we need to Dream in Steel again!I hope that you'll tune in and listen up to this dialogue where Sheldon and I dive into how clean energy as an industry is, like building the Intercontinental railroad, building the infrastructure like dams, and many other facets of the reconstruction of our country in postwar times.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 28, 202156 min

S7 Ep 335335 - Andy Klump, CEO and Founder of Clean Energy Associates

Andy Klump holds the current and long-standing record of the most downloaded episode on SunCast. That's right, coming in more than 2000 downloads. I wanted to have Andy back because there's a lot about this man's life in how he ended up in China being a trusted resource for so many companies and individuals like myself around the world from Europe, to the Americas.I wanted to hear how he came about this venture called Clean Energy Associates, and I wanted to hear how he built through this adventure of living in China. Having a wonderful family, being an upright citizen and all-around good guy.Today we dig into the man that is Andy Klump, not just how he built his business, but how he's built his career. And I hope that you would come to admire this man as much as I do. He's a good friend, and a very good businessman.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 21, 20211h 48m

S7 Ep 334334 - How to Scale C&I solar with Matt Hankey, Founder of New Energy Equity

Today's entrepreneur I have been introduced to multiple times since 2014. Thanks to the homebound lockdowns of the pandemic this year, we finally had a chance to get to know one another.Matt Hankey is the Founder and CEO of New Energy Equity, one of the fastest-growing companies in our industry. They're the fourth largest solar commercial company in the US seventh largest developer in the United States, and one of the fastest-growing solar developers in the DC area.Suffice to say, this will be a fun dive into an entrepreneurial journey that has seen some extreme highs, probably some extreme lows, and we're going to learn a ton.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 14, 202155 min

S7 Ep 333333 - Supporting the Advancement of Emerging Leaders & Increasing Diversity Across Clean Energy, with Paula Glover

Welcome to another Tactical Tuesday, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts designed to give you practical tools, tips and advice for building your solar business or career. What you’re about to hear is a recorded keynote from our SunCast Career Summit.Paula Glover is the President and CEO for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE). Established in 1977, the American Association of Blacks in Energy is an association founded and dedicated to ensuring the input of African Americans and other minorities into the discussions and developments of energy policies regulations.I truly appreciated and enjoyed having Paula come speak to our SunCast Career Summit back in September. And if you missed it, you're in luck because today, you get to hear Paula's keynote supporting the advancement of emerging leaders and increasing diversity across clean energy. It is a fantastic look inside how we can achieve more diversity and inclusiveness in the energy business, not just renewables.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 12, 20211h 0m

S7 Ep 332332 - Abigail Hopper - President and CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) | Part 2

This is Part Two of the episode we began earlier in the week with SEIA’s President Abby Hopper. We have a lot of ground left to cover, and we get into some GREAT insights from Abby in this one. But if you missed Part 1, I’d recommend you start there, then come to this one for the rest of the story.Abby really gets into the details on this episode about how we all can help hold President-elect Biden to account for the awesome opportunity before him to leave a lasting clean energy legacy.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 7, 202154 min

S7 Ep 331331 - Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) | Part 1

Welcome back and Happy New Year, Solar Warrior!If you’re in the solar or energy storage industry, then today’s guest will be no stranger to you. I hope I do justice to making this useful and interesting, as she’s shared most of her thoughts and plans with us in a variety of forums.Abigail Ross Hopper became the first female President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in January 2017 just as the Obama-era solar boom was being handed off to the Trump administration. Abby has been dubbed the most important woman in solar by the media, and it’s true she carries an immensely important role.Before joining SEIA, Abby was the Director of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, where she led the agency that oversaw the leasing and development of all offshore energy, from oil and natural gas to offshore wind.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Jan 5, 202145 min

S7 Ep 330330 - San Antonio triples down on solar and storage: An Insiders guide to CPS Energy's 900MW RFP

Happy New Year, Solar Warrior!In early December, I had a chance to sit down with CPS Energy executives to discuss their latest RFP, and I was amazed by the depth of answers they provided. Not only we discussed how the RFP is shaped, but also the underlying philosophy and methodology supporting the landmark power call for the Lonestar state!As many of you are well aware, having listened to the interview with Paula Gold-Williams (the CEO of CPS Energy) some weeks ago, the largest public power utility in the United States CPS is on a journey of decarbonizing their generation assets. And, as such has been foreshadowing a quite sizable RFP.On December 1, CPS along with the City of San Antonio announced the largest municipally-owned fully integrated electric and gas utility in the US is launching their RFP under what's known as the FlexPOWER Bundle initiative for a whopping 900MW of solar, 50MW of energy storage, and 500MW of firming capacity as part of the vision for CPS’ Flexible Path.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 31, 202040 min

S7 Ep 329329 - What is a Solar Marketeer? with Trina Solar's Ryan Simpson, Head of US Marketing

I am honored to have you joining me yet again for another foray into the world of clean and solar-powered energy. Merry Christmas, and happy almost new year to all of you who are listening during the holiday season.Ryan Simpson is the head of marketing for Trina solar North America. He and I have been fellow sales and marketing colleagues and solar warriors in the hardware side of the PV industry now for going on two decades. I love hearing how he parlayed his experience working for McDonald's into a marketing role like Kyocera, for example, he's one of the funniest and savviest marketers I know in the industry. So I'm honored to finally get to share some of these stories. Ryan brings old school tactics for new school tech.With his decade-plus of experience in solar, Ryan has been instrumental in launching new and innovative products, developing and opening new markets and channels, introducing new marketing platforms, and creating technical documents to help companies achieve success. Today, Ryan drives the support levels of Trina’s product management and marketing efforts that develop additional market share for Trina in North America.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 30, 20201h 0m

S7 Ep 328328 - Deploying 2GW of Renewable Energy in Mexico, Vive Energia's Founder Benigno Villareal

Merry Christmas to you. If you're tuning in today, it is Christmas Eve. Yes, we are still publishing because it's Thursday. I hope that you'll get a ton of value from today's story. We can keep this short and sweet because Benigno Villareal and his story speak for themselves. Many of you have likely never heard of Vive Energía unless you're doing business in Mexico. Over there, Benny and his partners have developed a massive portfolio and track record reputation across wind and solar. And I've long wanted to know how it all came together. Today, you get to listen in on that very discussion.Benny Villarreal heads “Vive Energia”, a Renewable Energy Company. He is credited for leading the teams responsible for the development, financing and ultimately the construction and commissioning of nearly 1 GigaWatt of Mexico´s currently installed Renewable Energy Generation capacity. For the last fifteen years, Dr. Villarreal has been intensely cooperating with the Mexican Government and diverse NGOs to obtain the basic legal framework to better develop the renewable energy market in Mexico.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 24, 202048 min

S7 Ep 327327 - Project development Software for Solar? How to build it as a non-technical Founder, with Phillip Bruner, CEO at ENIAN

I'm honored that you're joining us for another fantastic foray into the world of solar energy. And I'm even more honored that you're tuning in this week. Merry Christmas to all of you listening.Some of you will identify with today's guests and the problems that he solves. If you've spent any time developing large or small solar projects, you know it can be an endless string of whack-a-mole in terms of organizing, checking off tasks, data rooms, diligence, checklists, Dropbox, Excel, Asana, Salesforce, the tools are disorganized, and the tasks disjointed. It's always baffled me why after 15 plus years, seems like we’re lacking a better way to organize and manage solar projects.Today’s guest, Philip Bruner, was frustrated as well. After Philip had struggled with the data disorganization of developing his own projects, he went on the search to find and then to create a tool that would solve it. And ENIAN was born. His journey to build software as a non-technical co-founder is one that I found insightful and entertaining. I hope you'll stick around and learn as well from his approach and maybe even his mistakes.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 22, 202044 min

S7 Ep 322322 - The story behind crowdfunding $1M on StartEngine, with Arnold Leitner

On Thanksgiving, you might have missed our excellent interview with Solar+ Storage entrepreneur and solar pioneer Arnold Leitner. Well in that episode, which I highly recommend you revisit clicking here, we glossed over a fun fact that his company YouSolar, Inc. is among the only 13% of companies that have launched a regulated crowdfunding campaign on a website called StartEngine and raised more than a million dollars, which helped to keep you solar alive during the pandemic, no less.Today we’re chatting again with Arnold to dig a bit deeper into exactly what this entailed and better understand how and what they accomplished. So if you'd like to hear how to get 500 customers and a million dollars in equity in 90 days through crowdfunding, using a verified platform and a tested strategy, well, you're in the right place.And also, if you're interested in your own crowdfunding campaign, well, you are in luck, because I've partnered with StartEngine to offer you $1,000 towards your campaign marketing. You can shoot me an email via [email protected] with StartEngine in the subject line, and the details of your company and the campaign that you're interested in. And I'll make that intro, you'll be on your way to $1,000 towards your crowdfunding marketing campaign.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 18, 202022 min

S7 Ep 326326 - War Stories: TJ Kanczuzewski on How To Build a Lasting Solar Company

As we head into the end of the year, it's often filled with a lot of stories a lot of time traditionally spent around the table around the cocktail, happy hours with our friends reminiscing and telling tall tales. I thought it'd be fun, as we have so many stories on the solar coaster to tell some tall tales, some true tales, and as such wanted to bring back an old friend.Perhaps you were one of those who's been with us from the beginning, then you'll recognize today's guest, Mr. TJ Kanczuzewski of Inovateus Solar, we're gonna dive into some of his war stories, battle-tested from the front lines.TJ has been with Inovateus since 2007. Driven by the Inovateus pledge to “Build A Brilliant Tomorrow,” he has been instrumental in developing a world-class solar team that has successfully deployed solar energy projects and products internationally. Currently, he is focused on expanding the companies efforts in the Mamoni Valley Preserve by inviting other investors and companies to join in the opportunity to come and learn from Mother Nature in one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 17, 202037 min

S7 Ep 325325 - The 4 Horsemen of Distributed Energy Resources with Gregg Dixon, CEO of Voltus, Inc.

For those of you who are up on recent episodes, perhaps you’ll recognize today’s guest, Gregg Dixon of Voltus, Inc., recently featured in episode 316. Gregg gave us a fantastic insight into the world of Demand Response, and the way that through his company Voltus, Inc. and his deep experience with a company called EnerNOC, he has learned how the grid is necessarily evolving and integrating new Distributed Energy Resources (DER).There’s so much to unpack around DER that we didn’t have time to cover it entirely back in episode 316. Gregg and I go into what he referred to as The 4 Horsemen of Distributed Energy Resources. What are the 4 new ways that energy in DER format is being traded like an energy product that, in many ways, marks the end of an era, the changing of times for the electricity markets as we know it?We go into each individual one of these essential elements of Distributed Energy Resources:Energy EfficiencyDemand ResponseDistributed GenerationEnergy StorageAre there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 15, 202041 min

S7 Ep 324324 - What Is The Congressional Climate Crisis Action Plan? With Fatima Ahmad

If you didn’t meet today’s guest during our SunCast Weekly Roundup, Live at SPI video series, then you’re in luck because Fatima Ahmad is one of the most knowledgeable folks I know on how Congress gets informed on the climate crisis and how they can take action.Did you even know that there’s a House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis? Neither did I. And what’s more, they’ve compiled a VERY comprehensive document to help guide legislators and it’s a 547 page treasure trove of information! But you don’t have to go dig through it all yourself, no no, that’s why Fatima is here today.We’re going to give you the insider’s notes on the report: “SOLVING THE CLIMATE CRISIS: The Congressional Action Plan for a CleanEnergy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America”. So don’t go anywhere!Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 12, 202032 min

S7 Ep 323323 - Why did Live Nation choose this little-known battery storage company as their partner?

Today’s entrepreneur is in rare company. I can’t recall that I’ve ever interviewed an entrepreneur who’s lost a Billion dollar contract. That story alone is worth tuning in today. But you’ll also learn how James Wagoner, and his Storage startup Joule Case, became the live events power provider for Live Nation, how he’s future-proofing consumer power needs thanks to a few failed startups and the tribulations of Covid.As Joule Case’s CEO, James builds teams, manages resources, and aligns to the long term vision. As a licensed professional engineer with years of developing technical projects and products, he comes from a technical background and understands the importance of people for any large technical project, product, or organization.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 10, 20201h 8m

S7 Ep 321321 - How to digitize solar customer acquisition, with Austin Rosenbaum from Demand IQ

Today's entrepreneur is going to show us how to use artificial intelligence to streamline customer acquisition.Austin Rosenbaum is the Denver-based Founder of Demand IQ, an A.I. based technology platform that promises to turbocharge your solar marketing and sales efforts. I've really enjoyed getting to know Austin since I met him on a conference panel this past summer, and it's just so clear to me that this young entrepreneur is on point on the digital trends that matter to small and medium-sized solar businesses.If you have wondered how the trend towards A.I. and the sales process is going to make a difference in solar sales, this episode is for you. By the way, this episode could be worth five hundred dollars to you, so if you stick around to the very end.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 3, 202043 min

S7 Ep 319319 - How Feminist Electrification is revolutionizing Haiti's grid, with Earthspark International Allison Archambault

Today's entrepreneur is no stranger to not just business in the developing world, but also bridging the gap between business development, sales, and nonprofit fundraising and growth. It's an honor to be able to introduce Allison Archambault and the work of EarthSpark International on this Giving Tuesday.Allison developed not just her career, but the organization that she's been leading now for a decade, providing light, access to opportunities, and what she refers to as feminist electrification, to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.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!SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!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

Dec 1, 20201h 1m