SunCast

This Flashback Friday is with an illustrious panel of professionals who unpack some of the underlying assumptions and assessments that need to be made around the installation quality part of the solar business. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Kevin Foreman, understands how to work with and through Utilities better than most. And his company, Powerley, seamlessly empowers Utilities to offer a customized service that improves the experience for millions of homeowners who want to understand and interact w/their energy data. Kevin and I had a wide-ranging conversation about the birth and evolution of Powerley, and we get into the weeds busting myths about residential user data, IoT, and the future of software in energy. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss so hang tight and enjoy the geek-fest. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Gordon Baier and Cindy Baier of GoSolar joined us for a conversation at the SunCast Podcast Lounge at SPI 2019. He has experience in the rise of the solar market in Germany (his accent is as pronounced as the experience he brings to our market), and today you can find out how he first got into the solar journey, and how he has undergone a knowledge transition process from the German market to the US. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Ann Gaglioti joined us at SPI 2019. Ann is the CEO of Groundwork. To date, GroundWork has directly contributed to the successful financing and installation of over 16GW of solar power in North America, and counting! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

How does online lead gen help installers grow their business? It’s been the topic of many webinars, but if you’re like me you still have so many questions! So, I invited some friends in the lead gen arena to share their insights with SunCast listeners, and I was blown away by the value of what they shared. This was one of the most talked-about and attended sessions at the Podcast Lounge during SPI. Residential solar sales and lead gen experts Ruben Ugarte (Active Prospect), Scott Mueller (Solar Lead Factory), and Kyle Cherrick (PickMySolar) joined me to dispel myths and argue methods. If you’ve been wondering about whether purchasing leads or participating in a lead gen program is right for your company, you owe it to yourself to tune in to this episode! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Today’s entrepreneur is Doctor of Engineering Candidate, Solar Energy Specialist, and 2-time Author Michael Ginsberg. Michael has spent his career helping Embassies and government agencies implement solar and efficiency programs worldwide, and has recently distilled his learning, lessons and case studies into a pair of books on the topics of Solar Implementation, Operations and Maintenance. It’s a rare skill to be a practitioner with the ability to teach and train, and I thoroughly enjoyed an early look and discussion with Michael at the best practices he’s helping bring to market with these texts. Stay tuned as Michael shares the key lessons takeaways from his world travels and training. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Today we are interviewing Jim Spano, Co-Founder of RadiantREIT. We discuss their new program that offers liquidity effectively to developers that would otherwise be cash strapped to be able to expand their portfolio, hence eliminating capital constraints for C&I developers as the episode title suggests. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Extensible Energy and Chint Power Systems Learn more by clicking on their respective company links. Resources Connect with Jim on LinkedIn Check out the RadiantREIT website

Today’s interview happened between two greats in our industry: Tor “Solar Fred” Valenza, Founder & CMO of UnThink Solar., and Barry Cinnamons, CEO of Cinnamon Energy Systems. This conversation was a dive into the life and times as it were for Mr. Barry Cinnamon, one of the folks that we consider an icon and pillar in the industry, having pioneered many ways in which the industry moves forward. As some of you may know, Barry has his own radio show and he has interviewed Tor before. Now is the time where Tor turns the mic in his direction, and he's now in the hot seat to answer questions about his life and times on the solar coaster. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Extensible Energy and Chint Power Systems Learn more by clicking on their respective company links. Resources Connect with Barry on LinkedIn Connect with Tor on LinkedIn Connect with Tor on Twitter Check out the UnThink Solar and Cinnamon Energy Systems websites

211 - Dean Solon & Ben Macias, Founder History of Shoals Technologies Dean Solon founded Shoals Technologies more than two decades ago, and it is one of the most well-known fast-growing and highly profitable businesses that I know of in our industry. But do you know the inception story? We are also joined in the first half by his prodigy and VP of Sales, Ben Macias. The relationship has been full of struggles but also full of wild success, incredible growth, and love Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find our guests or their recommendations on the SunCast Blog While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help Extensible Energy and Chint Power Systems Learn more by clicking on their respective company links

210: Lloyd Levine - Is CA still a bellwether for other States' Renewables policy? Today's episode is about California, the policies therein, and whether or not California is still serving as a bellwether for things to come for states and the different ways they can apply policy. Joining us in this conversation is Mr. Lloyd Levine, president of Filament Strategies. He is a former member of the California State Legislature, recently appointed as Senior Policy Fellow in UC Riverside School of Public Policy. He was notably involved in the early legislation that led to our current solar market in California. Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find our guests or their recommendations on the SunCast Blog. While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

209: SPI'2019 Podcaster Roundtable: Jon Powers, Barry Cinnamon and Nico discuss using Podcasts as a marketing channel This Flashback Friday is with my good friend Jon Powers, whose podcast, Experts Only, is also required listening If you are into the solar and finance of our business, as well as the respectable Mr. Barry Cinnamon, one of the entrepreneurs I admire most in our business. He's got a long track record not just as a solar entrepreneur, but also as a broadcaster with his show the Energy Show that has been syndicated in California for quite some time. I admire both this gentlemen for their ability to navigate the conversations so their deep and rich, and I invited them to join me at the Podcast Lounge Live at SPI 2019 specifically to talk about what is going on today within the podcasting activity, and how folks in business are leveraging the power of podcasting to broadcast their message, and not just to start their own podcast as the 3 of us have done it. We give some tips on how you as well can leverage the power of this fast-growing medium for your own business. Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find our guests or their recommendations on the SunCast Blog. While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

208: SPI'2019 Community Solar Roundtable This is one of the few Community Solar sessions that we've hosted here on SunCast. In fact, one of today's guests is a returning guest: Mr. David Amster-Olszewski of SunShare, and he graced the SunCast pages as it were back in January of 2019. He's joined by another alumnus, Mr. Jake Rozmaryn of Antenna Group, and a longtime friend and someone I've wanted to get onto the show Mr. MJ Shiao of Arcadia power. I've wanted to interview MJ since his Green Tech Media days so I’m thrilled he was able to participate in this Community Solar Roundtable. We dig into the hot markets, the how and why of Community Solar, where are the stumbling blocks, but also how do we really see this as a model that can/would expand? Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find our guests or their recommendations on the SunCast Blog. While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

207: 2020 Megatrends Report w/Brian Sifton Brian Sifton is the Sustainability Program Manager for Black & Veatch, one of the most respected engineering consulting firms in the power & infrastructure sector. And he’s also one of the authors of the new Megatrends report that B&V is releasing today Dec 17th. B&V surveyed hundreds of customers from Water, Infrastructure, Power and other industries and the report triangulates convergence in these Megatrends. Today we highlight for you some of the opportunities to think about how these trends might correlate to your own business. There’s a link to the report over on the blog at www.mysuncast.com where you can find more Tactical Tuesdays like this one. While you're there, I’d be honored if you’d take 2 min and fill out our Listener Survey. Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find Tim or his recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

206: Unlocking Financing for Unrated Organizations I had the honor of sitting down with the Chief Operating Officer of Energetic Insurance, Jeff McAulay, and the Executive Vice President of Energy and Infrastructure Group of Live Oak Bank, Jordan Blanchard, to discuss a recurrent barrier in the Commercial & Industrial solar industry: unrated small organizations. If you love this episode, let me know on Twitter, LinkedIn or email! And Let Adam know too! Twitter I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out? Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

205: Adam Browning of Vote Solar Today’s Entrepreneur knows all about the power of voting with your feet! Since 2002, Vote Solar has been working to make solar affordable and accessible to more Americans, supporting the policies and programs needed to repower our grid with clean energy. Adam Browning and Vote Solar have served a critical role in the rollout of successful state solar policies nationwide. When Adam sat down with me at the Podcast Lounge in Salt Lake City this past September, I wanted to dig into the origin story, and Adam gave me much more. Today you’ll learn the 4 pillars of policy success Vote Solar stands on, the 5 focus areas they’re leaning into, hardest won battles (and States), Adam’s Theory of Change model and his 2050 prediction. If you love this episode, let me know on Twitter, LinkedIn or email! And Let Adam know too! Twitter I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out? Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

204: How Storage is Disrupting Caribbean Thermal Generation Models I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey Tim Effio is responsible for Latam & Caribbean markets for the global energy storage market leader, Fluence. We discuss the role of storage in the evolution of the Caribbean energy markets, and we go down the rabbit hole of Utility grid services, solar plus storage and even business development concepts that just might help your company grow! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

203: Marketing Agency Roundtable I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey Flashback Friday is my way of giving you a glimpse back at something we did recently that I think you should have a listen to. Today's episode is from our SPI Podcast Lounge where we had a Marketing Agency Roundtable. You can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks a ton to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content FREE to You! Please check them out and let me know what you think!

202: Mikhail Gofman of Green Think Energy I'd love to hear your thoughts on SunCast! Take our survey here: https://www.mysuncast.com/survey Today’s entrepreneur is a young gun but is no stranger to hustle and has proven his grit and worth in the startup world. Mikhail Gofman started Green Think Energy, a solar design firm, from his graduate school dorm room while pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Today his company is doing thousands of designs per month and these savvy Millenials are here to teach us about the value of hard work, starting early and taking risks to get ahead! Mikhail and I get into the company’s humble beginnings, how they’ve 100% bootstrapped the venture to date and the future of engineering automation. This is one up-and-comer’s story you won’t want to miss! I hope you’ll take advantage of my current Coaching and SunCast Guild offers - have you checked them out? (I discuss more in the episode) Looking for today’s guest on Social Media?Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog. And you can connect w/host, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

#201: Kristina Skierka, Founder of Power For All Today I’m doing my first ever episode dedicated to Giving Tuesday, a fitting way to kick off Season 5 of SunCast! Today’s Entrepreneur, Kristina Skierka has been a catalyst since early childhood, and today is dedicated to inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs, governments and nonprofits globally to lift others out of energy poverty. She started Power For All in 2015 with a bold mission: delivering access to energy for the 85 percent of the 1.1 billion people without reliable power that live in rural areas by the year 2025. And we’re closer than you might think! I hope you’ll also be inspired to give back, and we provide some thoughtful ways to do that near the end of today’s episode. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

#200: SPI, American-Made Solar Prize Winners Episode number 200 of SunCast! I hope you’re having a restful day as many of you here in the US are enjoying a holiday, and likely still feeling stuffed and grateful from yesterday's Thanksgiving celebration. The last 4 years have really flown by, but so have the last 100 episodes! We have done our 2nd 100 episodes in 1/3rd the time it took for the first 100, and I tell you the feedback is amazing. I love hearing from you all, and am so grateful for the tribe we’ve built. If you’re not subscribed to our email, then you already missed out on our first announcement today of our Black Friday weekend special on membership to the SunCast Tribe, so I encourage you to pause the intro and go ahead over to mysuncast.com (we’ve even linked to it in the description right there in your podcast player) and subscribe. This is the lowest it’s ever going to be to join our Tribe, so take advantage now. Ok, welcome back… To celebrate our 200th episode, you guessed it, I’m releasing more SPI Podcast Lounge content (which if I’m honest with you is pure coincidence, and you can expect more of these live SPI episodes every Friday for a while!) With every episode of SunCast, we get to meet and learn from amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs. In September, I had the distinct pleasure of hosting the creators of The American-Made Solar Prize, a prize competition from the U.S. Department of Energy that is designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing. The winners of the first round of the Solar Prize were announced at Solar Power International, and those lucky winners were featured live at our Podcast Lounge in Salt Lake City. What a phenomenal surprise when I discovered that 2 previous guests of SunCast turned out to be Winners! Today you’ll learn more about the prize, hear from the winners, and find out how You, too, can participate! One quick note that we did originally record 3 episodes, with number 3 being all about the 3rd round of the prize, which is is open to applications until December 10th. Unfortunately, that recording seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle between Salt Lake and coming home, so I’d like to encourage you to listen all the way through the outro of the show today for add’l details on Round 3, if You are interested in participating. Today’s episode is broken into 2 parts, so when you hear the first piece ending, it’s not the end of the show, just keep listening. Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

#199: SunCast Live w/Aurora Co-Founder Today’s entrepreneur is Sam Adeyemo, Co-founder and COO of Aurora Solar. I’m sure many of you have heard of Aurora, as their flagship design software has been used to design over 2 Million solar projects since they launched in 2013! And believe me, they are just getting started. This interview introduces a lot of never-before-asked-on-SunCast questions and a lot of things that even Sam admits he hasn’t really talked about in public before. But today’s episode is even more special because it was also recorded in front of a live audience at the Aurora headquarters in San Francisco last month at our first ever SunCast Live event! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#198: Karin Berardo Tactical Tuesday I got great feedback on episode 183 back in September with my friend and returning guest Karin Berardo where we touched on the topic of ESG. It’s clear that ESG is a hot topic these days, and it’s also clear that it’s not one that’s well understood. So, Karin is back to give us a primer on the subject to which she’s now dedicating most of her time. Today we discuss the increasingly important role sustainable and socially responsible investing is commanding for Corporate and Institutional investors, and the Environment, Social and Governance criteria that are driving the adoption worldwide. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

Hey there solar warriors, I know many of you have been waiting for us to release the episodes recorded LIVE at the Podcast Lounge SPI 2019. We're kicking things off with this dynamic duo, by no means strangers to the renewables industry: Julia Hamm and Abigail Hopper. Together, they run two of the most prominent organizations providing advocacy for the solar and smart-power industries. Julia is the President and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). And, Abby is the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). While I'm sure many of you, as I, still refer to this tradeshow as SPI, one of the first things we discussed is the rebrand to being North America Smart Energy Week (NASEW). Our conversation was framed by many other questions that perhaps some of you have asked yourselves recently, such as why Salt Lake City for this year's SPI, or how much time they plan in advance to decide venues? Julia and Abby also gave their insights into the expectations for SPI as the largest clean energy show in North America. SPI has definitely evolved over the last decade+, so Julia and Abby took the time to explain why that matters to all of us who have been focused predominantly on solar during that time (Hint: They are taking more market share!) Thanks to SETS, SEIA, and SEPA for hosting the Podcast Lounge Live at SPI, ESI & North America Smart Energy Week (NASEW) 2019. Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about today’s guest & recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links.

#196: John Chaimanis, Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure Today’s entrepreneur, John Chaimanis, is co-founder and Managing Director of Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure. And our discussion swings from what to consider in a career change, to Lessons learned from working in a predominantly coal-fired portfolio. John found a way to merge his Distrust of the stock market, love of real assets, and passion for doing good while doing well and carved out a slice of the market he’s dubbed “value-added finance”. Learn how John and his team achieve what they refer to as a “frictionless closing” while building long term value and relationships with their development partners. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#195: Robert Styler, SunCrew Today’s entrepreneur happens to be one of the best salesmen in our business, or maybe any business. Jigar Shah has said of Robert Styler that he’s an expert in bringing multi-level marketing to solar. In fact, his current company, SunCrew, was launched from a phone call with Jigar Shah. Robert and I dig deep into the pains of failure, the hardships he’s endured being what he called “The stuttering networker” and how he overcame the impediment. Today we also discuss his new model for re-envisioning customer acquisition and sales commissions, which he calls SunCrew. And Robert is the first to point out, SunCrew is not a network marketing company - it’s what he calls a Capitalist Cooperative. Stick around to learn more about that, and some really great sales advice, life tips, and book recommendations. This is one of the most vulnerable and insightful interviews you may hear all year. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#194: Dave Buemi, Energy Materials Corporation Today’s Entrepreneur has enjoyed a broad 22-year history in the solar PV, clean energy innovation, climate change activism and climate resiliency consulting sectors. Rarely do I meet executives with such passion and wide-ranging interests as Dave Buemi. Our mutual love of kitesurfing and energy issues created a fun and inviting atmosphere to discuss topics as wide ranging as the economic viability of the Perovskite technology he’s currently commercializing to Dave’s top 3 list of interests to pursue in the workplace. The founding story and team of Energy Materials Corporation has deep credibility, so I now believe that if anyone can pull of commercial scale perovskite it’s them, but don’t take my word for it, have a listen and judge for yourself! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#193: Ed Heacox, CPS Energy Today’s entrepreneur has been a power electronics executive for 3 decades. From his early days at GE till today, Ed Heacox has established credibility as a power executive. And since moving into the solar power industry with AE mid 2000’s, he’s been at the helm of not one but two inverter companies that have taken #1 market share in their respective segments. I’ve been an admirer of Ed and his business partner, Casey, for years and have long-awaited the opportunity to learn more about how they have blended their entrepreneurial and corporate endeavors. Today we dig deeper into Ed’s trajectory, including his first startup experience post-graduation from Standford. The stories are telling of an entrepreneur with grit, insight, intuition and perseverance. I hope you’ll get as much out of this discussion as I did. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#192: Sishir Garemella, Sunvest Capital Sishir is the founder of Sunvest Capital, Sunvest brings years of deep solar intelligence combined with expertise in financing to make solar possible by inspiring trust in good quality equipment, providing easy affordable EMIs and monitoring performance across the life of your solar loan. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

The clean energy landscape has changed dramatically in the 10 years since Laura Taylor founded Silverline Communications. During that year, newly elected President Barack Obama announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to bring the country back from the brink of recession. The ARRA included billions of federal dollars to fund clean energy research and development, as well as a substantial investment in businesses to drive job growth and economic expansion. Since then, the clean energy industry and the regulatory environment have evolved dramatically. With that advancement, PR and marketing implications have emerged. Our responsibilities as renewables advocates and communicators have shifted, as we work towards the common goal of a bright, sustainable clean energy future. This discussion was hosted by Silverline Communications during SPI 2019 in Salt Lake City as part of their 10th anniversary celebration. Silverline invited Nico to Emcee the morning session, and introduce the speakers. It was a fascinating discussion, and SunCast was honored to have a front-row seat and recording honors. Panelists in today's episode: LAURA TAYLOR - Founder and President, Silverline Communications [Moderator] LAURA ABRAM - Director, Public Affairs, First Solar GIL JENKINS - Director, Corporate Communications, Hannon Armstrong GREG MERRITT - Director, Marketing and Communications, Smart Electric Power Alliance KELLY SPEAKES-BACKMAN - Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Energy Storage Association TOM WEIRICH - Director of Marketing, Rubicon Capital Advisors ---- Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find each week's guest(s) on the SunCast Blog.

#190: Antenna Group VP & Forbes 30 Under 30 Jake Rozmaryn has been a starter, an influencer, a leader, and a true industry advocate for more than a decade, belying his youth and making him one of the most connected people in cleantech, let alone solar. If you’ve been longing for more founder stories, especially from the young ones in our business, then stay tuned! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Remember you can always find me on Twitter, LinkedIn or email and you can get the resources and learn more about how to find Jake or his recommendations on the SunCast Blog. Thanks to our podcast sponsors for continuing to help make this content free to You! IF you have stuck Commercial Solar projects, you really should consider how they can help: Energetic Insurance and Extensible Energy Learn more by clicking on their respective company links. If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#189: Mark Baker of Water Mission Mark Baker is the Program Director for Disaster Response at Water Mission. Today you’ll hear the story of how Water Mission has been helping build solar-pumping systems to provide critical water infrastructure in times of need around the world. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#188: Largest Solar Plants in the Caribbean Angella is the founder of Soleco and Rekamniar Frontier Ventures (“Rekamniar”). Rekamniar co-developed one of the largest solar plants in the Caribbean and the largest in Jamaica (51 MWp). Prior to this, Angella worked at Goldman Sachs in the Merchant Banking division (Principal Investment Area) in London and New York. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

187 - SPI/NASEW, 26th September Go to www.podcastlounge.live to learn more and watch all the action as it is happening.

#186: ESG & Impact Investing Karin Berardo was one of the first guests on SunCast and had the first 2-part episode, airing way back in Feb 2016 as episodes 10 & 11. She was also the first Female Guest! That interview contains some timeless advice, so I’d love to see you going back in the archives to give it a listen! Karin went on to become CEO of a global cleantech hedge fund, and has a well-established track record leading investment in the sector. She’s also become one of the leading experts on the topic of ESG. Not sure what ESG means? You’re not alone, so I ask Karin to unpack it for us. But there’s so much beyond the very practical advice and insights she provides, so I hope you’ve got your notepad ready! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

SPI/NASEW, 25th SeptemberGo to www.podcastlounge.live to learn more and watch all the action as it is happening.

SPI/NASEW, 24th September Go to www.podcastlounge.live to learn more and watch all the action as it is happening.

NASEW, 23rd September Go to www.podcastlounge.live to learn more and watch all the action as it is happening.

#182: SPI 2019 As Solar Power International, now known as North America Smart Energy Week, nears, we bring you our 2nd annual “Know before you go” episode. Tune-in to learn what to expect at this year’s show, including advice from industry vets to optimize your experience, and even how Introverts can get the most out of the moments! Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#181: Jon Powers, CleanCapital Jon Powers, is a true warrior, and a veritable solar warrior. When Jon returned from serving the US Army in Iraq, he had a vision for how important clean energy is for our nation’s independence and charted a path to help the armed forces transition away from Fossil Fuels. Little did he know this would lead him to the White House the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer under the Obama administration. His fingerprint is on many of the important initiatives underway in the Federal arena, and he’s now turned his eye to the private sector with an eye towards disrupting the finance and fintech side of clean energy. I’m also honored to have Jon on b/c he’s a fellow podcaster. If you’ve not yet heard his Experts Only podcast, you should add it to your queue. We discuss the genesis of the podcast, the startup woes and wins at Clean Capital, and more on today’s episode. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#180: SEPA’s Julia Hamm Today we dig into SEPA’s state of the union moving beyond 2019, their 4 pathways framework for achieving a smarter & cleaner grid, Julia’s ardent perspective on Carbon-free vs 100% RE, and Hiring & keeping “A” Players Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#179: John Novak, CEO ScaniflyJohn Novak, cut his teeth in the trenches doing design for well-known east-coast solar firms before he stepped out to start Scanifly, a drone-based solar site evaluation & design tool.Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode hereIf you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-loungeAnd a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora-Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today!If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet! 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.You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 850 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

#178:Etienne Lecompte Tactical Tuesday Today we chat with Etienne Lecompte, CEO of PowerHub and we learn the 3 practical ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. I also inquire about the recent #carbonoffsetchallenge Etienne issued to me on Twitter. Stay tuned. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#177: GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic Nicole started as GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic’s Executive Director in 2014, at a time when there was little precedent for low-income solar policies and programs across the region. Under Nicole’s leadership, GRID Alternatives Mid Atlantic has installed more than 2MW of solar on over 250 rooftops of low-income families. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#176: Kristen Graf of WRISE Kristen Graf is the Executive Director of the non-profit Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy, or WRISE as it’s better known. For a decade, she has championed, mentored and modeled the female executive rise in engineering and renewable energy business. She’s made hard choices along the way, but in the end, her work has helped more than 30 chapters and hundreds if not thousands of women finding their way into the male-dominated energy business. If you would like to check out the SPI Podcast lounge and nominate a guest or apply to participate, head to http://www.mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge And a special thank you to Aurora Solar. If you would like to download their free Solar Sales Proposal guide, you can do so at http://www.mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#175: Live SPI Podcast Lounge I'm thrilled to announce that we’ll be hosting the first-ever Podcast Lounge live from Solar Power International! Check out today’s episode for details and learn how YOU can be featured and involved! Calling all podcasters, apply today! Learn more about how you can be a featured guest or podcast host at the first-ever SPI Podcast Lounge, presented by SunCast Media by visiting: mysuncast.com/podcast-lounge Learn more about Aurora here: mysuncast.com/aurora - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#174: Founder & CEO, Enact Systems Today’s entrepreneur is Deep Chakraborty, a seasoned solar veteran with experience bringing quality products to market. Some of you probably know Deep from his days launching and growing the Centrosolar brand in the US, but in today’s episode, you’ll learn how he applied product savvy from Detroit’s automotive industry to launch Enact Systems, a fast-growing software platform helping solar developers globally. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#173: Chad Farrell, CEO, Encore Renewable Energy Chad Farrell is an entrepreneur who discovered solar as a way to marry his calling with his craft. He was originally involved in real-estate redevelopment in Vermont after college when he realized that solar is a perfect compliment for the brownfields, landfills and other ‘problem’ sites not suitable for traditional development. Now Encore Renewable Energy, the company he founded, has become a trusted and go-to development partner for some of the largest companies and projects in the region. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#172: Jim Spano, Radiant REIT & Managing Partner of Spano Partner Holdings Jim Spano has been instrumental in the development of over 300 megawatts of solar generation primarily in the Northeast United States. He is the co-founder of Radiant REIT (one of the newest ventures for this serial Entrepreneur), founder and President of the New Jersey Solar Grid Supply Association (NJSGSA), Vice-President of the Mid Atlantic Solar and Storage Industry Association (MSSIA), on the board of the International Battery and Energy Storage Association (IBESA), a conference committee member of the Intersolar North America Conference, as well as numerous other industry positions. Jim & Nico discuss how his career in finance and real estate development laid the groundwork for his now highly-successful solar development and financing ventures. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#171: The Powur Model In the last episode, we got the background and point of inspiration for how Jonathan decided to create Powur, but we ran out of time to get into the details of exactly how this innovative new sales empowerment platform works. Today we go into those details, and we also round out the discussion as per usual with Jonathan’s key advice to entrepreneurs and solar salespeople, his book recommendations, life hacks and more. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!

#170: Jonathan Budd, Powur’ up residential sales Jonathan explains how he has built Powur as a solar salesforce powerhouse quietly establishing legitimacy and a nationwide footprint. Gain access to all the show notes & resources from this episode here - Join the Tribe? Check out Episode 86, in which I explain how YOU can become a SunCast Tribe member and support the growth and stability of SunCast moving forward! www.mysuncast.com/member to join today! If you like what you see and hear, please SHARE it with this pre-filled tweet!