Clean Power Hour

Three-phase string inverters are the workhorses of distributed solar projects. CPS America is the market-leading manufacturer of commercial and utility string inverters with over 10,000 operating sites in North America. Their 125 kW product is extremely popular in community solar and now they are launching 250 and 275 kW products ideal for 5 to 150 MW projects.

CPS America is the maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. They recently released their flagship product the, 250/275kW inverter, designed for solar sites from 2 MW to 2 GW. The 200kW/200kVA high-power CPS three-phase energy storage inverter is designed for commercial and utility-scale grid-tied energy storage systems. 

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Bryan Wagner, the President of CPS America, joins Tim Montague to discuss their new flagship inverter technology, what makes their product so popular, their out-of-the-box monitoring system, and much more. 

Bryan Wagner has been in the renewable energy industry since 2008. He started in the O&M industry before transitioning to inverters. 

Key Takeaways

1. How did Bryan get into solar? 
2. When and how did he join CPS America
3. What makes the CPS America system so popular?
4. What differentiates the CPS America system from the competition?
5. What are the Advantages of their 275kW three-string inverter?
6. What is the difference between string inverters and central inverters?
7. What are the advantages of string inverters over central competitor inverters?
8. How does CPS America’s monitoring technology work? And how is it compared to the competition?

Connect with Bryan Wagner on LinkedIn

Connect with CPS America on LinkedIn

CPS America

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

On the weekly clean power news and views, we bring you the latest cleantech and clean energy news,  thought leaders, and innovators. Our motto is ‘Speeding the Energy Transition!’

This week John Weaver and I discuss,
1. The Two Falcon Heavy rockets that landed within moments of each other this week. 
2. Sunnova's plan seeking to develop ‘electricity micro-utilities’ in California for 500-2,000 customer communities - ~7.7 kWdc+10-20 kWh batteries per house, neighborhood battery of 2 MWh+300 kW solar
3. The visualization of a house with solar plus a car charger
4. Rhode Island launched an RFP for 1 GW of offshore wind - and this one facility could meet 50% of the state's electricity demand - 1 GW of wind will generate ~3.9 TWh/year at a 45% capacity factor.
5. The demand for ESS Inc's - iron flow battery now driving the business plan as manufacturing capacity finds it tougher to keep up
6. The bus charging station (the largest one in the nation) is turning into a community energy resource
7. A cool looking “solar chair” used for a pavilion at an event - modules a colored for good visual representation (look like dragon scale modules)

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The podcast is available on YouTube and audio platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and Amazon. We bring you interviews with cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and energy professionals weekly. 
What technologies are trending? 
Why are we excited about agrivoltaics or dual-use solar? 
What are the challenges and opportunities for renewable energy, electrification of transportation, and decarbonizing the economy? 

Listen, like, comment, and share! Get all our content at www.CleanPowerHour.com and reach out to Tim Montague @tgmontague on Twitter or Gmail. 

The Clean Power Hour hosts and cleantech professionals Tim Montague and John Weaver (the Commercial Solar Guy) bring you the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news.

Support the show

Connect with Tim  

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Our guest today is Anthony Star, the former Director of the Illinois Power Agency (IPA). The IPA is the authority that oversees renewable energy implementation in Illinois. It was established in 2007 by Public Act 95-0481. In 2017, they established the Illinois Solar program as mandated by the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA). The Illinois solar program has risen from 80 MW in 2017 to over 1.5 GW of solar installations in 2021. 

In Sept 2021, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) became the law of the land and greatly enhanced our Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and solar programs. CEJA is tasked to establish rebate and grant programs for electric vehicles and charging stations and oversee the phase-out of fossil fuel-fired electrical generation units in Illinois. 

They aim to get Illinois to 100% renewable energy and achieve 46% renewable energy by 2030, including over 17,000 MW of new solar energy and 6,300 MW of new wind energy.

Anthony Star was appointed as the Director of the Illinois Power Agency in 2013. In his role there, he oversaw the procurement of electricity for Illinois default service customers and the implementation of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Previously he worked as a Policy Advisor to two Chairmen of the Illinois Commerce Commission and worked for a Chicago-area non-profit on energy and sustainability. 

On this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Anthony joins Tim Montague to discuss the updates made to the Illinois Solar Program and what the future for Illinois Solar looks like, and more. 

Key Takeaways

1. The role of the Illinois Power Agency
2. Anthony's role at the IPA
3. The updates made to the Illinois Solar Program in 2021 
4. The strides made by the Illinois Solar Program from its inception  
5. How the program is funded 
6. Institutions and Individuals that Illinois Solar Program update targets and why they are essential to the Illinois economy. 
7. The difference between traditional community solar and the new community-driven community solar
8. The goals for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act(CEJA)

Connect with Anthony Star

Connect with IPA

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

On the weekly clean power news and views, we bring you the latest cleantech and clean energy news,  thought leaders, and innovators. Our motto is ‘Speeding the Energy Transition!’ 

This week we were joined by Dave Rosenberg, vice president of sales and business development at Heliene solar. He joined John Weaver and me to discuss the following;
1. What’s the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the company?
2. What’s the current capacity available for the company?
3. Do you think it’s going to reach the 40 to 55% manufacturing domestic content requirement?

On the news round up John Weaver and I discussed,
1. China's solar cell production capacity may reach 600 GW by year-end
2. IEA says that the announced 2030 solar capacity is enough to meet global net zero goals.
3. The JFW article - What is an Energy Community? According to some models, 40% of the United States is eligible for an additional 10% added to the ITC due to having a coal and fossil fuel history.
4. Climate law, IRA, spurs ‘big jumps’ in U.S. battery investments
5. Judge rules that the social cost of carbon suggested by the Biden administration - $51/ton - is legal, which means a bump 

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/cph-sub 

The podcast is available on YouTube and audio platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and Amazon. We bring you interviews with cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and energy professionals weekly. 
What technologies are trending? 
Why are we excited about agrivoltaics or dual-use solar? 
What are the challenges and opportunities for renewable energy, electrification of transportation, and decarbonizing the economy? 

Listen, like, comment, and share! Get all our content at www.CleanPowerHour.com and reach out to Tim Montague @tgmontague on Twitter or Gmail. 

The Clean Power Hour hosts and cleantech professionals Tim Montague and John Weaver (the Commercial Solar Guy) bring you the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news.

Support the show

Connect with Tim  

Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 

Email [email protected] 

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

What if you could measure the full benefits of your wind, solar, and battery storage projects and see beyond C02 emissions reductions? When you take into account the additional benefits of decarbonizing the economy and count human health and wellbeing, ecosystem services, and biodiversity impacts, you see much greater value. Now project developers, asset owners, and off-takers can add these dimensions to their initiatives with a platform called Quantum EC. 

The positive impacts of decarbonization go way beyond ppm… we're literally saving human lives, reducing suffering, and creating more resilient ecosystems. 

Quantum Energy and Consultants is a software and consulting firm in the energy industry focused on bringing impact analytics to all energy decisions. These analytics enable corporations to plan and finance the future of energy with a TotalView of their initiatives' economic, environmental, and health costs/benefits while improving the economy and quality of life.

Dr. Daniel Howard is the CEO of Quantum EC. He has a Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Engineering and is passionate about preserving the environment. He was previously a research fellow for the National Science Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  

In this episode, Dr. Howard joined Tim Montague to discuss how the Quantum EC platform works and why you will want to dig deeper into this holistic life cycle approach to clean energy infrastructure. 

Key Takeaways

1. How he got involved in energy and the environment? 
2. Why he created Quantum EC?
3. How does Quantum EC technology work?
4. The benefits and impacts of acquiring the Quantum EC platform.
5. What it takes to be a client, and how much that will cost you
6. What is the feedback from previous clients on their technology?
7. What is in store for the future of Quantum EC?

Connect with Dr. Daniel Howard LinkedIn

Connect with Quantum EC LinkedIn

QuantumEC

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

The growth of the solar industry depends on contractors, EPCs, and developers who are bringing residential and commercial solar to scale across the US. GRNE Solar is one such solar EPC, founded in Chicago and recently acquired by financial services company Nelnet. 

On this episode of the Clean Power Hour, we bring you Eric Peterman the founder and CEO of GRNE - a residential and commercial EPC working across five midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska) and soon many more. 

We discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the growth of solar plus storage in Illinois with incentives like CEJA (Climate & Equitable Jobs Act). This interview will be of interest to energy professionals, facility owners, and entrepreneurs - the journey that Eric is taking GRNE on is truly inspiring. 

Key Takeaways

1. Why and when Eric Peterman got into the solar industry
2. How GRNE Solar functions as an EPC, Commercial, and Residential solar installer
3. Their new partnership with Nelnet Investment and how this unlocks market growth 
4. His thoughts on the IRA and the Colorado Solar Market
5. Why you should join the solar revolution
6. His view on solar and battery storage (Illinois has a $250/kWh incentive)

Listen to the Watts Up Podcast

Connect with GRNE Solar

Connect with Eric Peterman

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Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

On the weekly clean power news and views, we bring you the latest cleantech and clean energy news,  thought leaders, and innovators. Our motto is ‘Speeding the Energy Transition!’

This week we discuss,
1. Greece says its entire electrical grid ran on 100% renewables for the first time
2. South Australia was 100% solar powered from 10 am to 4 pm - 90% via rooftop solar
3. New BloombergNEF analysis projects rapid growth in global battery storage capacity through 2030
4. Climate law, IRA, spurs ‘big jumps’ in U.S. battery investments
5. Battery recycling factory opening in Alabama - 10,000 tons/year roughly 20,000 cars a year
6. Model Y is now the most popular EV
7. Grabbed the Federal Reserve battery belt article
8. Starship on the pad at Starbase

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/cph-sub 

The podcast is available on Youtube and audio platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and Amazon. We bring you interviews with cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and energy professionals weekly. 
What technologies are trending? 
Why are we excited about agrivoltaics or dual-use solar? 
What are the challenges and opportunities for renewable energy, electrification of transportation, and decarbonizing the economy? 

Listen, like, comment, and share! Get all our content at www.CleanPowerHour.com and reach out to Tim Montague @tgmontague on Twitter or Gmail. 

The Clean Power Hour hosts and cleantech professionals Tim Montague and John Weaver (the Commercial Solar Guy) bring you the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news.

Support the show

Connect with Tim  

Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 

Email [email protected] 

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

On this live, we bring you the latest news in cleantech and clean energy news, thought leaders, and innovators. Our motto is ‘Speeding the Energy Transition!’

The podcast is available on Youtube and audio platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and Amazon. Each week, we bring you interviews with cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and energy professionals writ large. What technologies are trending? Why are we excited about agrivoltaics or dual-use solar?

What are the challenges and opportunities for renewable energy, electrification of transportation, and decarbonizing the economy?

Listen, like, comment, and share! Get all of our content at www.CleanPowerHour.com and reach out to Tim Montague @tgmontague on Twitter or Gmail.

The Clean Power Hour hosts and cleantech professionals Tim Montague and John Weaver (the Commercial Solar Guy) bring you the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news.
Subscribe: https://bit.ly/cph-sub

Connect with John Weaver

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Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Industrial heat is a major source of carbon emissions and there is an emerging ecosystem of next-generation solar thermal technologies targeting this sector. Phoenix Solar Thermal is one such company. Their single-axis tracker concentrating solar collectors produce high temperatures, providing heat and steam to replace fossil fuel. They are initially targeting university campuses (combined heat and power), breweries, and food processing, and then secondarily pulp and paper, and mining and mineral extraction industries. 

Matt Lensink is the founder of Phoenix Solar Thermal and CEO of CEM engineering in Ontario Canada. Phoenix Solar Thermal has a North American exclusive license to sell Absolicon technology from Sweden. CEM Engineering helps industrial customers identify and implement the best technology-based solution to reduce natural gas, electricity, and water consumption. 

Matt Lensink has over 15 years of experience in power generation, combined heat and power (chp), and biogas. Matt and Lisa Katz, the Director of Business Development & Marketing at CEM Engineering, host a popular renewable energy podcast, the Energy Radio Podcast.

They joined us on the Clean Power Hour previously to talk about how we can accelerate the decarbonization of thermal energy, why it’s crucial to clean up thermal power, and how CEM is evolving into the renewable energy space. 

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Matt joins Tim Montague to discuss their new tracker technology from ABSOLICON, their go-to-market strategy and how solar is decarbonizing industrial heat applications.

Key Takeaways

Their new Absolicon solar thermal tracker technology

How much of the thermal load can they reduce with solar thermal collectors 

How they are tackling the price spike of natural gas

What a success story for a Phoenix Solar Thermal installation looks like

Who is Phoenix Solar Thermal's target audience 

Connect with Matt Lensink on LinkedIn

Connect with Phoenix Solar

Connect with CEM Engineering

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Community solar allows households to tap into a local shared solar farm and see savings on their electric bill. This spreads the cost and enables a broader consumer audience to enjoy the benefits of greening the grid.

Camelia Miu is the Chief Financial Officer of Nautilus Solar Energy, a leading owner-operator of community solar projects throughout the United States. Nautilus Solar has been in the solar industry since 2006 and, through its Community Solar initiative, is making solar energy available to a broader marketplace in the Northeast and Midwest US.

Camelia has over 15 years of experience working in the renewable energy industry. Before joining Nautilus, she held positions as Vice President of Project Finance and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at SoCore Energy.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Camelia joins Tim Montague to explain what Nautilus Solar is, their business model, what makes Nautilus stand out from other community solar developers, and much more.

Camelia describes her role at Nautilus and how her experience in accounting and finance has helped her there.

Listen in to understand what you stand to gain as a consumer when subscribing to community solar and how Nautilus solar is making community solar happen.

Key Takeaways
1. How Camelia got into the renewable energy industry?
2. What makes Nautilus stand out from other community solar developers?
3. What does the Nautilus’ future in solar look like?
4. Camelia’s role at Nautilus
5. What goes into financing solar projects in 2022?
6. What do you stand to gain as a consumer when subscribing to community solar?

Connect with Camelia

Nautilus Solar

Nautilus Solar on LinkedIn

Camelia on LinkedIn

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Please subscribe on your favorite audio platform and on YouTube: bit.ly/cph-sub | www.CleanPowerHour.com | contact us by email: [email protected] | Speeding the energy transition!

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/
Twice a week we highlight the tools, technologies, and innovators that are making the clean energy transition a reality - on Apple,

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Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  [email protected]

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com