Clean Power Hour

Lead-acid batteries are heavy and highly toxic. Lithium-ion is lighter but tends to catch fire and requires a thermal management system to regulate its temperature.

So, Michael Burz, President and CEO at Enzinc, is developing a next-generation rechargeable zinc battery that is safer for people and the planet.

With a background in aerospace engineering, Michael is on a mission to apply his expertise to the green tech revolution. 

He was introduced to 3D zinc technology by the US Naval Research Laboratory and partnered with the NRL to design a high-performance alternative to lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. 

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Michael joins Tim to discuss the advantages of zinc batteries over lead-acid and lithium-ion, describing how Enzinc technology can be deployed safely in very hot or cold climates without a thermal management system.

Michael explains how zinc technology applies in both mobile and stationary energy storage, exploring how its ebike batteries can be scaled for use in EVs and internal combustion engines as well as microgrids and data centers.

Listen in to understand how Enzinc’s batteries can be built in existing plants and learn how you can be part of the engineering team Michael is building to design, test and manufacture zinc battery anodes.

Key Takeaways

How Michael’s work with the NRL led him to develop a rechargeable zinc battery

The advantages of zinc battery technology over lead-acid and lithium-ion

How zinc battery technology is applicable to both mobile and stationary energy storage

The nickel-zinc and manganese-zinc products Enzinc is developing to replace lead-acid batteries

How Enzinc’s ebike batteries can be scaled for use in EVs and internal combustion engines

Why zinc battery technology is ideal for highly dense urban environments

How zinc batteries can be deployed in very hot or cold climates (without thermal management systems)

The extensive real-world testing Enzinc must do to bring its tech to market and why Michael’s team invited an industry advisory group to be part of its testing process early on 

How Enzinc is developing its batteries to be built in existing plants and factories

Why Michael’s team is partnering with a recycling firm in the design process 

Michael’s insight on how zinc-air battery technology will advance electric aircraft

Connect with Michael 

Enzinc 

Careers at Enzinc

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

Resources

California NanoSystems Institute 

US Naval Research Laboratory

US Department of Energy ARPA-E

Global Automotive & Mobility Innovation Challenge

California Energy Commission BRIDGE Award

Sponsor 

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

Solar is an unpredictable industry. 

Government incentives drive an uptick in the market for a few years. And then high-profile bankruptcies and severe tariffs put the brakes on development for a year or two.

But those of us committed to renewables for the long term keep moving forward, developing the grit it takes to navigate the ups and downs of what we call the solarcoaster.

Nobel Chang is Cofounder and Managing Partner at Palladium Energy, a utility-scale solar investor and developer headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, where he leads all things business development and commercial strategy.

A veteran of the renewables industry, Nobel got his start in 2009 with a semiconductor company building off-grid systems for rural applications in Africa and Asia before starting his own development shop in 2014 and building Palladium in 2019.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Nobel joins Tim to share his experiences in 13 years on the solarcoaster, explaining how his first major downturn was caused by the Solyndra bankruptcy in 2011.

He describes how tariffs on solar equipment and the SunEdison bankruptcy impacted the solar industry and discusses how to hedge against the volatility by working in multiple markets.

Listen in for insight around the current challenges associated with the antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) and find out why Nobel sees a bright future for the solar industry despite its ups and downs.

Key Takeaways

The volatility and unpredictability of the solar industry that fuels the solarcoaster

How Nobel experienced his first major downturn after the 2011 Solyndra bankruptcy

What happened in 2012 when the Obama administration put tariffs on equipment

How the 2016 SunEdison bankruptcy put a freeze on solar finance

How the 2016 downturn inspired Nobel to develop projects in markets abroad

How Trump era tariffs on imported solar panels dealt a major blow to renewables

The grit and creativity required to build a career as an entrepreneur in the renewables space

How the current antidumping and countervailing duties affect module pricing

How to hedge against the ups and downs in solar by working in multiple markets

Palladium’s role as a utility-scale solar and solar+storage investor and developer (and why storage is being tacked on to most solar projects now)

How the transition to wind, solar and storage signals a bright future for renewables

Connect with Nobel 

Email [email protected] 

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

Resources

Topco Scientific

1603 Program

The Solyndra Scandal

SunEdison Bankruptcy

Jigar Shah on Clean Power Hour EP083

Auxin Solar

Trina Solar

PJM Interconnection

MISO Energy 

Sponsor  

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

Solar asset managers are dealing with a number of variables, among them soiling, shading, weather conditions and the degradation of equipment.

And while supervisory control and data acquisition or SCADA systems support the decision-making process, they can’t conduct the kind of advanced analytics asset managers need to significantly improve a plant’s performance.

Sharat Singh is Founder and CEO of Quadrical AI, a software solution that leverages artificial intelligence to help asset managers improve solar generation. 

Sharat has an extensive background in building large enterprise solutions for eCommerce and served as Head of Engineering for Adobe’s Digital Marketing Cloud prior to Quadrical.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Sharat joins Tim to share the Quadrical origin story and explain why his team decided to focus on building AI for the solar industry.

Sharat walks us through the five key components of the Quadrical solution, describing how its software creates a digital twin of a solar plant and uses that data to prioritize tickets for solar asset managers.

Listen in for Sharat’s insight on applying digital twin technology to battery storage and learn how Quadrical works with the SCADA monitoring systems you already use to perform advanced analytics across your solar portfolio.

Key Takeaways 

The Quadrical origin story and why Sharat’s team decided to focus on the solar industry

How Sharat’s role supporting Adobe’s digital marketing cloud informs his work at Quadrical

Quadrical’s portfolio of 2.5 gigawatts in the solar IPP and O&M space

The 5 key components of the Quadrical AI software solution 

How Quadrical software works to create a digital twin of a solar plant and facilitate condition-based maintenance

How Quadrical leverages data to provide solar asset managers with a prioritized list of tickets

Quadrical’s capacity for anomaly and pattern recognition and how its AI learns over time

What Sharat’s team is doing to get to customers and do deployments faster

The progress Quadrical has made in applying digital twin technology to battery storage

The challenges and opportunities for Quadrical in serving hybrid solar and storage plants

How Quadrical works with the SCADA monitoring systems you already use 

Connect with Sharat

Quadrical AI

Email [email protected] 

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

Resources

Solar Asset Management North America 2022 

SolarArise

AlsoEnergy

Meteocontrol

Inaccess

iSentrol

Sponsor 

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

6 Powerful Cleantech Podcasters On Biden, Ukraine and the Energy Transition

Today we're sharing our fifth quarterly podcaster's roundtable, which offers a rich, one-hour discussion of energy trends, developments, challenges and opportunities. We’re joined by some impressive industry voices. These roundtables are organized and produced by my friends Mike Casey and Nico Johnson. Mike is the president and founder of Tigercomm, a cleantech public relations, marketing communications and public affairs firm, and host of ScalingClean, a podcast and blog that aim to advance the clean economy. Nico Johnson is the CEO of Suncast Media and host of Suncast podcast.

Emily Chasan, director of communications at Generate Capital, a San Francisco-based diversified, sustainable infrastructure company. She's also a co-host on Wood Mackenzie's Energy Gang podcast, a bi-weekly digest on energy, cleantech and the environment.
Gil Jenkins, vice president of corporate communications and public affairs at Hannon Armstrong. He's co-host of its Climate Positive podcast, which features conversations with people driving our climate-positive future.
Tim Montague, host of the Clean Power Hour, interviews the latest tools and technology executives in wind, solar and energy storage, plus weekly news roundup of the latest solar, wind, storage and energy transition news.
Bill Nussey, CEO and founder of the Freeing Energy Project, which aims to accelerate the shift to cleaner, cheaper energy through books, articles and a top 10 energy podcast, also called Freeing Energy.
Josh Porter, an arborist turned renewable energies enthusiast. He's the principal consultant at SolarCoaster Consulting and co-host of The Solar Coaster, a renewable energy-themed talk show broadcast every Friday from Maui, Hawaii.

We cover a lot of ground in the episode, from thoughts on the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating attacks by pro-fossil fuel pundits. But we start with our views on the possible direction of the Biden Administration's imperiled climate agenda. 

Connect with Mike Casey on LinkedIn

Connect with Emily Chasan on LinkedIn

Connect with Gil Jenkins on LinkedIn

Connect with Nico Johnson on LinkedIn

Connect with Tim Montague on LinkedIn

Connect with Bill Nussey on LinkedIn

Connect with Josh Porter on LinkedIn

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

The communities that contribute the least to climate change are impacted by it the most. And that’s a disheartening thing for Gen Zers to discover.

But the antidote to anxiety is action. 

So, what can young people do to advocate for environmental justice? How can we all work together for an equitable transition to the net-zero carbon economy?

McKenna Dunbar serves as Building Electrification Lead and Community and Engagement Coordinator at Sierra Club. She is also Founder of the Environmental Justice Initiative and CEO of MOCOKONO, a company working to disrupt ESG markets and build an equitable energy system for all.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, McKenna joins Tim to describe the eco-anxiety that inspired her work in renewable energy and discuss her role in the Sierra Club’s Building Electrification Program.

McKenna explains why she founded the environmental advocacy-based nonprofit Ecological Justice Initiative and explores how we might address the mega-landfills located in marginalized communities.

Listen in for McKenna’s call-to-action for corporate leaders and learn how young people can get involved in advancing the clean energy transition!

Key Takeaways

How learning about environmental racism inspired McKenna’s work in renewable energy

How promoting environmental education and connecting with others in the climate change movement gives McKenna hope for the future

McKenna’s role in the Sierra Club’s Building Electrification Program

Why McKenna sees building electrification as the answer to the energy crisis we face

What success looks like for McKenna’s campaign with the Sierra Club

Why McKenna founded the environmental advocacy-based nonprofit Ecological Justice Initiative

How McKenna thinks about addressing the mega-landfills located in marginalized communities

MOCOKONO’s goals to disrupt outdated forms of CSR in ESG markets

McKenna’s call for corporate leaders to reformulate their business plans around environmental justice frameworks and the needs of the communities they serve

The importance of involving Gen Z in the conversation re: the clean energy transition and how young people can get involved in climate change mitigation right now

Connect with McKenna

McKenna on LinkedIn

Email [email protected] 

Email [email protected] 

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

Resources

Sierra Club

The Ecological Justice Initiative

Bridging the Gap in Virginia 

Concerned Citizens of Charles City County

McKenna’s $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace Grant

Sponsor

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

It’s awe-inspiring to consider that renewable energy transforms weather into electrons and then into dollars. And yet, many asset managers are still operating with spreadsheets, notebooks and post-its. 

So, how do we encourage the adoption of digital tools in the renewable energy space? And how can solar, wind and hydro operators benefit from technology like asset management software? 

Etienne Lecompte is Founder and CEO of PowerHub, a SaaS company building asset management software for the renewable energy industry, and Host of the Renewables: Unscripted podcast.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Etienne joins Tim from the Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America 2022 Conference to discuss the evolution of PowerHub, explaining how he started the company as a consultancy but pivoted to asset management in 2013.

Etienne describes the billing and invoicing, reporting, and compliance tools in the PowerHub suite, and offers insight as to why BayWa acquired the business two years ago.

Listen in to understand what’s behind the boom-and-bust cycles of the Canadian solar industry and learn how digital tools like PowerHub can help asset managers lower cost and enhance the reliability of renewable energy.

Key Takeaways

How Etienne started PowerHub as a consultancy during the Ontario solar boom of 2011

The story behind the Canadian solar industry

Why the industry has a reputation for boom-and-bust cycles (and what we can do to fix that)

PowerHub’s pivot to asset management in 2013 

Etienne’s approach to business development in the early days of PowerHub

The billing/invoicing, reporting and compliance tools that make up the PowerHub suite

How PowerHub serves clients in the solar, wind and hydro space

What differentiates technical from commercial asset management and PowerHub’s focus on the latter

The 4 major divisions at BayWa and why the company acquired PowerHub

The value of reconnecting with colleagues at conferences like SAMNA

How Etienne’s Renewables: Unscripted podcast explores the ‘messy middle’ of growing a startup

How digital tools can help the solar industry lower cost and enhance reliability

Connect with Etienne

PowerHub 

Etienne on LinkedIn 

Renewables: Unscripted

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

Resources

Solar Asset Management North America Conference 

Hydro-Quebec 

Longroad Energy

Solarplaza

BayWa 

PVBuzz

KKR

Sponsor 

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

Get a 10% discount to attend Solar Plaza Asset Management Texas with discount code: CPH22.  https://www.solarplaza.com/event/solarplaza-summit-asset-management-texas-2022/

Bringing solar professionals together in-person is Solar Plaza’s specialty; they’ve organized over 150 solar events in 60 cities, in 41 countries and six continents. Since 2004, Solar Plaza has been inviting clean energy industry professionals from all aspects of a solar project together under one roof. From Madrid to Rome to Amsterdam to Copenhagen to Frankfurt to Lisbon to Austin, Solar Plaza is everywhere across the globe in 2022!

Alfonso Barrenechea is a Project Manager at the Netherlands-based company since 2019. Alfonso loves learning the technical side of solar and knows that the ideas generated at a Solar Plaza event make their way downstream into real solar projects unfolding across the globe. 

Today on Clean Power Hour, Alfonso gives Tim a look into a unique business model in our quest as a species to detach from fossil fuels: an event planning company that specializes in the science of clean energy! Listen to Alfonso and Tim discuss why bringing a collective of the best minds in solar together can spur on ideas about efficiency, profitability and availability of the technology that spread fast. The resources offered by Solar Plaza don’t end at their events; check out their Resources page for webinars, seven-minute trend talks and interviews with important figureheads in the clean energy sphere.

Key Takeaways

Why Austin is a perfect location for a clean energy event

Which environmental factors dictate the need to differentiate markets within countries and, in the US, even within states

How Texas’ history as an energy state impacts its clean energy journey

Why California and Texas represent such a big share of the US’s transition to clean energy

What factors go into consideration in selecting a city to host a Solar Plaza conference

Why developers need to adopt zero waste manufacturing practices and recognize that repurposing or recycling is a critical part of the project lifecycle 

How diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is growing in the mostly white, mostly male solar industry

How adoption of more DEI in solar reflects technology industry trends globally

Why seemingly unrelated companies joining together under one roof can initiate relationships and ultimately innovation in solar technology

Why economics is the biggest driver in popularity of solar, wind and storage

Connect with Alfonso

Solar Plaza 

Email: [email protected]

Solar Plaza on LinkedIn

Alfonso on LinkedIn

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

Resource 

Solar Plaza Summit Asset Management Texas

10% Discount on Solar Plaza Asset Management Texas: Use Code CPH22

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

Get a 15% discount to attend Midwest Solar Expo with discount code: CPH15. www.MidwestSolarExpo.com/, the premier B2B solar and clean energy event in the region.

The beauty of a microgrid is that it connects with the traditional grid but works autonomously when necessary. This is especially beneficial for critical process facilities that can’t afford a shutdown and growing operations that need a power upgrade. 

So, how does a microgrid system leverage multiple renewable energy sources to keep the lights on when the power grid goes down? And what factors do facility owners need to consider before investing in the installation and operation of a microgrid?

Bill Shevlin is CEO of Mavericks Microgrids, a company dedicated to the finance and development of carbon neutral and carbon negative microgrids projects. His team makes use of several diverse renewable energy technologies, including energy storage, solar and PV, CHP, biodigestors, EV chargers and IoT controls. 

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Bill joins Tim to share case studies of Mavericks’ residential real estate and commercial and industrial projects, explaining how a food processing facility, for example, benefits from installing a microgrid.

Bill discusses how his team increases ROI for investors by selling excess capacity back to the grid and describes why virtual net metering and virtual trading of power is the future of electricity.

Listen in to understand how Bill helps growing companies scale up their energy capacity when local utilities can’t and find out how Mavericks Microgrids provides affordable green power for its clients in the US and around the world. 

Key Takeaways

How Bill’s career in real estate development and management led him to the energy space

Mavericks Microgrids’ focus on the financing and operations of renewable energy microgrid projects

Examples of Mavericks Microgrids’ residential real estate and commercial + industrial projects

How Bill’s team increases ROI by selling additional capacity back to the grid

How Mavericks Microgrids works with virtual power plant platforms to connect with the grid

Why Bill believes that virtual net metering and virtual trading of power is the future of electricity

A case study of Mavericks Microgrids’ work with a food processing facility 

How Bill’s team helps growing companies scale up their energy capacity (when local utilities can’t)

Why Mavericks Microgrids does all its projects via energy service or power purchase agreements

What facility owners need to think about when it comes to installing solar and storage

How Bill’s team makes data available to its customers for ESG reporting

Why regulatory changes are necessary to speed the installation of microgrid projects

Connect with Bill

Mavericks Microgrids

Resources

Intelligent Generation 

Voltage 

AutoGrid 

Sandbar Solar 

CA Solar + Storage Association 

MICROGRID Act 

Investment Tax Credit 

ESG Reporting 

California Energy Storage Alliance

Midwest Solar Expo [Discount Code CPH15]

Sponsor 

Clean Power Consulting Group

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

Get a 15% discount to attend Midwest Solar Expo with discount code: CPH15. www.MidwestSolarExpo.com/, the premier B2B solar and clean energy event in the region.

The downside of solar energy is that it cannot be generated at night.

But John King dreams of solar with an on-off switch. And he’s developed concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) technology that facilitates the massive geological storage of thermal energy. Thermal energy that can be brought to the surface and used to generate power—any time of the day or night. 

John is the CEO of Hyperlight Energy, a technology developer and manufacturer based in San Diego. The company's flagship product is Hylux, a disruptively low-cost CSP system.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, John joins Tim to discuss Hyperlight’s next-generation CSP technology and explain why he’s focused on decarbonizing oil production—while simultaneously producing renewable electricity. 

John shares his vision of repurposing the 100,000 oil wells in California using geological thermal energy  storage (GTES) and describes where in the US it makes sense to deploy Hyperlight’s CSP technology.

Listen in for John’s insight on converting combined heat and power (CHP) facilities into solar cogeneration plants and learn how we might make direct air capture a byproduct of a renewable power plant! 

Key Takeaways

How John accidentally invented a low-cost CSP reflector system

Where Hyperlight is in the process of bringing its CSP system to market

Hyperlight’s niche in decarbonizing oil production while simultaneously producing renewable electricity

The advantages concentrating solar-thermal power has over photovoltaics

How policy support facilitates increased technical performance and decreased costs for renewables

John’s vision to leverage geological thermal energy storage to generate solar power any time of the day or night

How the 100,000 oil wells in California might be repurposed using GTES (and how much energy that would produce)

Where in the US it makes sense to deploy Hyperlight CSP technology

How we might convert CHP facilities into solar cogeneration plants

The pros and cons of storing solar CSP heat above ground 

How Hyperlight’s heat exchangers work with the water that’s available 

John’s idea to do DAC as a byproduct of a renewable power plant

Connect with John 

Hyperlight Energy

Hyperlight on LinkedIn 

John on LinkedIn

Resources 

California Energy Commission Funding Opportunities

SoCalGas

National Renewable Energy Lab

'Hybridizing a Geothermal Power Plant with Concentrating Solar Power and Thermal Storage to Increase Power Generation and Dispatchability’ in Applied Energy

Jigar Shah on Clean Power Hour EP083 

SunEdison

Jigar Shah at the DOE Loan Programs Office

California Solar Initiative

Solar Investment Tax Credit

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard

Tectonic Sun

Henrik Stiesdal

Midwest Solar Expo [Discount Code CPH15]

Sponsor 

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

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