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Energy bills have jumped as much as 30% in the last year, and data center demand is outpacing grid growth. CPS America, with over 10 gigawatts of string inverters shipped in the US, is responding with a wave of new products: skidded string solutions, a 250kW 600V inverter platform, and fully integrated C&I battery storage with industry-leading fire safety certification.
In this episode, Tim Montague sits down with six CPS America team members, including Bryan Wagner, Joe Ross, Brian Baxter, Luke Hardin, Luke Schlicte, and Andrey Malyshev, to break down what solar developers, asset owners, and installers need to know about the shift from central to string inverters and the accelerating C&I storage market.
Episode Highlights
With energy demand outpacing grid growth and battery economics improving each quarter, the team at CPS America makes a data-backed case for why commercial storage and string-inverter adoption are accelerating in 2026. CPS hosts Innovation Day in Dallas, April 22 to 24, for those who want a deeper look.
Connect with the CPS Team
Website
Register for the CPS Innovation Day
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Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
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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
LFP battery storage pricing dropped from over $1,000 per kilowatt hour to under $100 per kilowatt hour in a few short years. That single shift is reshaping project economics across the solar and storage industry. In this episode of The Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Wes Kennedy, a 30-year clean energy veteran. They cover DC coupling, middle market strategy, the AI-driven energy demand surge, workforce development, and what the storage ITC means in a post-solar-ITC world.
Wes Kennedy leads middle market BESS deployment at QCells. He has nearly 30 years of experience in renewables. He co-founded Namaste Solar and held senior engineering and leadership roles at SMA America, Dynapower, and Blue Planet Energy. He continues to educate the next generation of installers through his "Comprehensive Solar plus Storage" curriculum on HeatSpring.
Episode Highlights
You can connect with Wes Kennedy here
Wes Kennedy LinkedIn
Qcells Website
Heatspring Wes Kennedy
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
For the first time, batteries and solar powered California around the clock, with batteries running as the number one morning electricity source at nearly 6,000 megawatts. Tim Montague and John Weaver break down this milestone and a packed week of clean energy news, from a Supreme Court ruling striking down global tariffs to a Republican push to reinstate the 30% solar ITC.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
With the ITC phase-out approaching, electricity prices climbing, and battery deployments accelerating, the stories covered here directly affect procurement decisions, financial modeling, and market strategy in 2026.
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
Most solar asset owners still manage performance data the same way they did 10 years ago. Dan Leary, founder of Denowatts, says that needs to change. In this episode, recorded live at RE+ Northeast in Boston, Tim Montague sits down with Leary and Doug Macmillan of Portside Systems to explore energy accounting, a method for identifying exactly where solar production losses occur and what owners and operators should do about them. Denowatts is collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories to build what Leary calls "GAAP for solar," a common standard for reporting and benchmarking solar asset performance. If you manage solar assets or invest in solar projects, this conversation explains how better data practices lead to more predictable returns.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
This episode is for solar asset managers, project developers, EPCs, and clean energy investors who want more from their performance data. With Denowatts and Sandia Labs working toward a common reporting standard, the solar industry is moving closer to the kind of financial transparency that attracts long-term capital. If you own or operate solar assets, the time to modernize your data strategy is now.
Connect with Dan Leary and Doug Macmillan
Dan Leary
Denowatts
Doug Macmillan
Portside Systems
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 30% investment tax credit is going away. The safe harbor window closes July 3, 2026. After that, commercial solar stands on its own. So what separates the companies that thrive from the ones that disappear?
Costa Nicolaou, founder and CEO of PanelClaw, joins Tim Montague at RE+ Northeast in Boston for a direct conversation about surviving and growing in the post-ITC market. This episode covers domestic manufacturing strategy, FEOC compliance, logistics innovation, and three specific moves every solar installer and EPC should make right now.
Episode Highlights
- The ITC was a runway, not a permanent subsidy. Costa frames the 30% credit as a 10-year opportunity to build manufacturing capacity, drive innovation, and prepare for an unsubsidized market. The companies that treated it as a margin cushion instead of a building tool are the ones at risk.
- PanelClaw doubled its US manufacturing capacity in 2022 and expanded again. The company operates a full just-in-time domestic production model. No inventory. Enough capacity to serve the entire US flat roof market from American facilities.
- PanelClaw is the only flat roof racking company with 100% FEOC compliance for the January 1 through July 3, 2026 window. Their products qualify for the complete domestic content stack: rail, structural fastener, and production.
- ClawLogic gives EPCs real-time visibility into every order. Line items, pallet sizes, pallet weights, ship dates, and a live truck tracker. Costa modeled it after Amazon's delivery tracking experience. The platform has been live for three years. No competitor in flat roof racking has replicated it. PanelClaw is now launching ClawLogic in Europe.
- Costa delivers three rules for solar installers preparing for the post-ITC market. First, resist the race to the bottom. Second, pursue extreme collaboration across the value chain. Third, ask every supplier about their innovation roadmap.
The safe harbor window is closing. FEOC compliance deadlines are active now. The decisions you make this year on partners, manufacturing, and operations will determine whether your company leads or exits by 2028.
Connect with Costa Nicolaou
Website
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
One LinkedIn post. Almost 400,000 impressions. Aaron Nichols has earned 1.8 million impressions on LinkedIn in one year, and he did it by breaking every rule the clean energy industry follows. His message is blunt: solar companies insist on being boring, and they are losing the public conversation because of it. In this episode, host Tim Montague sits down with Aaron Nichols to break down four storytelling rules that solar professionals need to win attention, build trust, and drive business on LinkedIn.
Aaron Nichols serves as Research and Policy Specialist at Exact Solar, a regional solar installer based in Pennsylvania. He also hosts This Week in Solar, a news and interview podcast covering the solar industry. His article, "Four Rules of Storytelling That Corporate America Desperately Needs," outlines the framework discussed in this episode.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
With rising energy bills putting electricity in the news daily and federal policy headwinds challenging the industry, the ability to tell compelling stories and build trust on platforms like LinkedIn has never mattered more.
Connect with Aaron Nichols
Aaron Nichols LinkedIn
This Week in Solar
"Making Numbers Count" by Chip Heath and Carla Starr
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
Wind farms are defeating the Trump administration's stop-work orders 5-0 as federal judges allow offshore construction to resume, while data centers drive consumer power bills up 30-50% across the country.
Tim Montague and John Weaver cover the latest clean energy developments from RE+ Northeast, including breakthrough robotics from Luminous and the emerging DIY solar market that could deliver $20,000 home systems.
Episode Highlights
• Offshore Wind Legal Victories: Five federal judges have now overruled Trump administration stop-work orders on East Coast wind farms, including the latest ruling allowing Sunrise Wind construction to continue off New York. (The Guardian)
• Data Center Grid Impact: Consumer power bills have risen 30-50% in some regions due to data center demand. (Environmental Law and Policy Center)
• DIY Solar Market Emergence: Post-ITC market conditions are driving growth in DIY solar kits, with companies like Gigawatt offering 10kW solar plus 30kWh battery systems for around $20,000, roughly one-third the cost of traditional installer pricing.
• Chinese Poly Silicon Tariffs: China extended import tariffs on US polysilicon from the Obama era, though the 50% tariffs have minimal current impact since Chinese polysilicon now costs less than half global pricing. China produces 90% of the global polysilicon supply. (Pv Magazine)
• Grid Battery Storage Surge: Grid battery demand increased 51% while EV battery demand grew 26%, with grid storage now representing 25% of global battery demand, up from historical projections of 10-15%. (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence)
• Luminous Robotics Progress: Solar installation robot company unveiled new pallet-carrying robot to complement their module placement system, tripling headcount year-over-year and working on utility-scale projects in Australia and the US.
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
Storm Fern just knocked out power for nearly a million Americans. But here's what the media won't tell you: this wasn't a freak accident—it's the new normal.
New research from the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that 100% of the worst power outages in the last decade share one shocking cause. And it's getting worse every year.
This matters now because we're building infrastructure today that needs to last 50 years. But we're planning for yesterday's climate while tomorrow's storms are already here. The result? Billions in damage, lives lost, and communities left powerless when they need electricity most.
Key Takeaways:
• Why every single major blackout traces back to extreme weather events
• The 3 states actually preparing for climate disasters (and why 47 aren't)
• How community-scale microgrids could end power outages forever
• Why low-income communities suffer most when the lights go out
• The infrastructure investments we're delaying that will cost lives
The guests are Rachel Licker and Sam Gomberg from the Union of Concerned Scientists, authors of the "Power After the Storm" report. Their research uses fine-resolution power outage data to reveal patterns that should terrify anyone who depends on electricity, which is all of us.
We have the technology to build resilient grids. Solar, wind, batteries, and smart switchgear can create community-scale microgrids that keep the lights on when the big grid fails. The question isn't whether we can do it, it's whether we'll act before the next Storm Fern.
Connect with Union of Concerned Scientists
Union of Concerned Scientists
Rachel Licker
Sam Gomberg
Power After the Storm report
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
A Missouri state senator wants to ban all solar construction for two years, threatening a 430 MW project already under construction. On the Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver cover the Missouri solar moratorium, the first UL standard for balcony solar, Elon Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing ambitions, and Vineyard Wind's court victory sending its final turbine to sea. They also dig into LFP cell prices hitting $60/kWh in China, zinc battery economics for commercial projects, and what a $2.3 trillion global energy transition spend means for the US market.
Episode Highlights:
A Missouri state senator filed legislation to halt all solar construction, including projects already underway, through the end of 2027. A 430 MW project set to double the state's solar capacity faces risk. (LinkedIn)
Balcony solar UL 3700 standard. UL released its first standard for balcony solar, UL 3700. (PV Magazine)
Musk's 100 GW solar manufacturing plan. Elon Musk announced SpaceX and xAI will each source 100 GW of solar to power data centers. (PV Magazine)
LFP cells race to 500+ Ah. Chinese battery manufacturers are scaling LFP cells from 314 Ah to 500 Ah and beyond. (PV Magazine)
Global clean energy investment reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% from 2024. (Bloomberg NEF)
Solar module prices from China rose 20 to 30% ahead of an April 1 export tax, adding 9 to 10% to costs. (PV Magazine)
This episode is for solar professionals, battery storage developers, project developers, and clean energy investors tracking policy risk and market shifts.
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 separates solar projects that get built from those that die in development? Brad Stutzman has spent 16 years figuring out the answer.
Brad is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based solar development and construction company. He started in 2009 during the Great Recession, pivoting from real estate financing to renewable energy. O3 Energy has since deployed hundreds of on-site solar projects across commercial, municipal, and non-profit customers throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Guam, and Mexico.
Key Discussion Points
Brad's 16 years in solar development reveal a consistent truth: successful projects require patience, practical thinking, and smart partnerships. His brownfield conversion near nuclear weapons storage required Nuclear Regulatory Authority sign-off. His California municipal project needed creative cross-property engineering. Neither would have happened without tenacity.
As Brad puts it, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them. O3 Energy continues expanding into the Midwest and Mexico while preparing for the next wave of solar plus storage. The company is actively seeking partners for development, construction, and asset management opportunities nationwide.
Connect with Brad Stutzman
Brad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstutzman/
03 Energy Website: https://o3energy.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
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