EnergyTech Podcast

How can industrial data move from PLCs and SCADA into business systems, cloud platforms, and AI workflows? Coreflux co-founder and CEO Hugo Vaz joins the Energy Tech Podcast to discuss MQTT, Ignition integration, and the Language of Things.

Recorded at ICC 2026 in Sacramento, this conversation explores how Coreflux grew out of the frustrations of hands-on systems integration—and how its approach helps teams connect equipment, transform data, and build repeatable workflows.

Host Mike Flores and Hugo discuss practical examples involving legacy systems, oil and gas operations, SAP, Snowflake, and Kafka. They also explore data governance and controlling what connected devices, applications, and AI agents can access or write.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Hugo helped build Coreflux after working as an integrator

• MQTT, Sparkplug B, and unified namespace concepts

• The Language of Things: actions, models, rules, and routes

• Connecting legacy equipment and adding context to industrial data

• Potential applications for drilling, completions, and distributed energy operations

• Repeatable deployments using LoT Notebooks, VS Code, and Cursor

• Connecting Ignition SCADA with SAP and other enterprise systems

• Streaming data to Snowflake, Kafka, and cloud services

• Reducing repetitive integration work while maintaining customization

• Data governance and access controls for devices, applications, and AI agents

If you work in SCADA, industrial automation, OT, systems integration, or energy operations, this episode offers a practical look at connecting field data with the rest of the business.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to the Energy Tech Podcast

01:02 Hugo’s First ICC: Collaboration and the Ignition Ecosystem

04:03 Why Coreflux Was Built: An Integrator’s Frustration

06:42 MQTT Integration and the Language of Things

09:33 Actions, Models, Rules, and Data Governance

12:17 Routes, Legacy Systems, and Sparkplug B

15:05 Oil and Gas Applications: Drilling, Completions, and Edge Data

18:33 LoT Notebooks and Repeatable Deployments

19:15 Coreflux Hub and Developer Tools

21:24 Connecting Coreflux, Ignition, and SAP

23:36 Snowflake, Kafka, Cloud Connectivity, and Scaling

25:21 REST APIs and AI-Assisted Connector Development

26:27 Reducing ETL Work and Time to Value

28:15 Final Takeaways and Closing

GUEST

Hugo Vaz — Co-Founder & CEO, Coreflux

HOST

Mike Flores

PRODUCTION

Jeff Perry

PRESENTED BY

OpSite Energy — Insight Driven Remote Optimization

EXPLORE MORE

Coreflux: https://www.coreflux.org/

Coreflux LoT Templates: https://templates.coreflux.org/

OpSite Energy: https://www.opsiteenergy.com/

Subscribe to the Energy Tech Podcast for conversations about industrial automation, modern SCADA, operational data, and technology in the energy industry.

What is the hardest integration in your operation today? Tell us in the comments.

#MQTT #IgnitionSCADA #IndustrialAutomation

How much valuable operating data is still trapped on disconnected instruments, handwritten logs, and manual field rounds? WIKA joins the Energy Tech Podcast to explain how LoRaWAN and industrial IoT can bring that stranded data into your business.

Recorded at the OpSite Energy Control Center in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Jeff Perry and Mike Flores sit down with WIKA’s Britt Antley and Pete Miramontes to explore practical wireless monitoring for oil and gas, refineries, water utilities, and other industrial operations.

Drawing on experience across Chevron and the process industries, Britt and Pete explain how operators can connect existing assets, reduce manual data collection, and evaluate the cost of adding visibility to equipment that has historically operated offline.

In this episode:

• What LoRaWAN is and where it fits in industrial operations

• Long-range wireless communication and battery-powered sensors

• Connecting existing 4–20 mA instruments through LoRaWAN bridges

• Sensors, gateways, and the LoRaWAN network server

• Moving data into Ignition, AVEVA PI, and enterprise platforms

• MQTT, Sparkplug, APIs, and legacy integration options

• LoRaWAN versus WirelessHART for monitoring applications

• The three C’s: cost, complexity, and cybersecurity

• Battery life, reporting intervals, and event-driven transmissions

• Opportunities to reduce unnecessary field trips and manual readings

• Applications for tank levels, pressure, water metering, and leak detection

The discussion also explains why these monitoring applications have different requirements from process control and safety systems.

Whether you manage production operations, develop SCADA systems, or evaluate industrial technology investments, this conversation offers a practical starting point for connecting more of your existing equipment.

This is Part 1 of our WIKA conversation. Part 2 will focus on the instruments and a hands-on demonstration.

Guests: Britt Antley and Pete Miramontes, WIKA

Hosts: Jeff Perry and Mike Flores

Presented by OpSite Energy

Insight Driven Remote Optimization.

Learn more:

WIKA: https://www.wika.com

OpSite Energy: https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Subscribe for more conversations about SCADA, industrial automation, operational technology, remote operations, and the future of energy.

What instrument or manual reading would you connect first? Tell us in the comments.

#LoRaWAN #IndustrialIoT #OilAndGas

00:00 Opening outtakes with the WIKA team

01:52 Welcome to the Energy Tech Podcast

03:06 Meet Pete Miramontes and Britt Antley

07:45 Unlocking stranded data from analog assets

08:33 Reducing manual readings and field exposure

13:21 LoRaWAN explained: Range, power, and battery life

16:15 Architecture: Sensors, gateways, and network servers

18:08 Connecting to Ignition, AVEVA PI, and WIKA’s platform

19:49 Bringing 4–20 mA instruments onto LoRaWAN

22:19 Monitoring, reporting intervals, and event triggers

23:48 A closer look at WIKA’s bridge devices

25:46 LoRaWAN versus WirelessHART

29:47 The three C’s: Cost, complexity, and cybersecurity

32:20 Deployment cost lessons from Chevron

33:21 Simplifying installation and device onboarding

35:43 MQTT, Sparkplug, APIs, and legacy integrations

38:21 LoRaWAN cybersecurity and encryption

40:59 Data centers, water metering, and leak detection

42:11 Key takeaways and the Part 2 demo preview

Music: “Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

https://www.epidemicsound.com

How much valuable operating data is still trapped on disconnected instruments, handwritten logs, and manual field rounds? WIKA joins the Energy Tech Podcast to explain how LoRaWAN and industrial IoT can bring that stranded data into your business.

Recorded at the OpSite Energy Control Center in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Jeff Perry and Mike Flores sit down with WIKA’s Britt Antley and Pete Miramontes to explore practical wireless monitoring for oil and gas, refineries, water utilities, and other industrial operations.

Drawing on experience across Chevron and the process industries, Britt and Pete explain how operators can connect existing assets, reduce manual data collection, and evaluate the cost of adding visibility to equipment that has historically operated offline.

In this episode:

• What LoRaWAN is and where it fits in industrial operations

• Long-range wireless communication and battery-powered sensors

• Connecting existing 4–20 mA instruments through LoRaWAN bridges

• Sensors, gateways, and the LoRaWAN network server

• Moving data into Ignition, AVEVA PI, and enterprise platforms

• MQTT, Sparkplug, APIs, and legacy integration options

• LoRaWAN versus WirelessHART for monitoring applications

• The three C’s: cost, complexity, and cybersecurity

• Battery life, reporting intervals, and event-driven transmissions

• Opportunities to reduce unnecessary field trips and manual readings

• Applications for tank levels, pressure, water metering, and leak detection

The discussion also explains why these monitoring applications have different requirements from process control and safety systems.

Whether you manage production operations, develop SCADA systems, or evaluate industrial technology investments, this conversation offers a practical starting point for connecting more of your existing equipment.

This is Part 1 of our WIKA conversation. Part 2 will focus on the instruments and a hands-on demonstration.

Guests: Britt Antley and Pete Miramontes, WIKA

Hosts: Jeff Perry and Mike Flores

Presented by OpSite Energy

Insight Driven Remote Optimization.

Learn more:

WIKA: https://www.wika.com

OpSite Energy: https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Subscribe for more conversations about SCADA, industrial automation, operational technology, remote operations, and the future of energy.

What instrument or manual reading would you connect first? Tell us in the comments.

#LoRaWAN #IndustrialIoT #OilAndGas

00:00 Opening outtakes with the WIKA team

01:52 Welcome to the Energy Tech Podcast

03:06 Meet Pete Miramontes and Britt Antley

07:45 Unlocking stranded data from analog assets

08:33 Reducing manual readings and field exposure

13:21 LoRaWAN explained: Range, power, and battery life

16:15 Architecture: Sensors, gateways, and network servers

18:08 Connecting to Ignition, AVEVA PI, and WIKA’s platform

19:49 Bringing 4–20 mA instruments onto LoRaWAN

22:19 Monitoring, reporting intervals, and event triggers

23:48 A closer look at WIKA’s bridge devices

25:46 LoRaWAN versus WirelessHART

29:47 The three C’s: Cost, complexity, and cybersecurity

32:20 Deployment cost lessons from Chevron

33:21 Simplifying installation and device onboarding

35:43 MQTT, Sparkplug, APIs, and legacy integrations

38:21 LoRaWAN cybersecurity and encryption

40:59 Data centers, water metering, and leak detection

42:11 Key takeaways and the Part 2 demo preview

Music: “Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

https://www.epidemicsound.com

Can the people who know your equipment best build AI models—without writing code or sending operational data to the cloud?

Recorded live at ICC 2026 in Sacramento, this Energy Tech Podcast episode features Bryan Thyken, Chief Revenue Officer at SORBA.ai. We explore how no-code industrial AI connects with Ignition to put machine learning and process optimization into the hands of engineers and operational subject matter experts.

From plunger lift optimization to AI running at remote wellsites, Bryan explains SORBA’s approach to building and deploying models on-premises and at the edge. We also discuss SORBOT, its on-prem industrial AI assistant, and how equipment manuals, P&IDs, and operational data can help teams troubleshoot problems with better context.

In this episode:

• No-code AI model development and native Ignition integration

• Connecting, cleaning, and contextualizing industrial data

• Plunger lift optimization using familiar operating variables

• Edge computing, industrial hardware, and deployment options

• SORBOT, on-prem language models, and equipment documentation

• Why human expertise remains essential when using AI

• Managing by exception to reduce unnecessary field visits and driving exposure

For production teams, SCADA developers, controls engineers, and operations leaders, this conversation explores where industrial AI can deliver practical value—and why the people who understand the process remain central to making it work.

Subscribe to the Energy Tech Podcast for more conversations with the people building the future of energy technology.

Presented by OpSite Energy:

[www.opsiteenergy.com](https://www.opsiteenergy.com)

Learn more about SORBA.ai:

[www.sorba.ai](https://www.sorba.ai)

#IndustrialAI #Ignition #OilAndGas

00:00 Welcome to ICC 2026 & meet Bryan Thyken

01:29 No-code industrial AI & Ignition integration

03:23 Data connectors, automated ETL & contextualization

04:23 On-prem AI, cloud options & control of your data

07:08 Plunger lift optimization & operator expertise

08:24 Running AI models at the edge

10:37 Industrial hardware, installation & trial access

12:23 SORBA University & flexible deployment options

15:56 Introducing SORBOT: An on-prem industrial AI assistant

17:10 Using P&IDs, manuals & operational context

20:31 AI reliability & why human expertise still matters

21:51 Manage by exception: Fewer field trips & safer operations

23:36 Closing thoughts

Music: “Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

[www.epidemicsound.com](https://www.epidemicsound.com)

What does it take to modernize oil and gas SCADA and deliver reliable data from the wellsite to the people who need it?

Recorded live at ICC 2026 in Sacramento, this Energy Tech Podcast episode features Cody Pannell, Director of Software Development at AUTOSOL. We discuss migrating from CygNet to Ignition, collecting higher-frequency data with edge ACM, and the launch of Foundation MQ, AUTOSOL’s Sparkplug-aware MQTT broker.

Cody explains how customer needs shape AUTOSOL’s development priorities, why reliability matters in remote oilfield operations, and how better data supports production optimization, machine learning, and agentic AI.

In this episode:

• Simplifying SCADA migrations following mergers and acquisitions

• Moving devices, tags, and data structures into Ignition

• Using edge data collection across different tiers of wells

• Managing distributed applications and configurations at scale

• Foundation MQ, Sparkplug B, clustering, and failover

• The roadmap for Databricks, Parquet, Kafka, and cloud integrations

• Unified Namespace, data contextualization, and lessons from manufacturing

Whether you work in production operations, SCADA development, industrial automation, or data engineering, this conversation connects field-level challenges with the infrastructure needed for what comes next.

Subscribe to the Energy Tech Podcast for more conversations with the people building the future of energy technology.

Presented by OpSite Energy:

https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Learn more about AUTOSOL:

https://autosoln.com

#Ignition #MQTT #OilAndGas

00:00 Welcome to ICC 2026 & meet Cody Pannell

02:00 SCADA migration after mergers & acquisitions

03:34 Moving from CygNet to Ignition: Tags & UDTs

04:36 Edge ACM, well tiers & higher-frequency data

07:14 Managing hundreds of edge deployments

09:28 Customer-driven development, MLOps & AI

10:41 Introducing Foundation MQ

12:33 MQTT reliability, clustering & failover

14:25 Deployment options & cloud integration roadmap

17:20 ICC takeaways: Unified Namespace & AI-ready data

18:53 Closing thoughts

Music: “Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

https://www.epidemicsound.com

MQTT co-inventor Arlen Nipper and Inductive Automation’s Thomas Burke join Mike Flores at ICC 2026 to discuss OPC UA, Sparkplug V4, and what it takes to get industrial data ready for AI.

We’re kicking off our ICC 2026 interview series with two industry titans who have helped shape industrial connectivity. Recorded in Sacramento at the Ignition Community Conference, this conversation connects decades of experience with the next chapter of industrial automation.

Arlen and Thomas explain how MQTT Sparkplug and OPC UA work together, why open standards matter, and how report by exception can reduce the data moving through your infrastructure.

They also preview proposed Sparkplug V4 capabilities, including a more flexible topic namespace, JSON payload support, file publishing, and alarm data types. Along the way, they discuss Siemens joining the Sparkplug Working Group, the role of the Eclipse Foundation, and how feedback from end users shapes the standard.

The big takeaway: industrial AI starts with a strong operational foundation. Arlen lays out three priorities—decouple devices from applications, establish a single source of truth, and demonstrate a superior OT solution first.

If you work with Ignition SCADA, industrial IoT, automation, or OT data architecture, this episode belongs on your watch list.

GUESTS

• Arlen Nipper — Cirrus Link Solutions; co-inventor of MQTT

• Thomas Burke — Technology Evangelist, Inductive Automation

HOST

Mike Flores | Energy Tech Podcast

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to ICC 2026: Arlen Nipper & Thomas Burke

00:52 ICC takeaways: Ignition 2027, AI & data connectivity

03:22 Thomas Burke’s mission at Inductive Automation

05:26 Why OPC UA and Sparkplug work together

06:05 Eclipse Milo & the open-source story

06:51 Community feedback shaping Sparkplug V4

07:40 MQTT adoption & Siemens joining the working group

09:21 Report by exception: bandwidth & data volume

11:36 How customer demand drives vendor adoption

12:39 Choosing protocols for the application

13:59 Sparkplug V4 preview: a flexible topic namespace

15:42 JSON payloads & the efficiency trade-off

16:42 File publishing & alarm data types

18:06 Building standards around real customer needs

19:26 Applications across energy, pharma & water

20:23 Industrial AI readiness: three foundational priorities

22:01 Evolving standards & getting involved

23:22 Closing remarks & more from ICC

CONNECT

OpSite Energy: https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Cirrus Link Solutions: https://cirrus-link.com

Inductive Automation: https://inductiveautomation.com

Eclipse Sparkplug: https://sparkplug.eclipse.org

Subscribe to the Energy Tech Podcast for more conversations from ICC 2026 and the people building the future of energy and industrial technology.

What is the biggest obstacle to making your operational data ready for AI? Tell us in the comments.

MUSIC

“Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

https://www.epidemicsound.com

#MQTT #IndustrialAutomation #ICC2026

The Energy Tech Podcast celebrates its 100th episode at Ignition Community Conference—ICC 2026—with a Steam Deck OLED and CanaKit Raspberry Pi giveaway!

Join Jeff Perry and Mike Flores as they recap a week of conversations about Ignition SCADA, industrial automation, and industrial AI. From AUTOSOL and Coreflux to longtime supporter Arlen Nipper, we reflect on the people and ideas that made this year’s ICC special.

We discuss CNX Resources’ appearance at the Ignition Oil and Gas Collective, the excitement around Ignition Catalyst, MCP, and AI agents—and then let the duck races decide our giveaway winners.

Most importantly, this episode is a thank-you to every guest, subscriber, and supporter who helped us reach 100 episodes. Your experience, questions, and willingness to share keep these conversations going.

Have a guest or topic you’d like us to feature? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more interviews from ICC 2026.

🎁 This episode features the completed giveaway drawings. Entries are closed.

HOSTS

Jeff Perry and Mike Flores

PRESENTED BY OPSITE ENERGY

Insight Driven Remote Optimization.

www.opsiteenergy.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 Celebrating 100 episodes at ICC 2026

00:44 The prizes: Steam Deck OLED and CanaKit

01:09 ICC highlights and standout guests

02:25 CNX, the Oil and Gas Collective, and Ignition

02:59 Ignition Catalyst, MCP, and AI agents

03:22 Setting up the giveaway duck races

04:34 CanaKit Raspberry Pi race and winner

05:28 Steam Deck OLED race and winner

06:25 Upcoming interviews and getting involved

07:42 Thank you to our guests and community

09:02 More ICC episodes on the way

MUSIC

“Fast Life” by Uygar Duzgun

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

[www.epidemicsound.com](https://www.epidemicsound.com/)

#ICC2026 #IgnitionSCADA #EnergyTechPodcast

What’s coming at Ignition Community Conference 2026? Jeff Perry and Mike Flores preview the industrial automation conversations, technology showcases, and community stories they’re excited to explore in Sacramento.

In Episode 99 of the Energy Tech Podcast, we’re getting ready for “Innovation Unleashed” and celebrating the road to 100 episodes. From Ignition SCADA and industrial AI to edge computing, maintenance integration, and oil and gas data strategies, this episode sets the stage for our upcoming conversations at ICC.

We discuss:

• Solution showcases featuring Tiger Data, Sorba AI, Flow, and AUTOSOL

• Anticipated Ignition announcements and keynote conversations

• The Ignition Oil and Gas Collective and connecting operations with data

• Upcoming podcast conversations with MaintainX, Tiger Data, Opto 22, and Neeve

• Deploying Ignition Edge for smaller oil and gas producers—and scaling from there

• How end users and integrators can share their stories on the podcast

• Our 100th-episode giveaway featuring a Raspberry Pi kit and a Steam Deck OLED 1TB

🎙️ SHARE YOUR STORY AT ICC

Working on an interesting Ignition project? Come see us at the podcast booth. Whether you’re an end user, integrator, or first-time attendee, we want to hear what you’re building, what you’ve learned, and where you’re headed. No script needed.

🎉 CELEBRATE 100 EPISODES

Stop by the booth or scan the QR code shown in the video for giveaway signup details. Subscribe on YouTube and join us as we celebrate the community that made our first 100 episodes possible.

HOSTS

Jeff Perry and Mike Flores

Recorded at the OpSite Energy Control Center in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

PRESENTED BY OPSITE ENERGY

24/7 remote operations, SCADA and control-room services, industrial automation, alarm management, and industrial AI.

Insight Driven Remote Optimization.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to the Energy Tech Podcast

00:33 Why the Ignition community matters

01:44 Episode 99 and our 100th-episode giveaway

04:10 ICC 2026: Innovation Unleashed

04:39 Tiger Data, Sorba AI, Flow, and AUTOSOL showcases

05:46 Ignition keynotes and anticipated announcements

06:14 Ignition Oil and Gas Collective: Operations meets data

07:19 Connecting with the ICC community

07:53 Upcoming guests and MaintainX integrations

09:13 Tiger Data and Opto 22 podcast previews

09:54 Neeve and Ignition Edge for oil and gas

10:25 How to book a podcast interview at ICC

11:34 An invitation to end users and integrators

12:34 Come see us in Sacramento

Music: Uygar Duzgun / “Fast Life” courtesy of [www.epidemicsound.com](https://www.epidemicsound.com/)

#IgnitionSCADA #ICC2026 #IndustrialAutomation #IndustrialAI #EnergyTechPodcast

Industrial AI is moving through every layer of operational technology—and traditional perimeter security was not designed for it.

Recorded live at Inductive Automation’s Solar & BESS Discovery Day 2026 in San Diego, Mike Flores sits down with Bill Behn of Neeve to discuss the convergence of IT and OT, industrial SASE, zero-trust security, AI agents, and what comes next for industrial network architecture.

Bill explains why industrial organizations can no longer rely entirely on multiple layers, static perimeters, and traditional remote-access models. As AI agents, applications, edge devices, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems become increasingly connected, OT teams need a secure control plane that can manage access without adding unnecessary complexity.

Topics include:

⚡ IT/OT and cross-industry technology convergence

⚡ What comes next after traditional Purdue-model architecture

⚡ Industrial Secure Access Service Edge—or industrial SASE

⚡ Zero-trust security for remote access, applications, and AI agents

⚡ Connecting edge operations with cloud and enterprise platforms

⚡ Why AI creates a new industrial attack surface

⚡ Simplifying complex industrial network architectures

⚡ Ignition as a platform for solar and battery operations

⚡ Capability, cybersecurity, and complexity—the “Three C’s”

⚡ Why industrial leaders must reconsider legacy assumptions

If you work in SCADA, industrial automation, operational technology, renewable energy, cybersecurity, IIoT, or industrial AI, this conversation offers a practical look at the architecture and security models shaping the next generation of connected operations.

Guest:

Bill Behn

Neeve

https://neeve.ai

Host:

Mike Flores

EnergyTech Podcast

Recorded live at:

Inductive Automation’s Solar & BESS Discovery Day 2026

San Diego, California

Presented by OpSite Energy

OpSite Energy provides 24/7 remote operations, SCADA and control-room services, alarm management, industrial automation, OT/IT integration, and industrial AI solutions.

Learn more:

https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Subscribe to the EnergyTech Podcast for more conversations covering industrial automation, operational technology, SCADA, cybersecurity, AI, edge computing, and energy innovation.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Live from Solar & BESS Discovery Day

01:18 – The carrier battle-group analogy

02:03 – Convergence across the industrial ecosystem

03:09 – What IT/OT convergence really means

03:57 – Industrial SASE and what comes next

04:31 – Moving beyond layers and static architecture

05:14 – Zero trust for industrial AI

06:42 – Why future cyberthreats matter now

07:14 – Securing applications and AI agents

07:29 – The airport analogy for zero trust

08:25 – What industrial leaders should take away

09:33 – Ignition and the Three C’s

10:19 – Previewing Part Two

10:40 – Closing remarks

Music: Uygar Duzgun – “Fast Life”

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

#IndustrialAI #OTSecurity #ZeroTrust #IndustrialSASE #Cybersecurity #OperationalTechnology #SCADA #IgnitionSCADA #IndustrialAutomation #IIoT #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTechPodcast

Utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects are generating more data, facing larger cybersecurity risks, and relying on a surprisingly small pool of experienced SCADA professionals.

Recorded live at Inductive Automation’s Solar & BESS Discovery Day 2026 in San Diego, Mike Flores sits down with Duke Green, SCADA Manager at McCarthy Building Companies, to discuss SCADA optimization, EPC project delivery, industrial AI, cybersecurity, data strategy, and the controls-talent shortage facing renewable energy.

Duke explains how McCarthy oversees SCADA and controls development throughout the design and construction lifecycle—helping owners, subcontractors, and technology providers avoid costly integration problems and deliver an optimized system at turnover.

The conversation also explores how the industry has moved beyond isolated, air-gapped control systems. Today’s solar and BESS facilities require wireless connectivity, IT/OT collaboration, cybersecurity expertise, data engineering, cloud integration, and increasingly, AI-enabled analysis.

Topics include:

⚡ SCADA integration for utility-scale solar and BESS projects

⚡ McCarthy’s role as an engineering, procurement, and construction partner

⚡ SCADA oversight during design, construction, and project turnover

⚡ Why traditional air-gapped security is no longer enough

⚡ AI-driven cybersecurity threats and vulnerability discovery

⚡ Treating operational and project data as a strategic asset

⚡ Using Ignition across renewable-energy projects

⚡ The shortage of experienced SCADA and controls professionals

⚡ How CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and data engineering are changing OT roles

⚡ The growing need for IT and OT teams to work together

⚡ AI-assisted analysis, forecasting, and predictive maintenance

⚡ Why AI is more likely to augment technical workers than replace them

Duke also shares McCarthy’s history as a company founded in 1864 and its culture as a 100% employee-owned national builder.

If you work in renewable energy, solar, battery storage, SCADA, EPC project delivery, industrial automation, cybersecurity, controls engineering, or industrial AI, this episode provides a practical look at the technology and workforce challenges shaping the industry.

Guest:

Duke Green

SCADA Manager

McCarthy Building Companies

https://www.mccarthy.com

Host:

Mike Flores

EnergyTech Podcast

Recorded live at:

Inductive Automation’s Solar & BESS Discovery Day 2026

San Diego, California

Presented by OpSite Energy

OpSite Energy provides 24/7 remote operations, SCADA and control-room services, alarm management, industrial automation, OT/IT integration, and industrial AI solutions.

Learn more:

https://www.opsiteenergy.com

Subscribe to the EnergyTech Podcast for more conversations covering renewable energy, industrial automation, operational technology, SCADA, cybersecurity, AI, and energy innovation.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Live from Solar & BESS Discovery Day

00:51 – Meet Duke Green of McCarthy

01:32 – McCarthy’s role as a renewable-energy EPC

02:18 – SCADA oversight from design through turnover

02:50 – McCarthy’s history and employee ownership

03:38 – Protecting the owner’s interests through SCADA

03:58 – How cybersecurity and AI changed the industry

05:05 – Why data has become a critical asset

05:35 – Digitizing the entire project lifecycle

06:07 – Ignition deployments across renewable projects

06:44 – The shortage of qualified SCADA professionals

08:01 – Why SCADA struggles to attract technical talent

08:45 – How the controls-engineering role is changing

09:28 – IT/OT collaboration in modern operations

10:04 – FEL, bidding, design, and turnkey delivery

11:10 – Why AI is the industry’s biggest opportunity

11:41 – Forecasting and predictive maintenance with AI

12:06 – AI agents as workforce augmentation

12:46 – The value of industry networking

13:22 – Closing remarks

Music: Uygar Duzgun – “Fast Life”

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

#SolarEnergy #BESS #SCADA #IndustrialAI #RenewableEnergy #OTCybersecurity #IgnitionSCADA #IndustrialAutomation #PredictiveMaintenance #EnergyStorage #EPC #EnergyTechPodcast