Hardware to Save a Planet

What if autonomous technology could detect and extinguish wildfires before they reach homes and communities? Wildfires are becoming an increasingly urgent climate resilience challenge, yet while detection systems have advanced rapidly, suppression remains largely fragmented and reactive. Gadi Benjamini, Co-founder and CEO of FireDome, believes autonomous hardware can change that.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Gadi about how FireDome combines early detection with rapid, targeted suppression to protect properties in the wildland-urban interface. He explains how the company’s long-range autonomous launcher was inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, why insurance companies could play a critical role in driving adoption, and what it takes to engineer hardware that can perform reliably in extreme conditions. 

Gadi also shares lessons from testing, multidisciplinary engineering, and building climate technology around a clear purpose, while turning wildfire protection from an emergency response into proactive resilience.

What you will learn:

• How to position resilience technology as a mandatory risk-mitigation tool
• Why the suppression side of wildfire management is under-innovated
• The three-layer protection framework for properties
• How to engineer autonomous systems that operate reliably 
• The importance of multidisciplinary teams when combining hardware and software at scale
• How to validate hardware performance without real-world fire conditions
• Why clarity of purpose and persistent learning are non-negotiable in deep-tech ventures

Gadi Benjamini is the Co-founder and CEO of FireDome, a climate resilience company developing autonomous, AI-powered technology to detect, contain, and suppress wildfires before they spread. With 16 years of leadership and management experience, including roles in Israeli defense and intelligence, Gadi brings a unique perspective to complex hardware and systems engineering. His background in chemistry and deep-tech innovation informs FireDome’s mission to help communities and businesses build greater wildfire resilience through autonomous systems and eco-friendly suppression technology.

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!

Episode Resources:

• Gadi Benjamini on LinkedIn
• FireDome Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

 Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

What if regional air travel could become both cheaper to operate and dramatically better for the planet? Aviation remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, but advances in battery technology are opening the door to a fundamentally different approach. Anders Forslund, Co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, believes hybrid-electric aircraft can transform short-haul aviation while creating compelling economics for airlines.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Anders about how reaching 400 watt-hours per kilogram changed the viability of electric flight and how Heart is leveraging innovations from the electric vehicle industry to reduce costs. He explains the economics behind the ES-30, the role of sustainable aviation fuels, and why electrification could reshape aircraft architecture, manufacturing, and software. Anders also shares how Heart is de-risking its technology and challenging a decades-old aviation duopoly.

What you will learn:

• Why energy density was the inflection point
• How to leverage adjacent industry innovation
• The unit economics advantage that drives adoption
• Why hybrid-electric systems are complementary to sustainable aviation fuel
• The innovation catalyst thesis (Conway's Law).
• How to de-risk a full-scale aviation demonstrator

Anders Forslund is Co-Founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, the aerospace company developing hybrid-electric aircraft for regional travel. He founded the company in 2018 after working as an aerospace researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, where he contributed to Sweden’s electric aviation research program. Anders holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Product Development from Chalmers, along with master’s degrees in Astronautics and Space Engineering. He also conducted research at MIT, where his work earned the Charles M. Manly Memorial Medal.

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!

Episode Resources:

• Anders Forslund on LinkedIn
• Heart Aerospace Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

What if your water heater could lower your energy bills, keep your showers hot, and help stabilize the electric grid? Residential water heating accounts for roughly 20% of household energy use, yet most systems still operate without intelligence. Luke Winston-Almanzar, CEO and Co-founder of Reservoir, believes that changing this could unlock one of the biggest climate opportunities hiding inside our homes.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Luke about how intelligent heat pump water heaters use predictive software to store thermal energy when electricity is cleaner and cheaper, effectively turning every home into part of a distributed energy network. He explains why better customer experience, not efficiency alone, drives adoption, how integrated hardware dramatically lowers installation costs, and why smart water heaters can evolve into platforms that improve home energy management while reducing emissions at grid scale.

What you will learn:

• Why water heating is the climate's biggest blind spot
• How predictive algorithms unlock comfort without sacrifice
• The thermal battery framework for grid resilience
• How to design climate products people actually want
• The integration advantage for cost reduction
• Why water heating unlocks three critical domains simultaneously

Luke Winston-Almanzar is the CEO and co-founder of Reservoir, a climate technology company focused on revolutionizing residential water heating through intelligent heat pump systems. With over a decade of experience scaling hardware at Formlabs, where he served on the founding team and built go-to-market operations, Luke brings deep expertise in hardware innovation, supply chain optimization, and sustainable product design. His work at Reservoir addresses one of the home's largest energy drains, water heating, which accounts for approximately 20% of typical household energy use, while positioning smart water heaters as thermal batteries capable of grid-scale impact.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Luke Winston-Almanzar on LinkedIn
• Reservoir Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

What if cow burps could power the future? Methane emissions from cattle represent one of the largest and most overlooked contributors to climate change, accounting for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Griffin Cherry, Founder and CEO of Planet.Tech, is developing a novel solution that captures methane directly from cow respiration and converts it into renewable energy, creating both environmental and economic value.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Griffin about the opportunity to transform livestock emissions into a scalable climate solution. He explains why cow burps are responsible for the vast majority of cattle-related methane emissions, the engineering challenges of building wearable hardware for 1,600-pound animals, and the importance of designing technology that benefits both farmers and the planet. 

The conversation explores hardware innovation, agricultural economics, and entrepreneurship, revealing how unconventional climate solutions can unlock massive market opportunities while addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. 

What you will learn:

• Why cow burps account for 90% of livestock methane emissions
• How to design wearable hardware for 1,600-pound animals
• The financial desperation driving farmer adoption
• How to validate a hardware MVP with under $100K in personal investment
• The $5.2 trillion global market opportunity
• Why relentless action, not risk appetite, separates entrepreneurs from everyone else

Griffin Cherry is the Founder and CEO of Planet.Tech, a climate technology company developing the world's first wearable methane capture system for dairy cattle. Drawing on an unconventional background that includes mechanical work, culinary arts, offshore sailing, restaurant management, and top-performing roofing sales, Griffin brings a unique perspective to solving complex environmental challenges. Inspired by the belief that "the impossible just takes longer," he founded Planet Tech to tackle overlooked planetary-scale problems, beginning with livestock methane emissions. 
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!

Episode Resources:

• Griffin Cherry on LinkedIn
• Planet.Tech Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

As plastic pollution accelerates alongside climate change, innovators are racing to replace petroleum-based materials with scalable, climate-positive alternatives. In this live episode from the 2026 San Francisco Climate Week, Dylan Garrett speaks with Julia Marsh, CEO and co-founder of Sway, Molly Morse, CEO at Mango Materials, and Ryan Starling, Design Director at frog Design,  about how seaweed-based polymers and methane-derived bioplastics could transform the future of packaging and consumer products. 
They explore why sustainable materials must work within existing manufacturing infrastructure, how rigorous life cycle analysis helps win over brands and buyers, and why nature’s own materials often outperform engineered alternatives. The conversation also examines supply chain resistance, composting policy barriers, and the importance of designing climate solutions that align environmental impact with economic incentives and real-world adoption. 
What you will learn:

• Why reduction alone won't solve the plastic crisis
• How seaweed becomes a viable plastic replacement
• The methane-to-plastic pathway that actually sequesters carbon
• How to overcome supply chain resistance through proof and brand alignment.
•  The compostability policy trap that kills promising alternatives
•  Why LCA comparisons are incomplete without context

Julia Marsh is CEO and cofounder of Sway, a biomaterials company revolutionizing packaging through seaweed-based plastic alternatives. With a background in design and packaging innovation, Julia recognized the environmental impact of traditional plastics and pivoted her career toward creating sustainable materials that perform as well as conventional plastics while being fully compostable.
Molly Morse is cofounder and CEO of Mango Materials, a biotechnology company transforming waste methane emissions into biodegradable PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) plastics. Holding a PhD in biodegradable materials and biocomposites, Molly combines deep technical expertise with entrepreneurial vision to address both the production and end-of-life challenges of conventional plastics.
Ryan Starling is the Design Director at frog Design, specializing in sustainable product and packaging innovation. With expertise in industrial design and life cycle assessment, Ryan bridges the gap between material science and real-world product adoption by helping corporations navigate the complex trade-offs between performance, cost, and environmental impact.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Julia Marsh on LinkedIn
• Sway Website
• Molly Morse on LinkedIn
• Mango Materials Website
• Ryan Starling on LinkedIn
• Frog Design Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

 Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of wildfires, the need for faster, smarter response systems is becoming urgent. Andrea Santy, Executive Program Director of XPRIZE Wildfire, is leading a global effort to detect and suppress fires within minutes, preventing environmental and economic devastation at scale.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Andrea about how satellite networks, AI, and autonomous systems are reshaping climate resilience. She explains the competition’s dual-track approach, the challenge of real-time detection across vast ecosystems, and the ambition of fully autonomous suppression within 10 minutes. The conversation explores how cross-border collaboration, scalability, and equitable deployment are essential to building solutions that can protect forests, communities, and the global climate system.

What you will learn:

• How the space-based detection track works
• Why the 10-minute autonomous response challenge represents the innovation frontier
• The critical role of AI and machine learning in wildfire detection
• How cross-sector collaboration inside the competition drives unexpected innovation
• Why global accessibility and business viability are judging criteria, not afterthoughts
• The critical insight from Australian research that justifies the competition's urgency

Andrea Santy is the Executive Program Director of the $11M XPRIZE Wildfire, where she leads a four-year global competition to accelerate technologies that can detect and suppress destructive wildfires. With over 20 years of experience in conservation and community development, she focuses on advancing scalable solutions to urgent climate challenges. At XPRIZE, she oversees program execution, builds strategic partnerships, and guides real-world testing, creating a collaborative platform to drive innovation in wildfire prevention, response, and long-term climate resilience.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!

Episode Resources:

• Andrea Santy on LinkedIn
• XPRIZE Foundation Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

 Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

Utility-scale solar is racing to meet surging power demand, yet installation bottlenecks, including labour shortages, heavier panels, and inconsistent daily output, are slowing progress. Deise Yumi Asami and the team at AES Corporation are tackling this with Maximo, an AI-powered field robot that automates panel installation, thereby cutting build times while improving safety and deployment certainty.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Deise about engineering autonomous robotics for unpredictable outdoor environments. She explains how computer vision replaces fixed programming, how simulation and digital twins accelerated development, and why EPCs value certainty over simple cost savings. The conversation explores scaling hardware inside a Fortune 500 company and reflects on how aligning technical skill with climate impact can accelerate clean energy adoption.
What you will learn:

• Why solar installation speed matters for climate impact
• How AI vision enables outdoor robotics at scale
• The labor bottleneck that robotics solves
• How to balance automation with human oversight for efficiency and safety
• The power of simulation-driven development for hardware acceleration
• Why EPCs care more about certainty than cost savings

Deise Yumi Asami is the creator of Maximo, an AI-enabled robotic system designed to revolutionize solar panel installation. With an electrical engineering background and over a decade of experience at AES Corporation as Head of Growth, she developed Maximo within AES Next, the corporation's innovation and investment arm, officially founding the company in 2023. Her work combines expertise in automation, field robotics, and renewable energy to address critical bottlenecks of reducing installation time and increasing certainty of delivery in solar deployment, for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Deise Yumi Asami on LinkedIn
• AES Corporation Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

Perovskite solar has long promised step-change efficiency, yet manufacturing hurdles kept it in the lab. Scott Graybeal and his team at Caelux are changing that. By adding a thin perovskite “active glass” layer to conventional silicon modules, the company unlocks 30–40% more power output while cutting overall project costs, without rebuilding the solar industry from scratch.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, about why perovskites represent a structural shift in solar economics. Scott explains how tandem cell architectures split the light spectrum to dramatically increase energy harvest, and why adding just a few cents per watt can transform 25-year project cash flows and lower the levelised cost of energy. 

He also outlines Caelux’s manufacturing roadmap toward high-volume production, applying Wright’s Law through disciplined process optimisation rather than one-off breakthroughs. The conversation also explores the company’s partnership strategy with incumbent module manufacturers, the changing geography of solar production, and why the next decade could determine whether solar becomes truly ubiquitous infrastructure.

What you will learn:

• How to Think About the Next Generation of Solar
• Why Cost Economics Matter More Than Pure Efficiency in Solar
• The Wright's Law Playbook for Manufacturing Optimization
• Why Partnering with Module Incumbents Beats Vertical Integration
• How Manufacturing Location Economics Have Fundamentally Shifted
• The Three Threads Driving Long-Term Viability
  
  

Scott Graybeal is the CEO of Caelux, a clean energy company specializing in perovskite-based solar technology. With over 15 years of experience in the solar and energy industries, including seven years leading the energy solutions segment at Flex, a major global manufacturer, Scott brings deep expertise in advanced manufacturing and clean energy innovation. He joined Caelux in 2021 to commercialize perovskite tandem solar cells, a breakthrough technology promising 30% more power generation in the same space and 20% lower project costs.

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Scott Graybeal on LinkedIn
• Caelux Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

 Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

Geothermal energy has long been overlooked, dismissed as a niche despite its ability to deliver constant, carbon-free baseload power. As data centre demand surges and grids strain under electrification, geothermal is re-emerging as a critical piece of the clean energy puzzle. Unlike intermittent renewables, it offers steady generation; if you can find it.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Joel Edwards, CTO and cofounder of Zanskar, about how AI and geoscience are transforming geothermal discovery.

Joel explains why the industry stalled after oil majors exited in the 1980s, and how Zanskar is solving the “needle in a haystack” problem of locating hidden reservoirs. By combining machine learning, proprietary field data, and physics-constrained simulations, the team has reduced exploration costs by up to 90% and drilled one of the most productive pumped geothermal wells in the United States at Lightning Dock. The conversation explores permitting bottlenecks, grid interconnection delays, and Zanskar’s ten-year vision to scale to one gigawatt of reliable and clean power.

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
What you will learn:

• Why geothermal lost momentum for decades
• How to reduce geothermal exploration costs by 90%
• The AI-powered flywheel for geothermal discovery
• How to derisk well placement using physics-constrained simulations
• Why conventional geothermal will coexist with enhanced geothermal in the long term
• How supply chain maturation unlocks cost competitiveness
  
  

Joel Edwards is the CTO and cofounder of Zanskar, a geothermal technology company leveraging custom-built AI and geoscience to discover overlooked geothermal resources that can be developed using existing drilling technology. With a PhD in earth sciences from UC Santa Cruz, Edwards brings deep technical expertise to the challenge of accelerating clean baseload power deployment. 

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Joel Edwards on LinkedIn
• Zanskar Geothermal and Minerals Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify 

 Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn

Nuclear fusion is rapidly moving from theory to commercial reality. One kilogram of fusion material generates more clean energy than burning 10 million kilograms of coal. The focus of Anthony Pancotti and his team at Helion Energy is on building the world’s first commercial fusion power plant, targeted to begin delivering electricity by 2028 under a landmark power purchase agreement. Fusion offers the promise of virtually limitless fuel, extraordinary energy density, and clean energy generation without greenhouse gas emissions or long-lasting radioactive waste.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Anthony Pancotti, cofounder and Head of R&D at Helion Energy, about why nuclear fusion is moving from lab experiment to commercial reality. Anthony explains Helion’s radically different, mass-manufacturable approach to fusion, the significance of its Microsoft power purchase agreement targeting 2028, and the remaining engineering, regulatory, and supply-chain challenges. The conversation explores how abundant fusion energy could reshape climate solutions, industry, and humanity’s future.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
What you will learn:

• How Helion's approach bypasses century-old steam turbines 
• Why moving away from neutron-producing reactions matters operationally
• The "magnetic piston" framework for understanding fusion
• How to derisk multi-billion-dollar fusion bets before proving commercial viability
• The three-pillar framework required for fusion scaling
• Why fusion economics work at scale

Anthony Pancotti is Co-founder and Head of R&D at Helion Energy, bringing a PhD in aerospace engineering and a decade of propulsion research experience from NASA and DARPA. Known for his expertise in plasma physics and fusion technology, Pancotti has helped grow Helion from early-stage plasma experiments to over $1 billion in funding and a landmark power purchase agreement with Microsoft.
Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.
To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!
Episode Resources:

• Anthony Pancotti on LinkedIn
• Helion Energy Website
• Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
• Synapse Podcast Website
• Synapse Website
• Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
• Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If you are interested in sponsoring Hardware to Save a Planet, please see our sponsorship offer here.

Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Going Big on Clean Energy with Small Fusion Reactors with Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy
• The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS
• Marine Electrification to Reduce Costs and Environmental Damage: A Conversation with Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine
  
  

If you have an interesting hardware solution to the climate crisis and would like the opportunity to share this with our audience, please complete this Guest Application form: https://fame.so/syn