            It’s that time of year again - everybody’s favorite warm-winter-weather solar tradeshow - Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America - is just a few days away.  I’ll be trading the winter chill for sunny San Diego along with 10,000 of my fellow #SolarWarriors. Today's episode is geared to get you ready to go (and pumped) for Intersolar, January 17-19 at the San Diego Convention Center. As with other major shows, I like to do a Know Before You Go (KBYG) episode to help you get oriented and better plan your time.  Reminder, if you haven’t already, you can get a 20% discount to the show with code “SUNCAST” (and also get a FREE Expo Hall pass!)..so what are you waiting for? Today you’ll hear from 3 folks intimately tied to the programming & planning of Intersolar & Energy Storage North America: Wes Doane, Vice President of Diversified Communications, shares the event's transformation journey under the new management and this year’s theme. Rudy Saporite from the Institute for Building Technology and Safety takes us behind the scenes of the crowd-favorite “Solar Games” competition - an actual live installation race where solar installers can earn up to $

665: Intersolar N. America ‘24 - Know Before You Go

Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy. 

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs. 

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world. 

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more. 

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

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            Chris Nelder challenges the status quo.  And his efforts have, for nearly a decade, centered on mobilizing an army of supporters to help us transition away from fossil fuels. As creator & host of the podcast The Energy Transition Show, Nelder aims to "influence the influencers" through carefully researched interviews with clean energy experts. I know that many many listeners of SunCast are also listeners of Chris’s show (and many have even told me you’re paid subscribers!) which has long-inspired me to watch and appreciate what Chris does. It took me YEARS to finally convince him to give me the honor & privilege of hearing his backstory and sharing it w/you all. Chris has written about energy and investing for decades, and I consider him one of the genuine thinkers and thought leaders of our modern energy community. Like me, he’s interviewed hundreds of guests on his show and has over 200 episodes; unlike me, each episode for Chris is a deep, deep dive into the technical details geared to help academics and laypersons alike have a more sensible and well-rounded understanding of a topic, not necessarily a person.  I have heard said of him, “Chris helps me think better about the topic and gives perspectives I might not have considered.” I like to think of him as a sort of clean energy Yoda…gently, reverently moving the collective ‘mind’ toward the outcome he envisions for our clean energy future, one conversation at a time. Expect to learn:Chris’s journey from internet publishing to solar PV system engineer to energy journalistCreating a common vocabulary for key concepts like “renewables” and “energy transition”His perspectives on underrated technologies like distributed energy resources (DERs), virtual power plants (VPPs), and geothermal energyHow Chris selects the most impactful topics and guests Why Chris built The Energy Transition Show as a subscription podcast
 Still reading? Must be pretty intriguing. Hit play! If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/. SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar. You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors. Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com. Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/ You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

697: Chris Nelder is Mobilizing an Army for Clean Energy

            The IRA gave solar manufacturers a huge incentive to manufacture on U.S. soil. How does the 45x incentive work, and are we actually gonna see anybody other than Nextracker capitalize on it?! Companies like FTC Solar are taking full advantage of this huge manufacturing tax credit. Their Vice President of Sales, Eric Frazier, shares how they’re bringing higher-paying manufacturing jobs back to American communities and what it means for developers.  He also shares his career lessons in mitigating project underperformance, navigating complex project sites, and empowering rural economic development. Expect to learn:How The Inflation Reduction Act(IRA) is transforming U.S. solar manufacturing FTC Solar’s plan to take its manufacturing from 50% domestic to 85% U.S.-basedThe challenges we need to overcome to manufacture complex components in the U.S.How Agrivoltaics can create multiple revenue streams for landowners The impact that re-shoring manufacturing is having on small American communities. 
 Interested in the creative ways solar is reviving American communities? Press play!  If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/. SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar. You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors. Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com. Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/ You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

696: Manufacturing Ground Mounts Here In The U.S. For The Same Cost as Abroad? FTC’s Solar’s Eric Frazier shares how

            We’ve heard that we need to focus on workforce development.  Yet many times the workforce we’ve developed has to re-invent the wheel for lack of reliable systems to a) know what good looks like, and b) replicate it in the field with minimal oversight.   What if any solar installer had reliable, step-by-step installation guidance straight from any manufacturer? Would this improve the process?  Solar projects are custom-built each time, often with components from a range of OEMs. This means that installers have to spend costly hours figuring out how to connect different solar technology on a per-project basis (what we often refer to as commissioning). Sierra Fan, cofounder of illu, offers a solution to this age-old efficiency hurdle. illu is a software platform that allows manufacturers (and installers) to create custom easy-to-follow processes to aid installers in completing fieldwork of all types. This system eliminates the need for manufacturers(OEMs) to develop their own bespoke software, and it guides installers through solar system installations and commissioning safely, every time.  It’s the simple yet effective idea that won illu the Solar Prize from the DOE and I believe it could be the perfect solution for OEMs trying to better support Installer operations. Expect to learn: Why illu won the American Made Solar PrizeHow Sierra went from financier at Morgan Stanley to successful entrepreneurHow illu got their start working on microgrids in Myanmar.Strategies for promoting sustainable technology adoption in emerging markets.The  partnerships and resources that are bringing  illu early success
This is a startup-story that you won’t want to miss! If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/. SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar. You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors. Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com. Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/ You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

695: ‘Digital Owner’s Manuals’ for installers with Illu co-founder Sierra Fan

            What if solar installers could easily integrate energy storage with any inverter on the market? LG Energy Storage Systems (ESS) makes that possible, and in an important and elegant way.  At the 2024 NABCEP Conference, Jim Brown, Senior National Sales Manager at LG ESS, highlighted  LG's new "Home 8" AC-coupled energy storage system, a game-changing product for solar installers. In today’s episode, Jim and Nico discuss AC vs. DC-coupled systems, homeowner misconceptions, and a new technology that will help homeowners maximize the their solar plus storage investment. . Expect to learn:Why some homeowners are still buying energy storage systems without solarWhat installers can do to better educate and prepare homeowners for power outages How LG engineered the Home 8 to work with any inverter on the marketThe importance of “frequency watt control”How to get the power of Home 8 for your customers
Still reading? Come on, hit play! It’s what the cool kids are doing…  If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/. SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar. You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors. Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com. Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/ You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

694: LG Proves There’s More Than One Home Battery That’s Easy, Effective & Elegant

            We often take access to electricity, refrigeration, and running water for granted. In many parts of the world, these are luxuries.  In today’s episode, Andi Kleissner and Kurt Kuhlmann, Co-founders and Co-CEOs of Amped Innovation, discuss how they’re changing lives by installing high-performance off-grid solar systems and appliances across Asia and Africa. Nico visited with the pair in their CA headquarters; Seated on two of their high-efficiency solar freezers, they share insights from making solar products that empower impoverished families in the “developing world” to earn stable incomes.  Expect to learn:Amped Innovation’s strategies to encourage productive use of power in emerging marketsHow Amped Innovation designs products with affordability and repairability in mind to make clean energy accessible to the most remote communities. How Amped Innovation leverages microfinance and Pay-as-You-Go systems to overcome financial barriers for families.About Amped’s full suite of products, from TVs and freezers to generators
Their entrepreneurial journey is inspiring; we hope you feel the same! If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/. SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar. You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors. Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com. Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/ You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

665: Intersolar N. America ‘24 - Know Before You Go

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