Renewable Rides

Today we’re thrilled to have Josh Bachman, a seasoned expert in energy efficiency and decarbonization. As a leading figure at Cascade Energy, Josh brings knowledge on the intersection of energy technology and financial strategy. He dives deep into the critical role of industrial heat pumps, electrification trends, and the evolving energy efficiency landscape. 

Listen in as Josh uncovers the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in their decarbonization journeys. He discusses the financial implications of energy projects, the challenges behind implementing new technologies, and the promising future of virtual power plants. You will hear Josh’s advice on achieving transformative energy efficiency and his vision for a net-zero future in the industry.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How Josh’s interest in energy started.
• What Cascade Energy does in the energy space.
• The primary hurdle in adopting energy-saving measures.
• How energy efficiency projects can lead to significant savings over time.
• The importance of energy and decarbonization beyond just financial returns.
• The gap between corporate goals and practical implementation.
• Advice for mid-level facility managers.
• How heat pumps work and their role in decarbonization.
• What virtual power plants are and their potential.
• Josh's vision for success.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "In my experience, energy efficiency is 90% about people and 10% about technology. We can upgrade to smart technology, but there's an operator behind it and if that operator doesn't understand how to use that technology or maintain it, the savings won't be fully realized." - Josh Bachman
• "Business leaders should be jumping on top of energy use as quickly as they would if their bank account was losing the 10% or even 40% equivalent of how much energy rates are increasing or the amount they're leaving on the table by not owning their power. This is not just an emissions thing, it's also a financial thing." - Dan Roberts
• "While the operation of buildings is not the core business of most companies, given the increase in energy prices and the pressures to decarbonize, the building and how it operates is increasingly becoming a part of their core business." - Dan Roberts

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Josh Bachman: LinkedIn
• Cascade Energy
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/skgjc

If you're looking to choose the best energy technologies for your site, this episode is a must-listen! In our Pain Point series, we're here to help you make informed decisions about the right onsite energy system. Gain valuable insights into common (and costly) mistakes, and learn how to better address the unique needs of your site. Tune in to ensure you're making the best choices for your energy solutions!

With every week that passes, onsite energy needs become more topical and we are seeing key areas where businesses can plan better to ensure things go more smoothly and efficiently than ever. Listen in to hear about some of the cases we have heard about where people have learned hard lessons when it comes to onsite energy and what we recommend to combat issues that happen in the planning process. We also outline important indicators that will help you determine the most valuable and effective system elements to put in place.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Common questions we get from people navigating onsite energy system implementation.
• The various energy needs and goals for each individual site.
• Important questions to ask when you are planning for a system that is resilient far into the future.
• Who you need to involve in these important energy system decisions.
• Key things to notice when looking at each site to look into new energy options.
• The importance of considering market conditions before choosing a system.
• How to simplify the process and get better outcomes.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "When considering what system is right for a particular facility, the first question to answer is 'What do we want to gain from this system?' Am I doing it because I'm suffering from power outages and I want to improve resilience? Is emissions reduction super important to my operation because I have contracts that are dependent on it, or is the public expecting and demanding it?" - Gareth Evans
• "By doing the analysis upfront and determining what system is right for the business, it provides the cheapest insurance policy to ensure that this 25-year plus investment is going to yield the most value for you." - Dan Roberts
• "When companies own their power and proactively plan and invest, it will unlock millions (if not hundreds of millions) of trapped value." - Gareth Evans

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/mu66r3rs

In this episode, we’re diving into the parallels between the energy transition and endurance events, particularly focusing on Gareth's recent 100-mile run. We’ll discuss the importance of setting audacious goals, planning meticulously, and adapting purposefully—both in ultra-marathon running and in navigating the complexities of the energy sector. 

Listen in as Gareth shares his personal journey of preparation, the challenges faced, and the crucial role of community support. He reflects on the lessons learned from his training regimen, the importance of having a robust support system, and how the principles of endurance sports can translate to business strategies. We also emphasize the necessity of a structured approach, the benefits of incremental progress, and the value of recovery and reflection phases.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• The parallels between ultra marathon running and the energy transition.
• The importance of setting and achieving audacious goals in both personal and business contexts.
• How meticulous planning and adaptability are crucial for success.
• The role of community and team support in overcoming challenges.
• The benefits of a structured approach to energy transition strategies.
• The significance of recovery and reflection phases in achieving long-term goals.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "People in corporate energy and sustainability teams feel overwhelmed by having to set goals or put a plan in place, but the key is to break the strategy down into bite-sized pieces. Then set a very consistent framework against which to operate and expect that many variables can impact staying rigid with the business strategy. Be prepared to adapt." - Gareth Evans
• "It's all well and good having a plan, but if you haven't communicated it to your team or your key stakeholders, then people can't rally around that and support each other to achieve those objectives." - Gareth Evans
• "It takes a village to get these energy transition strategies developed and then on-site energy systems and assets deployed because this not only impacts the financials of the business, it impacts operations, it impacts sustainability, it impacts the real estate investments we make." - Gareth Evans

Resources In Today's Episode:

• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/4rubwrbd

Today, Peter Asmus, an energy analyst and expert, joins the show to discuss the rise of distributed energy resources (DERs) and microgrids. You'll learn about the importance of resilience in the energy sector and why utilities are becoming less opposed to microgrids. He also explains the impact of California wildfires on the popularity of microgrids and the necessity of standardized microgrids for large-scale deployment.

Listen in as Peter describes the complexities and misconceptions surrounding batteries and their role in energy systems. He shares exciting details about his current project on Alaska's energy innovation and the measures needed to tackle the climate crisis there. You'll also hear why being proactive with your energy is crucial for business owners and how microgrids can provide cost savings, resilience, and sustainability.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Peter's career from journalist to analyst in the energy sector.
• The importance and implementation of distributed energy resources and microgrids.
• The resilience and reliability challenges in the energy industry.
• The importance of being prepared as a business owner.
• Why it is better to be proactive with your energy rather than reactive.
• Why microgrids are more approachable than what they seem.
• The challenges of microgrids, especially in areas affected by natural disasters.
• Peter's current project on Alaska's energy innovation and solutions for climate crisis improvement.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "Originally, utilities would barely pay attention to solar PV installations because they were so small, and there were so few of them. They wouldn't even include it in the planning. Fast forward to now, if you don't pay attention to DERS, you’re going to have some major problems." - Peter Asmus
• "Commercial and industrial customers are probably the fastest growing market, mainly because we've had so many power outages. And one of the challenges with micro is, right now, there is not an established value for resilience." - Peter Asmus
• "The battery prices have gone down so much, so you don't have to choose between cost savings and resilience and even sustainability nowadays through a microgrid or other system." - Peter Asmus

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Peter Asmus: Website | LinkedIn
• Introduction to Energy in California by Peter Asmus
• Reaping the Wind by Peter Asmus
• Reinventing Electric Utilities by Peter Asmus
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/fszzsdac 

Today on the show, Tim Echols, Commissioner of the Georgia Public Service Commission, offers insights into the future of power supply and regulatory responsibilities. How does Georgia plan to meet its explosive power demand? What are the implications of new energy companies on power distribution? Tim discusses these topics and shares his perspective on Georgia's power growth projections and the potential for on-site energy utilization.

Listen in as we explore Tim's reflections on the Vogtle plant-building process and the evolving role of Congress in energy management. Learn about the importance of net metering rules, the promise of hydrogen and battery technologies in energy storage, and the future landscape of manufacturing and data centers in Georgia. 

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How Tim got involved in politics.
• How Tim measures success in his work.
• What Tim’s job entails in the day-to-day.
• Georgia's power supply challenges and strategies for meeting growing demand.
• The challenges of building the Vogtle Plant.
• If Tim would do it again knowing what he knows now.
• The evolving role of state regulators in shaping utility policies and energy innovations.
• Future trends in energy management.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “If you put everything close together, you can get some economies of scale and really make something like hydrogen work. I do think hydrogen is a shiny object. Not as shiny as batteries right now, but it's shiny and it will have its day, and I think it's going to be a great resource around the world.” - Tim Echols
• “When you add batteries to a large solar field, you've turned that energy-only asset into something you can count on. So batteries do have kind of a magical quality like that.” - Tim Echols
• “There are so many great things happening in California and we need to learn from those.” - Tim Echols

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Tim Echols: LinkedIn | X
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9msaen 

How can you maximize your energy transition opportunities across your entire portfolio? In this episode, we will explore strategies for implementing energy transition tactics effectively. We will discuss how to identify the best locations within your portfolio for energy initiatives, prioritize high-return projects, and how we approach these challenges at VECKTA.

You'll learn the importance of considering historical outages, grid strain, and natural disasters to project future scenarios and make informed decisions. We'll address common misconceptions about deploying solar or batteries at the largest energy-consuming sites. Listen in as we explain the importance of reevaluating your portfolio to uncover hidden value and ensure beneficial projects are not overlooked.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Strategies for effective energy transition implementation across your portfolio.
• How to prioritize high-return energy projects.
• The importance of considering historical outages and grid strain.
• Misconceptions about deploying solar and battery solutions at large energy sites.
• Techniques for uncovering hidden value in your energy transition efforts.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "While your facility may or may not have been impacted by an outage, it's important to look at the historical outages in that region and then start to project ahead to map what it might look like based on grid transmission and distribution age and the strains on the grid, not to mention the obvious ones around natural disasters, wildfires, hurricanes and flooding." - Dan Roberts
• "When you're talking about hundreds or thousands of sites, trying to account for each individual local concern using a spreadsheet, you're just not going to be able to pull it off." - Dan Roberts
• "Companies often think they should start by deploying solar or batteries at their biggest energy consuming sites - but that doesn't always make the most sense, depending on where the site is located and the business priorities. So, we help customers take another look at their portfolio to find trapped value and ensure they're not leaving viable, beneficial projects unbuilt." - Gareth Evans

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/uncyjpjs 

How do we navigate the complexities of evolving energy policies while pushing for a sustainable future? In this episode, Allie Detrio, Chief Strategist for Reimagine Power, joins the show to explore this very question. With over 15 years of experience in clean energy and sustainability, Allie shares her insights on the critical role of policy, operations, and business development in advancing the energy sector. We discuss her background, the innovative work of her team, and the ongoing efforts to overcome regulatory and policy barriers. 

Discover the concept of community energy resilience and the urgent need to evolve utility business models to better serve our modern energy needs. You'll learn about the biases within utilities, the barriers to progressive policy development, and the opportunities available for businesses today. Allie also shares what excites her about the energy space, why the pace of progress can be slow, and how we can develop win-win outcomes that meet 21st-century energy goals. 

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Where Allie’s love of sustainability came from.
• What sustainability means to Allie.
• What Reimagine Power does.
• How Allie’s team is helping to drive us into our 21st-century energy goals.
• The value in being able to share power across communities.
• How we can create community energy resilience.
• How we might be able to overcome regulatory barriers.
• How do we incentivize different outcomes and develop a win-win outcome?

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “Having the customer voice in policy and regulatory matters—it's an opportunity for consumers to engage and make their voice heard, whether it be joining a meeting on the topic, calling your assembly member, or signing on to some sort of letter that's looking at advocating for changes to outdated rules and regulations. Engaging on that front is really important and very valuable.” - Allie Detrio
• “If we remove that bias in the marketplace, let's say utilities didn't make a profit based on how many transmission lines were built. Instead, they made money based on how many transactions they facilitated in the marketplace or how quickly they interconnected a different customer and community clean energy resource. If they made a profit based on that, the energy sector would look a lot different today.” - Allie Detrio
• “There's a great responsibility in being a utility and they need to be delivering the benefits we expect. And if they're not, we need to be looking for other solutions and empowering those that provide those benefits. And a question to think about as we do that is: how do we provide a win-win value proposition while meeting all of our 21st-century energy goals and not leaving anyone behind?" - Allie Detrio

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Allie Detrio: LinkedIn | Reimagine Power
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/5cdtapn4 

How is the energy landscape evolving, and what can we expect in the future? In this episode, we sit down with Beatrice Petrovich, Senior Energy and Climate Analyst at Ember, to explore these pressing questions. With over a decade of experience in the energy sector, Beatrice offers insights into the rise of renewables in the EU, the latest energy mix, and the management of the utility sector. We’ll also discuss the growth of residential battery storage, the drivers behind this trend, and the progress and opportunities in hydrogen development.

Listen in as Beatrice shares valuable advice for business leaders, highlights common misconceptions, and underscores the importance of innovation in the energy transition. You’ll learn about the EU’s significant milestone of wind power surpassing fossil gas power generation and the structural decline of coal in Europe. We also cover how new business models are emerging to leverage demand flexibility and the promising potential of behind-the-meter battery storage.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• What Beatrice is most passionate about.
• What Ember’s main goal is and how they achieve this.
• How the EU is transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• Who is leading the way in battery storage growth.
• Advice for business leaders when thinking about the energy transition.
• What we can gain from an accelerated transition.
• The common misconceptions about the energy transition.
• What you need to know about battery storage.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “Last year the EU passed a meaningful milestone of wind power surpassing fossil gas power generation for the first time. With this growth of wind and solar generation, we see a decline in fossil fuel power, especially coal. It’s clear that there is a structural decline of coal in the EU and that there won’t be a coal comeback.” – Beatrice Petrovich
• “Awareness for the potential of demand flexibility is growing and that’s really exciting. And there’s no need to wait for regulation to be unlocked. There are new business models that can be there for actors who dare to innovate.” – Beatrice Petrovich
• “The potential of behind-the-meter battery storage is very promising. On the one hand, costs have rapidly declined, so they’re already cost-competitive and costs are expected to drop even more with the ramping up of production. There’s also an additional cost benefit by co-locating it with storage—solar electricity is valued higher.” – Beatrice Petrovich

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Beatrice Petrovich: LinkedIn | Ember
• Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/wf44ru74 

Julia Hamm, Partner at The Ad Hoc Group and former CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance, joins the show today to share insights from her extensive career and her passion for connecting people in the energy sector. In this episode, Julia discusses the challenges utilities face in a growing market, the importance of affordable energy and investment in the system, and how businesses can start small on their sustainability journey.

Listen in as Julia talks about the power of utilities as orchestrators and connectors in this evolving landscape. You'll learn about the need for businesses to transition into prosumers, interacting with utilities and the grid, and participating in demand management programs. With natural disasters becoming more frequent and severe, understanding the impact of power loss on business operations and ensuring resiliency is crucial for the future of energy, so don't miss this important episode!

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Julia’s career trajectory.
• What intrigued her about The Ad Hoc Group.
• The value and importance of partnership.
• Why the energy transition will take time.
• How organizations can take the first step.
• How to make your business more resilient.
• The best way to prepare your business for climate change.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “For decarbonization and energy transition efforts, you need a cross-functional senior-level team involved from the beginning. They need to A, be brought into the roadmap at first, but then B, be responsible for ensuring that the execution is moving forward. People from all of those teams across the entire company are going to need to be involved in order to execute successfully.” - Julia Hamm
• “Thinking about resiliency is a huge piece of it because no matter where you are in the country, whether it's hurricanes or floods or ice storms or wildfires … just keep listing the natural disasters, they're getting more frequent. They're getting more severe. When a business loses power for any amount of time, it has a huge impact on its bottom line.” - Julia Hamm
• “The main relationship businesses have traditionally had with utilities is one where they just consume the power and don't need much support. But now there's a need to transition into a prosumer where businesses interact with the utility and the grid. The utility feeds energy to users and users with their own generation feed it back to the grid. Then you add on demand management programs that are impacting load and supply.” - Dan Roberts

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Julia Hamm: LinkedIn
• The Ad Hoc Group
• Smart Electric Power Alliance
• The Gist
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/2svj5eua 

Are you prepared for the evolving landscape of the electricity sector? John Cooper, an energy entrepreneur and recognized innovator in the electricity sector, joins the show to discuss the shifting dynamics of the grid and utilities. With his extensive experience in integrating decarbonization, resilience, energy self-sufficiency, transportation, building electrification and data/digitalization, John sheds light on why the traditional way of operating the grid is becoming less reliable.

Listen in to hear about the future of grid management, as well as the transition from manned operations to smart systems and data-driven decisions. You’ll learn the importance of software systems like ADMS in control rooms and the value of data processing in modernizing operations. John also explains what large business leaders can do to optimize their operations in the face of climate change. It’s time to step up and take on more responsibility to make a difference!

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How John became involved with energy.
• How AI can help the energy transition.
• The importance of leaning on data.
• What large business leaders can do to optimize their operations.
• How every single person can help the energy transition.
• Why business leaders are going to have to take on more responsibility.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The future of running something as complex as the grid is not controlling it ever tighter and having old, experienced hands in the control room to make decisions. It’s moving to software systems like ADMS in the control room, so that we can lean on the value of data, data processing and smart systems and shift a lot of our operations from man operations to machine operations.” – John Cooper
• “For business leaders thinking they can just pay their utility bills and then leave that up to the utilities to take care of is to cede a lot of the control of your business to a third party. And I think it represents an unacceptable risk.” – John Cooper
• “Changes are afoot, and the old way of operating the grid and utilities are on the way to not being seen as stable and reliable as they used to be.” – John Cooper

Resources In Today's Episode:

• John Cooper: LinkedIn
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/3z47svd4