At Intersolar San Diego, Tim Price (CRO) and Trace Jenkins (Senior Sales Engineer) of SOLO LLC discuss how modern solar software is transforming residential sales, from accurate system design and interactive proposals to integrated financing tools. They reflect on the evolution from early platforms like OnGrid to today’s AI-driven solutions, highlighting how increased transparency and consumer awareness are shaping more informed buyers. The conversation also covers key industry shifts, including upcoming tax credit changes, the growing adoption of leases and PPAs, evolving pricing and commission structures, and the importance of getting to permit and design right the first time—alongside the expanding role of battery storage in residential solar.

 

Topics Covered:

SOLO = Speed of Light Operations

Slack

Mike Bishop

OnGrid

Pizza

Bitcoin

Solar Games

EPC Installer

TPO = Third Party Ownership

Corporate Tax Credit

TAM= Total Addressable Market

Red line

Flat Commission Rate

.io = Indian Ocean

Energy Storage

 

Reach out with Tim Price and Tracey Jenkins here:

LinkedIn

Tim Price: www.linkedin.com/in/timpricepdx/

Trace Jenkins: www.linkedin.com/in/trace-jenkins-27059629b/

Website: www.gosolo.io/  

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

www.solarsean.com/40hress

Rapid shutdown was designed to protect firefighters, but could simpler systems be the smarter path forward? A 10-year fire veteran turned solar installer shares hard-won lessons from the field, including why fewer electronics in the array might mean safer, more reliable solar for everyone. A bold conversation about building a better solar future.

 

Topics Covered

Rapid Shutdown

Firefighter

Energy Wise Services www.energywiseservices.com

Energy Wise Lighting

Feed in Tariff Program in Oregon

Solar Coaster

Solar Games

Boys and Girls Club at Corvallis Oregon

Solar Fire

MC4 Connector

UL 3741

Tax Credit

Corporate Tax Credit

Corporate Personhood

Tank Solar

Hans Joseph Fell

Why Republicans Love Solar

 

Reach out to Peter Greenberg here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peter-greenberg

Energy Wise: www.energywiseservices.com

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

solarsean.com/pvtsexam

Energy industry veteran Sasson Peress examines why standard metrics like watts and kilowatt hours fail to capture real-world performance. From solar panel ratings under idealized test conditions to battery storage variables, including degradation, C-rates, temperature constraints, and cycle limitations, the gap between nameplate specifications and actual delivered value has significant implications for developers, financiers, and end users navigating today's energy landscape.

 

Topics Covered

Mohawk Indigenous Land

First Nations in Canada

Currency in Energy

Solar in 1989

STC = Standard Test Condition

ESS = Energy Storage System

Battery

C-rate

Degradation

Depth of Discharge and State of Charge

Energy Demand

Data Center in Space

Home Power Magazine

ASES = American Solar Energy Society

ISES = International Solar Energy Society

NorCal Solar = Northern California Solar Energy Association

EV = Electric Vehicle

Market

ICP = Intersolar Consumer Product

Parasitic Load

Solar Roots

 

Reach out to Sasson Peress here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sassperess

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

solarsean.com/pvsiexam

What does it take to install solar in one of the most regulated cities in the country? From specialty flat-roof racking in Brooklyn and Queens to navigating NYC's newly adopted 2020 electrical code, this episode explores the technical and business realities of urban solar plus why younger designers see opportunity where others see complexity.

 

Topics Covered

How to make solar more exciting

Decreasing Pollution

Coal

Oil

Heating

New York City Solar

Dubai Chiller Buildings

Installation

Racking

Commercial and Residential System

NEC = National Electrical Code

Code Cycles

 

Reach out to Cameron Feary here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-fearey

Indent Builders Website: www.indentbuilders.com

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

solarsean.com/2hrbfc

At Intersolar San Diego, Sean sits down with Curtis Merring, Director of Product Marketing at Aurora Solar, about how Aurora and its C&I product HelioScope help installers design and sell solar remotely using aerial imagery, lidar, and accurate simulations, reducing soft costs and improving safety. Merring explains Aurora’s go-to-market marketing approach and notes the company has 7,000+ customers, with 70–80% of the industry touching its tools during a project lifecycle. They discuss why Aurora and HelioScope remain separate products, and how growing U.S. complexity—net metering shifting to net billing, rising electricity rates, grid uncertainty, and increased demand for storage and control—drives new needs like peak shaving and export decisions. He also describes Aurora’s AI-driven 3D modeling, trained on millions of projects, now generating models in under 10 seconds and increasingly used by both sales and designers.

 

Topics Covered:

Ethos = Essence of the product creating

Solar software

Helioscope

Lidar

CNI

Solar design

Product marketing

On Grid

Excel spreadsheet

Clean Power Finance

Virtual power plants

Bidirectional EVs

Macrotrends

Energy Management System

Chris and Sam

AI design

 

Reach out to Curtis Merring here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/curtismerring

Email: [email protected]  

Website: www.aurorasolar.com

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

www.solarsean.com/pvds

Solar industry veteran Mike Bishop discusses two decades of photovoltaic market transformation on Sean White’s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast. From California's $4/watt rebates and OnGrid financial modeling software to current net metering policy, AI data center power demands, and Energy Net protocols, they analyze economic trends, regulatory impacts, and technological developments. The discussion examines distributed versus utility-scale generation, battery storage evolution, and whether rising fixed utility charges could make grid disconnection economically viable.

 

Topics Covered

OnGrid www.ongrid.wtf

Solar History

Software

NorCal Solar www.norcalsolar.org

Market

Battery

Rebate

Governator

Expected Performance Based Buydown

Tax Credit

Net Metering

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Energy Net

Broadband Internet

Galvanic Isolation

Slow Power www.slowpower.wtf

Slow Power Blog www.slowpower.wtf/blog

AI = Artificial Intelligence

AI Utilizing Jobs

Swanson’s Law

Price of Solar

Arco Solar

Used Module

Podcast with Alfredo Ignacio (AI)

NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners

 

Reach out to Mike Bishop here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-c-bishop/

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

solarsean.com/20hrpv17

Topics Covered:

Schneider Electric

Energy Sage

Solar Energy

Tax credits

Residential systems

TPO = Third party ownership

Bernadette Del Chiaro

CALSSA = California Solar and Storage Association

Environmental Working Group

Red line model

Polygraph Test

1099 salesperson

Tony Diaz

Schneider Electric

PV Associate Class

PV Technical Sales Class

 

Reach out with Erik Holvik here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erik-holvik 

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.energysage.com/

 

Podcast episode link for the previous episode:

Erik Holvik: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-saging-with-erik-holvik-of-energysage/id1441958371?i=1000705129177

Bernadette Del Chiaro: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bernadette-del-chiaro/id1441958371?i=1000741834340

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

www.solarsean.com/pva

http://www.solarsean.com/pvtsintesive

At Intersolar San Diego, Sean White meets Michael Schwarz, General Manager for growth at Arch O&M, about operations and maintenance for solar projects. Schwarz describes O&M as the “service shop” for PV systems, with days driven by shifting schedules, customer and technician calls, and occasional field work. Arch focuses mainly on commercial/industrial and ground-mount systems roughly 400 kW to 20 MW, with maintenance needs increasing around years 7–9. They handle preventive work such as IV curve testing (often with Fluke), drone flights, insulation resistance (“megger”) testing, and troubleshooting, and they increasingly specialize in wind and storm damage remediation. They discuss challenges of sourcing matching replacement modules for older arrays, Arch’s emphasis on training and growing talent, NABCEP’s PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist certification and upcoming O&M associate credential, and the NABCEP conference in Milwaukee.

 

Topics Covered:

O&M = Operations and Maintenance

CapEx = Capital Expenditure

OpEx = Operational Expenditure

PV Maintenance          

NABCEP PVCMS Certification

NABCEP Conference

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Harley Davidson Museum

Electric cruiser bike

Electric adventure bike

IV curve testing

Insulation resistance training

Megometer

Arch

O&M training programs

OMAT = O&M Associate Technician

 

Reach out to Michael Schwarz here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-schwarz-ms-lod-lean123

Website: www.archsolar.com

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:

www.heatspring.com/sean

www.solarsean.com/pvcms

Solar Steve Sherman highlights his solar energy projects and shares updates from Aruba on Sean White’s podcast. They talked about Steve's musical project using AI to create solar-themed songs, his recent completion of the ESIP exam, and his installation of solar systems in Michigan before the tax credit expired. Steve shared his experiences working on rooftops in snowy conditions to meet the deadline, emphasizing the importance of safety and careful planning. They also discussed the potential for solar energy in Aruba, including the island's current renewable energy goals and the challenges of net metering policies. The conversation touched on the broader implications of energy policy changes and their impact on installers and consumers.

 

Topics Covered

Steve’s AI Generated Solar Song – Solar Trillions

AI = Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence VS Humans

Utility

Net Metering

Tax Credit

Osha

Safety Rules

Sigenergy

ESIP = Energy Storage Installation Professional

Codes

ESS = Energy Storage System

Steve’s Project in Aruba

 

Reach out to Steve Sherman here:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.superiorenergysolar.com

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at

www.heatspring.com/sean

solarsean.com/pvipexam

Shawn O’Brien, president and CEO of NABCEP, previews the NABCEP 2026 conference in Milwaukee, describing it as a high-training, high-networking event with Irish-themed festivities because St. Patrick’s Day falls during the conference. He outlines the nightly schedule—Monday sports-themed reception after the keynote, Tuesday St. Patrick’s Day dinner with karaoke and an Irish pub after-party, and Wednesday awards night—plus meals, open bar, and extensive networking. The conference is the third largest to date and draws many non-certified attendees seeking up to 24 hours of training across 3.5 days, with 82 total sessions spanning residential through utility-scale work. O’Brien also announces upcoming credential launches and updates, including an Operations & Maintenance Associate Technician and a new PV Associate exam, and highlights the event app and venue details at Milwaukee’s Baird Center connected to the Hilton.

 

Topics Covered:

Irish theme NABCEP Conference

NABCEP PV Associate Class

St. Patrick’s Day

Sports night

Milwaukee Brewers

Orlando Solar Bears

NABCEP Event app

Cvent

NABCEP Conference night activities

Ignite sessions

SunCast podcast booth

Heatspring podcast booth

Trainings

OMAT = O&M Maintenance Associate Technician

New PVA Exam

Party night during conferences

Cvent App NABCEP Conference Event ID = UrZbinabcep26

 

Enroll to Sean White’s PVA Class on the NABCEP CE Conference here:

Heatspring: www.heatspring.com/courses/nabcep-pv-associate-training-live-from-the-2026-nabcep-ce-conference

 

Register to NABCEP CE Conference here:

https://web.cvent.com/event/6fb58a2d-8582-490a-beb1-2b1b9dad4e51/summary

 

Reach out to Shawn O’Brien here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawnwobrien/

Website: www.nabcep.org

 

NABCEP CE Conference venue:

The Baird Convention Center: www.bairdcenter.com

 

NABCEP Conference Night happenings

Monday: Sports theme Night

Tuesday: St. Patrick’s theme Night & Karaoke Night

Wednesday: Awards Night

 

Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:

www.heatspring.com/sean

www.solarsean.com/pva