The Climate Tech Podcast with Fexingo: Energy, Sustainability, and Decarbonization Companies

Lucas and Luna explore how vertical axis wind turbines are quietly becoming a viable complement to traditional horizontal axis turbines, especially in urban and distributed energy settings. They break down the engineering trade-offs, the companies leading the charge, and why the market is finally paying attention in 2026. Featuring concrete examples like the Dutch startup Archimedes and the UK's Alpha 311, they discuss the role of AI in turbine control, the challenges of noise and bird safety, and the potential for micro-generation at scale. This episode offers a fresh angle on wind power beyond the offshore mega-projects and utility-scale farms, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of decentralized clean energy.

#VerticalAxisWindTurbines #UrbanWindPower #DistributedEnergy #WindEnergyTech #ArchimedesWind #Alpha311 #AIInEnergy #RenewableEnergyInnovation #CleanTechStartups #MicroGeneration #EnergyTransition #WindTurbineDesign #SmartTurbines #ClimateTech #Sustainability #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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Wave energy has long been the tease of the renewables world—plenty of promise, little delivery. But in 2026, that's finally shifting. In this episode, Lucas and Luna look at how a handful of developers, particularly from Scotland's Orkney Isles, are turning ocean motion into grid-ready power, and why the latest wave devices are cheaper and tougher than ever. They break down the numbers: a 2025 report from Ocean Energy Europe showed wave installations grew by 30 percent year-over-year, with costs falling 40 percent since 2020. They also dive into the surprising role of the oil and gas supply chain, which is repurposing subsea engineering know-how to anchor these devices. If you think wave power is still a decade away, this episode will change your mind—and show you why it might matter more than you think.

#WaveEnergy #OceanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy #MarineTech #OrkneyIsles #EnergyTransition #GridReliability #SubseaEngineering #Decarbonization #Sustainability #Business #Technology #Innovation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ClimateTechPodcast

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna look at how heat pumps have moved from niche to mainstream, and what this means for the grid, consumers, and climate goals. With heat pumps outselling gas furnaces in the US for a third straight year, the hosts break down the technology behind the trend, from variable-speed compressors to smart thermostats. They discuss the Inflation Reduction Act's incentives, the role of state-level policies, and the surprising economics for homeowners—high upfront cost, lower operating expenses. Luna gets into the scalability challenge: upgrading electric panels, training installers, and grid load during cold snaps. They also touch on the wider business landscape, from startups chipping away at installation costs to utilities rolling out demand-response programs. A must-listen for anyone thinking about home energy, the transition to electrification, or where the next investment opportunities might be.

#HeatPumps #HomeElectrification #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #EnergyEfficiency #InflationReductionAct #GridResilience #DemandResponse #HVAC #Decarbonization #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition #Startups #Sustainability

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When Hurricane Ida knocked out power to a million Louisiana residents in 2021, one New Orleans neighborhood stayed lit. That's the story of the Saint Charles Community Microgrid, a solar-plus-storage system that kept a pharmacy, a grocery store, and a senior center running while the rest of the city went dark. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the economics of community microgrids—how they're financed, who owns them, and why they're becoming a lifeline in the age of climate-driven power outages. They break down the numbers: the cost of a typical microgrid, the savings from avoided downtime, and the regulatory hurdles that still slow them down. From a small island in Maine to a low-income neighborhood in the Bronx, they explore how these independent power islands are reshaping our idea of grid resilience—and why the biggest obstacle isn't technology, it's policy. If you've ever wondered why your power goes out in a heatwave, this episode explains the fix that's already here.

#Microgrids #GridResilience #ClimateTech #SolarStorage #CommunityEnergy #EnergyIndependence #PowerOutages #Sustainability #ClimateAdaptation #EnergyTransition #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechnologyPodcast #Decarbonization #CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #BatteryStorage #Resilience

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In Episode 161 of The Climate Tech Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the booming business of battery recycling. With the first wave of EV batteries reaching end-of-life, startups are racing to recover lithium, cobalt, and nickel from spent packs. Lucas explains how Redwood Materials, founded by a Tesla co-founder, is building a closed-loop supply chain that could cut the need for new mining. He breaks down the economics: recycling a ton of battery material can yield up to 90% recovery rates, making it cheaper than virgin extraction. Luna challenges him on the hurdles—collection logistics, fire risks, and the technical challenge of separating materials. They also touch on the regulatory push from the EU's new battery rules and how China dominates the current recycling market. The conversation wraps with a forward look at whether urban mining can truly replace digging. Tune in for a sharp, grounded look at how the EV revolution is learning to reuse its own bones.

#BatteryRecycling #RedwoodMaterials #EVBatteries #CircularEconomy #UrbanMining #LithiumRecovery #Cobalt #Nickel #ClimateTech #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast #EV #SupplyChain

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In episode 160 of The Climate Tech Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the emerging world of carbon-negative building materials. They focus on a California startup that is turning waste CO2 into mineralized bricks, which actually absorb more carbon than they emit during production. The conversation digs into the chemistry behind the process, the economics of scaling up, and the challenges of convincing a conservative construction industry to adopt a new material. With concrete numbers and real-world examples, they explain why this innovation could be a game-changer for reducing the built environment's massive carbon footprint. Tune in to learn how buildings could soon become carbon sinks instead of sources.

#CarbonNegative #CarbonNegativeBricks #ConstructionTech #ClimateTech #Sustainability #GreenBuilding #CO2Capture #Mineralization #Startup #California #BuiltEnvironment #NetZero #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ClimateAction #Innovation

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In this episode of The Climate Tech Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the growing trend of pairing solar arrays with data centers to cut both carbon and power costs. They dive into the economics of on-site generation, the role of battery storage, and how tech giants are hedging against volatile energy prices. With real-world examples and a look at the challenges of interconnection queues and land use, this episode offers a clear-eyed view of a practical decarbonization strategy. Tune in for a grounded conversation about the grid, hyperscalers, and the future of clean computing.

#SolarDataCenters #RenewableEnergy #CleanComputing #GridDecarbonization #BatteryStorage #ClimateTech #TechGiants #EnergyEconomics #SolarPower #DataCenterSustainability #NetZero #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ClimateAction #CleanEnergy #SolarPanels #EnergyTransition

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how agrivoltaics—combining solar panels with farming—is transforming agriculture. They dive into a specific case in Massachusetts where a blueberry farm pairs panels with berry bushes, boosting yield while generating power. The episode breaks down the science behind the shade-loving crops, the economics of dual land use, and the policy incentives driving adoption. Lucas shares numbers on energy output versus crop yield, while Luna questions the scalability for large-scale commodity farms. They also touch on the role of solar grazing in maintaining vegetation under panels, referencing a project in Oregon. The conversation highlights how agrivoltaics could reshape rural economies and land use, offering a win-win for energy and food production. Perfect for listeners interested in climate tech innovation and sustainable business models.

#Agrivoltaics #SolarFarming #ClimateTech #RenewableEnergy #SustainableAgriculture #SolarPanels #FarmingInnovation #CleanEnergy #BlueberryFarm #SolarGrazing #LandUse #Business #Technology #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition

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In this episode of The Climate Tech Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into the world of tidal energy, focusing on a breakthrough technology: underwater kites that harness ocean currents to generate electricity. They explore a specific project in the Faroe Islands, where a startup has deployed a 1.2-megawatt kite that can power an entire village. Lucas explains how the kite's tether and control system allow it to fly in a figure-eight pattern, capturing more energy than a stationary turbine of the same size. Luna brings in the economics, comparing levelized cost of energy to offshore wind and discussing the potential for tidal power to complement intermittent renewables. They also touch on the environmental impact, from fish passage to seabed disturbance. The episode closes with the hosts reflecting on the scalability of tidal kites and the future of marine energy. A donation segment highlights how listener support keeps the show ad-free.

#TidalEnergy #OceanCurrent #UnderwaterKites #MarineRenewables #FaroeIslands #CleanEnergy #ClimateTech #RenewableEnergy #Decarbonization #SustainableBusiness #Innovation #Startup #GridStability #LevelizedCost #EnvironmentalImpact #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness

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In Episode 156, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising twist in the clean energy supply chain: recycling rare earth elements from mining waste. They focus on a specific pilot project in Appalachia where a startup is extracting neodymium and dysprosium from coal ash, a byproduct of decades of coal burning. The conversation breaks down why this matters for EV motors and wind turbines, how the economics are shifting with rare earth prices up 40 percent year-over-year, and why the U.S. is pouring $35 million into this technology. Along the way, they touch on the environmental bonus of cleaning up toxic waste sites and the geopolitical angle of reducing reliance on Chinese processing. A sharp, grounded look at a niche corner of the circular economy that could quietly change the supply chain for magnets. Plus, a quick note on how listener support keeps this show ad-free.

#RareEarthRecycling #MiningWaste #CoalAsh #CircularEconomy #CleanEnergy #EVSupplyChain #WindTurbines #Neodymium #Dysprosium #Appalachia #EnergyTransition #SupplyChain #ClimateTech #Sustainability #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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