Watt’s Up Renewables

What does it take to build a company in wind without sacrificing safety, relationships, or the people who helped you get there?

Marcus Yarnold, co-owner of TNT (Torque and Tensioning), returns to Watt’s Up Renewables with a lot to talk about. Since his last appearance, Marcus has made the jump to focus on TNT full time as the company continues to grow and take on larger opportunities across the wind industry.

Marcus shares what that transition has taught him about leadership, taking care of employees, solving problems for customers, and building a company culture that still feels like family as the business expands.

The conversation dives deep into safety and the decisions technicians make in the field. Marcus and Adam discuss the risk-versus-reward mindset behind bypassing safety systems, why stop work authority matters, and the responsibility experienced technicians have to set the right example for people entering the industry.

From growing a small business and earning customer trust to making tough decisions and refusing to take shortcuts, this episode is a conversation about building something the right way.

What if getting into renewable energy could completely change the direction of your career?

In this episode of Watt’s Up Renewables, Adam sits down with Brandon Stephenson to talk about his path from the U.S. Marine Corps into solar and how a willingness to keep learning opened up opportunity after opportunity.

They get into what really makes a great technician , why understanding the “why” behind a failure matters, and how Brandon went from learning the basics to troubleshooting utility-scale solar equipment, traveling site to site, and getting exposure to battery energy storage.

They also talk about the reality of life in the field. The travel, the pressure, the responsibility, and the importance of speaking up when something does not feel safe.

At the center of it all is a simple idea: once you get your foot in the door, there are a lot more paths in renewable energy than most people realize.

If you are already working in the industry, thinking about getting into it, or wondering where a technician career can lead, this is a conversation worth taking in.

The grid was built to handle predictable peaks. What happens when electricity demand starts growing faster than the infrastructure designed to support it?

In this episode of Watt’s Up Renewables, Adam sits down with Ben Kaun of Inlyte Energy to explore the growing need for long-duration energy storage and why the next generation of batteries could play a much bigger role in keeping the grid reliable.

Ben brings a unique perspective to the conversation. He grew up around battery technology, worked at Tesla during its early days, spent years leading energy storage research at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and is now helping bring new storage technology to market with Inlyte Energy.

They dig into how rising electricity demand from data centers, electrification, and changing seasonal peaks is putting new pressure on the grid. Ben explains why traditional four-hour storage may not be enough for the challenges ahead, how longer-duration systems can provide resilience during multi-day outages, and why energy storage can help unlock capacity that already exists on the grid.

The conversation also explores Inlyte’s iron-sodium battery technology, built around abundant materials like iron and salt, and how a simpler manufacturing process could help lower costs while creating an opportunity to build more of the battery supply chain here in the United States.

From grid reliability and backup power to AI-driven load growth, American manufacturing, and the future of energy storage, this conversation looks at what it may take to build a more resilient energy system for the decades ahead.

🔋 What if the future of energy storage isn’t lithium?

What happens when a job you never planned on becomes a 21-year career in wind energy?

What if you could know a wind turbine blade was failing before the damage became visible? ⚡🌬️

On this episode of Watt’s Up Renewables, we welcome back Will Taylor and for the first time, Adrian Herrera for a much more personal conversation about what’s been happening in their lives.💥

🇨🇦 What’s next for Canada’s energy future?

🚀 Laser beams from space, wind trivia, career advice, and plenty of laughs — this episode has a little bit of everything!

Returning guest Wendy Jorgensen joins Adam for another fun and wide-ranging conversation on the Watt’s Up Renewables Podcast.

☀️ We dive into some seriously futuristic renewable energy technology, including a company testing the idea of using satellites in space to reflect sunlight back toward solar farms, potentially extending solar power production beyond normal daylight hours. It sounds like science fiction, but the technology being explored is very real.

🌬️ Then Wendy flips the script and puts Adam in the hot seat for a round of Tehachapi Wind Trivia to see just how much he really knows about one of the most iconic wind regions in the country.

The conversation also gets practical as Wendy and Adam talk about career paths in renewable energy, what people should consider when entering the industry, and some valuable interview tips and tricks for standing out and making a strong impression. 💼

👷‍♀️ They also discuss the growing importance and impact of women in renewable energy, the value of bringing different perspectives into the industry, and why creating opportunities for more women to build long-term careers in renewables matters.

From space technology to wind turbines to landing your next job, this is a fun conversation packed with laughs, interesting ideas, and advice you can actually use.

🎙️ Tune in and see how Adam does in Wendy’s Tehachapi Wind Trivia!

What if the fastest way to produce more wind energy isn’t building new turbines, but improving the ones already spinning? 🌬️⚡

On this episode of Watt’s Up Renewables, we welcome back Ben Wood, CEO & CTO of Anakata Wind Power Resources, to explore how advanced aerodynamic blade upgrades can improve turbine performance, maximize efficiency, increase energy production, and help owners get more value from their existing wind assets.

Ben also shares how his experience in Formula 1 engineering helped shape Anakata’s approach to wind technology, bringing high-performance aerodynamics from the racetrack to renewable energy. 🏎️💨

Would you rather build more turbines or get more power from the ones already in the field?

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