Welcome to Episode 66 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed my last episode with Etienne Lecompte where we discussed the use of software to maximize solar assets. Thanks for joining me today for a new Suncast Soundbyte a drop of sunlight to get you through the workweek. On today's episode of SunCast, we're going to continue the theme of Asset Management + O&M by hopping into my time machine and teleporting back to SPI 2017 again. I had the chance there to sit down with my friend Mark McLanahan, CEO...
Jan 30, 2018•24 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Welcome to Episode 65 of SunCast! I hope you learned a lot during this week's ultra-nerdy Tactical Tuesday with Hongbin Fang of LONGi Solar. On today's episode , I speak with Etienne Lecompte. Etienne is a leader and entrepreneur in renewable energy, software development and regulatory compliance. Etienne's companies and products have set the standard for developers, financiers and equity providers investing in renewable energy assets in Canada and now throughout North America. He currently lead...
Jan 25, 2018•49 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Welcome to Episode 64 of SunCast! Welcome to Tactical Tuesdays, a short-form conversation with subject-matter experts to give you the edge in building your solar business and brand. Hongbin Fang is Director of Product Marketing at LONGi Solar, a leading dedicated monocrystalline solar cell and module manufacturer. With the resurgence of Bifacial Modules & the rapid rise of the PERC cell technology, I thought it would be good to bring in an expert on the subject to help us understand the tech...
Jan 23, 2018•26 min•Season 2Ep. 64
Welcome to Episode 63 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed the last week's episode with Oleg pushing the envelope on commercial finance . Today's episode is going to plumb the depths of the entrepreneurial journey with a CEO of a US-based solar module manufacturer who's had his share of failure and success, and most certainly understands how to cross the chasm. I had the incredible pleasure of sitting down with Suvi Sharma, CEO of Solaria Corporation. Suvi joined Solaria in 2003 and recruited a world-...
Jan 19, 2018•52 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Welcome to Episode 62 of SunCast! In today's episode of SunCast, I speak to Oleg Popovsky of Braggawatt Solar. We talk about a project they announced that week at SPI. On the surface, it would appear a rather innocuous, perhaps insignificant achievement, but I think Oleg does a great job explaining exactly why this announcement had my ears perked. If you've been curious to look under the hood a wee bit to see what this SunEdison spinoff is up to, this episode is for you. It's a great example of ...
Jan 12, 2018•21 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Happy New Year. I've got some exciting episodes and community planning coming, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this timeless story. Thanks again for setting aside THIS time in your day. Enjoy this New Years episode of SunCast. Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations. Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.med...
Jan 10, 2018•14 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Welcome to Episode 60 of SunCast! In today's episode of SunCast, I speak to Jigar Shah, an icon in the solar industry. From founding SunEdison to leading the Carbon War Room as its first CEO, Jigar has been innovating on business models in the energy and infrastructure arenas for more than 2 decades. Currently, Jigar is the co-founder and President of specialty finance company, Generate Capital, investing in infrastructure assets in what they refer to as the world's critical resources, energy, w...
Dec 21, 2017•50 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Welcome to Episode 59 of SunCast! This is installment #2 in the Solar+Storage series. Today on SunCast, I get to interview one of the guys who's had a massive impact on my own personal career, Mike Grunow, the VP of Marketing at Vizn Energy Systems. Tune in today as we discuss: How to spec out a good MRD - Market Requirements Document The biggest misconception about Li-ion batteries Limitations of both from duty & cooling cycles to electrodegradation The difference between Power & Energy...
Dec 14, 2017•57 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Welcome to Episode 58 of SunCast! Today on SunCast, we are digging into the inner workings of a company (Wunder Capital) many of you have probably begun to work with, and who has clearly done a great job of gaining traction since it's founding back in 2013. For you entrepreneurs out there, I ask Bryan a ton of questions specifically about the who/what/how/when/why of starting and growing his business. Bryan Birsic and his co-founders have grown Wunder Capital to be one of the fastest-growing and...
Dec 07, 2017•55 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Welcome to Episode 57 of SunCast, and episode #5 in the Solar Pioneers series. Today is the much-anticipated Part 2 of Episode 39 with Dan Shugar! As founder and CEO, Dan Shugar helped build NEXTracker into one of the fastest growing cleantech companies in the U.S. Dan was responsible for spinning NEXTracker out of Solaria Corp. where he also served as CEO, and then merging with FLEX almost 2 years ago. Nextracker has become the largest tracker company in the world by volume shipped, and I wante...
Nov 27, 2017•41 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Welcome to Episode 56 of SunCast. Today I talk to Dr. Travis Simpkins, based on a recommendation from one of our amazing listeners! Travis is the founder and CEO of muGrid Analytics. muGrid Analytics are the nerds of the renewable energy world. Analyzing potential or existing projects to help you make sound data driven decisions and get the most out of our renewable energy investments. Travis provides techno-economic analysis of renewable energy and energy storage projects to developers, utiliti...
Nov 06, 2017•53 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Welcome to Episode 55 of SunCast. Edmee Kelsey, CEO of 3MegaWatt, is an expert in Solar Asset Management. Today, she's here to help us better understand the world of Asset Management, and the underlying software that keeps it going. Many of us don't really have a glimpse into this side of the plant, as we're focused on the upfront sales, marketing, and installation aspect, but with over 300GW in global operational assets being managed, one asks, "Who is handling all that data, contracts and comp...
Oct 28, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 55
Welcome to Episode 54 of SunCast. Today we go deep with a friend of mine who's seen the ups and downs of this industry. He's been at the top & bottom of the food chain, successes & failures, and lots of lessons learned along the way. Some of you may know Chad Medcroft, as he was one of the key executive team members responsible for growing Zep from a niche California solar racking company to the having the largest market share in the US Residential market (and now beyond after it's acqui...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 54
Welcome to Tactical Tuesdays, a weekly short-form conversation with subject-matter experts to give you the edge in building your solar business and brand. And this week, we welcome Mika Nuotio of Empower Micro Systems. Nature of how power electronics sector works and implication for solar industry, inverters, etc. What changes in UL and NEC standards are driving inverter and module electronics architecture evolution? How is safety in power electronics evolving? UL 1741 - what is it? how has it e...
Oct 17, 2017•26 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Welcome to Episode 52 of SunCast. I'm so glad I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the first Tactical Tuesday. It's 20 minutes of marketing morsels with our friend Solar Fred. What topics do you want more of there, or who should be featured? Today on SunCast is Mr. TJ Kanczuzewski, CEO and chief innovator at Inovateus Solar. TJ is one of the most high-energy executives I know, and he leads a team of winners, but don't take my word for it, tune in as we discuss: The time-honored tradition of taking...
Oct 13, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 52
Welcome to Tactical Tuesdays, a weekly short-form conversation with subject-matter experts to give you the edge in building your solar business and brand. And first up, my friend Tor Valenza, AKA Solar Fred, is back to discuss Content Marketing. What is it? How can you integrate it into your marketing strategy? Where does Social Media add value, and even who are some of the thought leaders Tor recommends we follow. Tune in, and Tune-up your skills. Thanks for checking out Tactical Tuesday and pl...
Oct 10, 2017•20 min•Season 2Ep. 51
I can scarcely believe it's already been 2 yrs since the launch of SunCast! Today, October 6th, is in fact the exact anniversary. It also marks the beginning of my 39th trip around the Sun, woot! Launching on my birthday in 2015 was an easy way to never forget the anniversary of the show! There are 5 things I'll cover on today's episode: wow, 50 episodes, what does that mean? And an announcement regarding upcoming episodes & content Know your scene, the value of creating a tribe Staying conn...
Oct 09, 2017•25 min•Season 2Ep. 50
Episode 49 - the missing link(s) to solid growth This week's episode is one I REALLY enjoyed recording for 2 reasons. #1, it's mostly unscripted because of #2, it's after dinner with one of my favorite humans, Scott Mueller, and we aptly dubbed it the first Winecast, over a great bottle of Vino - It's officially WineCast #2 (see Episode 46 for WineCast #1) but let's not get into semantics! Today I'll keep the intro short & focused on 2 important things you need to know, that tie back to toda...
Sep 30, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 49
Welcome to SunCast, and Episode 48! Today we'll be spending time with a friend who's no stranger to the media and spotlight surrounding solar, and who has been a major voice advocating for the solar industry's maturity both as a resource and as a marketing community vying for people's attention in a crowded space. Tor Valenza, AKA, Solar Fred, is a strategy advisor and communications consultant for a number of well-known companies, and regularly shares his insights, thoughts and recommendations ...
Sep 23, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 48
Welcome to Episode 46 of SunCast. I'm your host, Nico Johnson, and I'm so glad you're back with me again this week! My friend, and fellow podcaster, Jeff Spies, has been in the solar industry for nearly exactly the same amount of time I have (that's 11 yrs and counting!) and I don't think Anybody has spent as much time as he has thinking about how to tell the story of the dawn of the Solar PV Industry and the vanguards who ushered it out of obscurity and into mainstream. His Solar Pioneer partie...
Sep 16, 2017•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 47
Welcome to Episode 46 of SunCast. Today we will be spending time with my new friend, Pamela Cargill of Chaolysti Management Consulting. Stay tuned for: Insights into how small companies prepare for growth in solar Solid tools Pam uses to coach her clients along that path What its like leaving corporate to run your own consulting business, from a woman's perspective And about a dozen other insights gleaned from this hour with Pam Pam cut her teeth more than a decade ago schlepping modules on a cr...
Sep 09, 2017•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Welcome to Episode 45 of SunCast. We're here to help you unlock your potential as a leader in the solar industry. The recent Solar Pioneers Series we have begun, and some upcoming series on Solar Storage, Understanding Solar Finance, and more are aimed at helping you unlock the potential stored in the wisdom of Other people's struggles, growth and success stories, so I hope you keep coming back for more! Today, we'll take another pause in the Solar Pioneers series, returning to Latin America and...
Sep 01, 2017•54 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Welcome to Episode 44 of SunCast, Solar Warrior! I'm so glad you are with me again this week! We're back with another edition of the Solar Pioneers Series, and today's guest hails from the East Coast of the US. I know what you are thinking - "Wait a minute, Nico, aren't all the solar pioneers from California?" Not all of them! Back in the 70s and 80s, there were a number of companies in and around the DC area that were quite innovative. Among them, Solarex. Today's guest was one of the early emp...
Aug 26, 2017•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Welcome to Episode 43 of SunCast, Solar Warrior! While I was recently in SF for the Intersolar N.America show, I was on the lookout for products that I thought were innovative. Thanks to my friend Tor Valenza, aka Solar Fred, I was introduced to the guys from Smappee. Smappee is WAY more than just a monitoring device, and I had the privilege to sit down with the founder, Stefen Grosjean, himself a serial entrepreneur, to dig into exactly how he his positioning the US launch of this innovative pr...
Aug 19, 2017•44 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Welcome to Episode 42 of SunCast, and episode 3 of our Solar Pioneers series. Today we're picking up on Part 2 of our Episode 40 with Cory Vaughan. If you missed the previous episode, please do take some time to go back and hear how it all started. Cory has had the good fortune of being an early team member with a front row seat to several startups that have become industry-leading behemoths, and in today's episode, we get into detail about: The truth about Sunedison's rooftop leasing practices ...
Aug 12, 2017•57 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Welcome to Episode 41 of SunCast. Today we'll chat with a friend who has done some pioneering work in solar R&D and in setting the bar for Women in Solar. I had the privilege to work with Jing Tian when she first got to Trina Solar in 2014, and have been impressed from day One. She was recently promoted as President of Trina's North America business unit. And I think that you'll understand after today's episode exactly why she has been able to achieve the great heights she presently enjoys. ...
Aug 05, 2017•45 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Wow, Episode 40 of SunCast! And you're gonna love it. This is a long-ish intro, for a longer episode, so settle in for what I hope you'll agree is a fun and fact-filled episode. Today we're continuing what I have dubbed the Solar Pioneers series. I have chosen to use the term Pioneers primarily because the folks in this SunCast interview series have indeed been pioneers of business models and companies contributing to what might be called the modern Solar PV Growth era, beginning around the mid ...
Jul 29, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Welcome to Episode 39 of SunCast. We're going to continue our trip down memory lane this week, in what might be more like a Back-to-the-Future style episode for SunCast. Today I'm launching what I call the Solar Pioneers series, and I'm honored, and super excited, to have the first in this series be with none other than Mr. Solar, Shugar Magic, Mr. Dan Shugar, CEO of NEXTracker, and one of the most successful folks I know in the business. This conversation diverges from my typical interview form...
Jul 14, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Today we are going to take a trip down memory lane, to a time when names like Trina and Jinko Solar were yet unheard of in the solar industry, a time when the largest brands were BP, and Conergy, and countless other mainly western names you may or may not recognize. When I joined Trina solar back in 2011, I became aware of a legendary figure who had been responsible for building the sales team there, and who had subsequently moved on to another Chinese company. That mythical figure is the eponym...
Jul 09, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Welcome to Episode 37 of SunCast. Bob Blenker is CEO of WRB Energy, an Independent Power Producer who is perhaps most well known in the solar space for the 28MW solar plant they built after winning the first Jamaica solar tender. Bob has done development in just about all types of energy, and is one of the most knowledgeable people I know and trust when it comes to learning about how this "game" works. He's also traveled the world developing all types of projects and his stories are some of the ...
Jul 01, 2017•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 37
