Welcome to Episode 96 of SunCast! Today we're rounding out our discussion with Mr. Kyle Cherrick, Head of Business Development for PickMySolar. If you missed last week's episode , then you might consider going back to catch it, as it's actually Part 1 of this interview. We are going to continue to unpack Kyle's story, this time turning the focus more squarely on his current project, PickMySolar. Kyle managed to launch and fund his previous venture, Solar Merchant, while full-time employed AND ge...
Jul 10, 2018•51 min•Season 2Ep. 96
Welcome to Episode 95 of SunCast! Kyle Cherrick has had the good fortune of working for some of the Titans in the Solar Industry straight out of school. How many of you would like to have joined First Solar 6 months after IPO, or moved on to Axio Power as an early employee long before the SunEdison acquisition? Kyle got a front-seat view this and much more. Then he copy/pasted his learning into his own startup success. Stay tuned to learn: How a college job interview at General Mills turned Kyle...
Jul 05, 2018•51 min•Season 2Ep. 95
Welcome to Episode 94 of SunCast! Today's episode is all about Intersolar N. America, but the lessons here can apply to virtually any tradeshow or major industry event. We kick this episode off with a conversation with the Managing Director of Solar Promotion, the company that puts on the Intersolar and EES conferences globally, Mr. Florian Wessendorf. Stay tuned after that as we have some cameo appearances from SunCast listeners, Twitter followers and more all geared to helping YOU better under...
Jul 03, 2018•36 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Welcome to Episode 93 of SunCast! JW Postal has had by any measure a successful run as an entrepreneur, not just in the solar industry. As a co-founder of Main Street Power, he helped build the company to become one of the largest DG players in the US, eventually being absorbed into the global giant AES as their first foray into distributed generation. He has now turned his sights toward the impending boom of the storage business, and today we gain valuable insight into how this entrepreneur is ...
Jun 28, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Welcome to Episode 92 of Suncast! Stephen Smith is an entrepreneur and solar developer from the SF Bay Area who had the good fortune of being able to walk to work back in the early 2000's when he was hired on to a then-unknown Berkeley-based solar company - Powerlight. Stephen has since managed Gigawatts of solar installations, and provides his customers and the market generally a path to predictable & effective project execution. Listen in to hear: The 2 biggest hurdles developers encounter...
Jun 21, 2018•47 min•Season 2Ep. 92
Welcome to Episode 91 of Suncast! Today's episode is focused on a tool that you can use to help you in your solar PV module procurement process, a free report produced by Tristan Erion-Lorico and his team at DNV GL called the PV module reliability Scorecard. The 4th generation of the Scorecard was just released, and it's a fantastic benchmark to help you understand how to avoid some of the common pitfalls experienced by developers of all sizes when buying solar PV modules. Stay tuned to learn Wh...
Jun 12, 2018•24 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Welcome to Episode 90 of Suncast! Well, today on SunCast, Tristan Erion-Lorico gives us a glimpse inside the rigorous evaluations you should be considering when procuring your PV Modules. He also gets personal about building an unconventional career in solar. Tristan, like many of you, is an infinite learner, and he attributes that as one of his keys to growth and career success. Along the way we discuss how having a family early in his life pushed this hustling kid-entrepreneur into the corpora...
Jun 08, 2018•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 90
Welcome to Episode 89 of Suncast! Today's episode is Part 2 of an interview with Josh Weiner of SepiSolar, so if you didn't listen yet to Episode 88 , I would recommend you start there. We continue to dive deep with Josh Weiner the CEO/Founder of SepiSolar, a SF Bay Area engineering services company that specializes in the integration of energy storage with solar. Tune in to Learn: How a 7/11 in New York became the pivot point for the storage industry How a downed Boeing Dreamliner changed Josh'...
May 31, 2018•43 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Welcome to Episode 88 of Suncast! Did you check out last weeks episode with Rob Andrews? If not, Listen to it here! Josh is the CEO/Founder of SepiSolar, a Bay Area engineering services company that has taken a long view on the integration of storage with solar. Stay tuned to learn: SepiSolar’s foundation story and what separates them from others Lessons learned from Akeena Solar's IPO and dramatic growth The not-so-strange connection between Music & the Solar Industry? The incredible impact...
May 29, 2018•34 min•Season 2Ep. 88
Welcome to Episode 86 of Suncast! Since I started SunCast, I've received hundreds of thank-you's, dozens of positive ratings/reviews, and more high fives and pats on the back from industry friends than I can remember. Today, I'm giving you the chance to join me in helping build Suncast even more. To find out more about becoming a member of the Suncast Tribe, visit mysuncast.com/member As always, thanks again for setting aside THIS time in your day. Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on ...
May 25, 2018•15 min•Season 2Ep. 86
Welcome to Episode 87 of Suncast! Did you check out last weeks episode with Mike Silvestrini? If not, Listen to it here! Today on SunCast, we're going to discuss with Rob Andrews how his Canadian startup, Heliolytics, is improving the way operating assets are managed and optimized for long-term yield. Hang tight as we explore: Why solar plant inspection matters and how it's been done historically How different aerial inspection methods compare Real data on solar site failure rates What Rob sees ...
May 25, 2018•43 min•Season 2Ep. 87
Welcome to Episode 85 of Suncast! Did you check out last weeks episode with Jason Zook? If not, Listen to it here! Today on SunCast, I had a chance to catch up with one of my oldest friends and colleagues in the industry. If you're unfamiliar with his name, or the company he started and recently sold for well into the 8+ figures range, then you should at least be curious to learn how he took his FIRST company to a nearly half-billion-dollar valuation and exit, and in-so-doing achieved the status...
May 17, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Welcome to Episode 84 of Suncast! Did you check out last weeks episode with yours truly, me? If not, Listen to it here! I drill down on the ways that you have been losing in your negotiations, in business and life, and the subtle ways you can fix it, and stop missing out on the spoils of your labor. Today's episode is with my first 3-time returning guest, Jason Zook, a mentor and friend who I've learned from a ton over the last 3 years. He was most recently in Episode 79 talking about his entrep...
May 08, 2018•23 min•Season 2Ep. 84
Welcome to Episode 83 of Suncast! Did you check out last weeks episode with Ed Feo? If not, Listen to it here! Today we're going to drill down on the ways that you have been losing in your negotiations, in business and life, and the subtle ways you can fix it, and stop missing out on the spoils of your labor. There's no formal guest today, but instead we get a virtual guest by the name of Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference – possibly one of the best books I've read in a decade. I'v...
May 04, 2018•32 min•Season 2Ep. 83
Welcome to Episode 82 of Suncast! Did you check out this week's Tactical Tuesday, another great one on Energy Storage with SepiSolar CEO, Josh Weiner! Listen to it here! Today on SunCast, are returning to the Solar Pioneers Series with one of the large-scale solar project development greats, Ed Feo of Coronal Energy. As you'll hear, Ed has a fabled history in the renewables industry. Accolades like "Attorney of the Decade" or "One of the 5 most influential people in Renewable Energy" are earned ...
Apr 26, 2018•53 min•Season 2Ep. 82
Welcome to Episode 81 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's with James Ellsmoor who was on Forbes 30 Under 30 for Energy! Listen to it here! On this Tactical Tuesday, I speak with Josh Weiner of SepiSolar. Josh Weiner is the CEO/Founder of SepiSolar, a SF Bay Area engineering services company that has taken a long view on the integration of storage with solar. He was notably one of the co-founders of another well-known storage company, Green Charge Networks. Josh has gone ...
Apr 23, 2018•27 min•Season 2Ep. 81
Welcome to Episode 80 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's with my friend and mentor, Jason Zook! Listen to it here! Today on Suncast, you'll meet James Ellsmoor. James is a social entrepreneur with expertise in sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship in rural, remote and island regions. He's on the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 list for Energy and has been leading the efforts of the non-profit Solar Head of State for the last 5 yrs. Tune-in as we discuss these topics: How ...
Apr 19, 2018•35 min•Season 2Ep. 80
Welcome to Episode 79 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's Part 2 of my conversation with Paul Grana! Listen to it here! Today on SunCast, you'll meet my friend and mentor, Jason Zook. Jason might be the best marketer, heck, best sales guy I’ve ever met. He made over $1Million doing something you and I do every day – putting on a t-shirt. He sold his last name...3 times! He even got his first book sponsored by more than a dozen companies before he ever wrote the first wor...
Apr 12, 2018•43 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Welcome to Episode 78 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's Part 1 of this conversation with Paul Grana! Listen to it here! This week we are rounding out our discussion with Paul Grana, co-founder of the much-loved solar design software, Helioscope. If you missed last week's episode, then you might consider going back to catch it next, as we go over a lot of the foundations and early pivots in Pauls career that led to founding Folsom Labs with his partner Paul Gibbs. Known...
Apr 05, 2018•25 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Welcome to Episode 77 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's a Tactical Tuesday with Scott Sullivan! Listen to it here! In this episode I had the honor to sit down with one of my good friends in the solar biz who, along with his partner, has built arguably the most recognizeable software in the solar industry, especially if you've been doing commercial solar for any period of time. After all they have over 3000 users. So whether you are or aren't one of the 3000 who already...
Mar 29, 2018•52 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Welcome to Episode 76 of Suncast! Did you check out my full interview with Scott Sullivan? Listen to it here! As I mentioned in that episode, Scott is a pro who truly understands that your network is your net worth. He has a reach of over 60K in his LinkedIn network alone. As promised I got Scott to do a deep-dive with me on this networking, career and even brand-building tool. Tune-in as we discuss these topics: How to Fully Complete your LinkedIn Profile How to Build Your Network and Career us...
Mar 27, 2018•34 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Welcome to Episode 75 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's with Scott Sullivan! Listen to it here! While networking is a natural part of the career advancement process, there is another key element that is often overlooked - recruitment. Today, we're going to have a closer look at the process of building your ideal team or career with the help of one of the best recruiters I know in the solar industry, Chris Turzo. Tune-in as we discuss these topics: The steps to consider...
Mar 22, 2018•47 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Welcome to Episode 74 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's with Adam Gerza of Energy Toolbase. Listen to it here! Today on SunCast, I'm taking a deep dive into the power of your network with one of the most connected people in the solar business, Scott Sullivan has built a career on leveraging the value of his connections and honing the skills of sales and relationship building. Tune-in as we discuss these topics: Tactics for setting up your own LinkedIn allstar profile. ...
Mar 16, 2018•56 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Welcome to Episode 73 of Suncast! Did you check out the last Suncast episode? It's all about Blockchain, Electrification of the Vehicle Industry, Distributed Storage & A Nationwide Carbon Tax. Listen to it here! Today's guest, Adam Gerza, is the COO of the fast-growing SAAS company, Energy Toolbase, which I know many of my listeners use. Today I get the chance to look under the hood and hear why over 1500 solar companies trust the most critical piece of their sales process to this barely 3 y...
Mar 08, 2018•44 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Welcome to Episode 72 of Suncast! Did you check out Tuesday's episode yet with Mike Grunow of Vizn Energy? Listen to it here! You have told me over & over again that you love the Hot or Hype segment of the show, so we took some time to compile some of the more interesting answers to what I consider some of the more interesting questions. Today, I decided to focus on just 4 questions - it was actually harder than it might appear - what became apparent is that I actually DON't ask the same que...
Mar 01, 2018•16 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Welcome to Episode 71 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed the last episode with Brian Patterson of Emerge Alliance. In Episode 59 , Mike Grunow and I discussed an awful lot of excellent topics around the ins and outs of developing and even selling energy storage products. But it was his answer to one question in particular that set the stage for this Tactical Tuesday. Mike is the VP of Marketing for Vizn Energy, a Flow Battery manufacturer. Tune in Today as we Discuss Topics Such As: Why is Lithium I...
Feb 27, 2018•21 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Welcome to Episode 70 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed the last episode with James Pagonis, the Head of Product at PowerHub. I met Brian at SPI 2017 last year after asking around a bit about the microgrid they had built to power an entire section of this enormous tradeshow. Brian gave me a clinic on the history of microgrids, and if you're at all interested in the evolution and indeed renaissance of DC-powered systems, stick around for today's discussion. Tune in Today as we Discuss Topics Such As...
Feb 16, 2018•20 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Welcome to Episode 69 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed the last episode with Farid Dibachi, the Cofounder & CEO of JLM Energy. On today's episode, I sit down with James Pagonis, the Head of Product at PowerHub. James is one of the early drivers behind the development and launch of PowerHub: a simple, cloud-based Asset Management solution designed to help renewable energy asset owners manage their projects. When I met James last Fall on travel to Chile together, it became clear to me that he is...
Feb 08, 2018•27 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Welcome to Episode 68 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed my last episode with Chris Thompson, the Principal at Ipsum Power on the key differences between the solar and storage markets. Today is another Tactical Tuesday episode! This week we have Farid Dibachi, the Cofounder & CEO of JLM Energy. I became aware of JLM at last year's SPI where I was on a mission to better understand the innovation coming to market for C&I storage applications. When I heard what JLM is doing, I knew I'd have to ...
Feb 06, 2018•13 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Welcome to Episode 67 of SunCast! I hope you enjoyed my last episode with Mark McLanahan where we discussed Asset Management + O&M. Today on SunCast, we continue our Solar + Storage series with an industry executive, Chris Thompson, who's spent quite a bit of time running power conditioning companies - names you've heard of like Xantrex, AE, First Solar and Eaton. Tune in Today as we Discuss Topics Such As: How Xantrex pivoted their power business post-Enron. Key Differences between the sola...
Feb 02, 2018•57 min•Season 2Ep. 67
