Sean White‘s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast

Grid Rails founder and CEO Michael Grasso explains how real-time settlement and device-level orchestration can unlock the untapped capacity of distributed energy resources including electric vehicles, home batteries, and solar systems. The discussion covers virtual power plants, the duck curve, bidirectional charging, FERC 2222 requirements, and the financial incentives needed to engage consumers as active grid participants. Topics Covered Real-Time Settlement Grid Orchestration Duck Curve Bidirectional Charging FERC 2222 Requirements Consumer Grid Participation Grid Capacity Utilization Data Center Demand Battery Lifecycle Performance Consumer Privacy Protection DERs = Distributed Energy Resources VPP = Virtual Power Plant Reach out to Michael Grasso here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpgrasso/Website: www.gridrails.ai/ Email: [email protected] Podcast with John Berger Apple Podcast YouTube Spotify Pandora Podbean 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/esip

Ravi Mikkelsen of Atmos Financial examines why cash and loan purchases remain vital in residential solar despite the expired tax credit. The discussion covers FEOC equipment pricing gaps, predatory lease buyout structures, dealer fee commissions, and door-to-door sales practices that inflate costs. Mikkelsen advocates for tax credit elimination, pricing transparency, and reaching a $2 per watt national benchmark for residential installations. Topics Covered Cash vs Financing Solar Tax Credits Lease Buyout Traps Dealer Fee Commissions Door-to-Door Sales Pricing Transparency Atmos Financial $2/Watt Benchmark Tariffs and Equipment Costs International Solar Pricing FEOC = Foreign Entity of Concern NEM = Net Energy Metering VPP = Virtual Power Plant TPO = Third-Party Ownership Reach out to Ravi Mikkelsen here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ravimikkelsenWebsite: www.joinatmos.com Email: [email protected] Previous podcast with Ravi Mikkelsen Apple Podcast YouTube Spotify Pandora Podbean 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/pvts

Gil Hough, Executive Director of TenneSEIA, discussing the upcoming TenneSEIA Valley Solar Plus Storage Conference scheduled for September 2nd and 3rd in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gil explained that the conference has been moved earlier in the year and will feature Sean as the featured trainer for a full-day training session on Thursday. They discussed the significant growth in solar and energy storage projects in the Tennessee Valley region, including utility-scale projects, local power company initiatives, and residential installations. Gil highlighted the new TVA Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that will be approved in August and its potential impact on the market, as well as the booming energy storage market, particularly with local power companies implementing substation-level storage projects. The conversation covered various industry topics including manufacturing growth in the region, data center development, and quantum technology applications, with a special panel planned on quantum technology and its connection to solar and storage. Topics Covered TenneSEIA Conference Energy Storage Growth Residential Solar Market TVA Federal Structure Rare Earth Materials Conference Registration Training Track Solar Manufacturing Data Centers Quantum Computing US Competitiveness TVA = Tennessee Valley Authority EPB = Electric Power Board Manufacturing Tours IRP = Integrated Resource Plan Local Power Companies RFP = Request for Proposals Reach out to Gil Hough here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gilhough/Website: www.tenneseiasolar.com/ Email: [email protected] 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/esipexam

Thomas Stubblefield, a NABCEP-certified solar installer who travels across multiple states (Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois) to rescue and repair failing solar systems. Thomas explained that he has handled over 300 service calls in the past year, with 100% resolution rate, helping homeowners whose systems were installed by now-bankrupt companies like Power Home Solar and Pink Energy. He described finding numerous installation issues including improper wiring, squirrel damage covered with electrical tape, and dangerous electrical conditions, with some systems sitting incomplete for up to five years. Thomas emphasized that homeowners should never sign job completion forms until systems are fully operational and producing power, and recommended checking NABCEP certification and local contractor licensing boards when selecting solar installers. Topics Covered Orphan solar systems Company bankruptcies Job completion form scam Dangerous wiring hazards Homeowner financial ruin Contractor license verification Solar system rescues Yelp review trust Third-party ownership (TPO) Multi-state service coverage Roof damage issues Stolen SolarEdge home runs Unlicensed electrician errors Solar panel shading Design tools (Aurora/PVWatts) Koala Solar Pros branding Reach out to Thomas Stubblefield here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/koalallc/ Website: www.koalasolarpros.com/ Email: [email protected] 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

Bill Taylor, CEO of DCE Solar, DCE Services, and DCE Design, discusses building three complementary companies spanning solar structure manufacturing, installation, and electrical design. He explains his commitment to domestic steel sourcing, his people-first management philosophy, and hiring based on behavior rather than credentials. Topics Covered DCE Company OverviewSolar Structure ManufacturingDomestic Steel SourcingCompany Culture & LeadershipHiring PhilosophyEmployee RetentionSolar Module TrendsBattery StorageTax Credits & IncentivesAI Power DemandEPC = Engineering, Procurement, ConstructionIPP = Independent Power Producer Carport Reach out to Bill Taylor here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/billetaylor/Website: www.dcesolar.com Email: [email protected] 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/pvip

Aaron Thurlow, Chief Commercial Officer at Caelux, about the company’s perovskite solar technology. Aaron shared his career journey from working at SunPower during its rise to market dominance to his current role at Caelux, where they are developing double-power-layer solar modules that can increase efficiency by 3% absolute (from 24% to 27%) while providing cost benefits including a 20% reduction in levelized cost of energy for utility-scale projects. They discussed the technical aspects of perovskite technology, including how it captures different parts of the solar spectrum that crystalline silicon cannot, and its potential applications in space, residential, and commercial markets. Aaron emphasized that efficiency remains the single biggest lever for driving down overall system costs and enabling 24/7 solar power through reduced storage requirements, positioning Caelux 's technology as a key enabler for the industry's continued growth and the transition to more distributed and localized manufacturing Topics Covered Caelux Commercial ReadinessSunPower Market Launch Power Optimizer Origins Solar Efficiency History Solar Cost Reduction 24/7 Solar Future Localized Manufacturing Perovskite Dick Swanson Solar Glass Thin Film Space Based Solar Triple Junction Cells Silicon Efficiency Limits Energy Storage IntegrationCapEx = Capital Expenditure BIPV = Building-Integrated Photovoltaics HJT = Heterojunction Technology TopCon = Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contac DC = Direct Current NREL = National Renewable Energy Laboratory EV = Electric Vehicle Reach out to Aaron Thurlow here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaronthurlow Website: www.caelux.com Email: [email protected] 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/esip

This podcast interview featured Maxim Kosenko, CEO and founder of Axentum, discussing their innovative technology for autonomous solar installation for AI data centers. Maxim explained their system uses flat, zero-degree tilt solar panels with pre-assembled PV modules and battery packs (2- 3 kWh per module) connected in strings to create 0.9-megawatt DC clusters that can be installed by four-person teams in under two hours, enabling installation of a gigawatt-scale project within a month using approximately 12 teams. The system eliminates traditional tracking systems, uses ballasted mounting instead of piles, and includes integrated battery storage and power electronics, resulting in a levelized cost of electricity around $50 per megawatt hour (5 cents per kilowatt hour) and potentially dropping the cost five times lower than current solar options for data centers. Topics Covered Axentum www.axentum.com Autonomous Solar Installation AI Data Centers Megawatts per hour Installation Robot ESS = Energy Storage System Flat Panel Design Integrated Battery Storage Robot Deployment Installation Speed Wind Resistance Design Vegetation Prevention Labor Reduction Gas Turbine Shortage Solar vs Turbines Gigawatt Scale Buildout Power Electronics Embedded Reach out to Maxim Kosenko here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maxkosenko Website: www.axentum.com Email: [email protected] 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/pvip