Solar Power World

Community choice aggregation means putting the power in the public's hands—literally and figuratively. CCA legislation allows cities and counties within IOU service territories to provide electric service to customers. Listen to this podcast to learn the ins and outs of CCAs.

We're dropping this month's podcast early for all you Thanksgiving travelers. Kelly talks with Scenic Hill Solar out of Arkansas about the company's work with L'Oréal and municipalities. KP even gets a "That's a great question" shoutout, so she's extremely thankful this year for having the opportunity to talk to so many influential people in the solar industry. We're again sponsored by DuPont this month. Check them out! If you want to read the full story on Nov. 26, here's the link: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/11/contractors-corner-scenic-hill-solar/

This month we talk to Gary Gerber of Sun Light & Power. He started the company back in 1976 and shows no signs of slowing down. Check out some vintage photographs with the full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/10/contractors-corner-sun-light-and-power

The problem of homelessness is unavoidable in Portland, Oregon. So nonprofit solar installer Twende Solar decided to do its first domestic installation for a homeless shelter in its hometown. See the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/10/case-study-nonprofit-installation-helps-portland-homeless/

KP is super excited to talk to Colorado's Atlasta Solar Center this month, a company with nearly 40 years of solar installation experience. The audio is a little shaky at the beginning, but it evens out, so hang tight! What other solar companies can say they've been around for four decades? See the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/09/contractors-corner-atlasta-solar/ Thanks once again to DuPont for sponsoring this month's Contractors Corner!

Solar+storage expert Sun Valley Solar Solutions of Arizona integrates demand control solutions into solar projects and has become the go-to battery expert in the state. Read our full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/08/contractors-corner-sun-valley-solar-solutions/ And thanks to DuPont for sponsoring this month's Contractors Corner!

Three Top Solar Contractors discuss their business strategy around pricing transparency and how it impacts their solar sales.

KP talks with Silicon Valley's Fresco Solar about the commercial market in the area. Carports, carports, carports! Read the full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/07/contractors-corner-fresco-solar/ And thanks to DuPont for sponsoring this month's Contractors Corner!

The worlds of solar and energy storage are coming together more closely all the time, and so is this podcast. We spoke with Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO at Energy Storage Association. ESA is the trade association for the energy storage industry and the leading voice for companies that develop and deploy the advanced energy storage systems that support the power grid we rely on every day. We speak to the woman behind the voice of energy storage today.

In this episode we speak to one of the OGs of the solar industry, Dan Shugar, CEO and founder of solar tracking company NEXTracker. With more than thirty years in the industry, Shugar has been called a pioneer of the commercial solar market. With impressive success leading companies including Powerlight and Solaria, even before NEXTracker, he’s also been called the King Midas of Solar. Here, we finally connect with the man who says he has silicon pumping through his bloodstream. Read more here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/07/ask-a-solar-vet-designing-innovative-products-building-strong-teams-with-nextrackers-dan-shugar/

This month we're talking about the Maine solar market with ReVision Energy. Our guest Fred Greenhalgh, creative services director, even give a nice comparison of solar's relationship with utilities to Napster's relationship with the music industry. What? Listen in! This month's podcast is sponsored by DuPont. Read our full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/06/contractors-corner-revision-energy/

As solar matures, there are a lot of component suppliers to choose from, especially when it comes to inverters. Not only is there a lot to consider as far as what technology works for your project (whether it’s module-level power electronics or string or central inverters), but manufacturers’ supply chains also matter. To find out why, we spoke with Ed Heacox, general manager of CPS America.

This month's vet is Erica Mackie, cofounder and CEO of GRID Alternatives, which is the largest nonprofit solar installer in the country. She shares keys to Grid's success, which any solar installer can learn from, as well as what the solar industry can do better. Read more here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/05/ask-a-solar-vet-somewhere-between-social-work-and-engineering-with-erica-mackie-of-grid-alternatives/

This month, Kelly chats with Strata Solar, a North Carolina-based EPC working in the C&I and utility markets. We talk about the company's unique O&M approaches (sheep!) and how the solar panel tariffs are affecting utility projects. Read the full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/05/contractors-corner-strata-solar/

The May 25 deadline for the 2018 Top Solar Contractors application is quickly approaching, so SPW editors sat down to talk through some common questions about the list and why all U.S. solar contractors should apply for it.

Solar power is going strong in Rhode Island! Pawtucket's Sunwatt Solar is taking advantage of its Solarize installer standing to make a name for itself in the small state. Read our extended feature on the company: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/04/contractors-corner-sunwatt-solar/

In light of our call to solar installers, developers and EPCs to apply for our 2018 Top Solar Contractors list, we thought it made sense to speak to one for this edition. Not unlike the construction field as a whole, solar installation is a male-dominated industry. Out of 500 companies that made the list last year, only 23 were lead by women. Michelle Greenfield is one of them. She has served as CEO of Ohio-based Third Sun Solar for more than 16 years. In this podcast, she discusses what it’s like to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry, working in a state that isn’t exactly the first that comes to mind when you think of solar.

You’ve likely heard of IHS Markit in research reports or articles about the solar or storage markets. But in this podcast we get to learn more about the organization as we talked to Cormac Gilligan, research manager of solar and energy storage, and Miguel De Jesus, solar energy analyst at IHS. Listen to learn more about inverter trends, as well as the solar and storage markets overall.

We spoke with Martin Hermann, CEO and founder of solar developer 8minutenergy. Prior to founding the company in 2008, Martin worked with solar panel manufacturer Advent Solar, and even owned a semiconductor tools company which he sold to Intel. Martin provides some great insight on the solar and storage markets.

EGT Solar gives us the lowdown on the Idaho solar market. With an expected population increase that is three-times the national rate through 2025, Idaho is going to be a big demand market for new solar. Read our full story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/03/contractors-corner-egt-solar/