Contractors Corner by Solar Power World
Episodes
Solar Spotlight: CPS thinks string inverter warranties must evolve
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar inverter manufacturer CPS talks about the status of inverter warranties and how they need to impr...
Contractor's Corner: Goldin Solar
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Southern Florida is getting rocked by COVID-19 right now, and local solar installation company Goldin Solar says that has made business busier than ev...
Solar Spotlight: PLP talks how to handle unexpected solar installation obstacles
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar mounting manufacturer Preformed Line Products (PLP) talks about how to deal with unexpected obsta...
Contractor's Corner: DEPCOM Power
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
DEPCOM Power has always cared for its employees and communities. The utility-scale EPC and O&M company has largely weathered the coronavirus storm and...
Solar Spotlight: SMA America on new methods of PV system optimization
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have a special podcast for Contractors Corner listeners this week! In this sponsored Solar Spotlight podcast, inverter manufacturer SMA America tal...
Contractor's Corner: Eagle Point Solar
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Midwest solar market was finally starting to hit its stride before COVID-19 arrived. Still, companies like Iowa's Eagle Point Solar are optimistic...
Contractor's Corner: Carlson Electric
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wisconsin isn't the largest solar market (SEIA ranks it 34th in the country by kilowatts installed), but solar installer Carlson Electric is still man...
Contractor's Corner: Paradise Energy Solutions
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Four brothers started Paradise Energy Solutions 10 years ago to help farmers reduce energy costs in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The company has si...
Solar Spotlight: RBI Solar talks solar trackers
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have a special podcast for Contractors Corner listeners this week! In this sponsored Solar Spotlight podcast, RBI Solar talks about manufacturing s...
Contractors Corner: Nexamp
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nexamp has established itself as a leader in community solar development across the Northeast, but the company is not just a one-note band. Nexamp is ...
Contractors Corner: Citadel Roofing & Solar
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With more than 30 years in the roofing business, Citadel Roofing & Solar has also established a niche in the Northern California region for careful so...
Contractors Corner: Ideal Energy
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After more than 12 years in the military serving overseas, Troy Van Beek founded Ideal Energy in 2009 in Fairfield, Iowa, to continue serving others, ...
Contractors Corner: Alterra Solar
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving! This month we're discussing the PG&E power outages with California solar installer Allterra Solar. They're saying the phone's been...
Contractors Corner: John Mills Electric
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's go to the southern tier of central New York this month and check in with John Mills Electric. The 75-year-old electrical company also completes ...
Contractors Corner: O3 Energy
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We recently talked with O3 Energy about the company's work in the C&I solar market. O3 has an office in Guam, and we talk a little about the logistica...
Solar Speaks special edition: Tackling commercial rooftop solar projects that require longer spans
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Preformed Line Products (PLP) has a vast portfolio of mounting products for the solar industry, but it has carved out a specific niche within long-spa...
Contractors Corner: Palmetto State Solar
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We head south this month, talking with South Carolina's Palmetto State Solar. The audio is a little shaky at the beginning, and we sincerely apologize...
Contractors Corner: Community Energy
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We go big this week, talking to large-scale solar developer Community Energy about its 20 years of work in the fight against climate change. The compa...
#TopSolar19 Special Edition: The solar industry's discrimination problem
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Racial disparity in rooftop solar PV deployment has historically been attributed to income or home ownership inequality in communities of color. But a...
Contractors Corner: Peak View Solar
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is one of Kelly's favorite interviews! Join her as she talks with Phil and Nancy Brodhagen, co-owners of Colorado's Peak View Solar. The company ...
Contractors Corner: A1A Solar Contracting
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kelly talks this month with Florida's A1A Solar Contracting. Although electricity prices aren't too bad in Northern Florida, the solar installer still...
Contractors Corner: Green Street Solar
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This month we head to Delaware to talk to Green Street Solar. Like a lot of residential installers, Green Street is promoting the ITC stepdown to get ...
Contractors Corner: Rosendin
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
KP is a history buff, so this month's interview is super exciting! Rosendin Electric is celebrating 100 years of electrical contracting this year, and...
Contractors Corner: Conti Solar
24 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
February 2019: This month we talked with large-scale EPC Conti Solar about its work across the country. So many landfill installations! Read our full...
Contractors Corner: RP Construction Services
27 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
January 2019: Super duper excited to talk with RPCS this month about the company's exclusive tracker installation focus. Let's talk utility-scale sola...
Solar Speaks special edition: Giving agency to installers with Nuance Energy Group
14 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nuance Energy Group applied a mounting technology used in other industries to solar with its proprietary Osprey PowerPlatform. The all-in-one ground m...
Contractors Corner: Green Solar Technologies
17 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What a fun way to close out 2018! Kells talks to Green Solar Technologies, the only U.S. solar installer to testify in favor of tariffs on solar panel...
Solar Speaks special edition: Community choice aggregation can accelerate local solar growth
03 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Community choice aggregation means putting the power in the public's hands—literally and figuratively. CCA legislation allows cities and counties wi...
Contractors Corner: Scenic Hill Solar
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Contractors Corner: Sun Light And Power
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Solar Speaks special edition: Volunteer installation helps Portland's homeless population
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The problem of homelessness is unavoidable in Portland, Oregon. So nonprofit solar installer Twende Solar decided to do its first domestic installatio...
Contractors Corner: Atlasta Solar Center
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Contractors Corner: Sun Valley Solar Source
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Solar+storage expert Sun Valley Solar Solutions of Arizona integrates demand control solutions into solar projects and has become the go-to battery ex...
#TopSolar18 Special Edition: Know your audience when it comes to pricing transparency
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Three Top Solar Contractors discuss their business strategy around pricing transparency and how it impacts their solar sales.
Contractors Corner: Fresco Solar
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
KP talks with Silicon Valley's Fresco Solar about the commercial market in the area. Carports, carports, carports! Read the full story: https://www....
Ask a Solar Vet: Thinking of storage in a matrix, with ESA's Kelly Speakes-Backman
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ask a Solar Vet: The King Midas of solar power, NEXTracker's Dan Shugar
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 thi...
Contractors Corner: ReVision Energy
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This month we're talking about the Maine solar market with ReVision Energy. Our guest Fred Greenhalgh, creative services director, even give a nice co...
Solar Speaks special edition: Why supply chains matter when choosing a solar supplier
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ask a Solar Vet: Somewhere between social work and engineering, Erica Mackie of Grid Alternatives
30 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 ke...
Contractors Corner: Strata Solar
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Solar Speaks special edition: Apply for the 2018 Top Solar Contractors list
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The May 25 deadline for the 2018 Top Solar Contractors application is quickly approaching, so SPW editors sat down to talk through some common questio...
Contractors Corner: Sunwatt Solar
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 itsel...
Ask a Solar Vet: Michelle Greenfield, female CEO fighting for Midwestern solar
11 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Solar Speaks special edition: Talking solar inverter trends with IHS Markit Research
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Solar Speaks special edition: 8minutenergy talks solar + storage
02 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Martin Hermann, CEO and founder of solar developer 8minutenergy. Prior to founding the company in 2008, Martin worked with solar panel m...
Contractors Corner: EGT Solar
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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, Ida...
Ask a Solar Vet: Marvin Hamon, the man behind the mustache
16 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve spotted a man with a signature mustache, bow tie and hat walking around a solar show floor, you’ve seen this month’s vet Marvin Hamon,...
Solar Speaks special edition: Talking AC and DC coupling with Dynapower
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Chip Palombini, sales and marketing director at Dynapower, for a story on AC versus DC coupling. We wanted to share some of that intervi...
Contractors Corner: Hannah Solar
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We recently talked with Hannah Solar, a mid-sized EPC in the Southeast, about how the company is adjusting to the new 30% solar tariffs (Spoiler alert...
Ask a Solar Vet: Solar's star researcher, Paula Mints
21 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paula Mints is the founder of global market research firm SPV Market Research. Learn what it takes to be a solar market researcher, her views of the m...
Solar Speaks special edition: What makes a solar sales proposal successful?
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Aurora Solar has been researching what makes solar sales proposals successful. The company interviewed homeowners at different stages of the buying pr...
Ask a Solar Vet: Bill Brooks, an ambassador for solar
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Having trained more than 12,000 installers and inspectors in his 25+ years in solar, Bill Brooks can be called the godfather of solar engineering. How...
Contractors Corner: Earth Electric
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We had a great time talking with Sheryl Lane this month from Earth Electric in San Jose, California. The residential solar installer is about to enter...
Solar Speaks special edition: How UL is keeping the grid safe and secure for more solar
08 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
By now most solar contractors are aware of how interconnection requirements like Rule 21 in California are changing to allow inverters to play an acti...
Solar Speaks special edition: SPW editors complete a solar installation
03 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World editors complete their first residential solar installation in Kensington, California. Podcast sponsored by EcoFasten Solar.
Contractors Corner: GEM Energy
18 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with Ohio's GEM Energy on its 10-year history of building solar projects in the tough Midwest market. Repeat customers make up a big chunk of ...
Ask a Solar Vet: Uniting women across sustainable sectors with WRISE's Kristen Graf
13 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Kristen Graf spent the last eight years leading Women of Wind Energy (WOWE), and now serves as executive director of the group under a new name: Women...
Contractors Corner: Adaptive Solar
15 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month's guest is Adaptive Solar, a Houston-based solar installer. Founder Richard Sherwood talks about the tough solar market in the middle of oi...
Ask a Solar Vet: Surviving in the U.S. solar panel business with Solaria's Suvi Sharma
13 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
With the section 201 trade case, it’s very timely to be speaking to a U.S. panel manufacturer. After 14 years at Solaria president and CEO Suvi Shar...
Contractors Corner: Kingspan Energy
19 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month, we get to know Kingspan Energy and its Irish roots. The company entered the U.S. solar market in 2014 and has found success in the Northea...
Ask a Solar Vet: Selling solar by connecting people with Growatt's Scott Sullivan
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month’s vet, Scott Sullivan, is one of the most well-connected, experienced marketing professionals in solar. He's currently director of invert...
Contractors Corner: Cromwell Solar
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We talk Midwest solar with Cromwell Solar of Lawrence, Kansas, this month. The company has a lot of fans on Facebook; who knew folks in the middle of ...
Ask a Solar Vet: Pursuing your passions with SEIA's Abigail Ross Hopper
10 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month’s veteran is Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA. As you probably know, Abby came on board in her new position at the beginnin...
Solar Speaks special edition: CPS America explains what you need to know about Rule 21
01 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A new set of interconnection requirements are effect in California as of September 9, 2017. Known as Rule 21, the set of requirements will allow inver...
Solar Speaks special edition: When the eclipse came to Nashville
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Power World podcast, Kelsey goes to Nashville to watch the solar eclipse at a viewing party sponsored by LightWave Solar. To view the st...
Contractors Corner: SunRenu Solar
21 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month we talk to Arizona's SunRenu Solar and learn about the commercial solar market in the Southwest. Read our full story: https://www.solarpow...
Solar Speaks special edition: Empower Micro Systems streamlining solar + storage
09 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As we enter a smart-home future one company is looking to streamline the deployment of residential solar and energy storage systems without compromisi...
Contractors Corner: Altenergy
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month we talk to Paul Risberg, president of Altenergy. The high-end residential and small-scale commercial solar installer enjoys working on comp...
Ask a Solar Vet: From early PCs to solar energy with Radiance Solar's James Marlow
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month's solar veteran is James Marlow, president and co-founder of Radiance Solar, a commercial, institutional and utility solar EPC based out of...
Contractors Corner: SunEnergy1
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Kenny Habul, CEO and president of U.S. solar developer SunEnergy1, about the company's large-scale projects and involvement with auto rac...
Solar Speaks special edition: Chint on tips for successful solar component ordering
12 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You can’t build a solar project if you don’t have the components you need. We talked to Gail Hibbert and Janelle Oltman of Chint Power Systems Ame...
Contractors Corner: SunWork Renewable Energy Projects
18 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We were very excited to hear about SunWork's nonprofit solar model this month. The company uses volunteers to install solar on California homes, savin...
Ask A Solar Vet: From Birkenstocks to blue suits with IREC’s Jane Weissman
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This edition's veteran has a longer solar legacy than anyone we’ve interviewed so far. Jane Weissman recently retired from her position as President...
Contractors Corner: Moss
24 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Edwin Perkins, director of solar initiatives with Moss, talked with us about the construction company's involvement in the solar industry and the 1.6 ...
Ask a Solar Vet: Balancing business and ethics with Daniel Sullivan of Sullivan Solar Power
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
“Ask anyone in the local clean-tech industry and they will tell you that Dan Sullivan is the go-to expert for all things solar. Dan is the most pass...
Solar Speaks special edition: SMA discusses solar design decisions
10 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been a lot of talk about centralized “versus” distributed systems, but really the topic may not be so black and white. In fact, there ar...
Contractors Corner: Elemental Energy and Twende Solar
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Portland, Oregon's Elemental Energy started the non-profit Twende Solar to bridge the gap between renewable energy experts and energy-poor communities...
Solar Speaks special edition: Tile roof install advice from Quick Mount PV
15 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks episode, we chat with Jeff Spies at Quick Mount PV about solar installations on tile roofs, including when solar installers shoul...
Ask a Solar Vet: Catching the solar bug with SEPA’s Julia Hamm
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You may have seen Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), speak at industry shows, but here’s a chance to get to ...
Solar Speaks special edition: 2017 Q&A with Canadian Solar
01 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World spoke with Vincent Ambrose, Canadian Solar’s general manager for North America, about the company’s manufacturing past, plans fo...
Contractors Corner: Horizon Solar Power
17 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Horizon Solar Power, a Solar Power World Top Solar Residential Contractor headquartered in Temecula, California, got its start in the solar industry a...
Ask a Solar Vet: The importance of telling a great story with Solar-Log’s Anthony Conklin
13 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In our second edition of our newly launched Ask a Vet podcast, we got a chance to speak with Anthony Conklin, president and general manager for Solar ...
Contractors Corner: Arctic Solar Ventures
23 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Stephen Trimble, founder and CEO, and Chase Christie, vice president of business development, both of Arctic Solar Ventures, a young Alas...
Solar Speaks special edition: OMCO features custom solar mounting in new roadshow
20 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we’re focused on the utility market, a market which could use some rebooting in 2017. To learn more about the market and how one ma...
Ask a Solar Vet: Showing solar leadership with Borrego's Brendan Neagle
20 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Even though mainstream solar is still a relatively young industry, some solar professionals have had the opportunity to watch the industry grow and ch...
Solar Speaks special edition: SolarEdge discusses its HD-Wave inverter technology
21 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
SolarEdge's HD-Wave technology has been turning heads since it was released at Solar Power International 2015. This year it won an Intersolar Award, a...
Contractors Corner: Inovateus Solar
21 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Inovateus Solar president TJ Kanczuzewski talks with Solar Power World about the Midwest solar developer's rise to success. Topics include thin-film s...
Solar Speaks special edition: Magnum talks charge controllers
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're discussing charge controllers with Alan Santos-Buch, Western Region Sales and Marketing Manager of Magnum Energy, a Sensata Technologies b...
Solar Speaks special edition: What are the advantages of Darfon's G320 solar microinverter?
18 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Bryan Whitton, product manager at Darfon America, who explained how the company's G320 solar microinverter allows putting more inverters...
Contractors Corner: Nautilus Solar Energy
16 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Full-service provider Nautilus Solar recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and the company has plans to expand into more regional markets. We talk...
Contractors Corner: Sunworks
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sunworks has a storied past, but this year the California-based integrator found its niche and is ready to expand. We talked with CEO Jim Nelson about...
Solar Speaks special edition: SEFA, cracking the code to solar financing
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot that remains to be sorted out in the solar financing world, but did you know there’s an organization working to “crack the code”...
Solar Speaks special edition: How Solar-Log monitoring products improve solar projects
07 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, we learn about the Solar-Log line of monitoring products, which provide integrated monitoring and plant evaluation for p...
Contractors Corner: Infinity Energy
28 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Mark Stacy, CEO of California's Infinity Energy, about the company's two years in business and how its finding success.
Solar Speaks special edition: 6 documents you need to have in place before you can get financing
26 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Obtaining solar project financing can be a complex process, and it’s made trickier if you’re not prepared. Here to discuss tips for solar develope...
Solar Speaks special edition: NEXTracker CTO Alex Au discusses tech innovation and solar trackers
26 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, NEXTracker co-founder and CTO Alex Au offers insight on what's next for NEXTracker, a global provider of solar tracking ...
What's Trending In Solar Panels
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Drappi, procurement manager with solar module manufacturer SolarTech Universal, talks about the latest trends in solar panels (PERC, bifacial and ...
Unirac CEO Peter Lorenz Offers Insight On The Business Of Solar Mounting
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Unirac CEO Peter Lorenz discusses why he got into the renewable-energy business and provides advice for contractors on how to use the best equipment, ...
Training Military Veterans For Solar Careers
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Solar Ready Vets program is expertly described by program director Tenley Ann Dalstrom at Solar Speaks Live 2016. The solar job training program r...