Contractors Corner by Solar Power World
Episodes
Shifting To The C&I Solar Space
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Begert has been with Austin-based solar contractor Meridian Solar for almost 10 years. During that time he helped the company move from a residen...
SEIA Interim President Tom Kimbis Discusses The Balance Of The SEIA Board
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Kimbis takes on talk that the SEIA board of directors focuses too heavily on utility-scale solar, in this Solar Speaks Live video, filmed on the trade...
Namasté Solar At SPI
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
David Vorlage, president of Namasté Solar, joined Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live 2016 only a few months into his new job at the helm of the c...
Making Solar Accessible For Low - Income Communities
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Since 2001, Erica Mackie, co-founder and CEO of GRID Alternatives, has been making solar practical and accessible for low-income communities that need...
Large-Scale Solar Installation Trends
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Helge Biernath, president and CEO of solar installer Sunstall, joined Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live 2016 to discuss the changing market of la...
Jeff Calabro Of Arraycon Discusses The Big Equipment Required To Build Big Solar Projects
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Calabro, senior vice president of business development at Arraycon, offers insight on how ArrayCon was recognized as 2016's Top Solar Constructio...
IREC CEO Details The Organization's Solar Consumer Protection Initiative
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) President and CEO Larry Sherwood explains its solar consumer protection initiative, how the solar industry ...
Does The SEIA Board Need More DG Solar Companies?
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Solar advocate and business owner Barry Cinnamon discusses why he and others believe the board of director at the Solar Energy Industries Association,...
Creating A New Type Of Utility For Solar
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hawaiian solar often makes headlines, but no one knows it quite like Dora Nakafuji. As direct of renewable energy planning at Hawaiian Electric Compan...
APsystems talks new microinverter and mobile tool
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Jason Higginson, senior director of marketing for APsystems about the company's new microinverter, the importance of its FPGA chip and h...
CEO of Array Technologies discusses the future of solar trackers
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks custom podcast, Array Technologies CEO Ron Corio discusses the trend toward using single-axis trackers in utility-scale projects,...
Sullivan Solar talks net-metering 2.0
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
San Diego recently became the first city in California to reach the solar cap in its utility’s region. We are speaking with Matt Gordon, manager Of ...
Contractors Corner: Superior Solar
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World chats with Florida contractor Superior Solar, which has been in business since 1984 and uses its longevity and presence in the indus...
Roof Tech discusses its rail-less mounting system
17 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks custom podcast, Milton Nogueira, senior business development manager at RoofTech, a PV mounting solutions provider, discusses the...
The threat of lightning on solar farms
11 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Damage from direct and indirect lightning strikes on solar arrays can vary from explosive destruction to less apparent, yet accumulative, effects on s...
Podcast: Tips for evaluating your solar supplier, and yourself
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How’s your relationship? I’m not talking about your spouse, your parents or your in-laws…don’t worry. I’m focusing in on another important r...
Keeping PACE with solar financing
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
President Obama’s announcement of the Clean Energy Savings For All Initiative is intended to help more homeowners afford solar by opting into solar ...
Contractors Corner: SouthWest Sun Solar
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Hieu Nguyen, executive director of SouthWest Sun Solar of California, about the company's diversity efforts.
Solar Speaks: NEXTracker Intersolar preview with CEO Dan Shugar
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, NEXTracker CEO Dan Shugar discusses what he’s looking forward to seeing and doing at Intersolar North America, happeni...
KACO gives an Ultraverter update
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Jon Bonanno, Ultraverter specialist at KACO new energy, to get an update on the system, which was released at SPI in 2014. You may have ...
SunLink VP Kate Trono discusses VERTEX monitoring platform
27 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, Kate Trono, vice president of products at SunLink, discusses the company’s recent entry into the solar software market...
Solar Speaks: Jeff Spies discusses codes and standards impacting the rooftop solar market
22 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, Jeff Spies, senior director of policy at Quick Mount PV and secretary at NABCEP, discusses the growing complexities of c...
Contractors Corner: Southern Energy Management
20 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Kingery, co-founder and president of Southern Energy Management in Morrisville, North Carolina, chats with Solar Power World about the company's W...
CEO of Solar Promotion International discusses upcoming Intersolar North America exhibition
10 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Markus Elsässer, founder and CEO of Solar Promotion International, a global tradeshow company with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency,...
Contractors Corner: Green Sun Rising
20 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talked with Klaus Dohring of Green Sun Rising about the Canadian solar market and heard some great stories about installing solar in the Arctic Cir...
Solar Speaks: JinkoSolar and GreenSky residential loan partnership
16 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We recently talked with Jeff Juger, director of business development for JinkoSolar, about the panel manufacturer's new partnership with residential l...
Finding funding for small commercial solar
11 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Bryan Birsic, CEO of Wunder Capital to give us some insight into challenges of and solutions for financing small commercial solar projec...
Contractors Corner: Swinerton Renewable Energy
25 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Swinerton Renewable Energy's George Hershman, senior vice president and general manager, talked with Solar Power World about the struggles and success...
S&C shares solar + storage sweet spot
19 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Troy Miller, director of grid solutions at the S&C Electric Company to find out more about the company's role in solar + storage, as wel...
Contractors Corner: SunPower by EmPower Solar
21 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with SunPower by EmPower Solar CEO David Schieren about the company's new role as SunPower Master Dealer and what's new with the New York mark...
Enphase founder speaks on solar and storage
16 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As Enphase celebrates ten years and ten million microinverters shipped, co-founder Raghu Belur shares what he sees as the company's biggest successes ...
How a Princeton student found his way into solar storage
19 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with founder of Princeton Power Darren Hammell, who founded his solar storage company in his dorm room. The company now celebrates 15 years. ...
Contractors Corner: Tennessee Solar Solutions
19 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Chattanooga-based solar contractor Tennessee Solar Solutions spoke with Solar Power World about the local market and how the company stands out in the...
Saft discusses solar storage technology
17 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Energy storage, though currently in its infancy, is predicted to be crucial to the growth of solar. To learn more about the market and technology, we ...
Brewers Association economist: Why are craft brews turning to solar?
09 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Two breweries open every day in the U.S., and 75% of Americans live within 10 miles of one. And as it turns out, many brewery owners are conscience of...
Chint Power Perspective, Scaling in America
03 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The latest IHS PV Inverter Customer Insight Survey revealed a growing acceptance of Chinese inverters in the North American market in recent years. To...
Contractors Corner: American Sentry Solar
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with American Sentry Solar in Bel Air, Maryland, about the solar business and outlook into the future.
The 411 on building codes and solar with SolarRoofHook.com
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Wiener, marketing manager of SolarRoofHook.com, shares information about building codes as they relate to sloped-roof solar installations in t...
Contractors Corner: RER Energy Group
05 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
RER Energy Group in Reading, Pennsylvania, coaches the community through issues and concerns to bring solar to the masses.
How solar can help combat climate change
17 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been lots of news coming from the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN...
AllEarth Renewables' Andrew Savage discusses the business side of breweries and solar
11 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It's a micro-trend in the micro-brew business to go solar, with breweries nationwide becoming advocates for sustainability. And AllEarth Renewables, a...
Gridtential's technology could help standardize solar storage
08 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
How will storage be important to solar's long-term success? Do contractors know enough about storage? How have utilities responded to solar-plus-stora...
Solar Speaks: Trina Solar hits 15 GW shipped worldwide
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Jing Tian, head of global marketing for Trina Solar, about the company's recent milestone of 15 GW of solar modules shipped globally and...
Solar Speaks: Solar-Log monitoring assists with power curtailment
02 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with Stephen Condon of Solar-Log about a Connecticut solar project that uses Solar-Log monitoring systems for measurement and feed-in manageme...
SolarSpeaks: How SunLink is preparing for an ITC sunset
12 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of Solar Speaks, SunLink CEO Michael Maulick discusses the solar mounting manufacturer’s business strategy going toward 2017, when t...
Contractors Corner: CBS Solar
04 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
SPW talks with the family team at CBS Solar about the emerging solar market in Michigan.
Solar And The Grid
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Troy Miller, director of grid solutions for S&C Electric Company, discusses the impact of solar on the electric grid in this Solar Speaks Live video, ...
Vaisala On Site Assessment
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Gwendalyn Bender, product manager for assessment services for Vaisala, discusses the range of services and products offered by the company in this Sol...
DOE On SunShot Initiative Progress
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Lidija Sekaric, deputy director of the SunShot Initiative, discuss the programs latest funding programs and progress in this Solar Speaks Live vid...
Julia Hamm Compares Missions Of SEPA And SEIA
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA, met with Solar Power World for a Solar Speaks Live interview at Solar Power International 2015. She explained h...
Decades Of Perspective On Solar
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Brooks, principal of Brooks Engineering, discusses solar worker training, array design and the ITC in this Solar Speaks Live video, powered by Un...
About Rhone Resch
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA, talks about his life growing up and how he became interested in solar and policy in this Solar Speaks Live vid...
Conergy On U.S. Development And The ITC
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew de Pass, CEO of Conergy, a global solar developer and EPC, discusses solar development and the ITC in this Solar Speaks Live video, powered by ...
Catching The Sun Director Talks About Documentary
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Shalini Kantayya, director of the solar documentary Catching the Sun, discusses the film and the communication challenges present in the solar industr...
Making It Easier To Go Solar
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
During a Solar Power World Solar Speaks Live interview at Solar Power International 2015, we spoke with David Field, who addressed challenges homeowne...
A Call For Standardized Production Estimates
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
During a Solar Power World Solar Speaks Live interview at Solar Power International 2015, we spoke with Jesse Grossman, CEO of Soltage. He discussed w...
Innovative Solar Financing
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Billy Parish, founder and CEO of Mosaic, met with Solar Power World for a Solar Speaks Live interview at Solar Power International 2015.
ABB’s Global View Of Solar
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Levran, group senior VP and head of Solar Industry Segment Initiative for ABB, discusses how ABB’s worldwide experience in solar gives the comp...
A Need For Solar Training Basics
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Lawrence, executive director of NABCEP, talked with Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live about trends in training and education, including h...
Challenges Of Solar Financing
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Rottman of the Solar Energy Finance Association joined Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live at SPI 2015 to discuss the latest trends in financi...
Energy Storage + Solar
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
John Jung, CEO of energy storage provider Greensmith, joined Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live at SPI 2015 to talk about the working relationship...
Jigar Shah On Today's Issues In Solar
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Solar industry thought-leader Jigar Shah talked with Solar Power World editor Kelly Pickerel at SPI 2015 about many topics affecting the U.S. solar ma...
How NEXTracker innovated solar commissioning and O&M efficiency
27 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of Solar Speaks, Dylan Anderson, senior director of project and quality engineering at NEXTracker, discusses the company's flagship pr...
A tea house in the sky, chatting with SolTerra
23 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
From a teahouse in the sky, to an underground moss museum, Founder and CEO of SolTerra Brian Heather uses story ideas like these to make sustainabilit...
Eaton talks solar storage
14 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Other than batteries, what other components make up solar storage systems? What should you consider when selecting these components? We spoke with Joh...
Leila Madrone, CEO of Sunfolding, discusses new tracker technology
11 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Four years ago, former MIT lab mates Leila Madrone and Saul Griffith started working together to help bring solar to the next level. “Across the sol...
EagleView Technologies discusses aerial imaging for the solar industry
10 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
EagleView Technologies uses patented software to produce 3D models from aerial roof and wall measurements that are extremely accurate and detailed. Re...
Solar Speaks: How R&D efficiency records compare to installed solar panels
26 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
SPW editor Kelly Pickerel talks with Siva Power CEO Brad Mattson about solar panel companies breaking efficiency records in R&D labs, and how those pa...
Contractors Corner: Titan Solar Construction
25 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
SPW talks with Omar Melo, director of corporate strategy and development at Titan Solar, about installing solar in competitive California.
Solar Speaks: Women changing the world through solar
25 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power International offers events specifically for women each year. Perhaps one of the longest running is a panel discussion and reception put o...
Solar Speaks: How a nonprofit and solar music videos are changing the world
21 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Teri Carter, a consultant for global sustainable solutions and community development. She discussed how USOL Energy is making solar pane...
Contractors Corner: Horizon Solar Power
14 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Horizon Solar Power, a southern California-based solar installation company, was founded in 1998 and has installed more than 2,000 residential install...
Contractors Corner: Collegiate Solar focuses on the everyday family
30 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Collegiate Solar, a Buffalo, NY-based contracting company, was started in 2009 by company president Chris Jablonski after 15 years of experience in th...
Pro-Tech Energy Solutions on dealing with difficult installation conditions
24 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It’s common for solar projects in the Northeast to be situated on difficult terrain. Sometimes installations require tree clearing, access roads, ea...
Mortenson speaks on how to know your solar customers better
20 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
How do you stay on top of knowing your customers' needs? What are their biggest challenges and how can you help? Is talking to them on the job site en...
Lessons learned: O&M and asset management
22 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Asset management is a buzzword in today's solar industry. But what does it really mean and how does it relate to overall operations and maintenance? W...
Contractor's Corner: IPS finds longevity in local solar
19 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After 24 years in Minnesota solar, contractor Innovative Power Systems has some insight to share on how to survive in the solar market. We spoke with ...
Why have installers adopted 3-phase string inverters so fast?
10 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Ed Heacox and Casey Miller of Chint Power Systems to discuss the adoption of 3-phase string inverter architecture in North America, and ...
Solar Speaks: How will KACO and Ampt's partnership help commercial projects?
10 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
KACO new energy and Ampt have partnered to offer KACO’s blueplanet 50 TL3 inverter with an option to pair with Ampt’s string optimizers. This is i...
Contractors Corner: Brightstar Solar
26 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World editor Kelly Pickerel spoke with Jon Reese, CEO of Brightstar Solar, based in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The company has grown with...
All about Intersolar NA 2015
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Intersolar North America will return to San Francisco for its eighth year July 14 to 16. We spoke with Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Promotion Inter...
Rick Gentry discusses SolarRoofHook.com, provider of solar mounts
20 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, SolarRoofHook.com Executive Vice President Rick Gentry talks about the company, its products and why customers would choose SolarRoof...
New Array Technologies president, Thomas Conroy, on the solar industry vs. the windpower industry
21 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Conroy, the new president of solar tracker manufacturer Array Technologies, has decades of experience in power generation. In this Solar Speaks...
Conergy's CEO shares business advice and solar industry insight
31 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As the solar industry goes through its growing pains there’s no shortage of ebb and flow to watch. Some businesses boom, while some lose their place...
Why you should consider adding off-grid services to your business
23 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As the off-grid solar market grows, many solar professionals are considering offering services to this segment as a smart business move. But off-grid ...
Why site assessment is so important for solar projects
19 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Site assessment is often discussed as an important step in planning any project, but what exactly do you need to look for? We spoke with Gwendalyn Ben...
Solar Speaks: What Distributors Can Do For Solar
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Jonathan Doochin, CEO of Soligent Distribution. Jonathan discussed what solar installers need to win, the evolution of residential solar...
Solar Speaks: A Discussion with Solar Source
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Rick Gilbert, vice president of Florida-based solar installer Solar Source. Rick discusses his company, as well as the training and publ...
Solar Speaks: HDPV Alliance Aims To Lower Costs
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. Levent discussed a bit about Ampt and its role in the HDPV Alliance. With some of the biggest inverter, juncti...
Solar Speaks: Concentrated PV Expands Its Reach
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to Paul Robusto, photovoltaic business development manager at Intertek, about the rapidly expanding concentrated PV technology, a subject he s...
Solar Speaks: How To Choose A Quality Solar Panel
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Michael Howe of Canadian solar integrator Eclipsall Energy Corporation. He discussed how the U.S. solar market varies from the Canadian ...
Solar Speaks: Crowd Funding Offers A New Way To Invest In Solar
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Billy Parish, founder and president of Mosaic. The company has made recent headlines with its innovative approach to financing solar pro...
Creating solar storage out of waste
24 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Remember vanadium from your high school science class? We spoke with Imergy President Tim Hennessey who told us how his company is using a lower-cost ...
Contractors Corner: SunHarvest Solar & Electrical
24 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World editor Kelly Pickerel spoke with Brandon Cheshire, founder and director of production at SunHarvest Solar & Electrical, based in Pho...
Higher solar voltages and how to get there
19 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Mark Kanjorski of Ampt to discuss why the solar industry is moving toward higher voltages (1500V and more), and various ways of achievin...
Solar power optimizers in 2015
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Installations of power optimizers are reported to grow significantly through 2020. We’re here with Mike Rogerson of SolarEdge to give us some insigh...
DNV GL discusses solar inverter testing
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Testing is essential to helping verify functionality and performance of any component, especially inverters as the “brains of a solar system.” We ...
SunLink VP discusses solar ground mount products, the market and supply chains
30 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Yury Reznikov, vice president of product management at SunLink, a solar mounting system provider, discusses trends in the ground mount market, includi...
Contractors Corner: A-C Solar
26 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World editor Kelly Pickerel spoke with Jeff Petrini, energy manager, and Katie Van Dyke, sales and marketing manager, of A-C Solar based i...
Solar mounting manufacturer Mounting Systems discusses fire certifications
13 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Two Mounting Systems products, the Alpha+ pitched roof system and the Lambda Leight EW+, were rated in ETL fire tests as Class A with Type 1 PV module...