Contractors Corner by Solar Power World
Episodes
Making solar the new dishwasher in homes
06 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Heating, running water, air conditioning, these are standard features in most homes. What if solar was too? Home builder Lennar is actually teaming up...
Solar Speaks: How Acadia Center is Combating Climate Change
15 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Climate Change is one of the premier issues of our time, but solar can help solve it. We spoke with Jamie Howland, of Acadia Center, an organization w...
What Would Your Ideal Solar State Look Like?
05 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Take a moment to picture this: You have a 51st state without an electricity market structure in place. How would you build that system from the ground...
7 Tips For A Solar Project Press Release
02 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Press releases are an essential marketing tool in any industry, and solar is no exception. Still, it can be easy to fall into the trap of going throug...
Travelers
17 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What kind of insurance does a solar installation company need? Do electricians have similar exposures or risks to roofers? Knowing how to properly ins...
Solar Speaks: Why The U.S. Attracts International Investment
20 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
As the European market matures and offers investors slow, steady growth (instead of the spectacular growth of recent years), investors and developers ...
Part Two KACO
15 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World brings to you a special edition of our podcast series, in which we take an in depth look at German inverter manufacturer KACO new e...
Part One KACO
15 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World brings to you a special edition of our podcast series, in which we take an in depth look at German inverter manufacturer KACO new e...
Part Three KACO
15 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World brings to you a special edition of our podcast series, in which we take an in depth look at German inverter manufacturer KACO new e...
Part Four KACO
15 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World brings to you a special edition of our podcast series, in which we take an in depth look at German inverter manufacturer KACO new e...
What’s Really Going On With The New Fire Regulations?
14 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to Jeff Spies, Senior Director of Policy of Quick Mount PV and Mark C. Gies, Vice President, Reliability and Compliance with PanelClaw discuss ...
Solar Speaks: How To Solve The Permitting Mess
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We talked to Carlos Moreno, general partner of CNG Solar Engineering, a Woodland Hills, Calif.-based company that handles permitting issues for solar ...
Contractors Corner: Texas Solar Outfitters
08 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Cal Morton, sales and marketing executive at Texas Solar Outfitters (a 2014 Solar Power World Top 400 Contractor), discusses how the company got its s...
Solar Speaks: Considerations For Landfill Solar
22 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Joe Harrison, Senior Project Developer of San Diego, California-based EPC Borrego Solar Systems (No. 22 on Solar Power World’s 2014 To...
Solar Speaks: Is Shortening The Sales Cycle Possible?
07 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We invited Helioscope’s developers — Paul Gibbs and Paul Grana of Folsom Labs — to discuss why they felt the software was necessary and the feed...
Solar Speaks: How The HDPV Alliance Is Helping Lower The Cost of Solar
28 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World Managing Editor Kathie Zipp checked in with the HDPV Alliance at Intersolar NA 2014 in San Francisco. Representatives had much to ta...
Solar Speaks: Do You Know Where Your Solar Modules Rank?
15 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
For years, the industry has tried to figure out how to rank solar panels by the amount of energy they produce, but it’s been difficult to decide wha...
Solar Speaks: Is Principal Solar Ready To Take Off?
30 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Principal Solar announced it had reached the financial critical mass it needed to purchase and finance multiple solar projects, which fits into its ov...
Solar Speaks: Exosun VP On The Company, Its Tracker System And Reliability Testing
14 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this Solar Speaks podcast, Exosun’s Vice President of Business Development, Jay Johnson, discusses: Why the company entered the U.S. market The E...
Solar Speaks: Why You Should Attend Intersolar NA 2014
06 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
From new training programs, to conference sessions, to speakers, to networking events, Solar Promotion International has big plans for its Intersolar ...
Solar Speaks: Solmetric And Vivint Team Up On Solar Testing
25 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard of Solar Power World Top 250 Contractor Vivint Solar’s acquisition of solar testing equipment manufacturer Solmetric. And if the...
Solar Speaks: Amicus And Locus Energy Discuss Solar Monitoring And Purchasing Cooperatives
23 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us is Stephen Irvin from Amicus Solar Cooperative and Adrian De Luca from Locus Energy.
Solar Speaks: How Should Solar Installers Market To Women?
08 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
According to research, women are the chief financial officers in most homes and make 80% of the home improvement buying decisions. Hear what nearly 30...
Solar Speaks: The Coming Boom Of Fleet-Level Monitoring
07 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian De Luca, vice president of sales and marketing, and Michael Herzig, CEO, of Locus Energy, a Hoboken, New Jersey-based solar monitoring company,...
Contractors Corner: Vivint Solar
25 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar, talks about what he sees as the best value proposition going today: residential solar power. In this episode of...
Solar Speaks: Stop Improvising Your Racking Installations
20 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We caught up with Barry Cinnamon, owner and founder of Cinnamon Solar (and former president of Westinghouse Solar), who says he found some important f...
Solar Speaks: The Midwest Is The Next Big Spot For Solar
14 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Geoff Stenrick, to find our more about his St. Paul-Minnesota based solar distribution company, as well as why SimpleRay is taking part ...
Solar Speaks: A Call To Set Solar Inverter Reliability Standards
04 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with SolarBridge Technologies‘ Craig Lawrence and Paul Parker to see how the microinverter manufacturer is pushing the industry to do somet...
Solar Speaks: Green Charge Networks Helps Solve Energy Storage Issues
21 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Green Charge Networks says it’s come up with a solution to address grid storage challenges by bringing the public and private sectors together. We s...
Contractors Corner: Run On Sun
13 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this Contractors Corner podcast, learn how Run on Sun attracts clients, the reason it switched to micro-inverters and why co-founder Jim Jenal wrot...
Solar Speaks: This Simple Solar Component Is Important
11 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
While an enclosure isn’t the most complex component you’ll find in a solar installation, it’s certainly an important one. A proper enclosure pro...
Solar Speaks: Software Helps Lower The Soft Costs Of Solar
07 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
While solar component costs are decreasing, balance of system and soft costs remain a huge obstacle to completing many commercial solar projects. But...
A Conversation With Arno Harris of Recurrent Energy, Part Two
24 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of Solar Power World‘s conversation with Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy and chairman of SEIA, the industry leader discusses...
Will The Senate Reduce The Solar ITC In 2014?
21 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In light of the Senate’s proposal to reduce the investment tax credit for solar, we spoke with Jamie Hahn, co-founder and managing director of North...
A Conversation With Arno Harris of Recurrent Energy, Part One
15 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We talked to Arno Harris, Recurrent’s CEO, to get his perspective on what drove the industry in 2013 (including the loosening of financing), and how...
Solar Speaks: SolarCity Lights The Way For Schools Overseas
14 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
For every megawatt of residential solar power that SolarCity installs in 2014, the company will bring light to a community by donating a solar power s...
Contractors Corner: Solect, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
19 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from James Dumas, a founding principal at Solect, a Hopkinton, Mass.-based solar installer and member of the Solar Power Worl...
Solar Speaks: Will GM Transmission Plant Transition U.S. To Solar?
13 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talked to Rob Threlkeld, renewable energy manager for General Motors. GM joined SEIA in February 2013, and in October 2013 they an...
Solar Speaks: Help Homeboy Industries Help LA
09 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Youness Scally of Everybody Solar, a San Francisco non-profit that works to protect the environment and strengthen communities through s...
Solar Speaks: Will CIGS Save Solar?
02 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re talking to Brad Mattson, CEO of Siva Power.
Solar Speaks: Cogenra Solar
02 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re talking to Gilad Almogy, CEO of Cogenra Solar, which announced last week that it had introduced a ground-mount solar system that instal...
Contractors Corner: Borrego Solar
24 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are speaking with Aaron Hall, president of Borrego Solar.
You Can’t Always Judge A Kid By Its Parents
14 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are talking to Ram Akella, managing director for Centrosolar America. The news surrounding the Centrosolar Group in other parts of the world...
Solar Speaks: How Tariffs On China Will Affect U.S. Small Businesses
13 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Alan Lee, CEO of ecoSolargy. In light of the International Trade Commission’s vote to allow 24 to 36% tariffs imposed by the U.S. Depa...
Solar Speaks: What Do Utilities Want From Solar?
01 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We sat down with Bob Gibson, vice president of education & outreach for the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). He offered his thoughts on how ut...
Solar Speaks: Storage Helps Smoothing Out Solar
18 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Shaw Lynds, a research and development systems engineer at Maxwell Technologies. Shaw told us about how ultracapacitor storage technolog...
Solar Speaks: Canada, The Next California?
11 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we talk to Nicholas Fiduccia, vice president of solar at HB White Canada Corp., which has taken a key interest in solar north of the ...
Solar Speaks: What Are Consumers Thinking?
03 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We talked to Sara Greenstein, president of Underwriters Laboratories Environment and Information & Insights. They released the 2013 The Product Mindse...
Solar Energy Since the Beginning
27 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we spoke to John Perlin, an Author, Lecturer, Consultant on the subject of solar energy. His new book is called Let It Shine: The 6,0...
Contractors Corner: SunGreen Systems
20 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are talking with Rick Hsu, founder of Irwindale, Calif.-based SunGreen Systems (No. 145 on the Solar Power World Top 250 Contracto...
Rhone Resch Says Solar Should Seize Its Moment In The Sun
05 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In a wide-ranging conversation, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, discussed a recent White House/DOE study ur...
Solar Speaks: How Inverters Help Support The Grid
30 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Rob Masinter, director of product management for solar at Advanced Energy, to talk about how solar inverters can support the grid.
Solar Speaks: The Solar Industry’s Own E-Bay?
26 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we talked to Gary Mull with Solar Exchange.
Solar Speaks: Crowdfunding Is Catching On Fast
23 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Billy Parish, founder and president of Mosaic. We last spoke to Billy in May 2013. He gave us an update on the online marketplace that a...
Solar Speaks: Does Your Commercial Installation Make Sense?
15 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We talk with Nathan Homan, co-founder of Wiser Capital, about the company’s new online tool that will help commercial solar developers decide whethe...
Contractors Corner: Signal Energy
08 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are speaking with Ben Fischer of Signal Energy based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Solar Speaks: It’s Not Too Late: You CAN Still Add Battery Storage
01 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talked to Mark Cerasuolo, senior marketing manager at OutBack Power, about the company’s new whitepaper detailing how homeowners...
Contractors Corner: GeoPeak Energy
23 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are speaking with AJ Javan of GeoPeak Energy based in Somerset, New Jersey.
Solar Speaks: Sunny Rai
15 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talked to Sunny Rai, regional vice president for renewable energy for Intertek, a global testing and certification company. We’r...
Solar Speaks: Eaton Expands Product Line At Intersolar North America
15 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we talk to John Vernacchia, segment manager for renewable energy for Eaton. He discussed the company’s expanded solutions as a resu...
Intersolar 2013 Coverage, Day 2: Meet The truSolar Initiative
12 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
SPW attended an invitation-only breakfast with the truSolar Initiative at Intersolar North America 2013, an organization that came together earlier t...
Solar Speaks, Intersolar 2013 Edition: Meet The HDPV Alliance, Part Two
12 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
SPW sat down at Intersolar North America 2013 to discuss the mission of the recently formed HDPV Alliance, a consortium of companies trying to create...
Solar Speaks: Leasing Helps Homeowners Go Solar
12 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with David Field, President & CEO of OneRoof Energy. David told us about his company and why solar leasing can be a good option for homeowner...
Solar Speaks, Intersolar 2013 Edition: Meet The HDPV Alliance, Part One
10 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
SPW sat down at Intersolar North America 2013 to discuss the mission of the recently formed HDPV Alliance, a consortium of companies trying to create...
Solar Speaks: Get Ready For Intersolar North America 2013
27 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Production International, which helps organize Intersolar North America, about the 2013 show.
Solar Speaks: What Is Congress Thinking?
20 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, we talk to Dave Holleran, Senior Manager of Module Sales for Motech Americas. Motech took solar’s case to Congress at the 16th...
Solar Speaks: Can Inverters Mitigate Arc Faults? Fronius Says Yes
13 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to Thomas Enzendorfer, director of sales and marketing for Fronius USA. Fronius launched a new inverter in March 2013 that helps installers an...
Solar Speaks: A Little Lug Goes A Long Way
06 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Jan Middleton of ILSCO, a privately-held, American owned manufacturer of electrical connectors that has become an industry leader as a s...
Solar Speaks: Why Did ABB Buy Power-One?
30 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Solar Power World spoke with Maxine Ghavi, head of ABB’s Solar Initiative. ABB made news when it purchased inverter powerhouse Power-One, marking a ...
Solar Speaks: The State Of The Solar Inverter Segment Is Strong
16 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Tucker Ruberti, director of strategic marketing for Advanced Energy, to get his perspective on where the inverter currently is — and w...
Solar Speaks: What Can Solar Leasing Gain From ACPV?
09 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Craig Lawrence, VP of Marketing at SolarBridge Technologies. Craig discussed what the solar leasing industry has to gain from ACPV.
Contractors Corner: Strata Solar, Chapel Hill, N.C.
30 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are talking to John Morrison, COO of Strata Solar in Chapel Hill, N.C., and a member of Solar Power World’s Top 100 Solar Contra...
Contractor’s Corner: PPC Solar
18 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are talking to Dan Weinman, president of PPC Solar in Taos, N.M., and a member of Solar Power World’s Top 100 Solar Contractors ...
Solar Speaks: High Performing Solar Stocks
11 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke to Peter Lynch, an advisor to Principal Solar Institute, investment banker and expert in renewable energy.
Contractors Corner: Namaste Solar
04 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are talking with Blake Jones, co-founder/president of Boulder, Colo.-based Namaste Solar.
Solar Speaks: GM Joins The Solar Revolution
28 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We talked to Rob Threlkeld, renewable energy manager for General Motors. GM announced in February 2013 that they were going to be joining SEIA.
Solar Speaks: Festo’s Damon Turley Talks Solar Production Costs
20 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re speaking with Damon Turley, Solar Business Development Manager, at Festo Corp. He has some interesting ideas on how to bring down the pr...
Solar Speaks: AllEarth Renewables CEO Discusses Sequester And NIMBY
14 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
As solar panel prices “dropped like a rock,” AllEarth Renewables CEO David Blittersdorf shifted his company’s focus from home wind turbines to t...
Solar Speaks: Why The Sunshine State Isn’t So Solar Friendly
14 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Rick Gilbert, vice president of Solar Source (which is one of Solar Power World’s Top 100 Solar Contractors). As a Florida-based solar...
Solar Speaks: How To Prevent Corrosion At Solar Farms
04 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Richard Grant, principal at Russell Corrosion Consultants, discusses the role coatings play in protecting solar farms from corrosion ...
Solar Speaks: Not Your Average Shopping Mall
20 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with George Caraghiaur, Simon Property Group’s senior vice president of sustainability. Your average shopping mall has food and clothing bu...
Solar Speaks: An Interview With Rhone Resch and Julia Hamm at PV America 2013, Part Two
13 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
SPW sat down with SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch and SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm at the PV America event in Philadelphia in 2013.
Solar Speaks: An Interview With Rhone Resch and Julia Hamm at PV America 2013, Part One
12 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
SPW sat down with SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch and SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm at the PV America event in Philadelphia in 2013.
Solar Speaks: Advanced Energy Talks LCOE
28 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Denninger, senior marketing manager of Advanced Energy Solar Energy, presented a paper at a conference this year where he talked about his list o...
Solar Speaks: Reducing Risk for Commercial Solar Projects
26 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Robert Forster, Vice President of Strategic Planning at Solarrus Corporation, and Jeanne Schwartz, Vice President of New Venture Commerc...
Solar Speaks: Colored Modules Bridge Gap Between Solar And Aesthetics
19 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Paul Wise, COO at Colored Solar. Paul discusses how Colored Solar manufactures colored solar panels to blend in with surrounding archite...
Schneider Electric on Solar
26 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Allen Breeze, SVP of Schneider’s U.S. Power Business, has some interesting comments on the future of homes as energy control centers. And Jeffrey Dr...
Contractors Corner: Meridian Solar
23 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we spoke with Andrew McCalla, founder and president of Austin, Texas-based Meridian Solar.
Solar Speaks: Inverter Challenges And Insight From Advanced Energy
12 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Mike Dooley, Vice President of Marketing at Advanced Energy. Mike discussed a bit about the company, as well as industry trends and inve...
Solar Speaks: The United States Needs A Solar Feed-In-Tariff
09 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to Peter Lynch, who has worked, for 35 years as a Wall Street security analyst, an independent security analyst and private investor in small ...
Solar Speaks: OneRoof Energy On Reliable Residential Systems
08 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Andrew Duggan, COO of OneRoof Energy, a San Diego-based solar company that develops, owns and operates residential solar systems. Andrew...
Solar Speaks: EDF Renewable Energy Expects 100% Growth In Installations in 2013
04 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Kristina Peterson, VP of EDF Renewable Energy’s solar business unit. Kristina discussed enXco’s integration into the EDF Group, and ...
Wide Support For Solar, But Questions About Affordability Linger
02 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to public surveys, analysts find few subjects that enjoy overwhelming support. Solar is an exception. To hear an analyst talk about the ...
Solar Speaks: The Principal Solar Institute
26 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to Matt Thompson, executive director of the Principal Solar Institute, an organization designed to educate people both inside and outside the ...
Solar Speaks: A Discussion With Mike Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar
25 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Mike Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar, which designs, installs and finances solar PV systems. Borrego ranked on the Inc. 500/5000 list this ye...
A Conversation With Spire Corp.
05 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Roger Little, president and founder of Spire, leading to SPI 2012.
A Conversation With Westinghouse Solar
31 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Gary Mull, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Westinghouse Solar, leading to SPI 2012.
Solar Speaks: Solar in Morocco
29 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Saïd Mouline, director of Morocco’s new renewable energy agency, (ADEREE). He discusses Morocco’s renewable energy atmosphere with ...
Contractors Corner: LightWave Solar
29 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are speaking with Steve Johnson, President of LightWave Solar, which is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.
A Conversation With SolarBridge Technologies
24 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Craig Lawrence, VP of Marketing for SolarBridge Technologies, in preparation for Solar Power International 2012.