Factor This

This Week in Cleantech (8/09/2024) - Turning air conditions into batteries

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (8/02/2024) - Permitting bill pits clean energy industry against climate activists

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Going inside utilities to scale DERs

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The energy industry often pits utilities and clean energy advocates as enemies duking it out from opposite corners...

This Week in Cleantech (7/26/2024) - Can solar survive another supply glut?

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Can a utility lead the energy transition? Inside the rebirth of PG&E

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Five years ago, PG&E's reputation was shattered. California's largest utility had filed for bankrupt...

This Week in Cleantech (7/19/2024) - Storms batter the world's power grids

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Hype aside, virtual power plants are breaking through

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Virtual power plants were always doomed to fall into clean tech's notorious hype cycle. There are plenty of r...

This Week in Cleantech (6/28/2024) - AI could strain the grid, or make it a lot smarter

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (6/21/24) — What would a Donald Trump victory mean for historic clean energy incentives?

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (6/14/24) — Renewable energy projects keep getting bigger

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

A new solar tariff fight is here. It may be even worse than the last

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Christian Roselund has a strategy for when a new solar tariff petition drops. Turn off your phone. Then get to rea...

This Week in Cleantech (6/7/24) — Michigan fights off NIMBY push against clean energy

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (5/31/24) — How Texas topped California for utility-scale solar

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

What FERC did, and didn't, do to jumpstart transmission

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has unveiled landmark new rules in attempt to jumpstart the beleaguered t...

This Week in Cleantech (5/17/24) — Biden slaps new tariffs on Chinese imports

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (5/10/24) — The giant battery boom is here

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (5/3/24) — The EPA is cracking down on power plant emissions. Will it stick?

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (4/26/24) — A new solar tariff fight begins

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (4/5/24) — The final battle over green hydrogen tax rules

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (3/29/24) — Can the White House stop China's clean energy dominance?

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (4/22/24) — Wind power has hit a rut. Could a huge plane change its course?

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (3/15/24) — The debate over rooftop solar

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Building a DG unicorn with Nexamp CEO Zaid Ashai

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Distributed generation doesn't quite grab the headlines like utility-scale. A megawatt here, a few megawatts ...

This Week in Cleantech (3/8/24) — America's power crunch

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (3/2/2024) — LIVE from DISTRIBUTECH International

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (2/23/24) — Can Biden win on climate?

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Clean energy needs a new bellwether. Who should it be?

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Most CEOs are deliberate and careful, often neutering commentary of any hint of controversy. Sheldon Kimber is not...

This Week in Cleantech (2/16/24) — Virtual power plants still working out the kinks

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (2/9/24) — The NIMBY stat that clean energy can't ignore

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (2/2/24) — Should we worry about rooftop solar?

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Community solar keeps growing. Here's what we still have to figure out

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! By all accounts, community solar looks like an unstoppable force. One of the hottest clean energy sectors continue...

This Week in Cleantech (1/26/24) — Biden's climate pitch to young voters

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Speed and scale: Thinking big with small-scale DERs

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! A common knock on distributed energy resources, or DERs, is that they don't scale. DERs uniquely provide res...

This Week in Cleantech (1/19/24) — Texas grid survives, thwarting NIMBYs, and companies turn to 'greenhushing'

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

We need a lot more transmission. Here's why it isn't getting built

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Three decades ago, FERC recommended implementing independent entities to manage regional power markets and system ...

This Week in Cleantech (1/12/24) — How utilities get their way, renewables impact home values, and China's clean energy dominance

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

A conversation with solar's oracle, Jenny Chase

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! When Jenny Chase speaks or, more frequently, tweets, the solar industry listens.For nearly 20 years, Chase has chr...

This Week in Cleantech (12/22/23) — Tesla's charging dominance, oil's big year, and Ohio bribery tapes

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Battery bubble or boom? It’s complicated

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Battery storage is booming in the U.S., and for good reason. So much intermittent renewable energy on the grid dem...

This Week in Cleantech (12/15) — COP28, transmission win, and Tesla recall

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (12/8/23) — Hydrogen rules leak, solar job losses, battery prices plummet

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Dominion CEO Bob Blue on offshore wind, batteries, and the utility's role in the energy transition

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! I first met Dominion Energy CEO Bob Blue at a shipping terminal in Norfolk, Virginia.We stood two years ago at the...

This Week in Cleantech (12/1/23) — 'Solar bros,' lithium jackpot, and a geothermal breakthrough

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Battery powerhouse Powin's new CEO eyes public markets

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Jeff Waters is always looking for a challenge. He thrives on chasing growth and the rush that comes by solving har...

Renewables are cleaning the grid. They're also messing it up

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Solar, wind, and battery projects are displacing fossil fuel assets in an urgent push to address the threats of cl...

This Week in Cleantech (11/17/23) — Nuclear setback, U.S.-China climate talks, EV dealer hesitations

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

How solar survived: SEIA's outgoing chair on COVID, Auxin, and the path forward

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! George Hershman's term as chair of solar's leading trade group began with optimism and excitement.He ste...

This Week in Cleantech (11/10/23) — 'Motown' for EVs, wind turbine tech, and public power's setback

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

AI in clean energy: This company wants you to be able to talk with your projects

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! What does AI really mean for clean energy? These days, the answer is increasingly hard to find. The AI craze, fuel...

This Week in Cleantech (11/3/23) — Historic grid investments, offshore wind's rough seas, and how clean are hydrogen hubs?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

A 'new normal' for clean energy capital markets

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Corporate demand for renewables, and the urgency of fighting climate change, fueled a decade of meteoric growth in...

This Week in Cleantech (10/20/23) — Hydrogen hubs, AZ's solar slash, and a record battery deal

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

100 years ago, industrials built the electric grid. Now they're leaving it

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! More than 100 years ago, the electric grid was built by, and for, large industrial companies. What started with on...

This Week in Cleantech (10/13/23) — Battery giveaway, capturing carbon, Cali climate laws

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

The tax equity rule with ‘dire’ consequences for clean energy

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Monetizing clean energy tax credits is already tough enough. Critical to clean energy deployment, tax equity finan...

This Week in Cleantech (10/6/23) — Green hydrogen unicorn, renewables popularity, and clean stocks collapse

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Digesting RE+: IRA pain, financial turmoil, and unmissable optimism

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! 40,000? 50,000? More? Whatever the number, there were a lot of people at this year's RE+ in Las Vegas.While t...

This Week in Cleantech (9/22/23) — EV forced labor ties, battery recycling, and carbon tariffs

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

This Week in Cleantech (9/15/23) — RE+, lithium discovery, and battery fires

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Green hydrogen is 'under attack,' Plug Power boss says

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The stakes couldn't be higher.The Inflation Reduction Act launched a market for green hydrogen. But more than...

This Week in Cleantech (9/8/23) — Texas' battery betrayal, the billionaires behind climate denial, and Biden's EV boost

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Interconnection and permitting get their moment. Is it enough?

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Clogged interconnection queues and an inefficient permitting process have the attention of federal policymakers. A...

This Week in Cleantech (9/1/23) — Gulf offshore wind dud, Google’s solar AI, and Las Vegas Sphere goes green

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

How Utah—yes, Utah—found itself at the cutting edge of the energy transition

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! On a quest to find the cutting edge of the energy transition, Utah is unlikely to be the first stop. It may not ev...

This Week in Cleantech (8/25/23) — Solar tariffs, grid tech, and wind-powered cargo ships

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Perovskites: Solar power revolutionary or cleantech fad?

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! In the year since the Inflation Reduction Act supercharged clean energy manufacturing, rarely does a week go by wi...

This Week in Cleantech (8/11/23) — IRA anniversary, NIMBYs target offshore wind, and carbon removal cash

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Can the Northeast fix its interconnection slog?

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! A simple mention of the word can send shivers down a developer's spine.Interconnection.It's the bogeyman...

This Week in Cleantech (8/4/23) — New interconnection rules, a nuclear milestone, and concrete batteries

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Inside scaling a national residential solar company

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Kyle Udseth helped media giants like DIRECTV and Netflix craft their customer experiences. Now, he's working ...

This Week in Cleantech (7/28/23) — Solar manufacturing, IRA rollout, and clean energy in Coal Country

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Form Energy's 100-hour battery is almost here

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Battery storage deployment is surging to fill the gaps left by intermittent renewable energy resources. And, somet...

This Week in Cleantech (7/21/23) — Geothermal 2.0, offshore wind, and 'Bidenomics'

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15...

Will the U.S. get green hydrogen right? One decision has big climate implications

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Green hydrogen could be a key tool to meet climate goals. It could also make things a lot worse, if we get this on...

Fintech arrives to streamline clean energy project finance

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Amanda Li found herself in the thick of the arduous and disorganized project finance lifecycle.It was 2014, and sh...

Underperformance. Extreme weather. Labor shortages. Solar's bright outlook faces big risks

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The U.S. solar industry is primed for significant growth in the coming years, emboldened by big federal incentives...

Battery storage is booming. Now what do we do with it?

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! In the spring of 2016, Jeff Bishop was developing wind projects when he came across an analyst chart that caught h...

Solar's biggest risk? Too few works to deliver the massive project pipeline

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Praise for the solar industry's meteoric growth often shines on developers and their multi-gigawatt pipelines...

He started solar's preeminent advocacy group. Now, Adam Browning is all in on EVs

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! For more than 20 years, Adam Browning was solar's biggest cheerleader.There was 165 MW of interconnected sola...

Auxin Solar tariff petition: What's next for solar's dark cloud

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Hurry up and wait.We launched the Factor This! podcast one year ago — May 9, 2022 — to share a fresh and intro...

A rosy future for agrivoltaics (without the thorns)

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Agrivoltaics -- solar PV paired with livestock or crops -- make for rich marketing materials. Good luck finding a ...

The long-duration energy storage dilemma

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! A decarbonized grid, powered primarily by solar and wind, will require a lot of energy storage. Lithium-ion batter...

Why this gas-heavy utility is going (really) big on solar

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The news from Entergy Louisiana may have required a second reading. And a third. The utility wants to go (really) ...

Sunnova's John Berger is hell-bent on upending the status quo

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! More than a decade since John Berger founded Sunnova… the company is one of the largest residential solar and st...

Green hydrogen, recycling, and next-gen batteries: Checking in on ‘Cleantech 2.0’

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! A new era of cleantech innovation is here. And it’s a good time to take stock of what’s in the pipeline. Green...

Dan Shugar is just getting started

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! How do you measure the impact of someone like Dan Shugar?He's been a mainstay in the solar industry since the...

A fresh start for concentrated solar power?

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Concentrated solar power has had a rough go in the US. But that's not because it's a poor resource.Using...

Introducing Suncast: Democratizing the clean energy revolution

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Bonus episode! Today, we're dropping in an episode from our friends over at the Suncast podcast that we know ...

Data: The energy transition’s next big thing

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! While the energy transition is well underway, the power dynamics that have ruled the industry for generations are ...

Solar's legal risks are changing. Here's what to watch out for

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! As the renewable energy industry has grown up, its legal risks have too. Sure, we as an industry talk all the tim...

Clean energy's long road to diversity

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The proverbial light bulb that sparked Tasha McCarter's interest in energy was an actual light bulb.A third g...

New players in solar manufacturing are rushing to meet US demand. Are they up to snuff?

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! There’s a press release almost every week.Increasing demand for solar modules, paired with supply chain constrai...

Talking energy storage with Yann Brandt

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! It's time that we talk about energy storage.Not just because solar-plus-storage is a natural fit, but more an...

The grid is fragile. Is distributed energy the answer?

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! Our grid is vulnerable to disruption and even failure. Wildfires, floods, and more frequent extreme weather events...

Community solar: Can California get it right this time?

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! California is a leader in the energy transition. There's no doubt about it.But even the most mature solar mar...

In North Carolina, a lesson on the pitfalls of the energy transition

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! The pitfalls of the energy transition are on full display in a Southeast state. A 2021 law set North Carolina on ...

Toledo Solar founder Aaron Bates on the 'untruths' of American solar manufacturing

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company.Episode 31 of the Factor This! p...

Why 2023 is about to be the biggest year yet for C&I clean energy with PowerFlex CEO Raphael Declercq

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! This episode of Factor This! is sponsored by Heila Technologies, a Kohler company. Corporate demand for clean ener...

Will solar energy’s challenges finally ease in ’23? Market analyst Paula Mints weighs in

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! It was a best-of-times, worst-of-times sort of year for solar: long-awaited federal policy support tempered by ong...

Europe wants its own Inflation Reduction Act moment

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tell us what you think of the show! When the American clean energy industry met at RE+ in September, seemingly every conversation exuded an optimistic...