Factor This
Episodes
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...
Climate tech takes on clean energy's biggest headaches
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Clean energy is in broad agreement: the Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer for the industry and our goals o...
California NEM 3.0: Unpacking rooftop solar’s fate
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! After a series of starts, stops, and outright confusion over the future of rooftop solar, California regulators ha...
Women in renewables: 3 female execs share their stories and recruitment strategies
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! A look around one of clean energy's largest events offered a common sight: There were a lot of men. The ch...
Texas grid braces for winter. What’s changed since Uri?
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! It's been more than 600 days since the lights went out for millions of Texans during Winter Storm Uri. The n...
Interconnection woes make strange bedfellows
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Bringing new distributed energy resources to the grid often comes with delays and costly upgrades. Interconnection...
A bright future for brownfield solar development
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! More than a decade ago, the proverbial lightbulb glowed over Chad Farrell’s head. Trained as a brownfield remed...
The climate law will have an impact on PPAs. What’s in store for 2023?
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! The market for procuring clean energy is enduring one of the most tumultuous stretches in history. A global pande...
Introducing the Texas Power Podcast
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! We're happy to share with you the first episode of Renewable Energy World's newest podcast, the Texas P...
Clean energy is popular but NIMBYism remains potent. What gives?
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Solar and wind enjoy broad public support, but the fight in Congress over the Inflation Reduction Act showed that ...
LIVE from RE+: The race is on to meet demand with made-in-America solar modules
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! In June, President Joe Biden announced a two-year pause on new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast As...
Celebrating clean energy risk takers
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Before the Inflation Reduction Act, working and succeeding in clean energy came with quite a bit of risk. Now with...
Solar’s report card is coming. And a reckoning could follow
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Over the past year, DroneBase, a company that conducts aerial assessments of utility-scale solar projects, drove u...
FERC Commissioner Allison Clements on record heat, resiliency, and smart grids
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! As Labor Day weekend came to a close, a sense of dread settled in at the home of Allison Clements, who was appoint...
Beware of the clean energy gold rush with Leyline Renewable Capital CEO Erik Lensch
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! The Inflation Reduction Act established historic incentives for clean energy and climate change. It may have also ...
Rethinking solar development from the ground up with Terabase CEO Matt Campbell
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! With the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in clean energy and climate change in place, U.S. sol...
Going beyond the PPA with Clearloop CEO Laura Zapata
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! The power purchase agreement has done wonders for the deployment of clean energy. Corporations can offset their a...
Green hydrogen: What’s next for the energy transition’s secret weapon?
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! In this bonus episode of Factor This!, we introduce you to the RENWABLE+ Series™ from Renewable Energy World. ...
Taking on solar's recycling imperative with SOLARCYCLE CEO Suvi Sharma
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Around 70% of solar systems in the U.S. are less than five years old, and with a lifespan of 30 years or more, rec...
What's going on in clean energy capital markets? Pine Gate Renewables CEO Ben Catt
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Think back to June. President Biden had just paused new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast Asia—a ...
Breaking down FERC's interconnection reform plan with AEE managing director Jeff Dennis
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! Up until a few days ago, Congress had been a frequent disappointment to clean energy advocates. Even the current o...
Bonus Episode: Manchin makes a deal
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! In a shocking turn of events late on the afternoon of July 27th, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that ...
Betting big on 'Made in America' solar with Nextracker CEO Dan Shugar
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 7 of the Factor This! podcast, Nextracker founder and CEO Dan Shugar explains his company's decisi...
Rooftop solar's biggest fight is back on with Vote Solar executive director Sachu Constantine
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! In Episode 6 of the Factor This! podcast, rooftop solar's biggest fight — California's net energy mete...
Special Edition: Shaping the grid of the future with GE Digital's Jim Walsh
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell us what you think of the show! How to manage and monetize distributed energy resources is one of the most rapidly changing pieces of the energy t...