Clean Power Hour

Hosted by Tim Montague, John Weaver

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420

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Clean Power Hour podcast is speeding the clean energy transition. Tim Montague and John Weaver highlight clean energy innovations shaping the next generation of renewable energy sources. We discuss the latest solar PV, battery storage, wind, water, wave, and other low-carbon technologies. We answer the question: How can we decarbonize the economy? We promote the economic opportunity of electrifying everything - transportation, energy, industry, and the built environment. Let's speed up the clean energy transition together. Join the movement - www.CleanPowerHour.com

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June 16, 202651 min

Solar Safe Harbor Court Ruling: What Developers Need to Know Now

A US federal court just ruled the IRS acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner on solar and wind safe harbor rules, shaking up project timelines for developers racing toward the July 4, 2026 deadline. Meanwhile, at the Shanghai Solar Show (SNEC), energy storage claimed more floor space than solar panels for the first time, signaling a major shift in where the industry is placing its bets. Tim and John dig into safe harbor court rulings, vertical integration in US module manufacturing, battery technology milestones, and agrivoltaics at the Vatican. Viewers get first-hand reporting from the Shanghai Solar Show floor alongside detailed discussion of what these stories mean for developers, installers, and investors. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSIRS Safe Harbor Court Ruling (PV Magazine): A US federal court in DC ruled the IRS acted arbitrarily in requiring wind and solar projects above 1.5 MW AC to meet a continuous physical work test to qualify for safe harbor. The ruling opens a potential 5% spend pathway for developers who could not meet construction requirements. Shanghai Solar Show 2026(BSKY): John Weaver returned from his first visit to the Shanghai solar show and reported that battery storage occupied more floor space than solar panels. Module efficiencies of 25% were common across exhibitors, and one solar module clocked in at 27%. BYD’s 2,710 Amp-Hour Battery Cell: BYD showcased a single battery cell rated at 2,710 amp-hours, roughly double the largest cell previously available. BYD's press materials claimed a levelized cost of storage of 1.4 cents per kilowatt-hour over 10,000 cycles, compared to the 3 to 4 cent range seen elsewhere. Q Cells Full Vertical Integration in Georgia: Q Cells announced a 3-gigawatt fully vertically integrated manufacturing facility in Georgia, covering polysilicon through module assembly. The announcement means US-made solar modules are now available from a single domestic supply chain. Australia's First 8-Hour Battery, New South Wales (PV Magazine): Australia's first 8-hour battery storage system reached full operations in New South Wales, using Tesla Megapack units configured to charge at 100 MW and discharge at 50 MW. C&I Battery Storage Playbook for 2026: Tim published a story in Solar Builder on the Earn, Save, Protect framework from Intelligent Generation, a three-part guide to battery value stacking for commercial and industrial installers. (Solar Builder) Vatican Agrivoltaic Project: Pope Leo XIV established the Fratello Sole Foundation to implement an agrivoltaic installation at the Vatican, aligned with Pope Francis's 2024 sustainability directive. The project will supply power to Vatican Radio's transmission center and Vatican City State. (Vatican News)This episode is built for solar developers, commercial installers, battery storage professionals, and clean energy investors tracking policy and technology in 2026. The safe harbor ruling alone could affect capital decisions on projects above 1.5 MW AC before the July 3 deadline. Between the Shanghai show floor, the QCells factory update, and Australia's 8-hour battery milestone, this episode covers the week's most consequential moves in clean energy. Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

June 9, 202630 min

They Put Solar on the White House. Here's What Solar Design Associates Learned #354

Solar & storage pioneers Solar Design Associates share 50 years of firsts on the Clean Power Hour. They put solar on the White House in 1979 and built the first community solar garden in America. Haskell Werlin and Steven Strong trace solar's fall from $16 to $1 per watt, explain why the battery cost curve is following the same path, and break down what the ITC-free era means for developers.Solar and storage pioneers Solar Design Associates have been designing solar energy systems since 1974, accumulating firsts from the Carter-era White House installation to the first true community solar garden in the United States. Haskell Werlin, Vice President of Business Development, and Steven Strong, Founder and President, join Tim Montague on the Clean Power Hour to trace 50 years of solar industry evolution. Solar pricing fell from $16 per watt for satellites to $1 per watt for ground mounts today, and Haskell confirms the battery cost curve is now following the same downward path, with Texas leading the country in solar and battery installations. This episode covers landmark projects, including the Bullit Center in Seattle and the Harvard community solar garden, alongside a direct assessment of what the residential ITC removal means for project economics through 2028 and beyond.Here is what you will learn from this conversation about 50 years of solar storage pioneers and the battery transition ahead:You will learn why Haskell argues Texas, not Hawaii, is now leading the country in solar and battery installations after transforming the ERCOT grid from fossil fuel dependency to firm base load power.Find out how the first true community solar garden in the US, a 542-kilowatt ground mount in Harvard, Massachusetts required a statewide home rule petition to resolve a property tax classification dispute with the local assessor.Understand how the Bullit Center in Seattle, described by the New York Times Architectural Review as the “Most sustainable commercial building in America,” achieved 100% energy offset in one of the least sunny major cities in the US.Find out how Solar Design Associates put solar on the White House under President Carter in 1979, with Steven Strong on the roof for the dedication ceremony, and were called back under President George W. Bush in 2006 to install solar on the pool and cabana, spanning two administrations and three decades. Find out how Solar Design Associates has never exceeded 20 employees in 50 years, why hiring graduates with no prior solar experience is a deliberate strategy, and what Haskell says about the companies growing fast and falling hard.Fifty years ago solar panels powered satellites because nothing else could reach them, and the technology now costs $1 per watt for ground mounts, a cost collapse driven by German feed-in tariffs, and Chinese manufacturing scale. The battery industry is now following the same path solar took from satellite technology to mass market infrastructure, with the same forces of policy, manufacturing scale, and early adopter projects already in motion. Professionals watching this episode are standing at the same inflection point the solar pioneers of 1974 stood at, with the advantage of knowing exactly how this story ends.Connect Steven Strong, Haskell Werlin Haskell Werlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haskell-werlin-1a21383/Steven Strong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-strong-3309894/Solar Design Associates: https://solardesign.com/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

June 2, 20261 hr 22 min

Clean Coalition's Craig Lewis on Microgrids, VPPs, and the Resilience Gap #353

Community microgrids and virtual power plants are two of the most misunderstood concepts in clean energy, and the gap between them is where billions of dollars in grid value are being left on the table. Craig Lewis, Founder and CEO of the Clean Coalition, returns to The Clean Power Hour to break down how community-scale microgrids and VPPs actually work, where the money is, and why the current policy window in California matters to every energy professional in the country.California's Microgrid Incentive Program funds up to $18 million per community microgrid project, covering 100% of upfront costs for front-of-meter solar and storage, grid upgrades, and interconnection. Craig explains the Clean Coalition's methodology for sizing solar and storage, calculating the minimum state of charge required for resilience, and building a value stack through wholesale markets, bilateral agreements with load-serving entities, and PURPA qualified facility status.Here is what you will learn in this conversation about community microgrids and virtual power plants:You will learn the difference between reliability and resilience, and why designing for resilience automatically gives you reliability, but not the other way around.Find out how California's Microgrid Incentive Program works, what the $18 million funding breakdown covers, and why the program is competitive enough that most applicants need deep grid analysis expertise to win.Understand the three ways to build a value stack for front-of-meter solar and storage assets: wholesale markets through CAISO, bilateral agreements with load-serving entities, and PURPA qualified facility status.You will hear why transmission costs, not energy prices, are the fastest-growing component of electricity bills in California, and how distributed energy resources close to load are the only structural fix.Learn how the Clean Coalition's VOR123 methodology tiers loads and facilities into critical, priority, and discretionary categories, and why tier-one facilities like hospitals and fire stations should be funded through public dollars.California's Microgrid Incentive Program is active and awarding projects now, with roughly 30 community microgrids expected to be funded as proof-of-concept demonstrations. At the same time, transmission costs continue rising with no policy mechanism anywhere in the US that compensates for provisioning energy resilience. For solar and storage professionals and clean energy investors, the window to build expertise in community microgrid development and front-of-meter value stacks is open today.Connect with Craig Lewis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-lewis-81b0521/Website: https://clean-coalition.org/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 26, 202653 min

Can Homeowners Finally Afford Whole Home Backup? #352

Energy resilience for homeowners is the mission behind Energy Access Innovations, a multi-brand clean energy company building an end-to-end ecosystem for solar and battery storage. Nicole Tomasin, Chief Commercial Officer at EAI, joins Tim Montague to explain how the company serves the consumers the rest of the industry ignores, including DIYers and rural markets.Battery storage and solar access for homeowners is moving beyond coastal markets and high-income consumers. Energy Access Innovations has built a multi-brand portfolio covering distribution, DIY support, installation, and financing under one mission: making energy resilience affordable for every American. Nicole walks Tim through how the company's sister brands, including EG4, Signature Solar, Outback Power, Solar 76, Sun Atlas Power, and EA365, work together to serve customers that most distributors and installers turn away. The company's new XR60 battery, 60 kWh with a 16 kW inverter for under $20,000, and its EA365 prepaid lease, which returns a 30% rebate directly to homeowners, are proof that affordability and transparency are not competing goals. Here is what you will learn in this conversation about residential battery storage affordability and energy resilience:You will find out how the XR60 delivers 60 kWh of storage and a 16 kW inverter for under $20,000, why it ships as a single freestanding unit weighing 1,600 pounds, and when it arrives in market.Learn how the EA365 prepaid lease returns a 30% rebate directly to homeowners, making the residential ITC phase-out less damaging for consumers who no longer qualify for the tax credit.Understand why Energy Access Innovations built Sun Atlas Power, its own EPC company, to capture DIY customers who need installation help, and how it taps a network of 2,000 to 3,000 regional contractors already buying through Signature Solar.Find out why Tim pushed back on a California developer's claim that consumer-owned residential batteries are done, and what EAI's experience with DIY customers suggests about that prediction.You will hear why Texas surpassed California in storage deployment, how PJM grid services programs are generating returns that recover a battery investment in two to three years, and why Illinois is a priority market for EAI.The residential ITC phase-out is compressing margins across the solar industry and pushing more customers toward third-party ownership models. Illinois is incentivizing 1.8 gigawatts of distributed batteries through its clean energy incentive program, and Texas has already surpassed California in storage deployment. Contractors who are not yet offering storage are running out of time to get positioned.Connect with Nicole Tomasin, Energy Access Innovations Nicole Tomasi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-santos-tomasin/Sun Atlas Power: https://www.sunatlaspower.com/Episode 325, James Showalter: https://youtu.be/7CoJQ_lTLkU Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 21, 202647 min

Perovskite Tandem Solar: Breaking the 30% Efficiency Limit #351

Silicon solar is approaching a hard physical efficiency ceiling at 30%. Perovskite tandem solar is the only proven path through it. Joel Jean, CEO of Swift Solar, explains the technology, what the Meyer Burger acquisition brings, and where tandems sit on the road to commercial scale.After seven decades, silicon solar is closing in on its physical efficiency limit, and no previous thin-film technology has been able to outperform it at competitive cost. Joel Jean, CEO and co-founder of Swift Solar, a tandem PV manufacturer based in California, joined Tim Montague on the Clean Power Hour to explain why perovskite-silicon tandems are different and how Swift is building toward commercial scale. Jean explains how Swift's approach of vertically integrating perovskite and silicon at the cell level differs from other tandem strategies, and what certifications and milestones a new module technology must clear before utility buyers and independent engineers will finance it. The conversation also covers the US position in the global solar race, perovskite degradation and lead-content concerns, and what a consistent industrial policy would mean for US solar manufacturers.Here is what you will learn in this conversation about perovskite tandem solar and the path to next-generation module efficiency:You'll understand why silicon solar cells are physically limited to around 30% efficiency, and how stacking a perovskite layer on silicon creates a two-junction cell with a path to 35-40%, with three junctions pushing toward 45% or more.Find out what Swift Solar gains from the Meyer Burger acquisition: a heterojunction product with 0.2% annual degradation, the lowest rate in the industry, and a bankable product to serve customers while the tandem completes its certification and field-proof timeline.Learn why Swift's approach of integrating perovskite and silicon at the cell level differs from other tandem strategies, including four-terminal approaches where perovskite is deposited on glass and stacked on a separate module.You'll hear Tim push back on two common concerns about perovskites: degradation and lead content. Joel explains Swift's cell-level stability progress and why perovskite panels contain less lead per square meter than the solder in a standard silicon module.With China installing solar 8.5 times faster than the US and having spent 15-20 years building a manufacturing and policy foundation, the US is still trying to rebuild. The window for US tandem solar companies to establish a position is narrowing. Swift Solar's acquisition of Meyer Burger assets is one of the few cases where a US perovskite tandem startup enters the market with a proven, bankable product already generating field data, rather than waiting years for the tandem to reach certification. For solar professionals evaluating next-generation module technology and investors tracking the US manufacturing pipeline, this conversation gives a clear picture of where tandem technology stands today and what the next two to three years need to deliver.Connect with Joel Jean, Swift Solar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeljean/Swift Solar: https://www.swiftsolar.com/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 19, 202645 min

US Solar Has a Quality Problem: What Buyers Need to Know

A new report from Clean Energy Associates found that some solar module factories in their first year of production are hitting yield rates as low as 30%. That means 70% of modules coming off certain lines require rework before they ship. The finding applies directly to US manufacturers, most of which are still in early ramp-up stages. In this week's Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down what the report means for solar developers sourcing modules right now, why newer factories in the US face the same challenges previously seen in India and Vietnam, and what due diligence steps developers should be taking before modules arrive on site. They also cover grid-forming battery validation, island microgrids, and a $14 billion Chinese renewable energy investment in Ethiopia.This episode covers battery storage technology, solar panel manufacturing quality, island microgrids, and large-scale renewable energy investment in Africa. These are the stories Tim and John break down this week:US solar panel manufacturers are struggling with soldering quality during factory ramp-up. A report from Clean Energy Associates (CEA) shows yield rates as low as 30% in early production years, meaning 70% of modules require rework. (PV Magazine)Sungrow completed what Renewable Energy Magazine calls the world's first large-scale grid-forming battery validation, passing 14 unique fault and blackout scenarios. (Renewable Energy Magazine)Sydney-based Smart Commercial Energy is developing an 18 MW solar and 40 MWh battery microgrid for Nauru, the smallest island nation in the world. The project replaces diesel generation in a location where microgrid electricity costs an estimated $0.40 per kilowatt hour. (PV Magazine)Africa's telecom sector is moving away from diesel at scale, with one company spending hundreds of millions in Kenya alone. Solar and battery payback periods for cell tower conversions run approximately two years. (My Panhandle)China's Ming Yang secured a $14.1 billion deal to develop 2.8 GW of solar and 5.5 GW of wind in Ethiopia, alongside wind turbine and transmission gear manufacturing and green ammonia production. (PV Tech)Gotion unveiled a 5 MW, 18.8 MWh enclosed battery energy storage system, first shown at SNEC 2025. John notes this is larger than any containerized battery he had tracked previously, with BYD previously holding the record at 16 to 18 MWh. (PV Magazine)John Weaver previewed his own 1.8 MW rooftop solar project in Massachusetts, structured as an alternative on-bill credit agreement with Eversource for a fixed 20-year contract. (BSKY)Solar professionals, project developers, and clean energy investors will find this episode directly useful. The topics Tim and John cover, from US manufacturing quality to grid-forming battery validation to Africa's energy buildout, reflect decisions the industry is making right now. The Strait of Hormuz situation adds urgency to the energy transition conversation, and this episode puts all of it in context. Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 14, 202650 min

Why Community Microgrids Are Illegal in Most of the US #350

Community microgrids are functionally illegal in most of the United States, yet climate-driven outages are getting worse. Cameron Brooks of Think Microgrid explains why wires laws block resilient grid solutions and what it costs us to keep burying lines instead.Burying power lines costs $4 million per mile in Colorado and up to $9 million per mile in California. That means every 20 to 25 feet of buried line costs as much as it would take to equip a home with a full battery backup system capable of riding through a 48-hour outage. Cameron Brooks, founder of Think Microgrid and E9 Insights, joins host Tim Montague to explain why that staggering opportunity cost keeps getting overlooked. This episode tackles the regulatory barriers that keep community microgrids illegal in most US territories, the structural incentives inside the utility model that favor capital investment over cost-effective distributed solutions, and the specific state-level reforms beginning to create new openings.Here is what you will learn in this conversation:You will understand why community microgrids are functionally illegal in most US states. Find out why burying power lines is an incomplete strategy for wildfire risk.You will learn how the utility cost-plus regulatory model actively works against distributed energy. Find out what a microgrid actually is and why energy storage changes everything. Cameron defines the three qualities of a true microgrid.Understand what early policy wins look like at the state level. From Ann Arbor's supplemental energy utility to Maine's wires law exemptions and Colorado becoming the fourth state to authorize plug-in solar.The combination of rising power prices, extreme weather, and growing electricity demand from data centers and transportation electrification is putting real pressure on the centralized grid model. States like Utah, Maine, and Colorado are already writing new rules.Connect with Cameron Brooks, Think Microgrid Cameron Brooks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-brooks-/Website: https://www.thinkmicrogrid.org/Tracker: tracker.thinkmicrogrid.org Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 12, 202626 min

Why Utility-Scale Solar Is Quietly Failing in 2026? #349

American solar manufacturing is getting a reboot. Dean Solon, founder of Create Energy and formerly of Shoals Technologies, sold 1 GW of product in Q1 of this year alone. In this episode, he walks Tim Montague through his vertically integrated factory in Portland, Tennessee, and names exactly why utility-scale solar equipment is quietly failing at scale. American solar manufacturing has a reliability problem, and the utilities and independent power producers who own these fields for 30 to 50 years are the ones absorbing the cost. Dean Solon, founder of Create Energy and the man who built and took Shoals Technologies public on the NASDAQ in 2021, has spent three years building a vertically integrated solar manufacturing operation in Portland, Tennessee, to address this directly. Create sold 1 gigawatt of product in Q1 of this year, with Q2 expected to double that output. Host Tim Montague tours the Create Energy factory floor and draws out exactly what full-stack, American-made solar hardware looks like in practice. Here is what you will learn from this conversation:You'll hear Dean Solon explain why module warranties are misleading and why EPC economics push toward equipment designed to last only past the two-year mark, leaving utilities and IPPs exposed for the decades of ownership ahead.Find out how Create Energy's OnTrack system uses one common control board across trackers, E-boss units, weather stations, and inverters, giving asset owners a single view of every row in a solar field with no separate pony panel required.Learn why Create offers a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty on its full product stack, and what Solon means when he says he eliminated failure modes rather than reduced them.Understand how automated, electric vegetation control cuts solar O&M costs in half, and why long-term asset owners should treat this as a budget line item, not a feature.For any asset owner weighing supply chain decisions in 2025, this conversation is a direct look at what the American manufacturing alternative looks like on the ground. Connect with Dean Solon and Create LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-solon-b8876649/Website: https://www.create.energy/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 7, 202644 min

SDE's Approach to Solar Racking: What DG Installers Need to Know #348

Solar racking is one of the lowest-cost line items on a DG project and one of the highest-risk failure points. Kyle Sinclair, Co-founder and CEO of SDE (Sinclair Designs and Engineering), joins Tim Montague to explain how USA-made steel and 4-day commercial engineering turnarounds are solving the lead time and logistics failures that slow commercial solar projects. SDE produces 3 megawatts of racking in a single 8-hour shift.On this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague speaks with Kyle about the full arc of SDE's product line, from the Skyrack 2.0 fixed-tilt ground-mount system to a new I-beam solution designed for rocky soil conditions in Texas and on the West Coast. They also cover the realities of solar carport installation, including foundation risk, soil testing, and why carport projects require a fundamentally different approach than ground mount racking.Here is what you will learn in this conversation:Learn how SDE turns around residential stamped drawing packages in 2 days and commercial packages in 4 days, and why that speed has become the deciding factor for EPCs managing safe harbor deadlines.Understand the difference between C-channel and I-beam ground mount racking, including why high refusal rates in rocky soil conditions led SDE to develop a 6x9 and 6x15 I-beam solution that Kyle says is more cost-effective than most competitors' C-channel designs.Learn what every EPC should know before pricing a solar carport installation: how soil conditions drive foundation costs from $1,500 per hole to $2,800 per hole, and why planning for worst-case geotech results protects your margin.Find out how SDE holds a 95% delivery accuracy rating using ISO 9001 quality management and Keyence scanning technology integrated into their ERP system, and why that matters when your crew is at a remote site expecting a full kit.Any EPC designing projects in the Midwest or expanding into new geographies need to hear Kyle's approach to engineering for conditions that historical data no longer predicts accurately.Connect with Kyle Sinclair, SDE Kyle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-sinclair-b9b60a62/SDE Website: https://www.sinclair-designs.com/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

May 5, 202644 min

LG Energy Solution Targets 50 GWh With 5 US Battery Factories

LG Energy Solution plans to bring over 50 gigawatt hours of annual battery manufacturing capacity online in the US by the end of 2026 across five facilities (MI, IL, AZ, OH, GA). The company also projects a 15% cost reduction on its next-generation cells by 2028. Tim Montague and John Weaver dig into that story and more in this May 1, 2026, edition of Clean Power Hour Live.Tim and John cover five stories this week, drawn from industry publications and their own active projects in the field.LG Energy Solutions is building five battery factories with a combined capacity of 50+ GWh per year, targeting completion by the end of 2026. The company projects a 15% cell cost reduction by 2028. (Energy Storage News)Tandem PV began demonstration manufacturing of a perovskite-silicon module reaching 29.7% efficiency, backed by a warranty of less than 1% annual degradation over 25 years. (Solar Power World)On April 27, Trina Solar claimed the world record for silicon solar cell efficiency at 28%. Longi broke that record the very next day. (PV Magazine)The US Department of Commerce announced preliminary anti-dumping duties of 123% on solar modules from India, 35% from Indonesia, and 22% from Laos. (PV Magazine)Republican lawmakers introduced new legislation to extend the commercial solar ITC, which currently expires at the end of 2027. Safe-harboring by July 4, 2026, extends project runway to July 3, 2030. (Solar Power World)The battery capacity numbers, perovskite efficiency milestones, and tariff developments covered here carry direct implications for procurement and project planning decisions in 2026 and beyond. Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

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