The Climate Gap

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Mar 2026

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About the show

The Climate Gap sits at the intersection of climate tech and media. We learn from entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and investors driving meaningful change, and share their stories with a global audience. We produce content across four channels: - Quick Cuts: Short episodes. Sharp insights. No filter. - Pop-Up: Conversations live from the floor. - The Down Low with Joe: Insider views and industry shifts. - Into the Weeds: Where complexity meets clarity. The Climate Gap is powered by Element Six. Element Six specializes in addressing talent challenges across the built environment and climate technology sectors. Partnering with technology vendors and solutions providers delivering decarbonization solutions, helping them find the leaders and teams they need to scale. Decarbonizing the built environment takes bold ideas and brilliant people. Element Six brings them together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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September 8, 202648 min

The importance of VPPs for Powering the Grid

Power demand in the US is outstripping the grid's current capacity, with interconnection queues taking years and transmission lines taking over a decade to build; the country urgently needs a short-term solution. Clare Southworth talks with Isaac Maze-Rothstein of Leap and Thomas Armstrong of Voltus about what virtual power plants can do. In this episode: Why VPPs can help with immediate needs and also long-term needs, and the importance of a flexible grid both financially and for reliability Why extreme weather is just as important as data centers in pushing costs up for customers The C&I gap, why it is currently on 1% of the market and the potential it can have Whether data centers will flex, and whether anyone will pay them to The market rules both guests would tear up, starting with PJM's ELCC derates Isaac Maze-Rothstein is Associate Director of Partner Success at Leap, where he helps partners get more value from grid services. He previously led research on virtual power plants, Bitcoin mining, and microgrids at Wood Mackenzie. Thomas Armstrong is Director of Partnerships at Voltus, focused on monetizing commercial and industrial batteries in wholesale markets. He worked in EV charging and for utilities before joining. Views are their own. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 10, 202646 min

Mid Q1 Market Updates

In this episode of Down Low with Joe, Lewis Martin is joined by Joe Aamidor for a market update on what is shaping the smart buildings industry in 2026. They cover Copeland's acquisition of Bueno, what it says about OEM digital strategy, and why more major players are pushing to own the software and data layer. They also unpack Cambio’s $18M Series A, the current state of sustainability software, and why this may now be more of a replacement market than a greenfield opportunity. Joe shares his view on fragmentation, TAM, and why smart buildings have not produced a single dominant software winner. The conversation also dives into Clockworks’ latest raise, the strength of the fault detection category, and why established leaders are still attracting capital. Finally, Lewis and Joe discuss Trane Cloud, the broader wave of OEM platform launches, and the challenge of building and scaling software inside large incumbents. Topics covered: Bueno acquired by Copeland Why OEMs are doubling down on software Cambio’s raise and sustainability software market dynamics Why TAM in smart buildings is often overstated Clockworks and the future of fault detection Trane Cloud and OEM digital platforms The challenge of building software inside large industrial companies If you work in smart buildings, HVAC, controls, real estate technology, or climate software, this episode is packed with sharp insight on where the market is heading. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 25, 202618 min

Beyond the Dashboard with Derek John Mullassery

Most smart building systems are excellent at telling you what’s wrong.Far fewer are designed to change what happens next. In this episode of Quick Cuts , Ben Muwoki sits down with Derek John Mullassery (COO, CopperTree Analytics) to explore the shift from fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) to automated action inside commercial buildings. Fault detection is no longer novel. Dashboards and alarms are everywhere. The real constraint in modern building automation is execution. Derek explains how automated system optimisation and remote commissioning are moving the industry beyond detection and into action, while keeping operators in control.This conversation explores: Why “insight” does not equal impact The gap between analytics and operational change What it takes for software to safely write back to a BAS Why automation only scales when trust scales The importance of guardrails: traceable, reversible, explainable decisions How automated commissioning can test 100% of systems remotely Why culture, not technology, is often the bottleneck About Derek John Mullassery Derek is the Chief Operating Officer at CopperTree Analytics, a pioneer in building analytics and FDD. He works at the intersection of building automation, energy efficiency, and software-driven operational performance. His focus is on helping commercial buildings move beyond dashboards and alerts toward measurable outcomes, while maintaining operator trust and control. Throughout his career, Derek has worked closely with building owners, operators, and portfolio teams to scale analytics across complex real estate environments, bridging the gap between technology capability and real-world adoption. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 24, 202622 min

Cloud BMS: The Next Frontier or Just Another Buzzword? with Dhaval Shah | Schneider Electric

For years, building management systems have lived on-premise. Local servers. Mechanical rooms. Site-by-site maintenance. But as HVAC, lighting, and access control become increasingly IP-connected, the conversation around Cloud BMS is accelerating. In this episode of Quick Cuts, Ben Muwoki sits down with Dhaval Shah, VP and Head of Product, Software and Services Portfolio for Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric, to unpack what Cloud BMS actually means and whether it’s becoming an operational reality or remaining a strategy deck concept. In this episode, we cover: What “Cloud BMS” really means (hosted vs hybrid vs cloud-native architectures) Why CIOs are now driving the conversation around building systems The impact of IT/OT convergence on building automation Cybersecurity, data governance, and resilience concerns How portfolio scale changes the economics of BMS deployment Why hybrid architecture may be the practical transition path What needs to happen for Cloud BMS to move from early adopter to mainstream As Dhaval explains, the shift is not just technical. It’s organisational. Once building systems sit on enterprise networks and connect to cloud platforms, they become part of broader IT strategy, cybersecurity policy, and portfolio-wide standardisation efforts. At scale, this stops being an architecture debate and becomes an operating leverage question. If you operate or deploy BMS across multi-site portfolios, this episode offers a grounded view of where Cloud BMS stands today and what to watch over the next few years. About Dhaval Shah Dhaval Shah is VP and Head of Product, Software and Services Portfolio for Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric. He has spent his career across engineering and business leadership roles spanning industrial automation, automotive, solar energy storage, and building automation. He focuses on shaping the future of building systems through software, cloud architecture, and scalable service models. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 16, 202618 min

Digital Twins that Drive Decisions: Speed to Value, Adoption, & Operational AI with Rick Szcodronski

Digital twins have been in the smart building conversation for more than a decade. What is changing now is the expectation. In this Climate Gap Quick Cuts episode, Ben Muwoki sits down with Rick Szcodronski, Chief Product Officer at Willow, to unpack how digital twins are evolving from visualisation and data layers into decision-making platforms that operators can actually trust and use. This conversation covers what separates digital twin projects that scale from those that stall, why speed to value has become the real maturity test, and how AI is shifting operator workflows away from dashboards and towards clear, actionable decisions. Key topics covered - Why owners and operators are expecting measurable value from digital twins - Speed to value and why ROI has to show up in days, not months - Why adoption and internal champions determine whether deployments stick - Balancing technical accuracy with usability and real operational outcomes - Why the future is enterprise workflow integration, not standalone visualisation - How AI interfaces reduce cognitive load and change how decisions get made About Rick Rick Szcodronski is the Chief Product Officer at Willow. He has spent his career in the smart building sector, starting in design consulting and smart building strategy before moving into product leadership. At Willow, he focuses on digital twin platforms and operational AI, helping owners and operators turn complex building data into practical decisions at portfolio scale. Subscribe for more interviews on smart buildings, digital twins, building automation, energy management, and operational AI. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 12, 202620 min

Why is smart building deployment still so slow, fragile, and expensive, decades into building automation with Deepinder Singh CEO 75F

In this episode of The Climate Gap: Quick Cuts , Ben Muwoki sits down with Deepinder Singh, Founder and CEO of 75F, to unpack a problem many facility operators already understand: the issue is not data. It is deployment. While enterprise towers often receive bespoke engineering attention, the mid-market, small, and midsize buildings where most people actually work face a different challenge. Equipment diversity, inconsistent standards, retrofit history, and fragmented systems make repeatability difficult at scale. The conversation explores whether AI can meaningfully improve smart building deployment, not by replacing expert engineers, but by helping everyday operators perform more consistently. Key themes include: Why mid-market buildings are not “simple” in aggregate The concept of the zero-interface building AI as assistant, not replacement Raising the floor, not the ceiling Clean data, consistent algorithms, and digital twins Standardising deployment across diverse portfolios This episode challenges the industry to move beyond dashboards and toward systems that are easier to deploy, commission, and operate at scale. If you operate, design, or invest in building automation systems, BMS, energy management platforms, or AI-driven controls, this discussion is for you. About Deepinder Singh Deepinder Singh is the Founder and CEO of 75F, a vertically integrated IoT-based building controls company focused on intelligent HVAC automation for commercial buildings. A serial entrepreneur, Deepinder previously built companies in high-speed networking and infrastructure technologies. He is known for bridging advanced networking and software thinking into the building automation and energy management space. At 75F, he is leading the development of AI-enabled controls, digital twin architectures, and the concept of the “zero-interface building”, where operators interact conversationally with building systems rather than through traditional dashboards. His work focuses on improving deployment speed, commissioning quality, and operational consistency across the fragmented mid-market building sector. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 9, 202616 min

Recurring Revenue, Real-World Results – Closing the Post-Sale Gap with Beth Skierski

Recurring Revenue, Real-World Results – Closing the Post-Sale Gap Recurring revenue models are everywhere. But recurring value is still where many subscription, SaaS, and IoT businesses struggle. In this episode of The Climate Gap: Quick Cuts , Ben Muwoki sits down with Beth Skierski, founder of EGS Solutions, to explore why Customer Success often falls short and how companies can close the post-sale gap that quietly drives churn. Across climate tech, smart buildings, and enterprise SaaS, many teams invest heavily in product, sales, and onboarding. What happens after the contract is signed is often handled informally, reactively, or inconsistently. This is especially true for project-led businesses moving into subscriptions and IoT vendors shifting into software models. Beth shares a practical framework for treating the post-sale journey as something that can be deliberately designed, measured, and improved. In this episode, we cover: Why recurring revenue is an operating challenge, not just a pricing decision The difference between reactive account management and true Customer Success How to design a proactive customer journey that supports adoption and outcomes Why renewals are lagging indicators, and what leading indicators matter more How IoT and hardware-led businesses can avoid common mistakes when moving into software What customer health really looks like beyond renewals and dashboards If you are scaling a SaaS business, transitioning from project delivery to subscriptions, or leading Customer Success, Revenue, or GTM teams, this episode offers grounded, real-world insight into what actually drives retention and expansion. About Beth Skierski Beth Skierski is the Founder and Principal of EGS Solutions, where she helps B2B, SaaS, and IoT-driven companies build sustainable Customer Success organisations. With a background in engineering, Beth brings a methodical, outcome-focused approach to Customer Success. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, commercial execution, and customer outcomes, helping teams move beyond reactive account management toward proactive, repeatable value delivery. Beth partners with organisations navigating shifts from project delivery to subscriptions, and from hardware or IoT-led models into software, supporting them in designing customer journeys, defining success metrics, and improving retention and expansion through better post-sale structure. Watch now and subscribe for more conversations across smart buildings, energy, climate tech, and the teams turning performance into proof. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 4, 202623 min

Brownfield to Boardroom: How to Make Smart Building Performance Visible to the C-Suite with Peter Rake

Many “smart building” conversations still assume a clean slate at the start. New buildings, new systems, new budgets. That’s not how it usually plays out. Most of the buildings that will still be in use over the coming decades already exist today. And many of them were never designed for modern connectivity, analytics, or decarbonisation. In this episode of The Climate Gap: Quick Cuts, Ben Muwoki sits down with Peter Rake to talk about where real progress actually happens: brownfield portfolios. The buildings that already exist. The systems that are already stretched. The teams that are already firefighting. Peter has spent years in the trenches of brownfield modernisation, working with owners and operators who are trying to improve performance without ripping and replacing everything in sight. One theme kept surfacing in the conversation: - Upgrading the technology is only half the battle. - The harder part is getting results seen, trusted, and funded by the business. In this episode, we cover: * Why brownfield is where the real decarbonisation opportunity sits * What to look for when assessing a legacy building for digital enablement * How to decide what to integrate, what to retire, and what to leave alone * Why operational wins rarely reach the C-suite * How to translate comfort, energy, and maintenance into business language that resonates * Why starting with simple data builds credibility faster than ambitious pilots * What actually turns operational progress into repeatable investment About Peter Rake Peter Rake is a smart buildings and energy technology leader with deep, hands-on experience in modernising brownfield commercial real estate. He began his career on the tools as an electrician before moving into building systems, connectivity, and platform-led portfolio transformation. Over the past decade, he has worked closely with owners and operators across mixed-vendor estates, helping them improve legacy infrastructure, establish secure connectivity, and turn fragmented building data into credible, business-ready insight. Listen if you are: - An owner or operator managing brownfield or mixed-vendor portfolios - A facilities or operations leader trying to make outcomes visible to leadership - Trying to move from pilots to repeatable, portfolio-wide investment Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 4, 202641 min

What’s Actually Broken And How We Fix It

In this episode of the Down Low with Joe, Lewis & Joe sit down with Ted Atwood at FutureBuilt. Ted has spent decades at the forefront of energy compliance, sustainability, and climate technology, building, scaling, and ultimately exiting a major platform in the space. Today, he advises companies across energy, real estate, and climate tech on what actually drives outcomes. We go deep on: What’s fundamentally broken in the built environment, and why progress feels slow The biggest false beliefs holding sustainability efforts back Which technologies genuinely move the needl,e and which are just good marketing The hard truth behind ESG targets and why most companies miss net zero How policy really gets shaped and where industry influence often goes wrong What “audit-proof” compliance actually means for CEOs and operators Plus a lightning round on overrated tech, underrated solutions, and bold predictions for the future of climate tech. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January 13, 202645 min

Understanding Utility grade AI at scale with Ana-Paula Issa, CEO of Encyle

If your demand response program looks good on paper but fails under scrutiny, you don’t have a performance problem. You have a measurement problem. Ana-Paula Issa, CEO of Encycle, explains why. Utilities are offering more incentives than ever. AI, analytics, and advanced controls are being deployed across portfolios. And yet many operators still miss demand response targets, struggle to defend savings to finance, or confuse demand response with demand management. In this episode of The Climate Gap: Quick Cuts, Ben Muwoki sits down with Ana-Paula Issa, CEO of Encycle, to cut through the fog around “utility grade,” multi-site AI, and why scale breaks so many energy programs. Ana-Paula has been working directly with utilities and large retail portfolios since 2008. She explains what actually holds up when incentives, baselines, bids, and finance reviews are involved and why many programs fail quietly until the end of the year. We dig into: What “utility grade” really means and why it leaves no place to hide Why baselines are the most common failure point in M&V How multi-site scale breaks single-building AI assumptions The real difference between demand response, demand management, and consumption management Why demand response targets are missed more often because of misalignment than technology How portfolio thresholds can wipe out DR revenue even when most sites perform Why incentives often fail to get credited to the right buildings or teams About Ana-Paula Issa Ana-Paula Issa is the CEO of Encycle. She has spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of building controls, demand management, and utility programs, partnering directly with utilities and large multi-site operators. At Encycle, she focuses on turning demand flexibility and efficiency programs into measurable, defensible outcomes at scale. Watch if you are: An owner or operator managing large, multi-site portfolios An energy or sustainability leader accountable to finance A vendor selling AI, controls, or DR programs into portfolios Trying to turn utility incentives into outcomes that survive scrutiny Utility programs do not fail because teams lack technology. They fail because measurement, alignment, and incentives are misunderstood. Produced by Element Six, a specialist talent partner hiring across building intelligence, grid infrastructure and data center power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.