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Clean Power Hour

Tim Montague, John Weaver

370 episodes

1 day ago

In the latest Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss major developments in clean energy markets. Learn about the world's largest solar plus storage project breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, how silver prices are transforming solar panel economics, and why residential batteries are creating a feedback loop that drives more solar installations. Tim shares insights from his recent visit to the TenneSEIA market, where LightWave Solar and other installers are building community-sc...

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Entrepreneurship

All content for Clean Power Hour is the property of Tim Montague, John Weaver and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

In the latest Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss major developments in clean energy markets. Learn about the world's largest solar plus storage project breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, how silver prices are transforming solar panel economics, and why residential batteries are creating a feedback loop that drives more solar installations. Tim shares insights from his recent visit to the TenneSEIA market, where LightWave Solar and other installers are building community-sc...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship

Episodes (20/370)

Clean Power Hour

The Global Team Strategy That's SLASHING Solar Project Costs

#EP317 The solar industry faces a defining moment in Q4 2025. While regulatory challenges create uncertainty, well-capitalized players treat this period as a buying opportunity. Daniel Dus, CEO and founder of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), breaks down the market dynamics and explains how his company's global expertise positions it to thrive during industry consolidation. Daniel Dus founded CIR to provide development, construction, and operations services for solar and battery storage pro...

4 days ago

46 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Masdar 5.2GW Solar Plus 19GWh Storage: World's First 24/7 Solar Plant

In the latest Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss major developments in clean energy markets. Learn about the world's largest solar plus storage project breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, how silver prices are transforming solar panel economics, and why residential batteries are creating a feedback loop that drives more solar installations. Tim shares insights from his recent visit to the TenneSEIA market, where LightWave Solar and other installers are building community-sc...

6 days ago

50 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Solar Grazing Saves Failing Farms: The Agri-Energy Revolution

#316 Rebekah Pierce runs a regenerative sheep farm in upstate New York and has cracked the code on making solar farms work for agriculture. Her new book "Agri Energy" reveals how combining solar panels with farming creates a win for developers, farmers, and rural communities. The land use math is stunning. The US dedicates 30 million acres to growing corn for ethanol fuel. Solar panels are 100 times more efficient at converting land into energy. We need just 1% of US land (23 million acres) t...

1 week ago

47 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Why Industrial Real Estate is the KEY to Unlocking a Cleaner Future

In this week's Clean Power Hour live, Tim Montague and co-host John Weaver were joined by Wes Hersche, Director of Enterprise Sustainability at Prologis, to explore how the world's largest logistics real estate company is transforming 1.3 billion square feet of rooftop space into clean energy assets. They discuss Prologis' ambitious push toward their first gigawatt of solar, innovative approaches to enterprise sustainability including microgrids and geothermal solutions, and how on-site gener...

1 week ago

52 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How Microgrids and Batteries Future-Proof Grid Resilience

The American grid faces a triple threat: climate disasters, explosive AI data center growth, and mass electrification. Paul Gerke, Content Director for Renewables at Clarion Events and host of Factor This podcast, breaks down how batteries, microgrids, and smart grid technology provide the path forward for grid resilience and reliability. Paul leads content strategy for Factor This, the rebranded home of three legacy energy publications: Renewable Energy World, Power Grid International, and H...

2 weeks ago

43 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Why Grid Power Can't Save AI Data Centers (Microgrids Can)

#EP314 Today on the Clean Power Hour, Michael Stadler, CTO of Xendee, reveals why the utility grid cannot support the AI data center boom and how microgrids provide the only viable path forward. Michael began researching microgrid optimization at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in 2002, spending over 20 years developing the technology before co-founding Xendee in 2018 with CEO Adib Naslé (see Ep 209). Xendee provides design and optimization software for complex microgrids, ...

2 weeks ago

35 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How 41 US States Are Deploying Energy Storage and Smart Grids?

#Ep313 Grid modernization is accelerating across America. In Q2 2025 alone, 48 states plus DC and Puerto Rico took 468 actions to modernize their grids through energy storage, microgrids, and virtual power plants. This shift is reshaping how utilities deliver reliable, resilient power. Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague speaks with Vincent Potter, Policy Project Manager at NC State Clean Energy Technology Center, about the latest 50 States of Grid Modernization report. Potter tracks...

3 weeks ago

51 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Why Solar and Battery Storage Is Now More Valuable Than Solar Alone

Most solar installers miss the biggest opportunity in clean energy today. Jay Marhoefer started Intelligent Generation in 2009, six years before the market was ready. Today, his company delivers 3-6x higher ROI for commercial solar projects by stacking revenue streams from batteries. This episode reveals how the "Earn, Save, Protect" model works in PJM markets, where capacity charges alone can cost customers $100,000 per megawatt annually. Key Discussion Points: The value stack explained: ear...

3 weeks ago

54 minutes

Clean Power Hour

FEOC Regulations Spark MASSIVE Supply Chain Disruptions

The global supply chain for batteries and solar equipment faces unprecedented complexity in 2025. If you're a developer or asset owner planning projects for 2026 and beyond, this conversation is essential listening. Christian Roselund, Senior Policy Analyst at Clean Energy Associates, breaks down the intricate web of rules, tariffs, and supply chain constraints affecting the clean energy industry. With 80% of battery cells used in the United States coming from Chinese manufacturers, developer...

1 month ago

50 minutes

Clean Power Hour

AI & Robotics Revolutionize Solar Work

This week on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down the latest in solar, wind, storage, and AI. From vertical solar in Norway to offshore solar in China, plus cable theft in Germany and layoffs in North Carolina, this episode covers the challenges and innovations shaping the clean energy transition. Episode Highlights John Weaver demonstrates using ChatGPT to create project scope documents from engineering drawings in under 30 seconds for solar installation bidsProject ...

1 month ago

48 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How Virtual Power Plants Save Millions in Energy Costs

#EP310 Power grids across America face mounting challenges from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and rising costs. But a revolution is underway. Jeff St. John, Chief Reporter at Canary Media, reveals how battery storage and microgrids are reshaping energy infrastructure from California to Texas. In this episode, we explore how state-level policies and utility strategies are shaping the future of clean energy deployment. We dig into Minnesota’s groundbreaking distributed capacity procure...

1 month ago

43 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How Solar, Batteries, and Microgrids Are Reshaping the Grid

#309 Solar energy now dominates 80% of new grid additions globally. But what comes after solar becomes the cheapest energy source on Earth? Tim Montague joined the Solar Maverick Podcast to reveal the next chapter of the energy transition. I share insider insights that every energy professional needs to know. What You'll Discover: The 3 pillars of successful commercial solar sales that separate top performers from the restWhy batteries have a "value stack" that goes far beyond backup powerHow...

1 month ago

30 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Solar Hits $500/kW - 27 Years Early (Full Breakdown)

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague is joined by John Weaver (Commercial Solar Guy) and Evan Upshur (CPS America) for a roundup of the latest solar, storage, and clean energy news. Fresh from the solar industry's biggest trade show, RE+ Las Vegas, they dive deep into the latest innovations, project updates, and market trends shaping the clean energy landscape. From agrivoltaics breakthroughs to the rise of robotics in solar, this episode covers the technologies driving ...

1 month ago

46 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Community Solar and Battery Economics with 18-Month Payback

#EP308 What if you could slash your community's electricity costs by 40% while achieving true energy independence? AJ Perkins transformed from business executive to renewable energy pioneer, building 3.8 gigawatts of microgrid projects worldwide. In this Clean Power Hour episode, he reveals how community-scale solar and battery systems are revolutionizing energy economics. The breakthrough: AJ's team reduced payback periods from 7-11 years to just 18 months by combining solar, batteries, and ...

1 month ago

53 minutes

Clean Power Hour

When 1,500 MW Vanished: Peter Kelly-Detwiler on the Hidden Crisis Breaking Our Grid

The electric grid faces its biggest transformation in decades. Data center demand is set to triple in five years, capacity prices in PJM just hit $329 per megawatt-day, and grid operators are scrambling to prevent blackouts as massive AI facilities pull offline during disturbances. Today on the Clean Power Hour, grid expert Peter Kelly-Detwiler reveals how microgrids and artificial intelligence are creating a "fractal grid" that could solve our mounting reliability crisis. Peter explains the ...

1 month ago

46 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How Solar & Wind Are Transforming Texas

Texas has quietly become America's renewable energy powerhouse, with solar and wind now generating over 70 gigawatts of capacity. Raina Hornaday, founder and CEO of Caprock Renewables, reveals how this transformation happened and why rural communities are driving the next wave of clean energy growth. In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, we explore the explosive growth of Texas renewables, where solar and wind now exceed 70 gigawatts of capacity. Raina takes us through her family's history...

2 months ago

46 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Things You MUST KNOW About RE+ 2025

The Clean Power Hour LIVE is back with the latest in solar, wind, and storage. Tim Montague and John Weaver dive into the most important stories shaping clean energy today. The hosts also discuss their upcoming RE+ booth visits, hardware purchasing strategies, and the evolving landscape of energy consultancy beyond traditional solar installation. Episode Highlights German researchers at Fraunhofer develop aesthetic solar facades with 80% efficiency for building-integrated PV (Interesting Engi...

2 months ago

53 minutes

Clean Power Hour

Why Battery Storage is the Next Big Thing for Solar

Batteries are no longer an afterthought in solar, they are the future. Pete Sarelas, founder and CEO of Source Solar in Chicago, joins Tim Montague to reveal how adding battery storage can eliminate your electric bill entirely and even push it into negative territory. Pete shares his journey from door-knocking solar sales in California to building a multi-million dollar solar and battery financing business in Illinois, now the 4th largest solar market in the country. He explains how Illinois ...

2 months ago

31 minutes

Clean Power Hour

What's REALLY Holding Back Solar Energy's GROWTH | EP304

The solar industry faces a wake-up call. Despite becoming the dominant source of new electricity generation globally, clean energy companies spend 20 times less on political power than oil and gas while investing double their capital expenditure. In this episode, Jigar Shah, former Director of the DOE Loan Programs Office and clean energy pioneer, delivers hard truths about what the industry must do to survive and thrive. JIgar argues that the recent OBBB exposed critical political fragilitie...

2 months ago

55 minutes

Clean Power Hour

How Immersion Cooling Stops Battery Fires Fast! | EP303

What if battery storage systems simply couldn't catch fire? In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Matt Ward, President of Etica AG, to explore a revolutionary battery technology that's changing the game for fire safety in battery energy storage (BESS). Matt discusses their patented immersion cooling technology that uses dielectric fluid to completely surround battery cells, preventing thermal runaway and eliminating fire risks. Key topics covered: How immersion ...

2 months ago

30 minutes