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Clean Power Hour

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

Latest Episodes:

How Virtual Power Plants Save Millions in Energy Costs Sep 30, 2025

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#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 procurement plan, a model that could influence national policy. Jeff explains how utilities are weighing grid buildout versus distributed battery investments, and why solar developers and community advocates are pushing for different approaches.

We also discuss:

How distributed batteries can reduce grid costs while meeting new demand
The push and pull between utilities, regulators, and developers
Why state-level legislation often leads the way for national energy policy
The risks and opportunities in scaling renewable integration

This episode explores the rapid deployment of distributed energy resources that now comprise 93% of all new grid additions. You'll learn about the economics driving this transformation, policy frameworks accelerating adoption, and why distributed resources are becoming "federal policy proof."

If you want to understand where the U.S. clean energy transition is headed, especially the role of batteries in reshaping the grid, this conversation is for you.

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Jeff St John LinkedIn

Canary Media

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate 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

How Solar, Batteries, and Microgrids Are Reshaping the Grid Sep 25, 2025

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#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 rest
Why batteries have a "value stack" that goes far beyond backup power
How microgrids are creating a fractal energy system that's more resilient than traditional grids
The real impact of federal policy changes on solar deployment
Why virtual power plants are becoming the secret weapon against rising electricity costs
My transition from solar-only to battery and microgrid consulting
The AI revolution is coming to the energy sector

I break down complex energy concepts into practical strategies you can implement immediately. Whether you're selling solar today or planning for the battery storage boom, this episode delivers actionable insights from someone who's been in the trenches.

Key Topics Covered:

Technical mastery vs relationship building in commercial sales
Financial modeling for energy storage projects
Regional differences in battery value stacks
Data center energy demands driving grid transformation
Collaboration strategies between utilities and clean energy companies

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Benoy Thanjan

Solar Maverick Podcast

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Solar Hits $500/kW - 27 Years Early (Full Breakdown) Sep 23, 2025

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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 the industry forward while addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Episode Highlights

RE+ Vegas Recap: The trade show has grown so massive that walking the entire floor is no longer possible in three days
Chint Power Systems Unveils New Tech: Launch of 100kW string inverter and CNI battery system at RE+ Vegas
Solar-Over-Canals Project: California's Turlock Irrigation District celebrates the state's first solar over canals pilot project with clear span design (Link)
Agrivoltaics Innovation: Mushroom cultivation under solar panels demonstrates shade-loving crops thriving in agrivoltaic systems (LinkedIn)
Massachusetts SMART Program Success: Commercial solar project achieves 3:1 DC to AC ratio with planned 1.8 megawatt hour battery storage
Solar Price Projections Study: Research reveals solar costs dropped 27 years ahead of expert predictions, now at $500 per kW globally (PV Magazine)
Meyer Burger Financial Crisis: Premium solar panel manufacturer faces bankruptcy despite quality products and clean sourcing (PV Tech)
Vermont Balcony Solar Legislation: State lawmakers plan to consider 1.2kW plug-in solar systems following Utah's lead (VT Digger)

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Community Solar and Battery Economics with 18-Month Payback Sep 18, 2025

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#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 grid services revenue. This creates a financial model that makes renewable energy irresistible to entire communities.

Real-world results include:

A 3,000-home Hawaii development using the "Utility Light" model where communities own their energy infrastructure
An Orange County mobile home park cutting electricity costs from 38¢ to 24¢ per kWh while adding AC for just 2¢ per kWh
Why thinking in clusters of 50-1,000+ homes creates economies of scale impossible with individual installations

Tim and AJ explore the convergence of microgrids, Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), and infrastructure-as-a-service models that solve multiple municipal challenges simultaneously. They discuss California's public safety power shutoffs, utility partnerships, manufacturing reshoring, and practical strategies for scaling community energy projects.

Key insight: Instead of protecting one family, AJ protects entire communities. His approach prevents the dangerous scenario where only one house has power during blackouts while neighbors remain in the dark.

Whether you're a solar installer, utility professional, community leader, or clean energy investor, this episode provides actionable insights for building distributed energy infrastructure. AJ shares his complete playbook and offers to help others replicate these community-scale successes.

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AJ Perkins

Instant ON

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

When 1,500 MW Vanished: Peter Kelly-Detwiler on the Hidden Crisis Breaking Our Grid Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

#EP307

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 critical difference between traditional microgrids and the emerging "macrogrids" - 500+ megawatt data center installations that function like inverse power plants.

Key Topics Discussed:

Why NERC is concerned about data centers causing grid failures
The Dominion Virginia incident, where 1,500MW of data center load was instantly disconnected
How PJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per megawatt-day
AI-driven grid controls and their role in managing thousands of distributed resources
Virtual power plants dispatching 535MW from 100,000+ home batteries in California
The economics of microgrids in high-cost regions like PJM and California
Brooklyn/Queens Demand Management Project: $150M solution vs $1.2B infrastructure upgrade
State incentive programs driving storage deployment
The "bring your own capacity" trend accelerating data center interconnections

Peter Kelly-Detwiler, author of "Energy Switch" and principal at Northbridge Energy Partners, provides insider analysis on where developers should focus their efforts and how utilities can leverage microgrids to avoid costly infrastructure upgrades.

Whether you're an energy professional, developer, or simply curious about the future of electricity, this episode reveals why microgrids are no longer optional, they're essential infrastructure for our digital economy.

Connect with Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Website: https://www.peterkellydetwiler.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkellydetwiler

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

How Solar & Wind Are Transforming Texas Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

#EP306

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 with the first utility-scale wind project in New Mexico and reveals how Texas has become America's renewable energy powerhouse.

Key topics covered include

The fascinating ERCOT dashboard showing real-time energy generation
The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Alliance (TREIA) is celebrating its 40th anniversary
The emerging agrivoltaics revolution that is helping farmers add revenue streams while maintaining agricultural productivity.
The recent legislative battles, where over 100 renewable advocates testified against anti-renewable bills
The growing role of battery storage in grid stability
How oil and gas companies are increasingly turning to renewables for their operations.

Raina also discusses her work with American Farmland Trust on educating farmers about agrivoltaics, the importance of responsible development in rural communities, and why microgrids are becoming essential for energy independence.

Whether you're interested in renewable energy development, agricultural innovation, or Texas energy policy, this episode offers valuable insights from someone who's been at the forefront of the industry for over a decade.

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Raina Tillman LinkedIn

Caprock Renewables

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Things You MUST KNOW About RE+ 2025 Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

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 Engineering).
China launches the world’s largest perovskite project, a 5 MW demonstration plant pushing tandem solar forward (Perovskite-Info).
Ørsted tests drone deliveries for offshore wind farms, moving equipment and supplies 75 miles offshore (Renews Biz).
New ultra-low-cost underground battery solution priced at $53/kWh unveiled in Shanghai, sparking industry discussion (Energy Storage News).
T1 Energy, formerly FREYR, sells out 2025 solar module capacity after a 437 MW deal, signaling strong US demand (Taiyang News).
Fraunhofer ISC establishes a US TopCon solar cell pilot line, targeting a 4 GW factory in Houston (Solar Global).
New Mexico utility chooses distributed batteries over gas peakers, retrofitting storage into existing PV sites (Energy Storage News).
Understanding FEOC compliance: layers of verification create an “onion” of complexity for tax credit financing (PV Magazine).

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Why Battery Storage is the Next Big Thing for Solar Sep 04, 2025

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#EP305

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 has become a top five solar state, but more importantly, why customers are demanding storage to protect themselves from outages, manage costs, and gain energy independence.

What You'll Learn:

Why solar alone only reduces 50-75% of your electric bill (and what the other 25-50% actually is)
How commercial battery systems can cost $2-3 million but pay for themselves through capacity charge elimination
The "Earn, Save, Protect" model that makes batteries cash flow positive from day one
Pete's zero-down PPA financing model that removes the capital barrier for businesses
Why the ITC phase-out makes battery storage the survival strategy for solar companies
Real case study: Church drops monthly bills from $2,500 to double digits with battery addition
How time-of-use rates and virtual power plants create multiple revenue streams

Pete explains the three-pronged value proposition: earn money through grid services like frequency regulation, save money by attacking capacity charges during peak hours, and protect your facility with backup power during outages. He breaks down how his SOCAP financing division makes million-dollar battery installations accessible to businesses without the upfront capital.

Whether you're a solar installer looking to survive the post-ITC world, a business owner tired of rising electric bills, or just curious about the future of distributed energy, this episode reveals the financial strategies making battery storage the next solar gold rush.

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Pete Sarelas

Source Solar

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

What's REALLY Holding Back Solar Energy's GROWTH | EP304 Sep 02, 2025

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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 fragilities and that the time for staying under the radar is over.

He discusses the distributed capacity procurement (DCP) model pioneered in Minnesota that's becoming a template for utilities nationwide. This approach allows utilities to strategically deploy batteries where needed most, reducing interconnection times from 3 years to 6 months while solving grid constraints.

Key topics covered:

Why 85% of new grid capacity will still be solar, wind, and batteries despite policy changes
The massive political spending gap between clean energy and fossil fuels
How virtual power plants could shift 20% of peak load by 2030
The Minnesota DCP model and why it's spreading to other states
Why retrofitting batteries to existing solar systems could reduce electricity rates by 20%
The urgent need for industry pride and community engagement
How one in six American households now struggle with electricity bills

Jigar challenges the industry to move beyond random customer acquisition to strategic grid planning partnerships with utilities. He emphasizes that as solar becomes the dominant energy, it bears responsibility for the entire system's success.

This conversation reveals why political power building and utility collaboration are essential for solar's next growth phase. Shah provides actionable strategies for industry professionals to engage politically and operationally at state and local levels.

Press play to hear why Shah believes the clean energy industry must fundamentally change its approach to succeed in this new era.

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

How Immersion Cooling Stops Battery Fires Fast! | EP303 Aug 28, 2025

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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 cooling technology works and why it's superior to traditional air or liquid cooling
The challenge of getting UL 9540A certification when your batteries won't burn during testing
Why major cities like New York are perfect markets for non-flammable battery storage
The growing demand for battery storage, driven by data centers, EV charging, and grid stability needs
Navigating Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC) regulations and supply chain challenges
The "earn, save, protect" value stack of battery storage systems
Why fire safety is becoming the key differentiator in urban energy storage projects

Matt shares insights from his transition from founding SolMicrogrid (acquired by Morgan Stanley) to joining Etica AG. He explains how this technology could unlock battery installations in locations previously considered too risky - including rooftops and inside buildings in major metropolitan areas.

Whether you're a developer, asset owner, or simply interested in the future of energy storage, this episode reveals how immersion cooling could be the next generation of battery technology that makes fire-safe energy storage a reality.

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Matt Ward

Etica AG

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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

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