SunCast

Latest Episodes:

922: From One Engineer to 1 in 6 Utility-Scale Projects | Tyler Nelson, Revamp Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

What does it actually take to earn trust at the highest levels of utility-scale solar?

Tyler Nelson has a perspective few in the industry can claim. As founder of Revamp Engineering, his team has been embedded in the design and execution of a massive share of utility-scale solar and storage projects across the U.S. — working alongside the developers and EPCs shaping the grid in real time.

But this conversation isn’t about scale for the sake of scale.

It’s about how that kind of trust is built.

We dig into Tyler’s early career at SunPower and how that experience carried forward into the founding of Revamp. He shares how the company landed its first anchor clients, what actually drives credibility in this industry, and why engineering is often the difference between a project that works on paper and one that works in the field.

We also explore a different kind of founder mindset — one that isn’t oriented around an exit.

Tyler recently transitioned Revamp into an employee-owned company, reinforcing a long-term vision centered on culture, accountability, and durability.

Along the way, Tyler offers a clear-eyed view into how the market is evolving, where complexity is increasing, and what teams consistently underestimate as projects scale.

Expect to learn:

🔹 What most people misunderstand about how utility scale projects get built

🔹 Why repeatable design works until complexity hits at scale

🔹 How employee ownership is shaping long term company culture

Lean in to learn what separates good from indispensable...

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

921: Data Won’t Move Lawmakers—Stories Will | John Szoka & Jigar Shah Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Most energy professionals believe the data will win.

John Szoka did too.

After a career in the military and time in the North Carolina legislature, Szoka followed the facts and became a clean energy advocate. But what he learned next is what matters.

Data might change your mind.

It doesn’t change most people’s.

In this special conversation, **Jigar Shah and I co-host a discussion with Szoka on how decisions actually get made in energy—from state legislatures to local communities—and why storytelling, trust, and timing often matter more than the numbers.

This is the first episode in a set of conversations we recorded live at the UNC Cleantech Summit. Additional interviews from this series will be released across both SunCast and Jigar’s Energy Empire podcast—including a conversation with Tom Fanning (CEO, Southern Co) also dropping this week.

To hear the full set, you’ll want to follow both shows.

You can find Energy Empire here: https://www.energyempire.fm/episodes

Key takeaways from John:

🔹 The real reason utilities struggle to adapt to new technology

🔹 Why storytelling beats data when it comes to changing minds

🔹 How to combat misinformation in energy at the local level

🔹 How to meet communities where they are and build trust

Hit play to understand what it really takes to move energy forward in today’s political and economic climate.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

920: Say Less. Close More. | Fixing Solar Messaging with Spenser Meeks Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

If it takes more than one meeting to explain what you do, you have a messaging problem.

In this live conversation from Intersolar North America, Nico Johnson sits down with Spenser Meeks of Apex Presentations to unpack why so many clean energy teams struggle to clearly communicate their value—and how that confusion shows up as longer sales cycles, more meetings, and missed opportunities.

Spenser, a former engineer turned messaging strategist, breaks down a simple shift: say less, but make it matter. When your message is clear, it becomes easier to connect, qualify, and move deals forward.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why “there’s just too much to say” is hurting your pitch

🔹 How to tailor your own clear, effective introduction

🔹 The two stories every team should be able to tell on demand

🔹 The simple four-part framework for a high-impact elevator pitch

If your team is working too hard to explain what you do, this conversation will help you simplify.

Hit play and see what changes when your message finally lands.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

919: Why Smart Developers Are Betting on Batteries | Emilie Flanagan Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Nico had the chance to sit down in person with today’s guest — and as you’d expect, that face-to-face conversation brings a level of depth, candor, and nuance you don’t always get.

Emilie Flanagan, Founder and CEO of Carson Power, has built her career across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the U.S. — from advising on energy markets at KPMG to working inside a European family office, and eventually leading more than 200 megawatts of community solar development in New York before launching her own platform.

In this conversation, Emilie shares how her approach to development has evolved in real time — including the decision to integrate battery storage early, and what that actually changed in how her team evaluates, structures, and advances projects.

We also spend time on the part of development that doesn’t get talked about enough: working with communities — what builds trust, what breaks it, and why more projects stall there than most developers are willing to admit.

What she got wrong early — and how it changed the way she builds
Why she left a successful role at Borrego to start Carson Power
How experienced developers think about capital, risk, and discipline
Where projects actually succeed — or fail — long before construction

🎧 Who This Episode Is For

Solar and storage developers
Energy investors and capital providers
Asset owners
Founders building infrastructure businesses

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear what stood out — or who you think we should feature next. Just reply and let me know.

And if you know someone building in this space, share this episode with them.

I’m Nico Johnson, and this is SunCast.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

918: Is Storage The Catalyst That Finally Unlocks C&I Solar? 4 Expert Opinions Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Every year, the industry says the same thing.

“C&I solar is about to take off!”

And yet, it never quite scales the way we expect.

Could this year finally be the year?

In this live panel from Intersolar, Nico Johnson sits down with Joe Ross (CPS America), Rob Smith (ABC Supply), Tim Montague (Clean Power Consulting), and Jim Wood (SEG Solar) to unpack what’s really happening in the commercial and industrial market.

The opportunity is real—but it’s uneven, complex, and highly dependent on where you operate.

Battery storage is starting to shift the conversation. Falling costs, rising electricity prices, and new incentives are making projects pencil in ways they didn’t before. But storage alone isn’t the answer.

This discussion explores the full picture—from workforce challenges and customer education to capital competition and regional market dynamics.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why C&I solar is growing, but still not scaling across all markets

🔹 How storage is improving project economics—and where it actually works

🔹 What’s holding projects back, from education gaps to competing capital priorities

🔹 Why transitioning from residential to commercial is harder than it looks

The ingredients for growth are finally coming together.

The question is whether this is the moment C&I solar truly breaks through.

Press play and decide for yourself.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

917: What Happens When Your Market Disappears? (The Story of Small Wind) | Michael Bergey Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

What do you do when your entire market disappears?

That’s not a thought experiment for Michael Bergey. It’s the story of his career.

Long before solar dominated rooftops, distributed wind was solving real problems across rural America — lowering energy costs for customers who didn’t care about climate narratives, only outcomes. Then policy support vanished. Oil prices collapsed. And later, cheap solar took over.

Most companies didn’t survive.

Bergey Windpower did.

In this conversation, Michael walks through what it actually takes to stay in the game when incentives disappear, competitors pivot, and the market moves faster than your business model.

But there’s a deeper takeaway here.

The customers driving distributed energy today don’t all look the same — and they don’t all think the same either. Wind and solar, once seen as separate paths, are now serving the same need: control, resilience, and economics that work.

Expect to learn:

⚡ What really happened to small wind after the 1980s policy collapse

⚡ How solar’s cost curve forced a complete reset of the business

⚡ The engineering decisions that made small wind viable again

⚡ Why farmers — not homeowners — are driving adoption today

If you’re building in clean energy right now, this may give you a new perspective on staying power and resilience.

👉 Press play to see what happens when the market turns against you.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

916: Where Solar Contractors Are Losing (and Finding) Margin | ABC Supply Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

The residential solar playbook did not just change. It got torn up.

If you are still operating like yesterday’s incentives, product assumptions, and sales motions will carry you forward, this episode is a reality Margins aren’t disappearing overnight. They’re leaking — in places most contractors don’t even notice.

In this live conversation from IESNA 2026, Nico Johnson sits down with Rob Smith and Eric Cieslak of ABC Supply to break down where solar contractors are quietly losing profit — and where the smartest operators are starting to take it back.

From jobsite efficiency and logistics to financing-driven product decisions, this episode connects the dots between day-to-day operations and long-term business survival. ABC Supply brings a unique vantage point, seeing how contractors across the country are adapting — or failing to — as the market shifts.

If you’re still running your business the way you did two years ago, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what’s actually driving your margins today.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Where contractors are losing margin in time, labor, and logistics

🔹 Why contractors need a new operating playbook in a finance-driven solar market

🔹 Why planning with your distributor can unlock real efficiency gains

🔹 How storage and product selection are impacting ROI

🔹 Why disciplined, regional contractors may have the advantage right now

The margin is still there — just not where it used to be.

Press play and find out where to look.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

915: 100-Hour Batteries, State of Flow, and the Future of Grid Resilience Mar 28, 2026

Show notes

Long duration energy storage has spent years sitting in the “we’ll need it someday” category. Not anymore. As grid strain grows, data center demand surges, and reliability becomes a boardroom issue, long duration storage is starting to move from interesting concept to urgent solution.

Recorded live at Intersolar and Energy Storage North America, this panel brings together Anna Siefken of the LDES Council, Aric Saunders of Noon Energy, Tristan Bannon of CellCube, and Andrew Friedenthal of E-Zinc. With Nico Johnson leading the conversation, the group digs into what is changing in the market and why more buyers are finally paying attention to long duration storage.

This episode is not just about technology. It is about what happens when the grid needs more than incumbent batteries can supply. The panel explores how vanadium flow, zinc-based systems, and other long duration approaches could support resilience, replace diesel, firm renewables, and help planners think beyond the standard four-hour battery playbook.

Expect to learn:

🔹 Why long duration storage is finally gaining real commercial momentum

🔹 How data centers, resilience needs, and grid volatility are accelerating demand

🔹 What makes zinc, vanadium, and other chemistries worth watching

🔹 Why procurement rules should focus on the problem to solve, not the technology to favor

If you want a clearer picture of where storage is headed after lithium-ion, this conversation is a strong place to start. It is practical, candid, and full of insight from leaders building the next layer of the grid.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

914: The Real Reason Farmers Are Turning to Solar | Rebekah Pierce Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Most conversations about agrivoltaics stay at the surface.

Rebekah Pierce didn’t set out to become a voice for solar. She was trying to solve a much simpler problem:

How do you make a small farm financially viable… without giving it up?

What followed was a shift — from seeing solar as a “necessary evil” to recognizing it as a tool that might fundamentally reshape how farms survive.

In this conversation, we unpack what’s actually happening on the ground:

🔹 What exactly is the business of solar grazing

🔹 Where the economics work — and where they don’t

🔹 Why “prime farmland” is often misunderstood

🔹 The gap between developer intent and rural reality

🔹 What breaks when you try to scale this model

This is less about sheep under panels…

…and more about what new revenue models might actually keep farms alive.

_____________________________________________________

🎧 Guest: Rebekah Pierce

Author of Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food

_____________________________________________________

If you’re curious about agrivoltaics, this is a perspective you don’t usually hear.

Hit play to hear why Rebekah Pierce believes agrivoltaics is not a side strategy. It is a glimpse of what farming could become.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.

We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

913: The Real Toll AI Data Centers Are Taking on the Grid (and how to fix it) | with Jon Parrella Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

AI isn’t just increasing demand for electricity - it’s changing how power behaves.

In this Tactical Tuesday, Nico Johnson sits down with Jon Parrella of Terraflow Energy to break down a problem few people are talking about: modern AI data centers don’t draw power like traditional loads. They ramp rapidly, swing unpredictably, and introduce volatility that existing infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle.

That shift is putting real strain on generators, batteries, and the grid itself - accelerating wear, increasing complexity, and creating new risks for developers and investors alike.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🔹 Why AI data centers behave differently from traditional power loads

🔹 How rapid load swings impact generators, lithium-ion batteries, and grid stability

🔹 What “controllable load” means - and why utilities and ISOs are prioritizing it

🔹 Where traditional power system design breaks down under AI-driven demand

🔹 Why being a responsive load could dramatically change interconnection timelines

Most importantly, you’ll understand what needs to change to make next-generation data center infrastructure reliable, scalable, and bankable.

If you’re developing, financing, or investing in data centers, energy infrastructure, or AI-driven growth, this episode will change how you think about the power system that it requires.

Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?

Hit us up - team@suncast.me with your feedback & recommendations.

You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 850 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsors

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/