How to make solar on commercial buildings work with Victoria Stulgis,  president at Black Bear Energy

In this episode we have Shawn Shaw, founder and CEO of Camelot Energy Group, discussing energy storage and renewable energy development. Shawn explained how Camelot helps investors, asset owners, and project developers build reliable clean energy projects, highlighting challenges with community resistance to renewable energy installations including over 200 energy storage moratoria across the United States. The conversation covered technical aspects of energy storage safety, with Shawn sharing that commercial and utility-scale batteries experience fires at approximately 0.3% per year, similar to residential house fires, and discussing how safety standards have improved significantly since incidents like the Moss Landing fire. They also explored historical perspectives on energy storage, from medieval mill ponds to modern battery technology, and discussed how energy storage benefits extend beyond renewable energy integration to improving grid reliability regardless of energy source. Shawn mentioned his recent book publication on energy storage systems by the International Code Council and his work training professionals through Heat Spring platform, while both participants agreed to potentially collaborate on future podcast episodes covering the history of energy storage Topics Covered Camelot Energy Group www.camelotenergygroup.com Moss Landing Incident Thermal Runaway History of Energy Camelot Name Origin King Arthur Inspiration Medieval Energy Storage Mill Pond History Genghis Khan Energy Firefighter Training Project Development Investor Decision-Making Clean Energy Mission Big Bang Philosophy Electricity Bill Costs Grid Infrastructure Overbuilding BESS = Battery Energy Storage System AHJ = Authority Having Jurisdiction UL 9540A Reach out to Shawn Shaw here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawnshawpe Website: www.camelotenergygroup.com Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/esip

This podcast interview featured Maxim Kosenko, CEO and founder of Axentum, discussing their innovative technology for autonomous solar installation for AI data centers. Maxim explained their system uses flat, zero-degree tilt solar panels with pre-assembled PV modules and battery packs (2- 3 kWh per module) connected in strings to create 0.9-megawatt DC clusters that can be installed by four-person teams in under two hours, enabling installation of a gigawatt-scale project within a month using approximately 12 teams. The system eliminates traditional tracking systems, uses ballasted mounting instead of piles, and includes integrated battery storage and power electronics, resulting in a levelized cost of electricity around $50 per megawatt hour (5 cents per kilowatt hour) and potentially dropping the cost five times lower than current solar options for data centers.   Topics Covered Axentum www.axentum.com Autonomous Solar Installation AI Data Centers Megawatts per hour Installation Robot ESS = Energy Storage System Flat Panel Design Integrated Battery Storage Robot Deployment Installation Speed Wind Resistance Design Vegetation Prevention Labor Reduction Gas Turbine Shortage Solar vs Turbines Gigawatt Scale Buildout Power Electronics Embedded   Reach out to Maxim Kosenko here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maxkosenko Website: www.axentum.com Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/pvip

Arilla Barnes, founder and CEO of Energy IoT Open Source, discussing open-source energy solutions and microgrid technology. Arilla explained how her organization creates turnkey solutions for microgrids using open-source software, firmware, and hardware to enable energy access and control for communities, with a current demonstration lab at Informal Spaces in Oakland featuring a 5.8 kilowatt solar carport, battery storage, and hybrid inverter systems. They discussed challenges with electric vehicle bi-directional charging, regulatory barriers to energy sharing between homes, and the potential for distributed data centers using renewable energy. Arilla shared her work with Linux Foundation Energy projects including LF Hyphae and LF Open Leader, and expressed interest in collaborating on a demonstration project at Sean’s solar training center property   Topics Covered Energy IoT Open Source www.eiot.energy IOT = Internet of Things SunSpec Alliance Open Source Open Energy Lab EV = Electric Vehicle Micro-Grid Grid Net-Metering Utility Bidirectional EV Charging Market Open Source Computer Technology Data Center Hydro Pump ESS = Energy Storage System Biofuel Bidirectional EV Charging Linux Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Virtual Power Plants Energy Asset Ownership   Reach out to Arila Barnes here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/arilabarnes Website: www.eiot.energy Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/esipexam

Victoria Stulgis, President of Black Bear Energy, discusses the complexities of deploying solar on commercial real estate portfolios. The conversation covers landlord-tenant split incentives, third-party ownership structures, hosted community solar models, and how policy shapes market opportunity across states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Black Bear Energy's role as an owner's representative in helping institutional real estate investors navigate and scale renewable energy adoption is also examined.   Topics Covered Black Bear Energy www.blackbearenergy.com ESS = Energy Storage System Battery Storage ASES = American Solar Energy Society Real Estate Solar Commercial Solar Landlord Tenant Incentives Hosted Community Solar Solar Policy Impact Portfolio Scale Distributed Solar Net-Metering B-Corps REC = Renewable Energy Certificate SREC = Solar Renewable Energy Certificate   Reach out to Victoria Stulgis here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victoriastulgis Website: www.blackbearenergy.com Email: [email protected] Black Bear Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/pvipexam

Sean Tygrett, Chief Operating Officer of Carbon Enfo, discusses how his company's platform Brytr aggregates Solar Renewable Energy Certificates from small-scale residential and commercial solar producers and tokenizes them on the Cardano blockchain. The conversation covers SREC market mechanics, the $1.4 billion in uncollected voluntary certificates, blockchain-based provenance verification, and an innovative eco-loyalty model that enables corporate buyers to purchase SRECs directly from their own customers.   Topics Covered SREC = Solar Renewable Energy Certificate SREC Mechanics API = Application Programming Interface Blockchain Cardano NFT = Non-Fungible Token API Data Collection Producer Aggregation Voluntary SREC Market Corporate Carbon Reduction Eco-Loyalty Model Greenwashing Prevention Brytr Platform Inverter   Reach out to Sean Tygrett here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/seantygrett Website: www.carbonenfo.io Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/esip

Dan Fletcher, Co-Founder and Head of Ecosystems at dcbel, joins Sean White to explore the technical and commercial realities of residential energy management - including what it means to run a true private grid at home. Topics include DC home charging, on-device energy optimization, vehicle-to-grid integration, UL 1741 SB certification, virtual power plants, compatible EV models, and California's Redwoods incentive program.   Topics Covered DCBEL www.dcbel.energy Home Energy Station Solar Integration EV = Electric Vehicle Bidirectional EV Charging EV Charging Battery Inverter ESS = Energy Storage System DC Home Charging Energy optimization Solar integration Battery storage Vehicle-to-grid REDWDS program = Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals Program VGIC = Vehicle-Grid Integration Council UL Listing Utility VPP = Virtual Power Plant Code Data Center Distributed Energy Bitcoin Mining V2G = Vehicle to Grid   Podcast with Dan Fletcher | Part 1 Apple podcast YouTube Spotify Pandora Podbean   Reach out to Dan Fletcher here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fletcherdan Website: www.dcbel.energy Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean http://solarsean.com/sfev

President of Blue Water Battery Logistics, LLC.They discussed the company's business of handling surplus and recycling batteries, solar panels, and other energy equipment. Steve explained how Blue Water handles various battery types including LFP (lithium iron phosphate) and NMC (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide), with recycling values ranging from $2 per pound to 10-20 cents per pound depending on the material and volume. They covered the process of battery recycling, including refurbishing used EV batteries and the challenges with consumer electronic batteries ending up in landfills. Steve also discussed the company's expansion plans, hiring 20 additional employees, and their business model of finding reuse or recycling solutions for surplus energy equipment rather than sending it to landfills.   Topics Covered Bluewater www.bluewaterbattery.com Pirates Battery Market Battery recycling, Reusing, Refurbishing, Repowering EV = Electric Vehicle Utility-scale storage V2G = Vehicle to Grid Battery management Solar surplus Transformer rehoming Cost reduction Second-life markets Clean energy supply 170’ sailboat! Reach out to Steve Feinberg here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steve-feinberg Website: www.bluewaterbattery.com/ Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/esip

Plug-in solar legalization, large solar company closures, and the One Big Bogus Bill are examined in this episode. Aaron Nichols and Sean White bring decades of combined industry experience to each topic, covering state-level policy developments, market consolidation, and the potential impact of shifting federal tax credit structures on solar businesses and homeowners.   This podcast was stolen from Aaron Nichols. I dare you Aaron, sue me! It’s mine now. I am this week in solar!   Topics Covered This week in Solar www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekInSolar Plug-in Solar BBB = Big Beautiful Bill Tax Credit DIY Solar Balcony Solar No Permits (Plug-in Solar) Water Heating Solar Companies Going Bankrupt Solyndra Ray Kurzweil Evolution of Solar The Future Space Based Solar Moon   Reach out to Aaron Nichols here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-nichols This week in Solar: www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekInSolar Email: [email protected]   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean solarsean.com/pva

This podcast episode featured Sean White's interview with Heather Newport, Director of Community Relations at Aileron, a Chicago-based community engagement and public affairs firm that works on renewable energy projects across the United States. Heather discussed the challenges of community opposition to renewable energy projects, particularly battery energy storage facilities, explaining that concerns often stem from misinformation, fear of the unknown technology, and distrust of developers rather than the actual safety of the technology. They explored how Aileron helps developers navigate community relations through early engagement, stakeholder outreach, and relationship building with local officials and residents, emphasizing the importance of listening to community concerns and providing transparent, authentic information about project safety and benefits.   Topics Covered Aileron Communications www.aileroninc.com Airplane Aileron Community Engagement in Public Affairs Politics Polarization ESS = Energy Storage System EV = Electric Vehicle Moss Landing Battery Data Center NIMBY = Not in my backyard Erin Brockovich   Reach out to Heather Newport here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/heathermonaghan Website: www.aileroninc.com   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean solarsean.com/pvipexam

Dan Fletcher, Co-Founder and Head of Ecosystems at dcbel, discusses Ara - the company's integrated home energy station combining solar, battery storage, bidirectional EV charging, and grid connectivity in a single device designed to give homeowners greater control over their own energy supply. The conversation covers how vehicle-to-home technology works, its role in reducing grid stress during peak hours, virtual power plant integration, and the California Redwoods program. dcbel's approach removes redundant power conversion hardware, improving efficiency and lowering the cost of achieving genuine residential energy independence.   Topics Covered DCBEL www.dcbel.energy Decibel Home Energy Solar Integration ESS = Energy Storage System Battery Storage Nissan Leaf EV = Electric Vehicle EV Charging Bidirectional EV Charging Vehicle-to-Home Grid REDWOODS Program Energy Efficiency Residential Energy Power Conversion Distributed Energy Utility VPP = Virtual Power Plant CEC = California Energy Commission Queen’s University   Podcast with Dan Fletcher | Part 2 Apple podcast YouTube Spotify Pandora Podbean Reach out to Dan Fletcher here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fletcherdan Website: www.dcbel.energy   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean http://solarsean.com/sfev