In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Joe Marhamati, co-founder of Sunvoy, a customer relationship management and system monitoring platform for solar installers. Joe discusses his background working at the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office during the early days of utility-scale solar development in the U.S. He then started his own solar installation company, Ipsun Solar, and spun off Sunvoy to address issues around the customer experience pre/during/post installation.

Joe explains how Sunvoy allows homeowners to track their solar project status, see all system performance data in one place (branded to the installer), and easily submit service tickets - avoiding the fragmented experience of dealing with multiple manufacturer apps. He emphasizes the importance of installers owning the full customer relationship to increase referrals and brand equity rather than having manufacturers take over after installation.

Other topics covered include using Sunvoy for active system monitoring across an installer's entire fleet, integrating with all major inverter brands and other software, and Sunvoy's language localization. Joe also discusses the challenges installers face in profitably offering monitoring/service to maintain a great long-term customer experience. The conversation provides insight into creating a compelling end-to-end experience for solar customers.

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Joe Marhamati
Sunvoy

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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

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Dan French, the founder of the Solar Farm Summit, an event dedicated to promoting and advancing agrivoltaic solar (also known as dual-use solar or solar grazing). Dan shares his background, starting from his work as an attorney for BP Oil, then making his mark in brownfield solar development to his current focus on agrivoltaics and agrisolar.

Dan French is Founder and Executive Producer of Brightfield Productions, which produces the Solar Farm Summit, North America's Agrivoltaics Expo, in Chicago, IL as well as the Virginia Solar Summit in Richmond, VA. Having hosted dozens of dynamic development conferences in his career from California to Minnesota to New Hampshire, Dan serves as market-maker and meta-developer and is known for producing deeply substantive, catalytic and market-moving events achieving rare calibers of interdisciplinary collaboration and professional cross-pollination.

Dan is also Founder and Principal of dbForesites, a global advisory boutique translating planetary megatrends in economics, energy, and environment into actionable intelligence for funds, family offices, corporations, and governments.

Tim and Dan's discussion covers the current state of agrivoltaic practices in the United States, which Dan categorizes into three buckets: crops, critters (livestock grazing), and conservation. Dan highlights the potential benefits of agrivoltaics, such as increased crop yields, water conservation, and environmental gains through pollinator habitat restoration.

Dan provides insights into the upcoming Solar Farm Summit, where topics like USDA initiatives, soil health under solar panels, and solar grazing best practices will be covered. He emphasizes the importance of bringing together different stakeholders, to accelerate the adoption of agrivoltaic systems.

The interview also touches on the myths surrounding agrivoltaics, such as the misconception that nothing can grow under solar panels. Dan dispels these myths and discusses the cost-effectiveness of agrivoltaic systems, highlighting their potential to mitigate environmental issues associated with traditional ground-mount solar development.

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Dan French
Solar Farm Summit

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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

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague talks with Hunter Johnson, Vice President of Alliant Insurance, about the crucial role of insurance in the solar industry and how climate change is impacting the way insurance companies assess and underwrite solar projects.

The discussion covers various factors that solar installers, developers, and asset owners need to consider when insuring their projects, including geographic location, weather risks (hail, lightning, wildfires, floods), equipment quality and availability of replacement parts, and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) practices.

Hunter sheds light on the evolving underwriting process, where insurance carriers are becoming more stringent in their assessment of project sites, equipment manufacturers, vegetation management plans, and emergency response plans. He also explains how rigorous O&M programs can help asset owners reduce their insurance rates.

Additionally, Hunter delves into the trends affecting the insurance industry, such as rising rates, higher deductibles, longer waiting periods for business interruption insurance, and capacity constraints. He also touches on the role of reinsurance and the emergence of captive insurance solutions for larger installers.

Throughout the discussion, Hunter emphasizes the importance of considering climate change's impact on weather patterns and the increasing frequency of catastrophic events like hail storms, hurricanes, and wildfires, which can significantly affect the insurability and financial viability of solar projects.

Overall, this episode provides valuable insights for solar professionals on navigating the complex world of insurance and mitigating risks associated with climate change to ensure the long-term success of their projects.

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Hunter Johnson
Alliant Insurance

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Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
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Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

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