In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague brings together a panel of experts from CPS America and EnergeiaWorks to discuss proven tactics for talent acquisition and retention in the rapidly growing solar sector. The discussion kicks off with insightful introductions from the panelists, including John Drummond, senior applications engineer at CPS America, William Liuzza, the founder and CEO of EnergeiaWorks, Ryan Pasquali, a recruiting specialist at CPS America, and Matt Dolansky, the Associate Director of Customer Success at EnergeiaWorks.

The conversation delves into the challenges of recruiting top talent in an industry marked by low unemployment rates and high demand for skilled professionals. The panelists share their experiences and strategies, emphasizing the importance of creating a strong company culture built on transparency, trust, and open communication. They highlight the value of investing in employees' growth and development, fostering a sense of inclusion, and providing opportunities for advancement within the organization.

The discussion also touches on the impact of remote and hybrid work environments, the need for flexibility in hiring practices, and the importance of identifying candidates with the right "X-factor" beyond just technical skills. The panelists stressed the significance of building genuine partnerships with employees, treating them as valued members of the team, and establishing a culture of openness and honesty that extends to customer relationships as well.

Throughout the episode, the experts share real-life examples and insights from their experiences at CPS America and EnergeiaWorks, offering practical advice and best practices for companies seeking to attract and retain top talent in the solar and clean energy industries. The conversation highlights the crucial role that talent acquisition and retention play in driving the success of companies and accelerating the energy transition.

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EnergeiaWorks
William Liuzza
Ryan Pasquali
Matt Dolansky
John Drummond

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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, host Tim Montague is joined by Scott Tess, the Sustainability and Resilience Officer for the City of Urbana, Illinois. They discuss the 5.3 megawatt community solar project that was developed on the city’s closed municipal solid waste landfill in Urbana Illinois in Central Illinois (home of the University of Illinois). This episode holds a special place in Montague’s heart because the landfill was the very first solar project he walked back in 2016 when he we just getting into the PV industry full-time.

Scott provides an in-depth overview of the project, explaining how the City initially identified the landfill as a potential site for solar development and went through a competitive procurement process to select a developer (TotalEnergies is the ultimate developer/owner-operator). He highlights the challenges and uncertainties they faced, such as determining the commercial viability of the site compared to open farm fields and navigating the state's incentive programs.

The conversation delves into the benefits of repurposing brownfields like landfills for solar projects, including generating revenue for the City through lease payments, reducing maintenance costs, expanding access to renewable energy for low-income residents, and putting the property back on the tax rolls.

Scott also shares insights into the development process, including the importance of properly locating inverters to minimize noise disturbances, the use of a ballasted racking system to avoid penetrating the landfill cap, and the potential for incorporating pollinator-friendly vegetation in the project.

Scott also discusses the City's involvement in the Solarize Urbana-Champaign program, which competitively selects a single solar installer and offers bulk pricing and community education to encourage residential and small business solar adoption.

Overall, the episode provides a comprehensive look at the challenges, opportunities, and benefits of developing solar projects on brownfields, as well as the role municipalities can play in supporting and promoting renewable energy initiatives within their communities.

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Scott Tess
City of Urbana

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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 Adib Nasle, the co-founder and CEO of Xendee, a company that provides a software platform to design and optimize complex on-site energy systems. The discussion revolves around Xendee's unique approach to addressing the complexities and uncertainties associated with distributed energy systems.

Nasle explains that the core problem they aimed to solve was the lack of a practical way to "test drive" on-site energy systems before committing to a purchase decision. Xendee's platform utilizes a science-based algorithm, developed through decades of research, to generate optimal solutions based on the user's objectives, such as carbon emission reduction or profitability.

The platform's capabilities include automatically gathering relevant data like utility tariffs, incentives, weather patterns, and energy consumption for a given location. It then generates solutions by considering various technologies like solar, batteries, heat pumps, and EV chargers, while factoring in the underlying distribution infrastructure and control strategies.

Nasle highlights the importance of not only sizing and selecting the right technology mix but also orchestrating their operation to achieve the desired outcomes. The platform enables collaboration and data portability, facilitating information exchange between different stakeholders and platforms.

Furthermore, Xendee has developed a model predictive control system that uses the same underlying algorithm to operate the designed system in real-time, ensuring that the promised benefits are delivered efficiently and reliably.

The discussion also covers the platform's applicability to larger-scale projects like community microgrids and the potential for standardization and scalability through a single, integrated solution approach.

Overall, the conversation provides an in-depth look at Xendee's innovative software platform, which aims to simplify the adoption of distributed energy systems and unlock their full potential through accurate modeling, optimization, and real-time control.

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Adib Nasle
Xendee

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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