What does it take to build a 100-year business? How does one expand beyond integration of off-the-shelf products to branding power plants as a unique identifiable product? What does it take to secure an entire City’s rooftops…like Atlanta?

Michael Chanin, the CEO and founder of Cherry Street Energy, is bringing this ambitious vision to fruition. Chanin's team is embracing the power of renewables for transforming our infrastructure, and my meeting with him left me inspired. Chanin is not your typical investment-banker-turned-renewable-energy-entrepreneur. How this Macon, GA native found his way to banking is in itself an unlikely turn in his career. So, when he decided to leave Wall Street for Main Street, it was in many ways a return to his roots as a social anthropologist and activist at heart.

Chanin found his calling in the clean energy sector through his banking work with early financial pioneers like Vivint who were leveraging public markets to bring solar to neighborhoods around the country. But, he saw a gap (Opportunity) beyond the residential solar revolution in how these products (power plants) could benefit municipalities, universities, and communities writ large. What he built as a delivery mechanism, Cherry Street Energy, has quickly become Georgia’s foremost non-utility provider of renewable power! And, with over 1000 projects in the queue, Michael and the Cherry Street team are just getting started.

In this episode, discover:

• Cherry Street Energy’s unique approach to finance and deploy distributed energy resources.
• Culture, collaboration, kindness, and a long-term vision as essential ingredients to success.
• How Warren Buffett changed Michael’s career prospects
• Their Shine On program for workforce development “from blue collar to new collar”
• The operational fabric supporting Cherry Street Energy's progress.

Hit play to learn how Cherry Street Energy is paving the way for a sustainable, low-carbon future.

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

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

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

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

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

Every growth story has roots in finding scalable and duplicatable processes. From a Big Mac to the Macintosh, the capacity to create products people want and galvanize a team around delivering them is what sets true market leaders apart from their peers. However, in the more than 700 interviews we’ve done at SunCast, we know that the path to the top is not linear nor is it free from failure. So, when I see someone succeeding for multiple years in a leadership position, I want to know what made it work. Such is the case with CPS Americas.

Are you curious what frameworks & models contributed to their becoming the #1 Three-Phase String Inverter Supplier in the US?

What visionary leaders’ stories or tried-and-true methods did their leadership ‘borrow’ for application to the power electronics industry?

Bryan Wagner, GM and President of Chint Power Systems Americas (CPS), shares the strategies and insights that helped CPS reclaim their top position in the US Market. Through efficient management, teamwork, their “Lightspeed '' system and “triangle offense”, Bryan divulges for the first time the leadership and operational tactics that have cemented their market dominance and fostered an enviable team culture.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

• How CPS navigated quality challenges to reclaim market leadership
• The importance of developing a customer-centric culture and welcoming feedback
• Why slow is smooth, and smooth is fast in an evolving market
• Insights into the future of string inverters and energy storage solutions
• The value of an approachable leadership style and empowering your team

Listen in to hear Bryan Wagner's expert advice on driving growth and innovation in the solar industry.

You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 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/

Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2

Imagine a Roomba on a solar farm with a camera that can automatically inspect modules, wiring, even hot-spots, and report all that information back instantaneously to the asset manager. That level of computer vision and automation is finally possible, and it looks a Lot like a fun Disney character you’d recognize!

Derek Chase, founder and CEO of OnSight, is revolutionizing solar asset management through robotics and computer vision that uses a WALL-E-like advanced autonomous navigation robot to significantly enhance the accuracy of solar farm inspections with AI-powered detection. With more than 15 years in the industry, Derek has pioneered scalable operations and maintenance solutions, successfully building and selling one of the most successful O&M businesses in solar - SunSystem Technologies.

But Derek is not one to sit on his haunches and relax, nor are his co-founders (most from his previous venture), and his story of stumbling upon the idea for OnSight (at a Garage Sale, no less) is sure to inspire and inform your entrepreneurial tendencies.

Expect to learn:

• How OnSight's robots autonomously navigate and inspect solar farms, capturing high-resolution data beyond human capability
• The role of machine learning and computer vision in detecting subtle issues, like high-resistance connections that could cause fires
• Strategies for funding and assembling a world-class team
• The future of solar asset management with predictive maintenance and comprehensive data collection
• Lessons in entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and perseverance

Listen in to discover how Derek Chase and OnSight are solving the unseen risks of solar one robot at a time.

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

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

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

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2