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Nico Johnson
SunCast
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5 of 848
  • 839: BREAKING: Nextracker Just Bought This AI Robotics Company: OnSight Technology - (here’s why)
    Nextracker just made yet another bold move…What if a robot could detect a solar failure before it happens—and build the repair plan to deploy the right resources to the precise location, in real time?That’s not science fiction. It’s what OnSight Technology is already doing on numerous utility-scale solar farms across the US. And Nextracker have officially acquired OnSight Technology! So, if you’re here because you’re asking yourself “What the heck? Why did NXT Buy this company, and what do they actually do?!” then you’re in luck!In this exclusive episode—recorded before the news dropped—we sat down with Derek Chase, Founder & CEO of OnSight, at their HQ in Sacramento, CA for an inside peek at the autonomous robotics platform that just made headlines.From the Bulldog robot that scans sites with 3D vision and thermal imaging to the OwlCam that detects smoke and fire in real-time, OnSight is setting the standard for predictive, AI-powered solar O&M. But I believe that Derek and his team of NASA Scientists are up to much more than just optimizing solar.It’s not just impressive tech—it’s a full-stack solution that saves developers, EPCs, and asset owners millions in avoidable losses.If you care about the future of solar performance (Or are just curious about the tech behind Nextracker’s latest acquisition), this is a must-listen.Expect to hear:🔹 What makes OnSight such a valuable acquisition🔹 How AI + robotics are revolutionizing fault detection and fire prevention🔹 The ROI of predictive maintenance—and how it’s deployed at scale🔹 How OnSight built a robotics ops team using Xbox controllers and StarlinkThis is one of the most forward-looking conversations we’ve had on SunCast—and now, it’s breaking news.🎧 Hit play and learn how the future of asset management has arrived.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 730 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/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus
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  • 838: Cutbacks, Consolidation & Energy Chaos: Will Solar and Batteries Survive 2025? With Barry Cinnamon
    Is This The Reality Check We All Needed?Layoffs. Shrinking margins. Policy gut punched. If you’ve been wondering how the solar industry will make it through this, hang tight - I’ve got a 20+ yr veteran who’s seen enough dips & turns on the SolarCoaster to provide ample insight.Barry Cinnamon returns to SunCast for a brutally honest conversation with Nico Johnson about what’s unraveling in the solar and storage space—and what smart companies are doing to stay ahead.From Capitol Hill chaos to customer acquisition woes, this conversation covers the unfiltered landscape of 2025’s solar rollercoaster. If you’re feeling the pressure to pivot, cut back, or just survive, you’re not alone.Expect to learn:🔹 Which financing models are collapsing—and who might survive🔹 Survival tips from companies investing in HVAC, roofing, and service🔹 Where companies are cutting fat and doubling down🔹 Why marketing is often first to go—and why that’s a mistakeThis isn’t about doom and gloom—it’s about adaptation. And as Barry reminds us, clean energy is inevitable. But only the nimble will thrive in the next 12 months.While much of the policy discussion in this episode turned out to be accurate, this conversation is meant to provide a broader perspective on the direction of the solar and battery storage industries.To fact-check or dive deeper, we’ve provided a quick breakdown below of all the key policies and bills mentioned, along with their current status as of mid-2025:📌 Policy & Bill Breakdown:⚫ 25D (Residential Tax Credit) ✅ Still active. Remains at 30% through 2032 under the IRA, despite political pressure to shorten it.⚫ 48E (Clean Electricity Investment Credit) ✅ In effect. Applies to commercial & utility-scale projects. Implementation delays caused confusion, but credit is live.⚫ FIAC (Foreign Entity of Concern Rule) ⚠ Active and restrictive. Disqualifies projects with Chinese-linked components from IRA tax credits, disrupting supply chains.⚫Net Metering & AB 942 (California) ❌ AB 942 not passed. Grandfathering still applies when homes are sold, though future legislation could change this.⚫Community Solar in California ⚠ Still limited. Despite legislation (e.g. AB 2316), utility resistance continues to stall interconnection and access.⚫ Safe Harbor / 5% Construction Rule ✅ Still usable. Developers can qualify projects for IRA incentives by spending 5% before year-end.⚫ Domestic Manufacturing & Transformer Bottlenecks ⚠ Ongoing issue. Major delays and cost pressure remain due to limited domestic supply, especially for transformers.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 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to
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  • 837: MET Stations... the Secret Weapon For Solar Energy? Ann Will | GroundWork
    What if the smallest line item in your solar project budget could unlock millions in financing?Solar projects don’t get financed on hope—they get financed on data.Meet Ann Will, founder of GroundWork Renewables, the company solving one of utility-scale solar’s biggest pain points: uncertainty. GroundWork has quietly enabled over 1,000 met campaigns and helped developers secure billions in funding with high-accuracy irradiance and resource assessment data.In this episode, you’ll discover how Ann turned a mid-life career pivot into a multimillion-dollar clean energy business that developers and financiers now rely on to de-risk their projects.Ann’s story blends grit, intuition, and a deep understanding of both Wall Street and renewable energy. From pioneering irradiance measurement campaigns to scaling nationwide data platforms and working with leading developers like Recurrent Energy and Lightsource bp, Ann has helped the industry embrace data as a competitive advantage.Expect to learn:🔹 The 0.3% of CapEx that can drive 10X ROI and millions in pro forma value🔹 What Ann Will learned raising capital after years of bootstrapping🔹 How GroundWork grew from a service provider into a full-stack data platform🔹 Why high-accuracy data is the key to unlocking solar project financing🔹 The business value of no-gap irradiance data (hint: it’s in the millions)🔹 How GroundWork de-risks utility-scale solar projects years before steel goes in the groundAnn also unpacks how strategic capital from Lime Rock New Energy is helping her take GroundWork to the next level—and what it means for the future of clean energy infrastructure.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 730 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/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus
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  • 836: The Battery Paradox: Why C&I Solar Isn’t Installing Battery Storage
    Commercial & Industrial solar is no longer just about getting panels up on the roof (Or over the parking lot, as the case may be). I wanted to explore something that’s been bugging me…given the increase in C&I traction lately, what’s still holding the sector back from adopting batteries at scale?For the answer, I turned to Jayson Smith, Solutions Engineer at CPS America, to better understand how footprint, lead times, and complexity have historically stalled C&I battery storage adoption. But that’s all rapidly changing thanks to smarter tech, tighter energy management integration, and a drive to reduce total cost of ownership. From 3.5-year payback periods to shrinking footprints, this episode is packed with insights to help installers and developers stay ahead of the storage curve.Expect to learn:🔹 How demand charge reduction is leading to 3.5-year paybacks🔹 The UL 1741 CRD standard that removes costly BOS components🔹 The top barriers to battery adoption in the C&I market (and how to overcome them)🔹 The real reason you should care who actually makes your battery system🔹 How HVAC control turns buildings into thermal batteriesWhether you're selling, designing, or deploying storage, this episode can help you make sense of what the latest advancements mean for your business.And, if you are curious about how we can PREVENT costly battery failures before they even get to the field, tune in to our next Live Broadcast on July 23 titled “Trust but Verify, How to ensure BESS Quality before it’s too late!” where we’ll be joined by field experts from Fire Safety and Factory Quality Assurance to better understand how the industry at large can improve battery deployments while avoiding giving renewables a black eye. Register (Or watch the replay) at www.suncast.media/liveIf 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 730 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/nicomeoLinkedIn -...
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  • 835: Nextracker Is Rewiring Utility-Scale Solar | Jonathan Eastwood
    Nextracker has proven its market dominance for more than a decade, and has practically rewritten the playbook on utility-scale solar globally. Lately, they’ve been on an acquisition spree, further fueling their market dominance and diversifying to better serve their customers. If you, like us, are on the outside looking in wondering “how they heck do they do it?”, then this episode will give you a glimpse inside the magnificent machine that is NXT!Jonathan Eastwood, Nextracker’s SVP of Sales, has seen the clean energy industry evolve from the ground up—literally. In this long-awaited episode, Jonathan joins Nico to share how product innovation, customer obsession, and strategic M&A are helping solve solar’s most urgent challenges, from logistics chaos to catastrophic hail risk.It’s a rare peek behind the curtain on how NextTracker has become more than just another manufacturing partner—offering not just parts, but fully integrated systems that EPCs and owners trust to perform. From solving logistics bottlenecks with proprietary software to designing hail-proof stow systems that win over insurers, Eastwood shares the innovations—and the culture—that keep NextTracker at the front of the pack.You’ll hear what most people get wrong about trackers, how customer feedback led to some of NextTracker’s biggest breakthroughs, and why integrated solutions—not just price—are winning deals in 2025. Expect to learn:🔹 The sales innovation that helped NextTracker stay 2–3 years ahead🔹 How HailPro tech saves projects and unlocks lower insurance premiums🔹 Why integrated platforms are winning over cost-focused EPCs🔹 How customer feedback shapes everything at Nextracker🔹 The secrets behind NextTracker’s elite sales culture🎧 Don’t miss this candid and career-spanning conversation with one of the industry’s sharpest operators—Eastwood’s story is proof that customer-driven innovation is still the ultimate differentiator in solar.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 730 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
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About SunCast

Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy. SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs. SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world. Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more. You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia ...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes
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