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Sean White teaches solar and storage classes and seminars around the world and inside your home (online). He is known for helping people get NABCEP certified. This podcast contains an assortment of topics, with an emphasis on solar and storage technical knowledge. Up your game! Catch a photon! Save the planet! Learn more and go to www.solarSEAN.com
Episodes
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
Recorded at the NABCEP Conference, this episode features a conversation between Sean White and Marlene Brown, a solar energy educator and advocate with over three decades of experience. Topics include the grassroots origins of the photovoltaic industry, early off-grid solar installations, international solar development work in Vietnam and the Solomon Islands, and Marlene's ongoing efforts to increase women's technical participation in the renewable energy sector.
Topics Covered
ASES = American Solar Energy Society
Breaking Bad
Johnny Weiss
Colorado Mountain College
Solar back in the days
DIY Solar
Passive Tracker
Steve Baer
Vietnam
Solomon Islands
Jeff Spies
Off-Grid
NABCEP
Women in Solar
Podcast with Johnny Weiss and Terence Parker
Podcast with Ward Bower
Reach out to Marlene Brown here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marlene-brown
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
3 days ago
3 days ago
Turning lemons into lemonade after a plane full of solar professionals was diverted to Chicago due to a blizzard, Travis and Sean podcasted the entire Lyft ride to the NABCEP conference in Milwaukee. Montana Solar founder Travis Jordan breaks down the company's patented high-clearance ground-mount racking system. Topics include the chain-hoist lifting mechanism, agrivoltaic applications, installation methods across remote and extreme terrain, and a lifelong background in off-grid solar dating back to the 1970s.
Topics Covered
Montana Solar www.mtsolar.us
Montana
Evel Knievel
Robbie Knievel
Chain-Hoist Lifting System
Off-Grid Solar
Racking
Agrivoltaics
Montana Solar Racking
DPW Solar
Pile Driving
Battery
Africa
Seasonal Tilt Change
Alaska
Cattle Voltaic
Reach out to Travis Jordan here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mtsolar
Montana Solar: www.mtsolar.us
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
6 days ago
6 days ago
Bruce Anderson, CEO of 247 Solar, details his company's concentrated solar technology that delivers round-the-clock clean electricity without combustion or emissions. The system uses heliostats to heat air to 1,800°F, stores that thermal energy in ceramic pellets, and converts it to electricity via a modified turbine. Paired with solar PV during daylight hours, the solution addresses intermittency at a commercial scale, with the first deployment underway in India.
Topics Covered
247 Solar www.247solar.com
24 Hours Solar Energy
1,800°F / 1000°C Air
Solar Thermal
Air Pressure
Compressed Air
ESS = Energy Storage System
Natural Gas
Fossil Fuel
Molten Sault
Reach out to Bruce Anderson here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bruceanderson
Website: www.247solar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Sunday Apr 26, 2026
Sunday Apr 26, 2026
Jason Sharp, CEO of Namaste Solar, discusses the company's worker-owned cooperative model, where employees hold equal ownership and elect the board of directors. The conversation covers solar installation practices in Colorado, electrical apprenticeship programs, the evolving role of energy management systems and meter collars, distributed energy policy, and the future of bidirectional EV charging and balcony solar. Sharp also addresses how cooperative ownership fosters safety, accountability, and fair compensation across the solar industry.
Topics Covered
Namaste Solar www.namastesolar.com
Worker-owned Company
Flashing
Snow
Tax Credit
Snowy Roof Installation Safety
Home Power Magazine
Jason Sharpe’s Background
EV = Electric Vehicle
EV Charger
Solar Universe
NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
Apprenticeship Program
IEC = Independent Electrical Contractors
Electrical License
IBEW = International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Prevailing Wage
Amicus Solar
Cooperative Business
ESOP = Employee Stock Ownership Plan
ASES = American Solar Energy Society
Evolution of the Industry
Bidirectional EV
Politics
Oil and Gas
Utility
ESS = Energy Storage System
Grid
California Fire
Off Grid
Market
Fossil Fuel
Distributed Energy
Demand Charge
Peak Demand
Code Evolution
EMS = Energy Management System
PMS = Power Management System
PCS = Power Control System
UL 916
UL 3141
Meter Collar
Balcony Solar
Plugin Solar
COSSA = Colorado Solar and Storage Association
Why Republicans Love Solar Podcast
Podcast with Riley Neugebauer
Reach out to Jason Sharpe here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sharpe
Namaste Solar: www.namastesolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
From Intersolar San Diego, this conference-end wrap-up takes a tour through the world's solar and energy conferences — from SNEC in Shanghai to ASES in Austin, Texas. Learn which events are worth your time, how the solar industry has shifted from Germany to China, and why building a global network matter. Whether you're chasing NABCEP credits or your first industry connection, conferences might be the most underrated career move in solar.
Topics Covered:
Intersolar San Diego
Intersolar Munich, Germany
SNEC PV Power and ES Expo
ASES Conference in Texas
NorCal Solar Party
German Feed-in-Tariff
Hans-Josef Fell
RE+ Las Vegas
RE+ North California
Intersolar Middle East
Intersolar India
Intersolar Bangalore
COP = Conference of Parties
OSSIA = Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association
CALSSA = California Solar and Storage Association
TenneSEIA
Gil Hough
Hans-Josef Fell podcast:
https://www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hans-josef-fell-started-the-feed-in-tariff-the/id1441958371?i=1000715753971
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Sunday Apr 19, 2026
Sunday Apr 19, 2026
Sungrow's Power Stack 2.0 represents a shift in commercial and industrial energy storage, from backup power to a scalable, revenue-generating financial asset. This episode explores the system's specifications, deployment flexibility, and real-world applications including demand charge reduction, EV charging support, and grid resilience. Topics also include market trends across key U.S. states, the investment tax credit, and the emerging role of grid-forming inverters.
Topics Covered
Sungrow www.sungrowpower.com
Inverter
Battery Storage
ESS = Energy Storage System
SLAC = Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
C&I = Commercial and Industrial
Grid
Market
Sungrow PowerStack
Sungrow Power Titan
EV = Electric Vehicle
Incentives
Solar Tax Credits
UL 9540
UL 9540A
Utility Scale
ESS Liquid Cooling
Demand Charge
Grid Forming Inverter
Reach out to Kane Kuharik here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kane-kuharik
Sungrow: www.sungrowpower.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Friday Apr 17, 2026
Friday Apr 17, 2026
Utility-scale batteries are far more complex than they appear. Ty Fenton, Director of Data Analytics at FlexGen, breaks down how software keeps massive battery systems running — from detecting a single failing cell among thousands to predictive diagnostics powered by machine learning. The episode dives into real-world degradation versus lab data, operators who intentionally voided warranties for short-term profit, and why AI training loads create extreme power spikes that only batteries can absorb. Recorded live at Intersolar San Diego.
Topics Covered:
FlexGen = Flexible Generation Battery Management
Battery Technology
Software
Point of Interconnection
Energy Storage Systems
Warranty Terms
Battery Manufacturer
Lithium-Ion Batteries
Data Centers
Training Load Profile
Machine Learning
Accelerated Aging
Reach out to Ty Fenton here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ty-fenton-84782830/
Website: www.flexgen.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Thursday Apr 16, 2026
Thursday Apr 16, 2026
Jack West has over 100 patents, including patents sold to Solar City (Tesla) and NextPower (NexTracker) and probably most importantly to Jack, guitar patents.
We hear about Elon’s personable and calm demeanor (joking) and Jack’s Steel Pulse solar roof invention, which Elon cancelled.
Jack started his solar career in 1993 with a $5/hr job in Concord, CA with a job where he alone sold, designed and installed PV systems, before PV was popular. This goes to prove that it is worth it to start your career with a low paying job to get experience.
Jack gives us advice on how to make an idea turn into reality and how a setback, such as a patent lawsuit, can end up making a patent strong and more valuable, thus turning lemons into lemonade.
Topics Covered
ZEP Solar
Ojjo Solar
Solar City
Tesla
Jack West’s Career & Background
Solar Battle of the Bands
Humboldt
Dr. Peter Lehman
SERC = Schatz Energy Research Center
Activism
Earth First
Solar Thermal
Solar Hot Water
Christina West
Railless System
Tony Fadell
Vivint Solar
Elon Musk
Tesla Solar Roof
Patent
Tip Tonic www.tiptonic.com
Gliss Guitar
Guitar
Music
Canadian Solar www.canadiansolar.com
Steel Pulse www.fastcompany.com
3rd Annual NorCal Solar Party www.luma.com
Reach out to Jack West here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jackwestzepsolar
Website: www.jackwestguitar.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jackwestguitar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/p/Jack-West-Guitar
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Ever wonder what's actually inside a DC-to-DC converter (optimizer) or inverter? Recorded live at InterSolar San Diego, this episode breaks down the inner workings of solar optimizers, from maximum power point tracking and energy recovery to the software that makes them last 20 years. The conversation also dives into how inverter IGBTs turn DC into clean AC power, how Tigo's approach differs from competitors like SolarEdge, and whether Tesla or Edison deserves the bigger crown.
Topics Covered:
DC to DC Converter
The Flinstones
Optimizers
MPPT = Maximum Power Point Tracker
PV Watts
IV Curve
MLPE
Tigo
SMA
Solar Edge
TS4
IGBT = Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
Tesla
Edison
Reach out to Greg Smith here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gregsmith007/
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Sunday Apr 12, 2026
Sunday Apr 12, 2026
Enphase Energy has evolved from a microinverter company into a full energy systems platform enabling virtual power plants (VPP) nationwide. In this episode, CMO Marco Krapels explains how aggregated home batteries, AI-driven capacity forecasting, and a new bidirectional EV charger could reshape the grid, turning ordinary homes into small-scale power plants that generate income for homeowners while supplying utilities with the reliable, clean energy capacity they need.
Topics Covered
Enphase www.enphase.com
Solar Universe
Net Metering
AI = Artificial Intelligence
Market
VPP = Virtual Power Plant
Data Center
Utility
Probability Forecasting
API = Application Programming Interface
Battery
Fossil Fuel
EV = Electric Vehicle
EV Charger
Grid
Bidirectional EV Charger
Reach out to Marco Krapels here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcokrapels
Enphase: www.enphase.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at