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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
Jun 7, 2026
Jun 7, 2026
19 min
Eric Partyka, Director of Business Development at Standard Solar, explains how community solar works and why it matters. The conversation covers how renters, low-income households, and small businesses can subscribe to solar energy without rooftop panels, which states have adopted community solar programs and why others have not, and how utility deregulation shaped today's market. Standard Solar operates commercial projects ranging from one to five megawatts across more than twenty states.
Topics Covered
Standard Solar www.standardsolar.com
Standard Oil
Oil
Community Solar
Utility
DG = Distributed Generation
Fossil Fuel
Sean’s trips:
Going back to two dimensions
Only land owners should vote
Trickle down economics
Rich people rights
Reach out to Eric Partyka here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eric-partyka
Email: eric.partyka@standardsolar.com
Website: www.standardsolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Jun 3, 2026
Jun 3, 2026
14 min
Recorded live at the NABCEP 2026 conference, Sean White and Brian Hayden discuss the current state of NABCEP credentials, including updates to the PV Associate, the ESIP (Energy Storage Installation Professional), and the upcoming OMAT (Operation and Maintenance Associate Technician credential. They also cover Spanish language exam availability, the history and growth of HeatSpring as an online renewable energy education platform, and the expanding role of operations and maintenance in the solar industry as installed systems continue to age.
Topics Covered
HeatSpring www.heatspring.com
NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners www.nabcep.org
Sean’s Training Impact
JTA = Job Task Analysis
PV Associate
ESIP = Energy Storage Installation Professional
Spanish Exams and AI
OMAT = Operations & Maintenance Associate Technician
HeatSpring Origin Story
BPI = Building Performance Institute
Building Performance
Online to In Person Training
Practice Exam
PVCMS = PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist
Reach out to Brian Hayden here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfhayden
HeatSpring: www.heatspring.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 31, 2026
May 31, 2026
26 min
David Taylor, Solutions Expert at Anker Innovations, discusses the Anker Solix E10, a modular home energy storage system scalable from 6 to 90 kilowatt hours. The conversation covers solar compatibility, smart panel integration, generator pairing, and time-of-use optimization. Taylor also addresses installation options for both DIY homeowners and licensed electricians, portable power stations, and Anker's broader expansion from mobile charging into the residential energy storage market.
Topics Covered
Anker Solix www.ankersolix.com
Anker Solix E10
Anker Innovations
Battery
Solar DIY
Inverter
Off Grid & On Grid
EMS = Energy Management System
PCS = Power Control System
Back Feeding the Grid
Ul Listing
DC = Direct Current
AC = Alternating Current
Balcony Solar
Plug-in Solar
EV = Electric Vehicle
EV = Charging
PPS = Portable Power Station
Reach out to David Taylor here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-taylor
Website: www.ankersolix.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 24, 2026
May 24, 2026
21 min
Gwendoly Espe, Product Manager at Yaskawa Solectria Solar, discusses the technical and commercial advantages of DC-coupled solar-plus-storage systems at utility scale. The conversation covers DC versus AC coupling architecture, energy harvest optimization through clipping recovery, and Yaskawa’s American-manufactured PVS 500 inverter solution. Additional topics include NABCEP-accredited training programs, FEOC compliance, and the growing role of solar storage in powering data centers and supporting grid stability.
Topics Covered
Yaskawa Solectria Solar www.solectria.com
Inverter
Converter
DC Coupling
AC Coupling
AC Coupling
Energy Yield
DC = Direct Current
AC = Alternating Current
Utility Scale Solar
Utility
Grid
Microgrid
Ercot
DER = Distributed Energy Resources
AI = Artificial Intelligence
ESS = Energy Storage System
Data Center
Recharge with Solectria
FEOC = A Foreign Entity of Concern
Reach out to Gwendoly Espe here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gwendolyespe
Website: www.solectria.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 17, 2026
May 17, 2026
25 min
Dylan Rup, Director of Marketing at EG4 Electronics, discusses the company's acquisition of Outback Power and plans to continue manufacturing its legacy product line. The conversation also covers EG4's current battery pricing at $260 per kilowatt hour, the upcoming XR 60 all-in-one energy storage system, UL 9540A safety certification, and why technical knowledge matters in solar sales.
Topics Covered
EG4 www.eg4electronics.com
Outback www.outbackpower.com
ASES = American Solar Energy Society
Solar Marketing
Solar Salespeople
Inverter
Battery
ESS = Energy Storage System
XR60
UL 9540
UL 9540 A
UL Listing
Code
Podcast with James Showalter
Reach out to Dylan Rup here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-a-rup
Website: www.eg4electronics.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 13, 2026
May 13, 2026
23 min
Arnold Andrade and Stephan Engel of Engel Electric, a San Antonio-based solar and electrical contracting company, sit down with Sean White at the 2026 NABCEP Conference to discuss microgrid design, energy storage, and hybrid inverter technology. The conversation also covers the rise of DIY solar in Texas and a large-scale off-grid ranch retrofit currently underway, featuring four hybrid inverters and 120 kWh of battery storage.
Topics Covered
Engel Electric www.engelelectrictx.com
Microgrid
Grid
Off-Grid
Utility
Candle Power
DIY Solar
Inverter
Tech Support
NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
ASES Conference = American Solar Energy Society Conference
Batteries
ESS = Energy Storage System
Retrofitting
Educating Customers
Reach out to Stephan Engel and Arnold Andrade here:
Engel Electric: www.engelelectrictx.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
52 min
Professional engineer and sailor Marc Lopata discusses two decades of solar development across the Caribbean (which includes the Midwest), focusing on off-grid microgrid design for privately owned islands in The Bahamas. Topics include achieving 90% diesel offset, hurricane survivability engineering, utility-scale solar for small island communities, and the economic case for solar in markets independent of tax credits. Marc also covers his role on the NABCEP conference education committee and maintenance standards for commercial PV systems.
Topics Covered
Bahamas
Sailboat
Off-Grid
Marc Lopata’s Career
Diesel Offsetting
Utility
Grid
Net-Metering
Haines Alaska
Battery
Data Center
Distributed Energy
Bitcoin
NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
NABCEP Conference
Solar Builder Magazine
Microgrid
Boat Solar
Hurricane Preventative Maintenance
Hurricane Survivabilty
ISO 2859
Reach out to Marc Lopata here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lopata-pe
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 8, 2026
May 8, 2026
35 min
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-9737307
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026
53 min
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
May 3, 2026
May 3, 2026
21 min
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