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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
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
Rapid shutdown was designed to protect firefighters, but could simpler systems be the smarter path forward? A 10-year fire veteran turned solar installer shares hard-won lessons from the field, including why fewer electronics in the array might mean safer, more reliable solar for everyone. A bold conversation about building a better solar future.
Topics Covered
Rapid Shutdown
Firefighter
Energy Wise Services www.energywiseservices.com
Energy Wise Lighting
Feed in Tariff Program in Oregon
Solar Coaster
Solar Games
Boys and Girls Club at Corvallis Oregon
Solar Fire
MC4 Connector
UL 3741
Tax Credit
Corporate Tax Credit
Corporate Personhood
Tank Solar
Hans Joseph Fell
Why Republicans Love Solar
Reach out to Peter Greenberg here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peter-greenberg
Energy Wise: www.energywiseservices.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Sunday Mar 29, 2026
Sunday Mar 29, 2026
Energy industry veteran Sasson Peress examines why standard metrics like watts and kilowatt hours fail to capture real-world performance. From solar panel ratings under idealized test conditions to battery storage variables, including degradation, C-rates, temperature constraints, and cycle limitations, the gap between nameplate specifications and actual delivered value has significant implications for developers, financiers, and end users navigating today's energy landscape.
Topics Covered
Mohawk Indigenous Land
First Nations in Canada
Currency in Energy
Solar in 1989
STC = Standard Test Condition
ESS = Energy Storage System
Battery
C-rate
Degradation
Depth of Discharge and State of Charge
Energy Demand
Data Center in Space
Home Power Magazine
ASES = American Solar Energy Society
ISES = International Solar Energy Society
NorCal Solar = Northern California Solar Energy Association
EV = Electric Vehicle
Market
ICP = Intersolar Consumer Product
Parasitic Load
Solar Roots
Reach out to Sasson Peress here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sassperess
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Friday Mar 27, 2026
What does it take to install solar in one of the most regulated cities in the country? From specialty flat-roof racking in Brooklyn and Queens to navigating NYC's newly adopted 2020 electrical code, this episode explores the technical and business realities of urban solar plus why younger designers see opportunity where others see complexity.
Topics Covered
How to make solar more exciting
Decreasing Pollution
Coal
Oil
Heating
New York City Solar
Dubai Chiller Buildings
Installation
Racking
Commercial and Residential System
NEC = National Electrical Code
Code Cycles
Reach out to Cameron Feary here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-fearey
Indent Builders Website: www.indentbuilders.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
At Intersolar San Diego, Sean sits down with Curtis Merring, Director of Product Marketing at Aurora Solar, about how Aurora and its C&I product HelioScope help installers design and sell solar remotely using aerial imagery, lidar, and accurate simulations, reducing soft costs and improving safety. Merring explains Aurora’s go-to-market marketing approach and notes the company has 7,000+ customers, with 70–80% of the industry touching its tools during a project lifecycle. They discuss why Aurora and HelioScope remain separate products, and how growing U.S. complexity—net metering shifting to net billing, rising electricity rates, grid uncertainty, and increased demand for storage and control—drives new needs like peak shaving and export decisions. He also describes Aurora’s AI-driven 3D modeling, trained on millions of projects, now generating models in under 10 seconds and increasingly used by both sales and designers.
Topics Covered:
Ethos = Essence of the product creating
Solar software
Helioscope
Lidar
CNI
Solar design
Product marketing
On Grid
Excel spreadsheet
Clean Power Finance
Virtual power plants
Bidirectional EVs
Macrotrends
Energy Management System
Chris and Sam
AI design
Reach out to Curtis Merring here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/curtismerring
Email: c.merring@aurorasolar.com
Website: www.aurorasolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
Solar industry veteran Mike Bishop discusses two decades of photovoltaic market transformation on Sean White’s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast. From California's $4/watt rebates and OnGrid financial modeling software to current net metering policy, AI data center power demands, and Energy Net protocols, they analyze economic trends, regulatory impacts, and technological developments. The discussion examines distributed versus utility-scale generation, battery storage evolution, and whether rising fixed utility charges could make grid disconnection economically viable.
Topics Covered
OnGrid www.ongrid.wtf
Solar History
Software
NorCal Solar www.norcalsolar.org
Market
Battery
Rebate
Governator
Expected Performance Based Buydown
Tax Credit
Net Metering
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Energy Net
Broadband Internet
Galvanic Isolation
Slow Power www.slowpower.wtf
Slow Power Blog www.slowpower.wtf/blog
AI = Artificial Intelligence
AI Utilizing Jobs
Swanson’s Law
Price of Solar
Arco Solar
Used Module
Podcast with Alfredo Ignacio (AI)
NABCEP = North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
Reach out to Mike Bishop here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-c-bishop/
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Friday Mar 20, 2026
At Intersolar San Diego, Sean meets again with Eric Holvik of EnergySage (which was acquired by Schneider Electric) about the shifting U.S. residential solar market. Holvik says residential solar is projected to contract by about 30% this year and notes the customer-owned residential tax credit has expired, swinging the market toward 80–90% third-party ownership after a recent 50/50 owned-versus-leased split. They discuss how rising utility rates, time-of-use pricing, batteries, and virtual power plants may create new value even as net metering and policy changes pressure demand. Holvik argues the industry harms itself through misleading sales tactics, especially the “red line” commission model that inflates prices and contributes to installer failures and explains how Energy Sage improves consumer choice and pricing transparency, typically saving customers about 20%.
Topics Covered:
Schneider Electric
Energy Sage
Solar Energy
Tax credits
Residential systems
TPO = Third party ownership
Bernadette Del Chiaro
CALSSA = California Solar and Storage Association
Environmental Working Group
Red line model
Polygraph Test
1099 salesperson
Tony Diaz
Schneider Electric
PV Associate Class
PV Technical Sales Class
Reach out with Erik Holvik here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erik-holvik
Email: erik.holvik@energysag.com
Website: https://www.energysage.com/
Podcast episode link for the previous episode:
Erik Holvik: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-saging-with-erik-holvik-of-energysage/id1441958371?i=1000705129177
Bernadette Del Chiaro: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bernadette-del-chiaro/id1441958371?i=1000741834340
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
At Intersolar San Diego, Sean White meets Michael Schwarz, General Manager for growth at Arch O&M, about operations and maintenance for solar projects. Schwarz describes O&M as the “service shop” for PV systems, with days driven by shifting schedules, customer and technician calls, and occasional field work. Arch focuses mainly on commercial/industrial and ground-mount systems roughly 400 kW to 20 MW, with maintenance needs increasing around years 7–9. They handle preventive work such as IV curve testing (often with Fluke), drone flights, insulation resistance (“megger”) testing, and troubleshooting, and they increasingly specialize in wind and storm damage remediation. They discuss challenges of sourcing matching replacement modules for older arrays, Arch’s emphasis on training and growing talent, NABCEP’s PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist certification and upcoming O&M associate credential, and the NABCEP conference in Milwaukee.
Topics Covered:
O&M = Operations and Maintenance
CapEx = Capital Expenditure
OpEx = Operational Expenditure
PV Maintenance
NABCEP PVCMS Certification
NABCEP Conference
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Harley Davidson Museum
Electric cruiser bike
Electric adventure bike
IV curve testing
IV curve testing
Insulation resistance training
Megometer
Arch
O&M training programs
OMAT = O&M Associate Technician
Reach out to Michael Schwarz here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-schwarz-ms-lod-lean123
Website: www.archsolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
Sunday Mar 15, 2026
Sunday Mar 15, 2026
Solar Steve Sherman highlights his solar energy projects and shares updates from Aruba on Sean White’s podcast. They talked about Steve's musical project using AI to create solar-themed songs, his recent completion of the ESIP exam, and his installation of solar systems in Michigan before the tax credit expired. Steve shared his experiences working on rooftops in snowy conditions to meet the deadline, emphasizing the importance of safety and careful planning. They also discussed the potential for solar energy in Aruba, including the island's current renewable energy goals and the challenges of net metering policies. The conversation touched on the broader implications of energy policy changes and their impact on installers and consumers.
Topics Covered
Steve’s AI Generated Solar Song – Solar Trillions
AI = Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence VS Humans
Utility
Net Metering
Tax Credit
Tax Credit
Osha
Safety Rules
Sigenergy
ESIP = Energy Storage Installation Professional
Codes
ESS = Energy Storage System
Steve’s Project in Aruba
Reach out to Steve Sherman here:
Email: szsherman@gmail.com
Website: www.superiorenergysolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Shawn O’Brien, president and CEO of NABCEP, previews the NABCEP 2026 conference in Milwaukee, describing it as a high-training, high-networking event with Irish-themed festivities because St. Patrick’s Day falls during the conference. He outlines the nightly schedule—Monday sports-themed reception after the keynote, Tuesday St. Patrick’s Day dinner with karaoke and an Irish pub after-party, and Wednesday awards night—plus meals, open bar, and extensive networking. The conference is the third largest to date and draws many non-certified attendees seeking up to 24 hours of training across 3.5 days, with 82 total sessions spanning residential through utility-scale work. O’Brien also announces upcoming credential launches and updates, including an Operations & Maintenance Associate Technician and a new PV Associate exam, and highlights the event app and venue details at Milwaukee’s Baird Center connected to the Hilton.
Topics Covered:
Irish theme NABCEP Conference
NABCEP PV Associate Class
St. Patrick’s Day
Sports night
Milwaukee Brewers
Orlando Solar Bears
NABCEP Event app
Cvent
NABCEP Conference night activities
Ignite sessions
SunCast podcast booth
Heatspring podcast booth
Trainings
OMAT = O&M Maintenance Associate Technician
New PVA Exam
Party night during conferences
Cvent App NABCEP Conference Event ID = UrZbinabcep26
Enroll to Sean White’s PVA Class on the NABCEP CE Conference here:
Heatspring: www.heatspring.com/courses/nabcep-pv-associate-training-live-from-the-2026-nabcep-ce-conference
Register to NABCEP CE Conference here:
https://web.cvent.com/event/6fb58a2d-8582-490a-beb1-2b1b9dad4e51/summary
Reach out to Shawn O’Brien here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawnwobrien/
Website: www.nabcep.org
NABCEP CE Conference venue:
The Baird Convention Center: www.bairdcenter.com
NABCEP Conference Night happenings
Monday: Sports theme Night
Tuesday: St. Patrick’s theme Night & Karaoke Night
Wednesday: Awards Night
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Darren Tan, CEO of Unigrid Battery, discusses sodium-ion battery technology as a safer, temperature-resilient alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The conversation explores the chemistry differences, safety advantages, manufacturing approach, and emerging applications in residential energy storage, commercial buildings, data centers, and electric vehicles.
Topics Covered:
Sodium-ion vs. lithium-ion battery technology
Battery safety and fire risk comparisons
Temperature performance advantages
Material availability and supply chain benefits
Manufacturing model and contract production
Residential energy storage regulations and building codes
Commercial applications
Electric vehicle applications and range limitations
NMC = Nickel Manganese Cobalt
LFP = Lithium Iron Phosphate
Sodium-ion safety profiles
Thermal runaway and fire suppression protocols
Prismatic cell design and specifications
Cooling system requirements comparison
Cost trajectory and market adoption timeline
Virtual power plant concepts
UL 9540 certification and compliance testing
Reach out to Darren Tan here:
Website: www.unigridbattery.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at