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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 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
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
At Intersolar San Diego, Sean White and Bill Brooks discussed about the growing U.S. momentum for “plugin” or balcony solar, where small PV systems plug into a home branch circuit. Brooks explains that what happens with excess power depends on the utility meter: old spinning meters may run backward and credit you, some modern meters can charge you for exported power, and others ignore exports unless programmed for net metering, which typically requires an interconnection agreement. They discuss efforts to exempt very small systems from interconnection agreements and permitting, pending proposals for the 2029 NEC to address source connections to branch circuits and potential exemptions around 400 watts, plus the need for robust safety certification such as UL 3700. Brooks also recounts his historical role in net metering, IEEE 1547, and California Rule 21, and predicts tighter integration of solar, storage, EVs, and load control to enable self-consumption without exporting. Bill tells us how Jim Dunlop and Jerry Venture taught him about solar in the 1980s and how Ward Bower was one of the first solar people and is still working daily in the industry.
Topics Covered:
Balcony Solar
Plug-In Solar
Portable Solar
Net-Metering
Spinning Meter
Branch circuit
PCS = Power Control System
Interconnections
IEEE 929 = original IEEE
IEEE 1547
Jerry Venture
Florida Solar Energy Center
Ward Bower
Mike Russell
Utility pushback soft costs
Reach out to Bill Brooks here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bill-brooks-6782616
Website: www.brooksolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
A satirical look at how solar energy aligns with conservative values like energy independence, national security, and free-market competition. Sean White reframes renewable energy through a Republican lens, emphasizing self-reliance, lower costs, and freedom from utility monopolies rather than environmental concerns. The message: solar isn't partisan, and there's more common ground than you'd think.
Topics Covered
God bless America!
Independence
Grid is a commie
No shared electricity with democrats
Not depending on Gavin Newsom’s grid
Utilities are the Deep State
High voltage wires cause EMFs and mess with you (RFK)
Market Competition
Property Rights
National Security
Individual Liberty
Lower Electric Bills
ROI: It offers a predictable, solid return on investment.
Job Creation: The solar industry creates more jobs per unit of energy than fossil fuels.
Reduced Inflation: Solar acts as a hedge against rising utility rates.
Market Competition: It forces monopoly utilities to compete for customers.
Private Sector Innovation: The industry is driven by entrepreneurs, not government bureaucrats.
Lower Taxes: More efficient local energy production can lower the municipal tax burden for powering schools and public buildings.
Business Overhead: It helps small businesses reduce operating costs, improving margins.
Grid Efficiency: Distributed solar reduces the need for expensive transmission line upgrades that ratepayers cover.
Fixed Costs: Once installed, the "fuel" (sunlight) is free forever; no price shocks.
Land Lease Revenue: Farmers can lease unused land for solar farms, saving the family farm.
Reduced Grid Congestion: It produces power right where it's used, saving the system money.
Avoided Fuel Costs: It keeps money in the local economy rather than sending it to out-of-state fuel providers, like Saudi Arabia
No Foreign Oil: Sunlight is domestic; we don’t have to import it from hostile nations.
Military Readiness: Solar allows forward operating bases to function without dangerous fuel supply convoys.
Grid Resilience: Distributed solar makes the grid harder for terrorists or hackers to take down in one swoop.
Disaster Recovery: Solar + battery systems keep power on during hurricanes and storms.
Energy Dominance: Developing superior solar tech keeps the U.S. ahead of China.
Decentralization: A decentralized grid is a harder target than a centralized one.
Backup Power: It provides security for families during grid failures (like the Texas freeze).
Strategic Reserves: Using solar allows us to save oil and gas reserves for tactical military needs.
No Embargoes: You can’t embargo the sun.
No OPEC
Energy Freedom: The right to generate your own power is a fundamental property right.
Off-Grid Living: It enables the ultimate libertarian dream of living disconnected from the system.
Anti-Monopoly: It breaks the stranglehold of state-sanctioned utility monopolies.
Choice: It gives consumers a choice other than the single utility provider.
Self-Reliance: It encourages personal responsibility for one’s own needs.
Protection From Bureaucracy: You are less beholden to utility commission decisions.
No Eminent Domain: Rooftop solar doesn't require seizing private land for pipelines.
Privacy: Generating your own power reduces the data utilities collect on your usage habits.
Voluntary Association: Community solar allows people to voluntarily pool resources without government mandates. How about a Republican-only solar cooperative, no blue electrons
Individualism: My roof, my power, my rules.
Avoiding Rationing: Self-generation protects you from government-imposed rolling blackouts. (electrical bread line)
Stewardship: It aligns with the biblical mandate to be good stewards of the Earth.
Clean Air: It reduces smog and pollution, which is pro-life and pro-health.
Countering the Left: Embracing solar takes the issue away from Democrats.
Electric Fencing: Essential for ranchers managing livestock.
Water Pumping: Solar well pumps are a lifeline for cattle ranchers.
Silent Operation: Great for hunting cabins and retreats. (Sneak up on that deer meal)
Preppers: The ultimate survivalist energy source.
Libertarians: Decentralized and anti-state monopoly.
Fiscal Hawks: Lowest cost of energy in many markets.
Tech Conservatives: Represent innovation and modernization. (Winning the AI war)
Legacy: Leaving a self-sufficient home to your children.
Competition with China: We shouldn't let them own the future of energy.
Freedom: Ultimately, it gives you the power to tell the power company to shove it.
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Erika of Gismo Power discusses their innovative plug-in solar system that challenges traditional solar installations. The conversation covers the regulatory barriers facing plug-in solar technology, her company's groundbreaking deployment on the Lakota Nation, Pine Ridge Reservation, and the future of democratized renewable energy generation in America.
Topics Covered:
Plug-in solar technology and mobile electricity generating appliances (MEGA)
Regulatory challenges and codes & standards development
Plugin solar vs. balcony solar systems
Grid interconnection and utility monopolies
Home Power Magazine
Back feeding
NFPA = National Fire Protection Association
Pine Ridge Reservation renewable energy deployment
VPP = Virtual Power Plants
Grid-forming inverters
Solar adoption in coal states
Plug-in solar legislation in Utah
Net metering and energy storage economics
EV charging integration
Vehicle-to-grid (V2X) technology
Solar system costs and residential applications
Reach out to Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt here:
Email: erika@gismopower.com
Website: www.gismopower.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
At Intersolar San Diego, Sean talks with Tim Bridgewater, CEO of ZEO Energy, about the company’s shift from 100% residential solar into behind-the-meter solar-and-storage solutions for large loads like data centers. Bridgewater shares ZEO Energy’s growth path (including acquiring Synergy Solar and Heliogen and going public in March 2024) and announces an MOU for a 280 MW solar farm with energy storage in central Utah to power a data center. They discuss surging U.S. data center demand, why on-site solar plus storage can be built faster than gas or nuclear, the industry move toward 800V DC power systems, and current tax-credit timelines and incentives affecting residential solar, large-scale projects, and standalone storage.
Topics covered:
ZEO = Greek word “Zeal” means energy
Synergy Solar
280-megawatt facility = large solar farm with data storage
Behind the meter power solutions
NEC Article 691
Chip Technology
800 volts DC
Tax Credit
NVIDIA
Data centers
Permitting process
Nasdaq
Heliogen
Inflation Reduction Act
Energy Communities
Reach out with Tim Bridgewater here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-a-bridgewater-347b062/
Website: https://zeoenergy.com/
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Explore the real-world transformation of America's energy landscape through candid conversations with solar industry insiders like Andrew Holmstrom of Arch Solar. From innovative vertical installations and Wisconsin's unique capacity credits to deep-fried cheese curds and maple syrup experiments, discover how rising electricity costs, AI-driven data center demands, and grid modernization are making renewables more competitive than ever. Get unfiltered perspectives on net metering policies, battery storage economics, and the practical realities of the clean energy revolution—complete with dad jokes and unexpected tangents about supply-side connections to maple trees.
Topics Covered:
NABCEP Conference
Lake Michigan = the 3rd Coast
PV Associate Class
NABCEP Milwaukee’s Party Theme
St. Patrick’s Day at Milwaukee
Beer breweries
Cheese curds
Solar in Milwaukee and Wisconsin
.77 Factor
Co-generation customer use
Capacity credit
Avoided capacity cost rate
PV Walls
PV Cladding
Mitrex Canada
Glass
Rates (commercial and residential)
Maple syrup
Tree activist
NABCEP Conference
Lake Michigan = the 3rd Coast
PV Associate Class
NABCEP Milwaukee’s Party Theme
St. Patrick’s Day at Milwaukee
Beer breweries
Cheese curds
Solar in Milwaukee and Wisconsin
.77 Factor
Co-generation customer use
Capacity credit
Avoided capacity cost rate
PV Walls
PV Cladding
Mitrex Canada
Glass
Rates (commercial and residential)
Maple syrup
Tree activist
Reach out to Andrew Holmstorm on:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-holmstrom
Website: www.archsolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
www.heatspring.com/sean
www.solarsean.com/10hress
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-holmstrom
Website: www.archsolar.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at:
www.heatspring.com/sean
www.solarsean.com/10hress
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
In this podcast episode, Sean interviewed Meghan Wood, CEO of Raya Power, about their innovative solar and storage system. Meghan explained how Raya Power's all-in-one appliance connects directly to home appliances and provides both energy savings and backup power during outages. They discussed the system's features, including its ability to handle both 120V and 240V loads, and its potential applications for electric vehicles and residential use. Meghan also touched on the growing interest in balcony solar and the regulatory challenges it faces. The conversation concluded with a brief discussion about upcoming events and potential future collaborations.
Topics Covered
Raya Power www.rayapower.com
Battery
Grid
Mini Split
Plug-in
Air Conditioner
EV = Electric Vehicle
EV Charger
Balcony Solar
Stove
UL
Code
Guerilla Solar
Reach out to Meghan Wood here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/woodmeghan
Website: www.rayapower.com
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at