Sean White‘s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast

Martin Pochtaruk CEO of Heliene Solar Manufacturer in US and Canada

Learn how solar is manufactured right here in the USA with a long time CEO of a US (Minnesota) and Canada (Ontario) solar manufacturer. Heliene Solar started up in 2010 and is still growing, especially with the Inflation Reduction Act climate. In this podcast Martin Pochtaruk takes us down an assembly line so you can learn from start to finish how a modern solar module is made.

 

Here are some of the terms we cover:

 

Encapsulant

An encapsulated mosquito in a solar cell (a Jurassic Park event)

Electroluminescent

Microcracks

Busbars

Lamination

Half-cells

Junction boxes

Potting

Multi-arm robot

Silicon cement

High voltage testing (1500V)

Flash testing

Current voltage curve

1.5AM

STC

Factory temperature

PID (Potential Induced Degradation)

PERC (Passive Emitter Rear Contact)<

TOPCon = 3 processes on top of a PERC cell

N-type

P-type

Heterojunction

Polysilicon

Ingot

Wafer

Cell

China

Ontario Canada Feed-in-tariff (FIT)

Sarnia Ontario

Sault Ste Marie

Solar modules are like windows

 

Check out: www.heliene.com

 

To learn more about how solar is manufactured, and everything else about solar and storage, go to www.solarSEAN.com

Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and the NEC with Bill Brooks and Sean White Part 2

In this podcast we have Bill Brooks talking energy storage system (ESS) Codes, with emphasis on the National Electrical Code (NEC).

Be sure to get Sean and Bill’s latest book, which is the 3rd edition of PV and the NEC, based on the 2023 NEC.

To find where to get different versions of the NEC including the 2023 NEC for free check out the NEC tab at solarSEAN.com. 

Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded in 2021.

Keywords

NEC Article 706 for Energy Storage Systems, UL 9540, Article 480, nominal voltage, cycling batteries, UL 1973, residential code, UL 1989, AHJ, inspector advice, communications between battery and inverter, flywheels, flow batteries, UPS, Australia and Hawaii, NexTracker, inverter output circuit, nameplate on ESS, apparent power, fault currents limited, maximum output current definition, LG chem battery, power converter, OSHA NRTL, ETL, Intertech, UL, SMA, UL standards writing entity vs. UL testing entity, 2021 International Residential Code, Tesla Powerwall, storage inverter, Ginlong, 9540A, liquid cooled vs. air cooled, Enphase Barbecue, Enphase in boiled water, ESS disconnecting means, readily accessible, unbalanced interconnections, single-phase inverters on 3-phase services, voltage rise, 705.12 Load-Side Connections, 710 Stand Alone Systems, plaque or directory, wire sizing, ampacity, overcurrent protection device, rounding up wire size to common overcurrent protection device size, energy storage is a source and a load, using continuous current instead of surge current, inverter input circuit current, diversion loads, C40 charge controllers without maximum power point tracking and diversion loads, energy storage as a diversion load, hot water loads, pulse with modulation (PWM), 150% correction factors for diversion loads, dc-to-dc converters, required ampacity for continuous current vs. continuous current, commercial and industrial (C&I).

Links:

Bill Brooks, P.E.: www.brooksolar.com

www.solarSEAN.com

www.HeatSpring.com/SEAN 

David Bliss, CEO of Faraday Microgrids

David Bliss is the CEO/Founder of Faraday Microgrids. Besides being a renewable energy CEO, David Bliss also has a medical degree and is a qualified General Surgeon and Licensed California Pediatric Surgeon. There are many people in the renewable industry with a wide variety of skills!

Faraday Microgrids is a licensed general contracting company. Some of their accomplishments pertain to pioneering systems for hospitals and healthcare institutions. Faraday Microgrids constructed the first renewable energy microgrid to interconnect to a vitally important power branch of a California hospital at the Kaiser Permanente site in Richmond. Faraday Microgrids is wide open to develop and design projects. They focus on essential sectors including healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, and community safety.

You may also contact David Bliss and his team by checking here!

Faraday Microgrids’ Website: www.faradaymicrogrids.com
Faraday Microgrids’ Office: 949-305-7820

To find out more and educate yourself, go to www.solarSEAN.com

Podcast Episode 100! What Brings Us Together

There are so many reasons to go solar and so many people with different opinions of why. Rather than arguing about why everyone needs to go solar, let's get together, as humans and install more solar and storage! Forgetting about our differences and working together on this project, is what will have the greatest effect. Instead of letting politics divide us, let's come together and

 

Here are some of the reasons that people go solar:

 

Saving money

Climate change

Green jobs

Oil wars

Giving our money to dictators

Energy independence

Neat technology

Backup power

Living off grid

Disconnecting from utilities

Prepping for the worst

Going green

Clean air

Good health

 

Personally, I like going solar for all of these reasons, but just because someone else is politically against some of these things, does not mean that we should alienate them from this great family of an industry!

 

This podcast is being released during my RE+ NEC workshop with Bill Brooks. I have taught this workshop at every RE+/SPI since 2012! Celebrate! Good times!

 

To learn more about solar and storage and to get NABCEP certified, go to www.solarSEAN.com

ASES Conference: Sean White on Clean Power Hour Podcast with Tim Montegue and John Weaver at the American Solar Energy Society Conference in Boulder Colorado

Sean White was the guest on the Clean Power Hour podcast at the American Solar Energy Society in Boulder Colorado on August 10, 2023. We are reposting this podcasst, which you can also listen to on Tim Montegue's awesome Clean Power Hour podcast, which you can find at www.cleanpowerhour.com

 

The main topic we discussed was, "Can renewables replace fossil fuels".

 

Tim Montegue's co-host is:

 

John Fitzgerald Weaver

Known online as “The Commercial Solar Guy,” Solar professional and project developer. John Fitzgerald Weaver works as the General Manager of CSG Developers LLC and a technical writer for pv magazine USA, where he covers solar industry data, equipment and manufacturers, trends, regulations and much more!

 

Reach John Fitzgerald Weaver here!
LinkedIn Account: www.linkedin.com/in/johnfitzgeraldweaver/
Company Website: www.commercialsolarguy.com/
RSS Feed: www.commercialsolarguy.com/news/

 

Clean Power Show Notes (directly pasted from the Clean Power Hour):
Special guest Sean White, master PV trainer and host of Sean White's Solar and Energy Storage Podcast is joining us LIVE from Boulder Colorado at the ASES Conference (American Solar Energy Society).
Please take our listener survey.

 

Stay up to date with the latest solar, wind, and energy storage news and analysis. Join co-hosts Tim Montague, solar & storage expert, and John Weaver, PV Magazine journalist, as they reflect on the latest tools, technologies, and trends driving the energy transition forward. With a strong commitment to decarbonizing the economy and building a safer, healthier future for humanity, this show is a must-watch for any energy professional looking to stay ahead of the game. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, rate and review us on Apple or Spotify, and join us live every Thursday at 12 noon EST / 9 AM Pacific. Contact us at tim@cleanpowerhour.com or visit www.CleanPowerHour.com to learn more.

 

Support the show

Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
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Tim on LinkedIn

 

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

 

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

 

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

 

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

 

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

 

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Please subscribe on your favorite audio platform and on Youtube: bit.ly/cph-sub | www.CleanPowerHour.com | contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com | Speeding the energy transition!

 

For more information on solar, storage and everything else, go to www.solarSEAN.com

Virtual Power Plants (VPP) and Energy Storage Systems (ESS) with Geoff Ferrell, Senior Vice President of Sonnen Inc

Geoff Ferrell is the Senior Vice President of VPP and C&I Projects Business at Sonnen Inc. He also worked as a Chief Technology Officer in Mandalay Homes at Arizona.

 

As the former Chief Technology Officer of Mandalay Homes, Geoff Ferrell was a leader in the development of technology in the construction industry and a specialist in building science.

 

In 2017, Sonnen started working with Soleil Lofts, a multi-family community in Herriman, Utah, south of Salt Lake City, that has 600 units and is totally powered by electricity. It is a part of a project of Rocky Mountain Power.

This podcast was recorded in Jamestown Colorado

 

You can also reach Geoff Ferrell on his social accounts!

Sonnen website: www.sonnenusa.com
Threads: www.threads.net/@geoffferrell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-ferrell-733466a8/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ferrell_geoff?lang=en

 

Greg Smith on Sean's podcast in 2020 (when Greg was with Sonnen):

Part 1: podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/greg-smith-of-sonnen-battery-and-formerly-of-sma-part-1/id1441958371?i=1000474026142

 

Part 2: podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/greg-smith-of-sonnen-battery-part-2/id1441958371?i=1000474817340

 

Part 3: podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/greg-smith-of-sonnen-battery-part-3/id1441958371?i=1000477208295

 

Part 4: podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/greg-smith-of-sonnen-battery-part-4-of-4/id1441958371?i=1000486509610

 

 

To find out more and educate yourself, go to www.solarSEAN.com

Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and the NEC with Bill Brooks and Sean White Part 1

In this podcast we have Bill Brooks talking energy storage system (ESS) Codes, including the NEC, IFC, IBC, IRC, IEC, but mostly the NEC.

Be sure to get Sean and Bill’s latest book, which is the 3rd edition of PV and the NEC, based on the 2023 NEC.

To find where to get different versions of the NEC including the 2023 NEC for free check out the NEC tab at solarSEAN.com. 

Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded in 2021.

Keywords/topics covered:

Self-consumption

EVs

Frequency regulation

Voltage regulation

Energy storage systems

Ac-coupled

Dc-coupled

SolarEdge

Generac

Powerwall

Enphase

Ac-modules

Outback Power

Multimode inverter

Sunny Island

Sunny Boy

Article 702, 705, 710

Isolation device vs. transfer switch

Microgrid mode

Interactive inverters

Reverse dc-coupled

400V bus voltage

Dc converters, 690.71

Article 480

Electric supply and distribution network

NEC Handbook Commentary

UL9540

UL 1973

LG Chem

Nominal voltages

Lead-acid 2V

Alkali

Lithium iron phosphate 3.2V

Cobalt type of lithium-ion 3.6V

LiFePo4

Nickel

Charging ranges

Batteries are not constant voltage

Dc-converters required

Storage battery

Telecoms industry battery systems not regulated by NEC

NEC 90.2

Equalization

Sulfation

Trojan L16

Lead-acid battery

IRC

UL 9540 requirements

no UL 9540 listed lead-acid batteries and IRC requires UL 9540 for residential (in dwellings)

Off-gassing

Stratification

Emergency disconnects

Hawaii systems

Energy Storage System Labeling

Rules for protection of battery terminals for wiring

Article 110

Spaces between batteries on NABCEP PVIP exam

Ground fault protection

Links:

Bill Brooks, P.E.: www.brooksolar.com

www.solarSEAN.com

www.HeatSpring.com/SEAN 

NEC Article 690 Part IV Wiring Methods & Materials from PV and the NEC 3rd Edition book by Sean White and Bill Brooks

Buy this book here:

https://www.amazon.com/PV-NEC-Sean-White/dp/100318099X

 

This long podcast is a reading of chapter 5 of the book, which covers NEC Article 690 Part IV of the 2023 NEC.

 

Every 3 years when the NEC comes out, it is a tradition for me to read and post a poetry reading of Article 690 Photovoltaic Systems. I have already posted parts I through III on this podcast, which you can go back and listen to.

 

Sean White and Bill Brooks will be presenting this material at RE+ in Vegas in September and at Intersolar in San Diego in January, so be sure to check out their live workshops in person. The 2023 NEC material will be posted on HeatSpring soon, as it is in production now, so keep an eye out!

 

The NEC can be dry, and we do our best to make it exciting!!

 

Don't get shocked, unless you are shocked about how we present ourselves!!

Rod Matthews of Brevian Energy on Microgrids

Rod Matthews specializes in commercial and industrial (C&I) scale micro-grids and we get into the details of what a microgrid is and how they can benefit customers.

Some of the topics we cover include:

1. Microgrid definitions (NREL and NEC, which are different).
2. Minigrid definition (never connected to the grid)
3. Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates up to $0.74/kWh (or 1 Euro per kWh in Germany)
4. NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS)
5. Lithium Ferrous Phosphate, aka LFP, Lithium Iron Phosphate
6. Dendrites with lithium-metal batteries
7. Silicon anodes
8. Virtual Power Plant (VPP) design
9. Distributed Power Energy Resource Management System Service
10. Artificial Intelligence and Microgrids
11. Internet of Things (IOT) sensors
12. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) contracts
13. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
14. Capital Expenditures (CapEx)
15. Grid controller systems
16. Microgrid Equipment
17. Demand Charges vs. Energy Charges
18. Expensive electricity is good for the industry
19. Living without electricity
20. Intersolar in San Diego in January
21. RE+ in Vegas in September
22. The renewable energy family at the conferences
23. Sailor of the year
24. Doing good for the planet while making money
25. Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)

Check out Rod's Brevian Energy website:

www.brevianenergy.com

To learn more about solar, storage and the solution to all of your and everyone else's troubles, go to www.solarSEAN.com or www.HeatSpring.com/Sean

World’s Largest Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

There are many ways to define the largest BESS and since the industry is growing so excitingly fast, it is difficult to explain exactly which is the largest.

 

We are going to talk about 7 big ones here:

 

1. Vistra: Moss Landing California US 2021 400MW/1600MWh

2. Crimson Storage: Blythe California US 2022 350MW/1400MWh

3. Manatee: Florida US 2021 (largest with PV) 409MW/900MWh

4. Victorian Big Battery: NSW Australia 2021 300MW/450MWh

5. McCoy Solar / BESS: Blythe California US 2021 230MW/920MWh

6. Elkhorn Battery: Moss Landing California US 2022 182.5MW/730MWh

 

Number 7 on this list is not the 7th largest battery today, but gets mentioned because it was once the largest in the world, first to reach 100MW way back in 2017 and was made because of a crazy social media bet.

 

If you are listening to this podcast in 10 years, it will be funny to compare these largest systems to the new largest BESSs in the world. What will they be? 100GWhs? Crazy to imagine this kind of growth!!

 

For more knowledge about energy storage systems, go to www.solarSEAN.com and take some energy storage classes!!