Sean White‘s Solar and Energy Storage Podcast whitehousesolar

In this episode, Johan shares how he got into the solar industry, talks about Solar Battle of the Bands, the solar installer competition at Intersolar, and the ups and downs of his career. He also discusses how solar installation has changed his musical projects in the industry and a lot more!
 
Topics covered:
 
Quick mount PV
K2 systems www.k2-systems.com
Solar battle of the bands
Solar battle of comedians
Solar installer competitions
Fidelity Roof Company www.fidelityroof.com
Quality Solar www.qualitysolar.com
Claudia Wentworth
ASES www.ases.org
NorCal Solar www.norcalsolar.org
Nich Pak, Johan’s Solar Band member
111 Minna www.111minnagallery.com
Intersolar www.intersolar.us
Quick Mount Band
Fronius Band
Solar City Band
Sun Power Band
SMA Band
Solectria Band “DCAC”
Hotel Utah
CALSSA California Solar and Storage Association www.calssa.org
RE+ www.re-plus.com
Johan’s Band Northerner
Brittany Heller
Alex Heller
Stand up comedies
San Francisco Comedy College
Jennifer Alfdsen
Rolls Battery
Solar Games Intersolar
Smarter E www.thesmartere.com
​Eicke Weber 
Herman Scheer
Fraunhofer Institute www.fraunhofer.de
Solar tour
Tesla tours
Diversified www.onediversified.com
CSLB www.cslb.ca.gov
K2 formerly known as Everest
Company Century Roofing and Solar www.centuryroofandsolar.com
Metal flashing
Sealant based flashing and mounts
Goop in a prayer
Comp shingle roof in japan
Asphalt shingle
Asphalt impregnated underlayment
Butyl Roofing
Tim Montague's podcast www.cleanpowerhourpodcast.com
Heatspring Classes
SEIA Solar Energy Industry Association www.seia.org
NYSERDA www.nyserda.ny.gov
CALSSA formerly known CALSEA
 
You can find Johan Alfsen here:
LinkedIn: Johan Alfsen
Facebook: Sol Riders
Instagram: 510Johan
 
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

Richard Lawrence has a long history in the solar industry and is very knowledgeable in many areas (He was formerly the Executive Director of NABCEP among other things). Our main focus of this podcast was apprenticeship programs. This is a big deal, since to qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for projects over 1MW, fulfilling the apprenticeship and prevailing wage standards are required.
 
Topics covered:
 
Richard Lawrence career:
IREC Program Director currently 5 years irecusa.org
IBTS 2 years - Institute for Building Technology and Safety
NABCEP Executive Director 3.5 yrs
Solar (PV) Instructor Training Network Hudson Valley Community College
Topics covered and questions answered:
What is an apprenticeship?
What is prevailing wage?
Union vs. non-union
Is prevailing wage different for different places?
Right to work states (anti-union)
Registered apprenticeship programs
Unregistered apprenticeship programs
How does someone set up an apprenticeship program?
Who to register an apprenticeship program with, like the DOL (Department of Labor)
Local and federal programs
IRA-apprenticeship - tax credits - pay workers prevailing wage 1MW and up
15% of labor hours requirement
What is IREC doing for apprenticeship and What is IREC
Drama with different unions and non-unions-everyone wants the work
$200k/yr electrician cost
Prevailing wage for small vs. large projects
Can election results take away these benefits
Veterans
California C46 solar license and batteries
Solar PV Instructor Training Network
Hudson Valley Community College
SPI
NYSERDA www.nyserda.ny.gov
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center www.masscec.com
Burnham Energy
AHJ
Multi Junction Technology
Apprenticeship programs.
Solar Energy International
Department of Energy www.energy.gov
Larry Sherwood
Soul Smart Program in Puerto Rico
Zoning laws
Donations
Cod community college
Non-Profit Organizations
SEAC Sustainable Energy Action Committee www.sustainableenergyaction.org
ANSI Standards
Jane Weissman
Solar ABC's www.solarabcs.org
Solar ready veterans network
John Kim
American Battery Factory
IBEW International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers www.ibew.org
UBC United Brotherhood of Carpenters www.carpenters.org
ITC
Eike Weber
Herman Scheer
NREL www.nrel.gov
 
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

Cameron works and lives in New York where having a NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) helps you qualify for the NY State program that helps fund projects.
 
Here are some of the topics we discuss:
 
NYSERDA = New York State Research, Energy Research Development Association www.nyserda.ny.gov
NY Sun Program
NABCEP Certifications
Indent Builders www.indentbuilders.com
IBEW = International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers www.ibew.org
3 PathwaysDobbs FerryBest Investment is EducationHeatspring Courses BundlesNFPA  855 NFPA  70 = National Electrical Code (NEC)IBC = International Building CodeIFC = International Fire Code
IRC = International Residential CodeICC = International Code CouncilNFPA 70E OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration www.osha.gov
NABCEP PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist (PVCMS) ExamNABCEP Energy Storage Installation Professional exam = ESIPNAPCEP Website www.nabcep.org
Professional Directories Companies directorySpanish ClassTim MontagueC&I = Commercial and Industrial Clean Power Hour www.cleanpowerhour.com NABCEP PV Technical Sales = PVTSNABCEP PV Installer Specialist Certification = PVISNABCEP PV System Inspector Certification = PVSIFAA  Drone Pilot Class = Federal Aviation Administration https://www.heatspring.com/courses/nabcep-solar-pv-associate-faa-part-107-drone-pilot-exam-prep?aff_id=t3nlgw UL Certification120 percent rule for backfeed breakerNEC 690 Photovoltaic SystemsNEC 690.12 Rapid ShutdownItalian Class for NABCEP PV AssociateGiulia Suriano
Check out his website and connect on LinkedIN:www.indentbuilders.comLinkedin: Cameron FeareyLearn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

Hermann Scheer (RIP) was a German politician who is responsible for making grid-connected solar profitable in about the year 2000 as he brought the German policy forreimbursing people for solar energy, so that they would make a profit. This broughtabout years where over half of the World’s installed PV was in Germany. This createdthe modern solar industry and kick-started modern PV manufacturing. If it were not forHermann Scheer, we would probably be 10 years behind where we are now with PVprices and installed capacity. Eicke Weber was a friend of Hermann Scheer and Eickewas also the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems for 10 years,which is the European equivalent of NREL. Eicke brought Intersolar to San Francisco,he was on UC Berkely Faculty and has done a million other things, while remaining areally nice person. I am proud to call Eicke a friend.
 
Hermann Sheer’s Legacy www.ilsr.org/hermann-scheers-feed-tariff-legacy-75-worlds-solar-pv/
Bill Brooks www.brooksolar.com
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en
Madam Mi
Fusion
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) www.NREL.gov
Governor Jerry Brown
California Solar Initiative (CSI)
SNEC World’s Largest Renewable Energy Conference www.pv.snec.org.cn
Nancy and George Lightman
Hans-Josef www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Josef_Fell
Swanson’s Law
Feed in Tariff (FIT)
Sultan Al Jaber
Irena www.IRENA.org
International Solar Energy Society (ISES) www.ises.org
PV manufacturing in China
Deng Xiaoping
IRA
John Kerry
Deng Xiaoping
CO2
PV Technology and Market Developments
Global Shifts in Energy Policy
Clean Tech Business Club www.cleantechbusiness.club
 
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by takingSean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

Where do we start, in this podcast we covered many things and Jeff Spies is very active and connected in the solar industry.
 
Here is a short list of what Jeff does and has done:
 
Owner of Planet Plansets www.planetplansets.com
NABCEP Board of Directors www.nabcep.org/about-us/board-of-directors
CALSSA Board of Directors www.calssa.org
Solar Roots, the Pioneers of PV Documentary, Executive Producer www.solar-roots.com
The Solar Panel Podcast www.linkedin.com/company/the-solar-panel-podcast
 
Here are some of the many topics we covered:
Solar PV origin in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties in Northern California
Marijuana wars with guns in Northern California: solar using weed growers vs. the Feds
Hippie Definition
Rednecks and Hippies
Hipnecks
AEE Solar
David Katz is a genius
DC Power
Solar Depot
Real Goods 
Solar Living Institute
Ironridge
Quickmount
Stuart Wentworth
Claudia Hansen Wentworth
Johnny Weiss
Go Green Solar
Home Power Magazine
Humboldt Country
Nika Show
Oregon Solar Energy Industry
Boogy rough cut version
Plastics
Blue grass
Solar Pioneer Party
Bell Labs
BriceLand, CA
Brian Tittlebaum
Solar PV Magic
Nobel Prize
Solar Pioneers group in Facebook
John Burdner
Brian Teitelbaum
Davey Rittner
Jason Vetterli
Wendy Dankof
Gov. Jerry BrownBob McKee
Joseph Marino
Keisha
Johnny Hill
Sam Vanderhoof
Ron Kennedy
John Schaefer
Arthur Rudin
Ezra Auerbach
Richard Perez
Bob O. Schultz
Kathleen Schultz
Mark Moroz
Charlie Gay
Albert Einstein
Edmund Becquerel
Adams and Day
Charles Fritz
 
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean

This is my first interview with a real US Military General and I am honored that he took the time to meet with me. I am not worthy!
 
John Kem is in the civilian sector now and is the President of American Battery Factory! In this podcast we discuss their huge Gigafactory, which they are building in Arizona and which will go online towards the end of 2025 making made in the USA lithium iron phosphate (LFP) lithium-ion batteries. They are working on prismatic battery cells, which are as big as 1kWh each! In the podcast we talk about the manufacturing processes and how the battery materials are put together in a factory that can produce 4GWh per year of battery cells.
 
Topics covered:
American Battery Factory
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)IRA = Inflation Reduction Act
Army Corps of Engineers
Civil WorksMining
Battery cell production and safety
Investment and manufacturing scale of American Battery Factory
The process and challenges of battery cell manufacturing
Battery factory
American Lithium Mining
Cobalt in the Congo
Gigafactory
Abundance and toxicity of Lithium, Iron and Phosphorous
Big Battery Cell
Folding Cells
Prismatic Battery Cell
314 Ah cells x 3.2V = 1kWh/cell
Half of a shoebox size cell
Bigger is better
Pouch and cylindrical battery cell comparison
Prismatic folding speed increased
Longer cycle life
Fiji Water bottle shape comparison
Chemical Mixing
Anode and Cathode layers
Thin coating
Isotropic graphite = consistent shape
Narrow film
LFP is the cathode
LFP mix in vats
Absorption capacity for ions to flow
Buy pre-mixed LFP
Separator between anode and cathode
Foils
Cans - Aluminum
Food can people making battery can for prismatic battery (cell casing)
Stationary Energy Storage Systems
Smart grid
Underground mining operations
Drag racing and LFP
Range anxiety
Home to GWh ESS
Tax credit survival vs. competitive manufacturing
Made in America with Chinese parts
Smartest people in the world come to America
Energy storage is required for net zero
Investing and buying American Battery Factory
Privately held now
Series A and Series B funding defined
Accredited investors and venture capital
 
Check out the American Battery Factory website: www.americanbatteryfactory.com
 
For good luck, give this podcast 5️s
 
Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean’s classes at www.heatspring.com/sean