Clean Power Hour

Solar and battery storage are reshaping the energy industry, but policy uncertainty, grid constraints, manufacturing challenges, and equipment reliability remain major issues.
In this episode of Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down the latest developments in solar, energy storage, and the evolving power grid. They discuss new research showing that four-hour battery storage is becoming cost-competitive with gas peaker plants, China's restrictions on solar manufacturing technologies, U.S. solar deployment forecasts, and the growing challenges of connecting data centers to the grid.
The conversation also explores solar project quality, the financial impact of equipment failures, and why reliable operations and maintenance will become increasingly important as more developers transition into asset ownership.
Key Highlights
• 4-Hour Batteries Challenge Gas Peaker Economics: New research suggests that four-hour battery storage is now less expensive than open-cycle gas turbines across all 43 markets included in the comparison. (Solar Power World Online)
• The Next Frontier for Battery Storage: As batteries increasingly serve evening peak demand, the hosts consider how storage could reshape other periods of electricity demand and what role wind and other technologies might play. (Ember reports)
• Solar Manufacturing and a Patent Dispute: The hosts examine a dispute involving an American company based in Rochester and a Chinese supplier over patents related to photovoltaic crystal-growing machinery. 
• U.S. Solar Deployment and the Tax Credit Cliff: BloombergNEF projections point to several years of strong U.S. solar additions before growth potentially slows as clean energy tax credits phase out. (Bloomberg)
• China's Solar Market Slows While Other Markets Grow: The hosts discuss projections that China's solar installations could decline by 29% in 2026 while installations elsewhere increase by 15%. (PV Magazine)
• China Restricts Exports of Solar Manufacturing Technologies: China is reportedly limiting exports of 12 photovoltaic-related technologies, including technologies associated with perovskite-silicon modules and polysilicon production. (Bloomberg report)
• FERC Rejects Most of PJM's Large-Load Interconnection Proposal: Tim explains why the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision could add uncertainty to the process of connecting large electricity consumers, including data centers. (Utility Drive)
• Project of the Week: A Nearly 2 MW Rooftop Solar Installation: John shares progress on a commercial rooftop solar project with approximately 1.8 MW of DC capacity and 990 kW of AC capacity. (John Weaver's LinkedIn)
• Solar Quality Issues Could Increase LCOE by More Than 20%: The hosts review research showing how component failures, inverter downtime, and other system issues can increase the levelized cost of electricity. (PV Tech)
What You'll Learn
• Why four-hour battery storage is becoming competitive with gas peaker plants.
• How solar-plus-storage could reshape electricity pricing and peak demand.
• What China's solar technology export restrictions could mean for U.S. manufacturing.
• Why global solar deployment patterns are changing.
• How data center growth is complicating grid interconnection.
• Why solar system quality and ongoing maintenance matter to project economics.
• What developers should consider when evaluating monitoring and energy management solutions.
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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

Solar EPCs face growing pressure to deliver projects on time, manage costs, secure financing, and navigate changing energy policies. So how can smaller companies grow while protecting their profitability and reputation?
In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Forrest Cohn, co-founder of Utopian Power, to discuss building a reliable solar and battery storage business in a changing market.
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Utopian Power develops renewable energy projects. It provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for municipalities, municipally owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and other project developers. The company focuses primarily on projects under 10 MW, with experience across the Midwest and other US markets.
Whether you're a solar developer, EPC contractor, project owner, or clean energy professional, this episode offers practical insights into growing a solar business without compromising on project delivery.
IN THIS EPISODE
• How Utopian Power grew from a startup founded in 2020 into a renewable energy developer and EPC contractor.
• Why municipalities and smaller utilities can create opportunities for solar developers.
• How EPC companies can partner with developers to deliver community solar projects.
• Why bonding capacity matters when pursuing larger construction contracts.
• How financial discipline and responsible project selection help protect profitability.
• How Utopian Power approaches hiring, project pipelines, and business growth amid market uncertainty.
• How tariffs, equipment restrictions, and changing federal tax credit policies affect solar project costs.
• Why state policies and utility programs remain important to commercial solar deployment.
• What solar companies can do to build trust and strengthen the industry's reputation.

Connect with Forrest Cohn, Utopian Power 
Forrest Cohn | LinkedIn
Utopian Power
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
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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

A 100 kW rooftop can be a meaningful source of energy savings—and a difficult project to finance. How do you make solar work for affordable housing, churches, and nonprofits?
In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Ben Underwood and Isaac Baker, founders of Massachusetts-based Resonant Energy, to discuss how they built a solar development business around nonprofits, houses of worship, and low-income multifamily housing.
Ben and Isaac explain how a portfolio approach brings buying power and financing to smaller projects, why their business pivoted toward affordable housing, and what developers and installation partners can learn from that model.
In the interview, Ben puts completed projects at roughly 5 MW, with about 15 MW in the pipeline. Behind those numbers is years of work aligning customer demand, installation partners, capital, and policy.
A central question: do the savings actually reach residents? The conversation distinguishes direct utility-bill benefits from savings that support building operations and improvements, and explores the Connecticut approach described by Isaac. They also discuss changing federal incentives, battery deployment barriers, and the potential of peak-demand compensation.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
• Why Resonant Energy shifted from anaerobic digestion into community solar and small commercial projects
• How the company used community networks to bring solar to churches, nonprofits, and other organizations that struggled to access conventional project finance
• Why bundling smaller solar projects into portfolios can make them more attractive to investors
• How Resonant Energy moved into affordable multifamily housing after COVID disrupted its faith-based customer base
• The role of Massachusetts' net metering and SMART incentive programs in making low-income solar projects viable
• How the Inflation Reduction Act helped accelerate Resonant Energy's growth
• How solar is becoming increasingly important for all-electric affordable housing developments as electricity costs rise
• What a typical 40-unit multifamily solar project looks like, including 75 to 150 kW behind-the-meter systems
• How Connecticut's affordable housing solar policy creates a direct benefit for residents
• The challenges of deploying batteries on small commercial properties, from local fire codes to federal sourcing requirements
• Why rate design and peak-demand compensation matter as federal solar incentives change
• Why urban and suburban rooftops and parking canopies could play a much larger role in America's future energy system
For developers, EPCs, and affordable housing owners, the takeaway is practical: smaller projects can become a meaningful market when financing, delivery, and resident benefits are designed together.
Connect with Guests
Ben Underwood | LinkedIn  
Isaac Baker | LinkedIn 
Resonant Energy
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
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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

Rising electricity demand and prolonged outages are pushing the Tennessee Valley to rethink how it builds and operates the grid. Where do solar, batteries, and community-scale microgrids fit?
In episode 374 of the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague welcomes Gil Hough, Executive Director of the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA), for a conversation following the organization’s 2026 conference.
Gil explains how the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) shapes this distinctive public-power market—and why municipal utilities and electric cooperatives are becoming a source of innovation in solar, storage, and distributed energy.
Tim and Gil discuss:
• How TVA’s federal public-power structure shapes opportunities for solar and storage developers
• Why TVA’s new Integrated Resource Plan includes a distributed-energy strategy alongside utility-scale solar, storage, and other generation
• How annual requests for proposals are changing TVA’s approach to large-scale solar and storage procurement
• What the invitation-only Resource Solicitation Cluster means for project selection and interconnection studies
• How generation flexibility gives local power companies room to develop solar, storage, and virtual power plants
• What recent storm outages reveal about the need for local resilience and community-scale microgrids
• How TVA’s decision-making and funding model differs from the investor-owned utility model
• How TenneSEIA’s committees and utility relationships help developers, manufacturers, and local power companies collaborate
For developers and energy professionals, the conversation highlights two routes into the market: TVA’s utility-scale procurement process and partnerships with local power companies pursuing distributed resources.
Gil argues that solar, storage, and better load management can help utilities use their infrastructure more effectively and mitigate cost pressures. Tim explores his vision of a grid of community-scale microgrids, with substations serving as hubs for nearby generation and storage.
Listen for a practical look at how procurement, utility partnerships, economics, and resilience are shaping the next phase of clean energy in the Tennessee Valley.
MEET TIM AT ILREC 2026
Tim Montague will be at the Illinois Renewable Energy Conference (ILREC), October 19-20, 2026, at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott and Conference Center in Normal, Illinois.
ILREC brings together leaders from across Illinois' renewable energy industry to discuss the policies, technologies, market trends, and business challenges shaping the state's clean energy future.
Learn more and register at https://illinoisrenewableenergyconference.org/
Connect with Gil Hough 
TenneSEIA website: https://tenneseiasolar.com/
Gil Hough LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilhough
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
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

Solar and storage are moving into a new phase, and this week's Clean Power Hour Live covers the technologies, policies, and market shifts shaping that transition.
Tim Montague and John Weaver break down the latest developments across solar, batteries, wind, grid infrastructure, and electrification.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation supporting virtual power plants and making plug-in solar officially legal. The hosts discuss what these changes could mean for distributed energy, grid flexibility, consumers, and the future of behind-the-meter solar.
They also cover US solar manufacturer ratings, a Google pilot for hourly carbon accounting with battery storage, solar repowering, UK grid interconnectors, the world's tallest wind turbine, and the 45X tax credit. These stories land as California utilities report record profits and power costs in the state run twice the US average. 
Episode Highlights:
Governor Newsom signed bills to contain utility spending and pay customers who let batteries, EVs, and appliances ease grid stress (Canary Media). 
Finlay Colville rates US solar manufacturers from AAA to C, with First Solar at number one (PV Magazine). 
A Google-backed pilot demonstrates hourly carbon accounting for US battery energy storage using granular certificates (Energy Storage News). 
A Foundry Logic study argues replacing old panels adds significant new capacity to the grid (Heatmap News). 
An insider quoted by Roth says, "We are moving into a positive political environment for solar" (Roth). 
Roughly 10 GW of UK grid interconnectors link Britain to Europe (Financial Times). 
Germany installed the world's tallest wind turbine at 300 meters, as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Tim questions the economics, and John points to a higher capacity factor at greater heights.
This episode suits solar professionals, battery storage professionals, project developers, policy watchers, and clean energy investors. California's new VPP and plug-in solar laws, the 45X tax credit debate, and the growth of solar repowering all affect project decisions right now. 
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
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