Clean Power Hour

Energy resilience for homeowners is the mission behind Energy Access Innovations, a multi-brand clean energy company building an end-to-end ecosystem for solar and battery storage. Nicole Tomasin, Chief Commercial Officer at EAI, joins Tim Montague to explain how the company serves the consumers the rest of the industry ignores, including DIYers and rural markets.
Battery storage and solar access for homeowners is moving beyond coastal markets and high-income consumers. Energy Access Innovations has built a multi-brand portfolio covering distribution, DIY support, installation, and financing under one mission: making energy resilience affordable for every American. Nicole walks Tim through how the company's sister brands, including EG4, Signature Solar, Outback Power, Solar 76, Sun Atlas Power, and EA365, work together to serve customers that most distributors and installers turn away. 
The company's new XR60 battery, 60 kWh with a 16 kW inverter for under $20,000, and its EA365 prepaid lease, which returns a 30% rebate directly to homeowners, are proof that affordability and transparency are not competing goals. 
Here is what you will learn in this conversation about residential battery storage affordability and energy resilience:
You will find out how the XR60 delivers 60 kWh of storage and a 16 kW inverter for under $20,000, why it ships as a single freestanding unit weighing 1,600 pounds, and when it arrives in market.
Learn how the EA365 prepaid lease returns a 30% rebate directly to homeowners, making the residential ITC phase-out less damaging for consumers who no longer qualify for the tax credit.
Understand why Energy Access Innovations built Sun Atlas Power, its own EPC company, to capture DIY customers who need installation help, and how it taps a network of 2,000 to 3,000 regional contractors already buying through Signature Solar.
Find out why Tim pushed back on a California developer's claim that consumer-owned residential batteries are done, and what EAI's experience with DIY customers suggests about that prediction.
You will hear why Texas surpassed California in storage deployment, how PJM grid services programs are generating returns that recover a battery investment in two to three years, and why Illinois is a priority market for EAI.
The residential ITC phase-out is compressing margins across the solar industry and pushing more customers toward third-party ownership models. Illinois is incentivizing 1.8 gigawatts of distributed batteries through its clean energy incentive program, and Texas has already surpassed California in storage deployment. Contractors who are not yet offering storage are running out of time to get positioned.
Connect with Nicole Tomasin, Energy Access Innovations 
Nicole Tomasi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-santos-tomasin/
Sun Atlas Power: https://www.sunatlaspower.com/
Episode 325, James Showalter: https://youtu.be/7CoJQ_lTLkU
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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:  [email protected]
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

Silicon solar is approaching a hard physical efficiency ceiling at 30%. Perovskite tandem solar is the only proven path through it. Joel Jean, CEO of Swift Solar, explains the technology, what the Meyer Burger acquisition brings, and where tandems sit on the road to commercial scale.
After seven decades, silicon solar is closing in on its physical efficiency limit, and no previous thin-film technology has been able to outperform it at competitive cost. Joel Jean, CEO and co-founder of Swift Solar, a tandem PV manufacturer based in California, joined Tim Montague on the Clean Power Hour to explain why perovskite-silicon tandems are different and how Swift is building toward commercial scale. 
Jean explains how Swift's approach of vertically integrating perovskite and silicon at the cell level differs from other tandem strategies, and what certifications and milestones a new module technology must clear before utility buyers and independent engineers will finance it. The conversation also covers the US position in the global solar race, perovskite degradation and lead-content concerns, and what a consistent industrial policy would mean for US solar manufacturers.
Here is what you will learn in this conversation about perovskite tandem solar and the path to next-generation module efficiency:
You'll understand why silicon solar cells are physically limited to around 30% efficiency, and how stacking a perovskite layer on silicon creates a two-junction cell with a path to 35-40%, with three junctions pushing toward 45% or more.
Find out what Swift Solar gains from the Meyer Burger acquisition: a heterojunction product with 0.2% annual degradation, the lowest rate in the industry, and a bankable product to serve customers while the tandem completes its certification and field-proof timeline.
Learn why Swift's approach of integrating perovskite and silicon at the cell level differs from other tandem strategies, including four-terminal approaches where perovskite is deposited on glass and stacked on a separate module.
You'll hear Tim push back on two common concerns about perovskites: degradation and lead content. Joel explains Swift's cell-level stability progress and why perovskite panels contain less lead per square meter than the solder in a standard silicon module.
With China installing solar 8.5 times faster than the US and having spent 15-20 years building a manufacturing and policy foundation, the US is still trying to rebuild. The window for US tandem solar companies to establish a position is narrowing. Swift Solar's acquisition of Meyer Burger assets is one of the few cases where a US perovskite tandem startup enters the market with a proven, bankable product already generating field data, rather than waiting years for the tandem to reach certification. For solar professionals evaluating next-generation module technology and investors tracking the US manufacturing pipeline, this conversation gives a clear picture of where tandem technology stands today and what the next two to three years need to deliver.
Connect with Joel Jean, Swift Solar 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeljean/
Swift Solar: https://www.swiftsolar.com/
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
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Email [email protected] 
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:  [email protected]
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 new report from Clean Energy Associates found that some solar module factories in their first year of production are hitting yield rates as low as 30%. That means 70% of modules coming off certain lines require rework before they ship. The finding applies directly to US manufacturers, most of which are still in early ramp-up stages. 
In this week's Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down what the report means for solar developers sourcing modules right now, why newer factories in the US face the same challenges previously seen in India and Vietnam, and what due diligence steps developers should be taking before modules arrive on site. They also cover grid-forming battery validation, island microgrids, and a $14 billion Chinese renewable energy investment in Ethiopia.
This episode covers battery storage technology, solar panel manufacturing quality, island microgrids, and large-scale renewable energy investment in Africa. 
These are the stories Tim and John break down this week:
US solar panel manufacturers are struggling with soldering quality during factory ramp-up. A report from Clean Energy Associates (CEA) shows yield rates as low as 30% in early production years, meaning 70% of modules require rework. (PV Magazine)
Sungrow completed what Renewable Energy Magazine calls the world's first large-scale grid-forming battery validation, passing 14 unique fault and blackout scenarios. (Renewable Energy Magazine)
Sydney-based Smart Commercial Energy is developing an 18 MW solar and 40 MWh battery microgrid for Nauru, the smallest island nation in the world. The project replaces diesel generation in a location where microgrid electricity costs an estimated $0.40 per kilowatt hour. (PV Magazine)
Africa's telecom sector is moving away from diesel at scale, with one company spending hundreds of millions in Kenya alone. Solar and battery payback periods for cell tower conversions run approximately two years. (My Panhandle)
China's Ming Yang secured a $14.1 billion deal to develop 2.8 GW of solar and 5.5 GW of wind in Ethiopia, alongside wind turbine and transmission gear manufacturing and green ammonia production. (PV Tech)
Gotion unveiled a 5 MW, 18.8 MWh enclosed battery energy storage system, first shown at SNEC 2025. John notes this is larger than any containerized battery he had tracked previously, with BYD previously holding the record at 16 to 18 MWh. (PV Magazine)
John Weaver previewed his own 1.8 MW rooftop solar project in Massachusetts, structured as an alternative on-bill credit agreement with Eversource for a fixed 20-year contract. (BSKY)
Solar professionals, project developers, and clean energy investors will find this episode directly useful. The topics Tim and John cover, from US manufacturing quality to grid-forming battery validation to Africa's energy buildout, reflect decisions the industry is making right now. The Strait of Hormuz situation adds urgency to the energy transition conversation, and this episode puts all of it in context. 
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
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Email [email protected] 
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:  [email protected]
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

Community microgrids are functionally illegal in most of the United States, yet climate-driven outages are getting worse. Cameron Brooks of Think Microgrid explains why wires laws block resilient grid solutions and what it costs us to keep burying lines instead.
Burying power lines costs $4 million per mile in Colorado and up to $9 million per mile in California. That means every 20 to 25 feet of buried line costs as much as it would take to equip a home with a full battery backup system capable of riding through a 48-hour outage. Cameron Brooks, founder of Think Microgrid and E9 Insights, joins host Tim Montague to explain why that staggering opportunity cost keeps getting overlooked. 
This episode tackles the regulatory barriers that keep community microgrids illegal in most US territories, the structural incentives inside the utility model that favor capital investment over cost-effective distributed solutions, and the specific state-level reforms beginning to create new openings.
Here is what you will learn in this conversation:
You will understand why community microgrids are functionally illegal in most US states. 
Find out why burying power lines is an incomplete strategy for wildfire risk.
You will learn how the utility cost-plus regulatory model actively works against distributed energy. 
Find out what a microgrid actually is and why energy storage changes everything. Cameron defines the three qualities of a true microgrid.
Understand what early policy wins look like at the state level. From Ann Arbor's supplemental energy utility to Maine's wires law exemptions and Colorado becoming the fourth state to authorize plug-in solar.
The combination of rising power prices, extreme weather, and growing electricity demand from data centers and transportation electrification is putting real pressure on the centralized grid model. States like Utah, Maine, and Colorado are already writing new rules.
Connect with Cameron Brooks, Think Microgrid 
Cameron Brooks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-brooks-/
Website: https://www.thinkmicrogrid.org/
Tracker: tracker.thinkmicrogrid.org
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
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:  [email protected]
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

American solar manufacturing is getting a reboot. Dean Solon, founder of Create Energy and formerly of Shoals Technologies, sold 1 GW of product in Q1 of this year alone. In this episode, he walks Tim Montague through his vertically integrated factory in Portland, Tennessee, and names exactly why utility-scale solar equipment is quietly failing at scale. 

American solar manufacturing has a reliability problem, and the utilities and independent power producers who own these fields for 30 to 50 years are the ones absorbing the cost. Dean Solon, founder of Create Energy and the man who built and took Shoals Technologies public on the NASDAQ in 2021, has spent three years building a vertically integrated solar manufacturing operation in Portland, Tennessee, to address this directly. Create sold 1 gigawatt of product in Q1 of this year, with Q2 expected to double that output. Host Tim Montague tours the Create Energy factory floor and draws out exactly what full-stack, American-made solar hardware looks like in practice. 

Here is what you will learn from this conversation:
You'll hear Dean Solon explain why module warranties are misleading and why EPC economics push toward equipment designed to last only past the two-year mark, leaving utilities and IPPs exposed for the decades of ownership ahead.
Find out how Create Energy's OnTrack system uses one common control board across trackers, E-boss units, weather stations, and inverters, giving asset owners a single view of every row in a solar field with no separate pony panel required.
Learn why Create offers a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty on its full product stack, and what Solon means when he says he eliminated failure modes rather than reduced them.
Understand how automated, electric vegetation control cuts solar O&M costs in half, and why long-term asset owners should treat this as a budget line item, not a feature.
For any asset owner weighing supply chain decisions in 2025, this conversation is a direct look at what the American manufacturing alternative looks like on the ground. 
Connect with Dean Solon and Create 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-solon-b8876649/
Website: https://www.create.energy/
Support the show
Connect with Tim  
Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 
Email [email protected] 
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:  [email protected]
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