About SunCast | Suncast

While SunCast began as the first-ever podcast focused on solar energy for emerging markets back in 2015, it is now a go-to resource for entrepreneurs and sales professionals alike in the renewable energy space. Today, SunCast is downloaded more than 20,000 times per month by energy & cleantech professionals seeking insight into how to grow their personal and professional skills and business.

The show is mostly interview style, and provides valuable insight into the personal and professional lives of industry executives and icons like Jigar Shah (Generate Capital & a few other well-known solar companies), Dan Shugar (PowerLight, SunPower, Nextracker), Mary Powell (SunRun), Abby Hopper (SEIA), Heather Zichal (American Clean Power), George Hershman (SOLV/Swinerton), and more than 400 other intrepid leaders on the front lines of the energy transition. We discuss where the markets are going, and how you can best position yourself to win based on the collective learning of our guests and host Nico Johnson's own insights from over a decade selling, investing & advising in the Solar industry.

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01:10:48

The PVFARM Foundation Story: Revolutionizing Utility-Scale Solar Design

Most solar software looks great on paper… but falls apart in the field. Meet PVFarm—the solar design platform built by people who’ve lived the pain of misalignment between engineering and construction. In this episode, we sit down with PVFarm co-founders Maksim Markevich and Ben Callam to explore the origin story of a tool designed not just to design, but to build. From coding plugins in Belarus to welding shelters in war zones, their journeys couldn’t be more different—but their mission is clear: help solar teams design faster, collaborate smarter, and actually build what they plan. 🎧 What You’ll Learn: 🔹 Why most solar software outputs don’t reflect field constraints 🔹 How Maksim’s YouTube channel led to global job offers and London tech 🔹 The turning point when Ben realized design without buildability is useless 🔹 Why PVFarm starts with construction—and works backward to design Check out PVFarm: Website: https://www.pvfarm.io/ This content was brought to you for FREE thanks to our sponsors: - CPS America: https://mysuncast.com/cps

18:07

The Residential Solar Industry MUST DIVERSIFY or It Could Die

The line between roofing and solar is disappearing fast. Are you ready for it? Live from the PowerUp Stage at RE+ 2025, Nico sits down with James Mason, VP of Renewable Energy at ABC Supply, the nation's largest building products distributor. They unpack the real strategies that are helping contractors go from survival mode to scalable success—even in a volatile market. From navigating policy shifts to leveraging ABC’s 40-year infrastructure, this is the kind of conversation that helps you reset your strategy and avoid common pitfalls. If you’re in solar, roofing, or clean energy services of any kind, this is a must-watch. 📌 Expect to learn: 🔹 How to position your business to thrive through volatility 🔹 Why roofing and solar are finally converging - and how to win in both 🔹 The power of partnerships: what ABC Supply does differently 🔹 Common blind spots that keep contractors stuck in survival mode This content was brought to you for FREE thanks to our sponsors: - CPS America: https://mysuncast.com/cps

01:31:44

Solar Energy Maintenance: What Happens When My Installer Goes Out of Business?

Nick Sherman is flipping the script on residential solar—and building what might be the first national solar service brand. As CEO of Energy Aid, Nick is scooping up the abandoned customer bases of bankrupt solar companies and offering proactive monitoring and repairs for just $9/month. With over 185,000 orphaned systems now under management, he's proving that service—not installs—is the next big opportunity in clean energy. In this episode, you’ll learn: 🔹 How Energy Aid is scaling by acquiring defunct installer IP 🔹 The surprising economics behind a $29/month panel wash & tune-up model 🔹 Why solar service is following the path of plumbing & HVAC 🔹 What it takes to build trust with customers who’ve already been burned Check out EnergyAid: Website: https://energyaid.net/ This content was brought to you for FREE thanks to our sponsors: - CPS America: https://mysuncast.com/cps

21:28

Have Batteries Become the Grid’s Backbone and Not Just It’s Backup?

The Grid Is Changing—Fast. Can Storage Keep Up? From wildfires to AI data centers, the pressure on our electric grid has never been greater. In this SunCast Live session from RE+, Nico Johnson sits down with two top Wärtsilä Energy leaders—Tamara de Gruyter, President of Energy Storage, and David Hebert, VP of Global Sales & Strategy—to explore how battery storage is evolving into critical infrastructure. ✅ Expect to learn: 🔹 How AI and data centers are reshaping energy demand 🔹 Why storage now delivers more than just capacity 🔹 What “virtual inertia” and synthetic transmission actually mean 🔹 How software is unlocking storage’s full value 🔹 What developers can do today to monetize advanced battery services 👉 Subscribe to SunCast Media for more clean energy leadership conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia This content was brought to you for FREE thanks to our sponsors: - CPS America: https://mysuncast.com/cps