We have entered the age of the podcast. More than a quarter of Americans listen to podcasts monthly: that’s more than 73 million people. So it’s no surprise that news outlets and solar power marketers are investing in podcasts as an essential tool for providing quality content to their audiences. Particularly in the past few years, podcasts focusing on renewable energy, cleantech, and climate change have proliferated. Here are nine of our favorites. Tweet us @Sol_Systems with yours, and we’ll share them on Twitter.
No energy podcast roundup would be complete without The Energy Gang, Greentech Media’s leading podcast in the space. Co-hosts Katherine Hamilton, Jigar Shah, and Stephen Lacey bring levity and clarity to their weekly conversations on the complexities of the cleantech space. If you’re new to energy podcasts, start by binging episodes of The Energy Gang.
Another standout podcast from the folks at Greentech Media, Political Climate is hosted by well-respected Senior Editor Julia Pyper, along with Democrat and Republican energy experts Brandon Hurlbut and Shane Skelton, offering bipartisan discourse on energy and environmental politics in the United States. Listening to this group talk about potentially controversial ideas like 100 percent renewables goals provides hope that ample common ground is still possible for Democrats and Republicans working on climate change solutions.
If you’re looking to nerd out on regulatory grid policy, let Grid Geeks be your first stop. Although not focusing specifically on renewable energy, host Allison Clements often covers solar power, as well as grid technologies and regulatory and policy movements relevant to the solar energy industry.
The Rocky Mountain Institute is a leading think tank in the renewables space, producing groundbreaking research and thought leadership. So it’s no surprise that this podcast from Rocky Mountain Institute host Chris Nelder is an indispensable resource for professionals working to transition our economy toward renewables. There’s even a “geek rating” for each episode that indicates how “esoteric” the content is in each episode.
This podcast from Jon Powers, Founder of CleanCapital and former Chief Sustainability Officer for the federal government, explores the intersection of energy, innovation, and finance by focusing on the personal journeys of cleantech industry leaders.
This podcast produced by my former colleagues from the U.S. Department of Energy’s digital media team offers a deep dive to the vital science and innovation occurring everyday within the halls of DOE and the nation’s 17 national laboratories. Check out Direct Current’s first ever episode from 2016 to learn more about the Solar Energy Technologies Office’s (formerly the SunShot Initiative) work to reduce the soft costs of going solar, which I collaborated on.
Targeted at solar energy sales professionals and entrepreneurs, SunCast bills itself as the first-ever podcast focused on solar energy in emerging markets, although the show is only three years old! Host Nico Johnson interviews a who’s who of solar industry names on his show, including company founders and other thought leaders.
This renewable energy project finance podcast by law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is a favorite of the Sol Systems team. Hosted by partner Todd Alexander, the podcast includes in-depth discussions on the latest developments in project finance through interviews with the key business leaders and policy makers working in the midst of the energy infrastructure space.
Last but not least, check out Sol Systems’ podcast, Talkin' on Sunshine, which aims to tackle a variety of topics from all aspects of solar energy. Episodes address issues and provide expert advice for developers, financiers, and customers alike, including the basics of solar PPAs and how to perfect the hand-off that occurs after a solar deal closes.
This blog was written by Jamie Nolan of Nolan Strategic Communications.
Photo Credit: Gavin Whitner
ABOUT SOL SYSTEMS
Sol Systems, a national solar finance and development firm, delivers sophisticated, customized services for institutional, corporate, and municipal customers. Sol is employee-owned, and has been profitable since inception in 2008. Sol is backed by Sempra Energy, a $25+ billion energy company.
Over the last ten years, Sol Systems has delivered 700 MW of solar projects for Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, universities, churches, and small businesses. Sol now manages over $650 million in solar energy assets for utilities, banks, and Fortune 500 companies.
Inc. 5000 recognized Sol Systems in its annual list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.solsystems.com.