The hydrogen economy is all the rage, with billions in government funding and skyrocketing private investment. But should we buy into the hype? Energy and utility guru Peter Kelly-Detwiler joins Tim Montague to separate fact from fiction about the promises and perils of the hydrogen economy.

They discuss the existing hydrogen economy, which is largely centered around industrial processes like refining and fertilizer production, and the potential for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like steelmaking, high-heat industrial processes, and long-haul transportation using green hydrogen.

Peter explains the challenges and opportunities associated with producing green hydrogen cost-effectively, including the need to drive down renewable energy costs, improve electrolyzer efficiency, and achieve economies of scale.

They also delve into the complexities of transporting and storing hydrogen, including the limitations of existing natural gas pipelines and the potential for leakage, which could indirectly contribute to global warming.

The conversation touches on various pilot projects and initiatives, such as the Inflation Reduction Act's incentives for green hydrogen, the Department of Energy's Hydrogen Hubs program, and hybrid power plants aiming to blend hydrogen with natural gas (ACES in Utah) or potentially transition to pure hydrogen.

Peter emphasizes the importance of failing fast and discarding approaches that don't work, as well as being cautious about investing in the wrong areas, which could provide ammunition to those who don't wish for a successful energy transition.

Overall, the episode provides a nuanced and balanced perspective on the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, highlighting both its potential and the need for careful consideration of its costs, efficiency, and environmental impacts.

Peter emphasizes hydrogen is a tool in the decarbonization toolkit but not a "Swiss army knife" that solves all problems. The next few years will provide more clarity on its optimal role in the energy transition.

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Peter Kelly-Detwiler
Website
Hydrogen Ladder 5.0

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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

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague talks with Nate Owen, founder and CEO of Ampion, about the evolution and future of community solar. Key topics and takeaways include:

- How community solar is moving beyond its roots in state-specific programs to more flexible models that can scale rapidly. Nate discusses "Community Solar 2.0" - applying the shared solar concept to larger projects over 5 MW with diverse corporate and institutional offtakers.

- The huge pent-up demand from companies, municipalities, hospitals, and others to subscribe to community solar farms. Nate says the appetite is "insatiable" and likens it to "selling a slice of bread when they want 10 bakeries."

- How marrying batteries with community solar creates valuable dispatchable assets. Adding storage allows solar farms to provide grid services and generate significant revenue, especially during peak summer hours.

- The critical role of initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act in improving community solar economics through incentives and the ability to monetize environmental attributes.

- Emerging state markets that excite Nate, like New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado. At the same time, he expresses bafflement at California's recent decision that could hinder community solar growth there.

- The nitty-gritty complexities involved in making community solar work, from standardizing contracts and processes to evolving utility billing systems to working with regulators on interconnection policies and consumer protections.

Though challenges remain, Nate is extremely bullish on community solar's future. He envisions an absolutely massive effort to build solar farms everywhere, seeing community-scale projects with multiple offtakers as the predominant model going forward.

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Nate Owen
Ampion

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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 trackers have swept the utility-scale solar industry in recent years, with single-axis trackers now deployed on a staggering 94% of large-scale projects. While a few big names dominate the tracker market, one company - Nevados Solar - has carved out a distinct niche with its unique all-terrain tracking technology. In this episode, host Tim Montague chats with Nevados founder and CEO Yezin Taha about how their innovative segmented torque tube design is helping developers tackle more challenging project sites while driving down the levelized cost of energy.

Yezin shares the intriguing story of how a serious skiing accident and shattered leg put him on the path to starting Nevados after years working at large engineering firms. He explains how breaking the torque tube into linked segments allows Nevados' trackers to follow the natural contours of the land, greatly reducing the need for expensive and environmentally damaging grading. This terrain-following capability helps developers navigate permitting obstacles, shrink construction costs and timelines, and open up project opportunities on sites that would be infeasible with conventional trackers.

As Yezin details, Nevados pairs its segmented hardware with smart software to optimize energy yields on the undulating ground - no easy feat. He dives into the sophisticated modeling tools the company has developed to accurately predict production and determine optimal module tilt angles on variable terrain slopes before construction.

Key Takeaways

1. Nevados has developed a novel single-axis tracker design using linked torque tube segments that can conform to sloped terrain with minimal grading or site disturbance.
2. Their terrain-following trackers help developers avoid steep costs and permitting hurdles tied to major grading while enabling project construction on sites that would be unworkable for conventional trackers.
3. Nevados' plug-and-play tracker installs 25% faster than standard trackers thanks to its straightforward design and self-aligning module attachments.

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Yezin Taha
Nevados

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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