38 episodes

The energy revolution is coming, and it's all hands on deck. Amplifying the expertise of the leaders in the new energy economy and inviting diverse voices to the table, we'll talk solar power, battery storage and battery alternatives, microgrids, renewable energy, distributed energy architectures, energy policy, energy equity, and all things energy. I'm your host, Amy Simpkins, renewable energy CEO (and Rocket Scientist) and I am passionate about creating sustainable change. I believe that access to electricity is no longer a luxury -- it's a human right. I'm driven by the desire to leave this world better than I found it. I believe in the power of collaboration -- that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. And innovation is the only way our planet will survive. Recent natural disaster events impacting access to power, like the Texas Power Crisis during the winter storms of 2021 or the raging California wildfires of 2018-2020, combined with concern over anticipated future events, like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in Oregon, have elevated conversations about resilience, independence, and sustainability to new, more urgent heights. If we are truly going to meet the challenges to the energy revolution and to achieve these ideals, we need to bring all minds to the whiteboard. That’s why Power Flow Podcast was born. I've always worked in male-dominated environments. Yet, the more I engage with women, the more I witness very different approaches to innovation, problem solving, and solution implementation. We possess a treasure trove in untapped riches of expertise from female, non-binary, and BIPOC professionals, all relentlessly working to make this new energy future a reality, yet too often unseen and unheard. What does that future look like? Solving the challenges we face in the energy industry can solve intersectional problems for Earth and its residents. A shift from fossil fuels to renewables not only increases sustainability -- an important component of slowing and reversing climate change -- it will also reduce pollution near low-income or racially diverse neighborhoods. A shift to distributed energy improves community resilience through microgrids and minigrids. Community resilience and distributed energy lead to energy equity - ensuring access to clean, reliable energy for all. I began my career in aerospace - yes, as an actual rocket scientist - believing that technical and scientific advancement through the exploration of space would be the ultimate way to change the world. After 10 years of designing, modeling, integrating, and flying spacecraft, I began looking for ways to have a more direct and powerful impact. When I co-founded renewable energy startup muGrid Analytics with my partner, it used all of my gifts and skills from my entire career to do good in the world. The thing is, I see the world as a set of linkages. I can see how everything is connected in a complex web of synergy and interdependence. The further I explored the energy economy, the more I could see its far-reaching impacts for individuals, for the people, for the planet. Join me in a deep dive exploring the solutions clean energy can offer to our earth as we bring more voices to the microphone and more minds to the whiteboard, shining a spotlight on new ideas and perspectives, tapping into the vast expertise and intersectional thinking that's already here. As we thoughtfully consider the tremendous challenges of the energy revolution, we can collaborate to achieve sustainability, equity, and resilience. It’s time to amplify new ideas that can help us innovate more efficiently, with better outcomes, harmonizing the threads of collaboration so we can build the future together. Find us at http://powerflowpodcast.com

Power Flow Amy Simpkins

    • Technology

The energy revolution is coming, and it's all hands on deck. Amplifying the expertise of the leaders in the new energy economy and inviting diverse voices to the table, we'll talk solar power, battery storage and battery alternatives, microgrids, renewable energy, distributed energy architectures, energy policy, energy equity, and all things energy. I'm your host, Amy Simpkins, renewable energy CEO (and Rocket Scientist) and I am passionate about creating sustainable change. I believe that access to electricity is no longer a luxury -- it's a human right. I'm driven by the desire to leave this world better than I found it. I believe in the power of collaboration -- that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. And innovation is the only way our planet will survive. Recent natural disaster events impacting access to power, like the Texas Power Crisis during the winter storms of 2021 or the raging California wildfires of 2018-2020, combined with concern over anticipated future events, like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in Oregon, have elevated conversations about resilience, independence, and sustainability to new, more urgent heights. If we are truly going to meet the challenges to the energy revolution and to achieve these ideals, we need to bring all minds to the whiteboard. That’s why Power Flow Podcast was born. I've always worked in male-dominated environments. Yet, the more I engage with women, the more I witness very different approaches to innovation, problem solving, and solution implementation. We possess a treasure trove in untapped riches of expertise from female, non-binary, and BIPOC professionals, all relentlessly working to make this new energy future a reality, yet too often unseen and unheard. What does that future look like? Solving the challenges we face in the energy industry can solve intersectional problems for Earth and its residents. A shift from fossil fuels to renewables not only increases sustainability -- an important component of slowing and reversing climate change -- it will also reduce pollution near low-income or racially diverse neighborhoods. A shift to distributed energy improves community resilience through microgrids and minigrids. Community resilience and distributed energy lead to energy equity - ensuring access to clean, reliable energy for all. I began my career in aerospace - yes, as an actual rocket scientist - believing that technical and scientific advancement through the exploration of space would be the ultimate way to change the world. After 10 years of designing, modeling, integrating, and flying spacecraft, I began looking for ways to have a more direct and powerful impact. When I co-founded renewable energy startup muGrid Analytics with my partner, it used all of my gifts and skills from my entire career to do good in the world. The thing is, I see the world as a set of linkages. I can see how everything is connected in a complex web of synergy and interdependence. The further I explored the energy economy, the more I could see its far-reaching impacts for individuals, for the people, for the planet. Join me in a deep dive exploring the solutions clean energy can offer to our earth as we bring more voices to the microphone and more minds to the whiteboard, shining a spotlight on new ideas and perspectives, tapping into the vast expertise and intersectional thinking that's already here. As we thoughtfully consider the tremendous challenges of the energy revolution, we can collaborate to achieve sustainability, equity, and resilience. It’s time to amplify new ideas that can help us innovate more efficiently, with better outcomes, harmonizing the threads of collaboration so we can build the future together. Find us at http://powerflowpodcast.com

    3.10 On Obliterating Entrepreneurial Underprivilege with Holistic Innovation Support with Deepa Lounsbury

    3.10 On Obliterating Entrepreneurial Underprivilege with Holistic Innovation Support with Deepa Lounsbury

    In this episode, Deepa and Amy discuss ways to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in climate tech and “making the umbrella bigger for who gets to be a climate entrepreneur,” along with the reality and challenges in the entrepreneurial space.Quotes“Underrepresented people are underrepresented often because they are undersupported.” – Deepa Lounsbury“Bringing that productization piece is almost as important - or just as important - as the technical solution in and of itself.” – Amy Simpkins...

    • 42 min
    3.09 On Breaking Knowledge Silos with Continuing Education with Esther Morales

    3.09 On Breaking Knowledge Silos with Continuing Education with Esther Morales

    In this episode, Esther and Amy discuss innovation, continuous learning, and the courage to bring your ideas out into reality.Quotes“Energy education is a fundamental building block of participation.” – Esther Morales“Part of what energy education and access to energy education does is it creates a synergy between people’s values and how they can actually show up in the world with work.” – Esther Morales“There’s a difference between knowing some things and then knowing how that translat...

    • 42 min
    3.08 On the Viability of Commercial Energy Storage and the Art of System Architecture with Diane Dandeneau

    3.08 On the Viability of Commercial Energy Storage and the Art of System Architecture with Diane Dandeneau

    In this episode, Amy and Diane discuss the past and present landscape of opportunities in solar, along with the viability of commercial energy storage and the art of architecture in renewable energy projects.“It is hard to do this, but the hard work needs to get done.” – Diane DandeneauDiane Dandeneau is a serial entrepreneur and lifelong artist. She has had a passion for renewable energy since living in a passive solar home while going to art school in NM. Her purpose in life is now focused ...

    • 42 min
    3.07 On Holistic Sustainability and Solar Packaging with Vanessa Benkert

    3.07 On Holistic Sustainability and Solar Packaging with Vanessa Benkert

    In this episode, Vanessa Benkert shares her passion for working in the renewable energy field, the power of storytelling and innovation, and an overlooked, yet important piece of the solar puzzle: transporting solar panels with reusable packaging.Learn more: https://www.pvpallet.com/With ~20 years of experience, Vanessa has a proven track record of developing and executing marketing initiatives for a range of companies, from small startups to large international organizations. Her skillset in...

    • 41 min
    3.06 On Streamlining Technology Deployment in the Field with Sierra Fan

    3.06 On Streamlining Technology Deployment in the Field with Sierra Fan

    In this episode, Sierra Fan describes co-founding illu to better support technicians in the renewable energy field. She says, “It really came from personal experience… we tried to look for the software. We thought someone must have built something that makes this easier. We kept looking for it. We couldn’t find it… and that’s how we got started with this.”She and Amy also discuss international renewable energy projects vs those in the US from her experience as a developer of solar and storage...

    • 39 min
    3.05 On Unlocking the Barriers to Accessible Solar Solutions with Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt

    3.05 On Unlocking the Barriers to Accessible Solar Solutions with Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt

    In this episode, Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt shares her family’s journey to creating Gismo Power, her joy in driving EVs and traveling the seven seas, as well as her drive to make solar solutions more accessible to everyone.Quotes“It’s fun to run on sun.” – Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt“Ease of interconnection, especially for small systems, would really explode growth.” – Amy Simpkins“There are things that have to be addressed at a regulatory level that can help more than just this technology.” – Amy Simpk...

    • 37 min

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