The Solar Coaster Podcast

Anna Covert

Welcome to The Solarcoaster Podcast — your ultimate guide to navigating the fast-changing solar industry. Each episode delivers actionable insights, industry best practices, and expert strategies to help solar professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders thrive in the renewable energy space. Whether you’re an installer, sales leader, manufacturer, or decision-maker, you’ll learn how to scale your business, optimize lead generation, and stay ahead in an evolving market.

  1. 5d ago

    Solar Panel Efficiency vs. Climate.Are We Designing Solar Systems All Wrong? | EP 59 | Solar Coaster

    Is the most efficient solar panel always the best solar panel? Not necessarily—and that's exactly what we're debating in this episode of The Solar Coaster Podcast. Join Anna Covert and Alex Herrera as they challenge the solar industry's focus on module efficiency ratings and explore whether local climate conditions should play a much bigger role in how photovoltaic (PV) systems are designed. A solar installation in the Swiss Alps faces very different challenges from a project in the North African desert or a tropical environment like Singapore. Snow accumulation, reflected sunlight, extreme temperatures, dust, sandstorms, ultraviolet exposure and humidity can all influence system performance, durability, maintenance requirements and long-term costs. But should climate be the organizing principle for solar design? Or should engineers balance climate considerations with efficiency, standardization, cost and commercial feasibility? Anna and Alex examine both sides of the debate, exploring why the best-performing solar system may not always be the one with the highest efficiency rating. **IN THIS EPISODE** - Why nameplate efficiency doesn't tell the whole story. - How snow loads and reflected sunlight affect alpine solar installations. - Why desert solar projects must account for dust, heat and sandstorms. - The challenges of tropical humidity, moisture and UV exposure. - Whether steep panel tilt angles improve performance in snowy climates. - How climate affects mounting systems, materials and maintenance. - The trade-offs between efficiency, durability, cost and standardization. - Why project developers need to think beyond initial installation costs. - How climate-specific design could improve long-term reliability. - The importance of transparent engineering decisions and realistic performance expectations. **THE BIG QUESTION** Should we continue designing solar projects around efficiency ratings, or should we start by asking what the local environment will do to the system over its lifetime? **EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER** Website: https://solarcoasterbook.com/ Buy The Solar Coaster: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X Extended content: https://solarcoasterbook.com/extended-content/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook **CONNECT WITH ANNA COVERT** Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY** Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/ Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/ Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/ Solar projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/ Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/ **LISTEN TO THE SOLAR COASTER** Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/ Subscribe for more conversations about solar energy, innovation, technology and the future of our planet. #SolarCoaster #SolarPanelEfficiency #SolarEnergy #SolarDesign #RenewableEnergy #SolarEngineering

    Solar Panel Efficiency vs. Climate.Are We Designing Solar Systems All Wrong? | EP 59 | Solar Coaster

  2. Oct 7

    Can Batteries Really Power the Data Center Boom? | EP 58 | Solar Coaster Podcast

    AI is driving a massive expansion of data centers—and those facilities need enormous amounts of reliable power. So where do batteries actually fit? In Episode 58 of The Solar Coaster Podcast, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine the growing role of battery energy storage systems in data-center infrastructure and challenge one of the industry's biggest assumptions: that batteries can simply solve the data-center power problem. The reality is much more interesting. Recent analysis from the Volta Foundation divides battery applications for data centers into three categories. Batteries are winning in peak shaving and bridge power, competing in curtailment flexibility, UPS ride-through, grid services and sub-second power quality, while other technologies remain better suited to applications requiring sustained energy, long-duration backup and continuous prime power. That makes the real question less about whether data centers need batteries—and more about which jobs batteries should actually perform. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why AI data centers are creating a new power challenge • Where battery energy storage is already winning • Why peak shaving can create significant value • How electricity tariffs change battery economics • The role of batteries as bridge power • Why bridge power will often require hybrid systems • Batteries vs. diesel, gas turbines and fuel cells • Why batteries aren't automatically the answer for long-duration backup • The difference between high-power and high-energy applications • Why integration and controls may matter as much as battery chemistry • How dispatch governance affects battery reliability • The opportunity for batteries to provide grid services • Why developers need to understand actual data-center load profiles • How hyperscalers could influence future battery-system design • Why the future may belong to hybrid power architectures Volta Foundation says batteries are particularly attractive because of their deployment speed, estimating roughly 12–18 months for battery deployment compared with a four-plus-year median wait for grid interconnection. That time-to-power advantage could make storage increasingly valuable even when it isn't the lowest-cost source of energy for every hour of operation. But batteries have limits. The future of data-center power probably won't be defined by a single technology. It will be defined by combining technologies and assigning each one the job it performs best. EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER https://solarcoasterbook.com/ FOLLOW ANNA COVERT Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436 PRESENTED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY https://sunenergytoday.com/ This episode features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.

    Can Batteries Really Power the Data Center Boom? | EP 58 | Solar Coaster Podcast

  3. Sep 30

    Solar Land Leases, Foreign Ownership & the New USDA Proposal | EP 57 | Solar Coaster Podcast | Sponsored by Sun Energy Today

    A federal agricultural land disclosure rule might not sound like a solar story. But a new USDA proposal could have significant implications for certain utility-scale solar projects involving foreign ownership or investment, long-term land leases, and agricultural property. In Episode 57 of The Solar Coaster Podcast, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine USDA's proposed overhaul of regulations implementing the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, better known as AFIDA. The proposed rule would expressly include solar electric power generation under NAICS code 221114 in an expanded definition of agricultural land when applicable. It would also narrow the general lease exemption for foreign persons from leases under 10 years to leases of less than one year. For foreign adversaries and foreign-adversary-controlled entities, USDA proposes eliminating the lease-duration exemption altogether. That could make land control, ownership structures and federal reporting a much bigger compliance consideration for some renewable-energy developments. IN THIS EPISODE: • What AFIDA is and why it matters to renewable energy • Why USDA is specifically addressing solar electric generation • How agricultural land and utility-scale solar can overlap • The proposed change to the lease exemption • Why foreign ownership and beneficial ownership structures matter • How complex solar capital stacks could complicate disclosure • The importance of accurate land and ownership records • Why project mapping and land-use information could become more important • How financing and compliance can intersect • Proposed penalties for late or incomplete reporting • Why developers should distinguish between current law and proposed requirements • What solar developers, investors and landowners should watch as rulemaking continues USDA's own research illustrates why renewable-energy leases are relevant to this discussion: it found that 85% of foreign-leased U.S. agricultural land in its 2022 dataset was associated with renewable-energy development, compared with 2% of foreign-owned agricultural land. The important distinction is that these changes are proposed, not a blanket new reporting requirement already in force for every solar project. The existing AFIDA framework applies to qualifying foreign interests in U.S. agricultural land, and the exact requirements of the proposed revisions depend on the final rule. EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER https://solarcoasterbook.com/ FOLLOW ANNA COVERT Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436 PRESENTED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY https://sunenergytoday.com/ This episode features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.

    Solar Land Leases, Foreign Ownership & the New USDA Proposal | EP 57 | Solar Coaster Podcast | Sponsored by Sun Energy Today

  4. Sep 26

    Beyond Tetris: Henk Rogers’ Vision for a Sustainable Future—On Earth and Beyond | Climate Week Special Series

    What happens when the entrepreneur who helped bring Tetris to the world turns his attention to the future of our planet? For our Climate Week Special Series, Anna Covert welcomes Henk Rogers, co-founder of The Tetris Company and founder of Blue Planet Foundation, Blue Planet Energy and Blue Planet Alliance. Following a near-fatal heart attack in 2005, Henk began rethinking what he wanted to accomplish with the rest of his life. His first mission was to end the use of carbon-based fuels, starting in Hawaii. That decision helped launch a movement that contributed to Hawaii becoming the first U.S. state to establish a legal commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2045. In this wide-ranging conversation, Anna and Henk discuss how Hawaii became a model for renewable energy, why Henk is investing in new battery technologies, how his work is expanding to islands and countries around the world, and what space exploration can teach us about sustainability here on Earth. They also explore the potential of AI, the importance of engaging children in environmental action, Henk's new Action app and an unexpected idea: Tetris as meditation. IN THIS CONVERSATION The personal experience that inspired Henk's environmental mission. How Blue Planet Foundation helped advance Hawaii's renewable energy legislation. The role of children in creating lasting change. Sodium batteries, supercapacitors and the future of energy storage. Solar, hydrogen and virtual power plants. How Blue Planet Alliance is sharing Hawaii's experience with other islands and countries. What the HI-SEAS Mars simulation can teach us about living sustainably. Gamification, AI and Henk's upcoming Action app. Why Henk believes determination is more important than hope. CONNECT WITH HENK ROGERS Official website: https://www.henkrogers.com/ Blue Planet Alliance: https://blueplanetalliance.org/ Blue Planet Foundation: https://blueplanetfoundation.org/ Blue Planet Energy: https://www.blueplanetenergy.com/ Blue Startups: https://www.bluestartups.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henkrogers/ THE SOLAR COASTER Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/ Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook FOLLOW ANNA COVERT Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/ Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/ Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/ Solar projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/ Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/ LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/ Subscribe to The Solar Coaster for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series. #ClimateWeek #HenkRogers #TheSolarCoaster #Tetris #RenewableEnergy #BluePlanetAlliance

    Beyond Tetris: Henk Rogers’ Vision for a Sustainable Future—On Earth and Beyond | Climate Week Special Series

  5. Sep 26

    Can America Power the AI Revolution? | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster

    Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, but what will it take to power the technology behind it? For our Climate Week Special Series, Anna Covert welcomes Chip Comins, founder of AREDAY, Chairman and CEO of the American Renewable Energy Institute and Chairman of the American Energy Initiative's HVDC SuperGrid effort. Chip has spent decades bringing together leaders in energy, science, business, technology and entertainment. In this conversation, we explore the infrastructure challenges accompanying the AI boom and Chip's vision for connecting America's electricity resources through an underground, nationwide high-voltage direct current (HVDC) SuperGrid. **In this conversation:** * Why AI data centers are changing electricity demand. * The water and cooling challenges associated with data center development. * How a nationwide HVDC SuperGrid could connect electricity markets. * Why Chip proposes underground transmission along existing transportation corridors. * Potential opportunities for solar, wind and energy storage. * How the proposed grid could work with existing utilities. * Financing, regulatory coordination and the practical challenges of major infrastructure development. * Chip's work with AREDAY and the role of film and storytelling in public education. Chip also shares stories from more than two decades of convening energy and environmental leaders, his work on *Racing Extinction* and his collaboration with Dr. Sandy MacDonald on the SuperGrid concept. **CONNECT WITH CHIP COMINS** LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipcomins/ AREDAY / American Renewable Energy Institute: https://areday.net/ American Energy Initiative: https://americanenergyinitiative.net/ HVDC SuperGrid: https://areday.net/hvdc-supergrid/ **THE SOLAR COASTER** Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/ Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook **FOLLOW ANNA COVERT** Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY** Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/ Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/ Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/ Projects: https://sunenergytoday.com/solar-projects/ Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/ **LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS** Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/ Subscribe for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series. #ClimateWeek #SolarCoaster #ChipComins #ArtificialIntelligence #SuperGrid #RenewableEnergy

    Can America Power the AI Revolution? | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster

  6. Sep 26

    The U.S. SuperGrid: Powering America’s Energy Future | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster

    Welcome to The Solar Coaster Podcast’s Climate Week Special Series, where Anna Covert sits down with innovators and industry leaders exploring the future of clean energy, technology and our planet. Our special guest is Dr. Alexander “Sandy” MacDonald, an atmospheric scientist, former director of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory, inventor of NOAA’s Science On a Sphere and CEO of American SuperGrid LLC. What if America could move electricity across the country as efficiently as goods travel along our interstate highways? Sandy joins Anna to discuss his vision for a nationwide high-voltage direct current (HVDC) SuperGrid and what it could mean for renewable energy, grid resilience and America’s energy future. **In this conversation, we explore:** * How Sandy’s career in meteorology led him to renewable energy. * His proposal for an underground, nationwide HVDC transmission network. * Why the Great Plains could play a major role in supplying electricity to other regions. * How the SuperGrid could work alongside existing utilities and AC infrastructure. * Opportunities for solar developers, wind farms and energy storage. * Extreme weather, cybersecurity and the importance of a resilient electric grid. * The technological, economic and policy challenges of building a national system. **GUEST LINKS** Dr. Alexander “Sandy” MacDonald on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-macdonald-6825667 The SuperGrid Working Group: https://americanenergyinitiative.net/ NOAA Science On a Sphere: https://sos.noaa.gov/about/history/ **THE SOLAR COASTER** Website and book: https://solarcoasterbook.com/ Buy *The Solar Coaster*: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSGKKV8X YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook **FOLLOW ANNA COVERT** Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert **SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY** Sun Energy Today develops commercial solar, utility-scale and energy storage solutions. Website: https://sunenergytoday.com/ Commercial solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/commercial/ Utility-scale solar: https://sunenergytoday.com/utility-scale-solar/ Get started: https://sunenergytoday.com/get-started/ **LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS** Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/ Subscribe for more conversations from our Climate Week Special Series featuring Chip Comins and Henk Rogers. #ClimateWeek #SolarCoaster #SuperGrid #SandyMacDonald #RenewableEnergy

    The U.S. SuperGrid: Powering America’s Energy Future | Climate Week Special Series | Solar Coaster

  7. Sep 23

    Can Renewables Escape Their Own Waste Problem? | EP 56 | Solar Coaster Podcast

    Solar panels and wind turbines are helping reshape the world's energy system. But the equipment powering the renewable-energy transition doesn't last forever. What happens when millions of solar modules and wind turbine components eventually reach the end of their useful lives? In Episode 56 of The Solar Coaster Podcast, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine the growing challenge of renewable-energy waste—and why simply saying "recycle it" doesn't solve the problem. Solar modules contain glass, aluminum, silicon, polymers, copper and electronics. Wind turbine blades are built from highly durable composite materials that can be exceptionally difficult to process at end of life. As renewable-energy infrastructure ages, the industry must determine how to manage these materials responsibly and economically. But recycling is only one part of the conversation. Anna and Alex explore whether a better circular model should prioritize maintaining equipment longer, repairing it when possible, finding responsible second-life applications, and recycling materials only when continued use no longer makes sense. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why renewable-energy waste is becoming an increasingly important industry issue • What happens when solar panels reach the end of their useful lives • Why recycling solar modules can be expensive • The limitations of weight-based recycling targets • Why glass and aluminum are easier to recover than some higher-value materials • The difference between repair, reuse, recycling and downcycling • Why wind turbine blades present a particularly difficult materials challenge • Emerging recyclable materials and thermoplastic composites • The role of standards in wind asset life extension • Why safety matters when extending the operating life of renewable-energy equipment • The transportation and infrastructure challenges behind recycling • Who ultimately pays for end-of-life management • Why circularity must become part of procurement, design, maintenance and regulation • What a credible circular economy for renewable energy could look like The larger question isn't whether renewable energy creates waste. It does. The question is whether the industry can build the infrastructure, standards, economics and accountability necessary to prevent today's clean-energy technologies from becoming tomorrow's unmanaged waste stream. EXPLORE THE SOLAR COASTER https://solarcoasterbook.com/ FOLLOW ANNA COVERT Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436 PRESENTED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY https://sunenergytoday.com/ This episode features AI-generated voice narration of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera.

    Can Renewables Escape Their Own Waste Problem? | EP 56 | Solar Coaster Podcast

  8. Sep 16

    Why Community Solar Is Growing in Only a Few States | EP 55 | The Solar Coaster Podcast

    Community solar promises something powerful: access to solar savings without requiring panels on your own roof. So why is the U.S. community solar market still concentrated in only a handful of states? In this episode of The Solar Coaster, Anna Covert and Alex Herrera examine why community solar has become less of a technology challenge and more of a policy design contest. The conversation looks at four states taking very different approaches — New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Massachusetts — and what their programs reveal about the economics, regulations, consumer protections, billing structures, grid access, and low-income requirements that can determine whether community solar actually scales. We explore: • Why community solar growth is increasingly concentrated in a small number of states • How state policy can make a community solar project financeable — or impossible • Why predictable bill credits matter to developers and subscribers • New York’s sophisticated value-stack approach • Why consolidated utility billing can make community solar easier for consumers • New Jersey’s permanent Community Solar Energy Program • The role of low- and moderate-income subscriber requirements • Oregon’s fixed-credit and centralized program model • Why Massachusetts combines solar incentives with storage requirements • Whether strong consumer protections can sometimes create development friction • Why utility ownership rules matter • How interconnection backlogs can stop otherwise viable projects • Why long-term tariffs and predictable economics may matter more than flashy incentives • What other states can learn — and what they should not simply copy The bigger lesson? Community solar does not scale simply because people want access to solar. It scales when policy, project economics, billing, grid access, and consumer protections reinforce one another. The U.S. does not yet have one national community solar market. It has a collection of state experiments — and some are working far better than others. THE SOLAR COASTER https://solarcoasterbook.com/ FOLLOW ANNA COVERT Website: https://annacovert.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacovert/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annacovert/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacovert CONNECT WITH ALEX HERRERA https://linkedin.com/in/atzael-herrera-84223436 SPONSORED BY SUN ENERGY TODAY https://sunenergytoday.com/ LISTEN TO THE SOLAR COASTER Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28LLOtNEQj8ZoCZJqVOa7o Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solar-coaster-podcast/id1832579656 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/342b84c9-ccb9-4cdb-99cc-ed6254503bfa/the-solar-coaster-podcast iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/292376116/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@solarcoasterbook AI Transparency Notice: This episode uses AI-generated voice technology based on the real voices of Anna Covert and Alex Herrera. Both individuals have provided full knowledge and consent for their voices and likenesses to be used in this AI-produced episode. The insights shared reflect their real-world experience and professional viewpoints.

    Why Community Solar Is Growing in Only a Few States | EP 55 | The Solar Coaster Podcast
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About

Welcome to The Solarcoaster Podcast — your ultimate guide to navigating the fast-changing solar industry. Each episode delivers actionable insights, industry best practices, and expert strategies to help solar professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders thrive in the renewable energy space. Whether you’re an installer, sales leader, manufacturer, or decision-maker, you’ll learn how to scale your business, optimize lead generation, and stay ahead in an evolving market.

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