This Week in Solar

Exact Solar
  • 4.5 (14)
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  • Updated Weekly

A weekly look at what's new in solar, brought to you by Exact Solar. Clean energy news, policy updates, and stories that matter. exactsolar.substack.com

  1. 15h ago

    How We (Literally) Take Our Power Back: Sean Garren Decray

    Aaron talks with Sean Garren DeKrey, Chief Program Officer at Vote Solar, who leads the state-level solar policy and advocacy work in more than two dozen states. If you feel powerless when you think about clean energy and how much needs to be done, this is the episode for you. Listen to this episode here, or on: YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Sean on LinkedIn here. Learn more about Vote Solar at votesolar.org. Expect to learn:Why roughly 70% of this century’s carbon reduction came from state and local policy (not the federal policies we’re so busy arguing about)How ordinary people can actually sway state legislators and energy regulators (and why it’s a smaller pond than you think)Why the solar transition is already past the tipping point, and how we’re going to have a “two-way relationship” with electricity in the future. This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And we have a special bonus for This Week In Solar listeners. For a limited time, we’ll pay you $1,000 if you refer a friend and they go solar. (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please don’t refer anyone outside those states.) Here’s how to claim the bonus: Click the “Refer a Friend and earn $1000” button below.Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar).Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative.Add your friend’s name, address, and contact info.Get a check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us!Refer a Friend and Earn $1,000 Quote from the episode:“The clean energy economy isn’t a tiny seed we’re still watering. We’re one of the big trees in the forest now, and we’ve got to start playing like that.” — Sean Garren DeKrey

    How We (Literally) Take Our Power Back: Sean Garren Decray

  2. 5d ago

    Forget Humanoid Robots. The FCC Banned New Foreign-Made Solar Inverters

    What’s newYou might have seen headlines this week about the Trump Administration banning the importation of humanoid robots. Maybe you even laughed, which is understandable! But buried in that ban is something far more impactful. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added foreign-made power inverters to its “Covered List” (the government’s roster of gear they consider a national security risk). Let us explain what those are. Most people, when they see a solar energy system, only see solar panels and have no idea what an inverter is. An inverter is the box that converts the direct current (DC) produced by solar panels into the alternating current (AC) your home and the grid actually use. Nothing on a solar or battery system runs without one. On Tuesday, the Trump Administration banned any brand-new inverter model built outside the United States from getting approved for sale here. If you’re shopping for a residential solar energy system or a smaller commercial solar energy system, you can take a breath, because this likely won’t affect you. This ban will disproportionately affect utility-scale solar systems (think systems that cover several acres). The FCC’s stated reason for this ban is cybersecurity. They argue that internet-connected inverters could, in theory, be shut off or remotely monitored from abroad. It’s worth noting that a Department of Energy review earlier this year inspected 30 Chinese-made inverters and found no evidence of hidden malicious hardware. Regardless of why the FCC chose to do this, it comes at a strange time. Millions of Americans currently struggle to pay their electric bills as power prices skyrocket, and solar is the fastest and cheapest energy we can deploy to help bring down prices. Data centers are demanding huge amounts of power that has to come from somewhere, so intentionally delaying large-scale solar projects is an odd choice. Sources:Trump admin bans ‘new’ foreign-made inverters. What does that mean? (Canary Media)FCC bans foreign-produced solar inverters (pv magazine USA)US government bans foreign-produced inverters (PV Tech)FCC bans new foreign inverter imports (Solar Power World)Trump administration bans new Chinese humanoid robots, to protect US AI buildout

    Forget Humanoid Robots. The FCC Banned New Foreign-Made Solar Inverters

  3. Jul 29

    Energy Doesn't Have to Be So Boring: Watts The Tea

    Aaron talks with Zainab Mirza and Hannah Malus, the co-hosts of Watts the Tea, a show that translates clean energy news and policy into the language of Gen Z gossip. If you want to know why clean energy has a messaging problem, and how you might fix it with a little help from Twilight, Real Housewives, and a healthy disrespect for the sweater vest, this is the episode for you. Listen to this episode here, or on: YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotifyFollow Watts the Tea on Instagram This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And starting today, we have a special bonus for This Week In Solar Listeners. For a limited time (July 1st-August 31st, 2026), we’ll pay you $1000 if you refer a friend to us and they go solar. (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please do not refer anyone outside those states). All you have to do is: Click the “Refer a Friend and Earn $1000” button below.Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar).Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative.Add your friend’s name, address, and contact information.Get a $1000 check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us!Refer a Friend and Earn $1000 Expect to learn:Why so many clean energy CEOs are showing up to Washington with a “first-time ask to save their industry” and why that doesn’t workWhy you will never hear the phrase “electrons to the grid” on Watts the TeaWhat Zainab and Hannah have against sweater vestsQuotes from the episode:“Clean energy is so cool. It’s interesting. It’s like more people care about it now than ever… but it lives in this media silo of long form, really wonky, technical, expert level analysis when more people want to be in the conversation.” — Hannah Malus “You can learn what a virtual power plant is in three minutes without needing a textbook on it. And so we’re convinced we can do it.” — Zainab Mirza

    Energy Doesn't Have to Be So Boring: Watts The Tea

  4. Jul 24

    Your New State-By-State Balcony Solar Update (Plug-In Solar)

    What’s New:As of July 2026, eight states have signed plug-in solar into law. Two more states have had legislation pass both chambers, and the bills are now sitting on the governor’s desk waiting to be signed. In today’s episode, we’ll go over where every state stands today. Quick refresher before we get into the state-by-state list: plug-in solar kits are small systems that don’t require approval. You mount a few panels wherever the sun hits your property, plug your inverter into a standard 120-volt outlet, and power flows into your home and lowers your bill. No permits required. Refer a Friend, earn $1000This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And we have a special bonus for This Week In Solar Listeners. For a limited time (July 1st-August 31st, 2026), we’ll pay you $1000 if you refer a friend to us and they go solar. (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please do not refer anyone outside those states). All you have to do is: Click the “Refer a Friend and Earn $1000” button below. Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar). Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative. Add your friend’s name, address, and contact information. Get a $1000 check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us! https://exactsolar.com/referral/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=this_week_in_solar

    Your New State-By-State Balcony Solar Update (Plug-In Solar)

  5. Jul 22

    Every Solar Company Needs a Thought Leader: Kellie Macpherson

    This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And starting today, we have a special bonus for This Week In Solar Listeners. For a limited time (July 1st-August 31st, 2026), we’ll pay you $1000 if you refer a friend to us and they go solar. (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please do not refer anyone outside those states). All you have to do is: Click the “Refer a Friend and Earn $1000” button below.Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar).Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative.Add your friend’s name, address, and contact information.Get a $1000 check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us!Refer a Friend and Earn $1000 Aaron talks with Kellie Macpherson, Chief Operating Officer of Compliance and Security at Radian Generation, who leads compliance and security work for hundreds of renewable power plants across the country. If you want to know what storytelling, reliability, cybersecurity, and human leadership have in common when it comes to the future of clean energy, this is the episode for you. Listen to this episode here, or on: YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Kellie on LinkedIn here. Expect to learn:Why Kellie started posting on LinkedIn every day after someone told her she should not be speaking publiclySome of the amazing things that have happened to Kellie from building her personal brandWhy smart companies are putting public faces on their brands in 2026Quote from the episode:“Reliability, doing compliance well, cybersecurity well, takes away all of those negative arguments about renewables… and now we actually have the ability to go forward and change the grid and solve some really serious problems that we have.” — Kellie Macpherson

    Every Solar Company Needs a Thought Leader: Kellie Macpherson

  6. Jul 17

    Upper Dublin Township Goes Solar

    Exact Solar just finished one of the most high-impact projects we've ever been a part of. Upper Dublin's new Police Station and Municipal building is now 100% solar-powered! If you're wondering if your home, business, township, non-profit, municipal building, warehouse, or commercial entity can go solar and save money, the answer is probably yes. If you're in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, Exact Solar would love to show you the numbers. Talk to our team

    Upper Dublin Township Goes Solar

  7. Jul 15

    40-Year Cleantech Investor Shares What He Looks for in Entrepreneurs: Dave Kirkpatrick

    Aaron talks with Dave Kirkpatrick, a co-founder and Managing Director of SJF Ventures. Dave is a 40-year veteran of clean energy investment whose firm backs cleantech companies that make an impact. If you want to know what the people who fund the energy transition look for in great companies and entrepreneurs, this is the episode for you. Listen to this episode here, or on: YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotifyConnect with Dave on LinkedIn here. Expect to learn: How Dave evaluates whether he wants to invest in a clean energy startupWhy the solar industry currently earns a “D-minus” in public relations Which entrepreneurs are worth investing in (according to Dave’s 40 years of experience) Quote from the episode: “I'm more focused on companies that have really engaged with the customers and are clearly solving a customer problem and are not spending too much time in the skunkworks before they actually encounter the market.” — Dave Kirkpatrick This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Southeast PA and New Jersey. We’d love to pay you $500 if you refer a friend to us and they go solar (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please do not refer anyone outside those states). All you have to do is: Click the “Refer a Friend and Earn $500” button below. Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar). Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative. Add your friend’s name and address. Get a $500 check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us! Refer a Friend and Earn $1000

    40-Year Cleantech Investor Shares What He Looks for in Entrepreneurs: Dave Kirkpatrick

  8. Jul 10

    Several Companies Want to Deploy In-Home Data Centers

    What’s newSeveral companies want to install tiny AI data centers in people’s homes. It’s not as crazy an idea as you might think… AI needs more computing power, but Americans are beginning to loathe data centers and oppose them almost anywhere anyone suggests putting them. Homes already have power, internet, and space. Some homes already have solar panels, batteries, and smart electric panels, making them perfect candidates to host small computing devices. This is a concept called “distributed computing.” So, just like our episode two weeks ago (where we talked about how several solar and other technology companies are considering pulling from solar and battery systems when data centers need power), these companies are considering pulling compute from home-hosted computing devices when people need queries answered by A.I. A quick message before the rest of the story: This Week In Solar is always brought to you by Exact Solar, your locally owned, twenty-year-old solar installer for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And we have a special bonus for This Week In Solar Listeners. For a limited time (July 1st-August 31st, 2026), we’ll pay you $1000 if you refer a friend to us and they go solar. (We only install in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so please do not refer anyone outside those states). All you have to do is: Click the “Refer a Friend and Earn $1000” button below. Fill in your information (we need your address to mail you a check if your friend goes solar). Select Aaron Nichols as the sales representative. Add your friend’s name, address, and contact information. Get a $1000 check mailed to you if your friend goes solar with us! Refer a Friend and Earn $1000 Here are a few examples of distributed computing plans:Sunrun is testing AI computer systems in homes that already have Sunrun solar panels and batteries. Homeowners would be paid to host them, and Sunrun says they plan to start rolling them out while they test how well they work. NVIDIA and Span are testing GPU cabinets that attach to the outside of homes. These connect to smart electric panels and backup batteries. Span’s XFRA system would place liquid-cooled NVIDIA computer systems next to homes. Span is starting with pilot projects before trying to grow. Akash’s Homenode is a different version of this concept that helps people who already own powerful gaming or work computers sell extra computing power. Why it mattersAI has two big problems right now: not enough computing power, and not enough electricity to run it. A home with solar panels and a battery can help provide both the space and the energy for a small amount of AI computing. This could be much faster than building new data centers, which can take years to plan, approve, connect to the grid, and build (a process made much slower by the fact that Americans tend not to want them anywhere near their towns). There is also a strong financial reason for people to opt into these programs: Computing power is currently worth much more than electricity, sometimes 10-20 times more. The technology isn’t available for the mass market yet, but in the next few years, we could start seeing this become more common for homeowners.

    Several Companies Want to Deploy In-Home Data Centers
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About

A weekly look at what's new in solar, brought to you by Exact Solar. Clean energy news, policy updates, and stories that matter. exactsolar.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Exact Solar
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Exact Solar
  • Show Website
    This Week in Solar

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