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Energy Gang

Making Stuff Is Hard

Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Tech News, Environment, Sustainability, Innovation, Renewable Energy, Technology, Alternative Energy, Energy, News, Cleantech, Wind Energy, Business, Climate Change, Solar Energy

4.61.3K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2016

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dreaming, designing, building and deploying new kinds of hardware is tough in any business. But in the energy business, where change comes particularly slow, developing new tech is an especially hellacious undertaking. All of our segments tie into this theme. We’ll start off by talking with Emily Reichert, the CEO of Greentown Labs, a hardware-specific cleantech incubator. We’ll talk about where entrepreneurs tackling this space are finding the financial and human capital to get them to scale. Then we’ll turn to the ongoing saga of SolarCity. The company made a big bet on solar manufacturing last year – and new developments suggest that the decision to make its own solar panels was the wrong one. Finally, the solar industry in general is undergoing a lot of turmoil – particularly in manufacturing. We’ll broaden the discussion to talk about why solar producers are struggling, and why the solar industry may be facing a bloodbath in 2017. Thanks to our sponsor, Mission Solar Energy. Find out more about Mission's American-made solar cells and modules: http://www.missionsolar.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar cell and module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas.

0:07.0

Mission Solar's U.S. facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering state-of-the-art engineering and outstanding quality.

0:15.0

Mission Solar's modules provide world-class performance and guaranteed long-term reliability.

0:21.0

Mission Solar is proud to be part of America's booming solar industry.

0:25.8

To find out more about its cells and modules, visit Mission Solar.

0:30.9

And one quick note before we begin, we recorded this episode on Friday, October 28th,

0:37.0

then we're releasing it on Monday the 31st.

0:39.0

So you'll hear some slightly dated references, but you get the picture picture and now on to the show

0:48.3

From green tech media. This is the energy gang weekly digest on energy, clean tech, and the environment.

0:54.6

I'm Stephen Lacy, welcome.

0:56.3

This week's show is all about making stuff, or more precisely, the difficulties in making hardware.

1:09.0

Dreaming, designing, building, and deploying new kinds of hardware is tough in any business.

1:14.6

But in the energy business, where change comes particularly slow, developing new tech is an especially

1:19.6

hilacious undertaking, but the companies that do succeed could become the next multi-billion dollar energy

1:25.6

behemous.

1:27.4

All of our segments tie together into this theme in some way.

1:30.2

We'll start off by talking with Emily Reicher, the CEO of Greentown Labs, a hardware-specific

1:34.8

clean tech incubator based here in the Boston area.

1:37.9

We'll talk about where entrepreneurs tackling this space are finding the financial and human

1:42.4

capital to get them to scale.

1:44.3

Then we'll turn to the ongoing saga of Solar City. The company made a big bet on

1:48.9

solar manufacturing last year and new developments suggest that decision to make its own solar panels was the wrong one.

...

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