Shows / This Week in Solar
This Week in Solar
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
Episodes
This Week in SolarSodium-ion Batteries Are Making Major Progress
What’s newEarlier this week, Solar Power World published an article called “Sodium Ion Batteries are Ready for World Domination.” (linked at the bottom of…
This Week in SolarBuilding a Sustainability Legacy in Montgomery County: Devi Ramkissoon
Aaron talks with Devi Ramkissoon, the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Devi’s a great storyteller and was a joy to…
This Week in SolarNew Jersey Approves Agrivoltaic Funding and PECO Begins Paying Homeowners for Battery Power
It’s a great week for New Jersey farmers and anyone who buys their power from PECO (the utility that covers Southeast PA and the city of Philadelphia). After…
This Week in SolarEverything You Need to Know to Buy and Sell a Home With Solar
Realtors often think of solar as a four-letter word. So how do we change that? Today’s episode was recorded live in front of an audience and features two…
This Week in SolarBalcony Solar's Biggest Problem Isn't Legalization
What’s newI’m going to be testing a plug-in solar system on my house, and as I’ve researched the best way to set it up, I’ve realized that some limitations…
This Week in SolarLeaving Big Oil to Build Self-Sufficient Homes: Rob Avis
Aaron talks with Rob Avis, an engineer and permaculture designer who walked away from a career in the fossil fuel industry to found 5thWorld. Rob and his team…
This Week in SolarTrump Administration Planning New Tariffs on Solar Materials
What’s newThe Trump administration is planning to impose tariffs of at least 15% on imported polysilicon and set minimum prices on many parts of the solar…
This Week in SolarHow 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…
This Week in SolarForget 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…
This Week in SolarEnergy 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…
This Week in SolarYour 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…
This Week in SolarEvery 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…
This Week in SolarUpper 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%…
This Week in Solar40-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…
This Week in SolarSeveral 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…
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How Off-Grid Hippies Kick-Started The Solar Industry: Jeff Spies and Jason Vetterli
Aaron talks with Jeff Spies and Jason Vetterli, seasoned solar industry veterans and filmmakers who are about to release the documentary Solar Roots. They’ve…
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New Jersey Unanimously Legalizes Plug-In (Balcony) Solar
What’s New: Earlier this week, New Jersey lawmakers unanimously passed the Garden State Plug-In Solar Act, a bill that would legalize plug-in (balcony) solar…
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Building Hurricane-Proof Off-Grid Solar In a Box: Meghan Wood
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…
This Week in SolarTesla, Renew Home, and Sunrun Plan to Use Home Solar and Batteries to Power Data Centers
What’s newAcross the country, data centers are gobbling up power, and Americans are paying the bill for rising costs. Everyone involved in building these…
This Week in SolarThe Future is Filled With Solar and Sheep: Rebekah Pierce
Energy costs are skyrocketing, and no one seems to have a good plan to fix it. Between natural disasters, capacity auctions, utility rate hikes, and data…
This Week in SolarHere's How You Can Help Legalize Plug-In (Balcony) Solar In Your State
Plug-in solar is one of the best defenses average Americans have against skyrocketing electricity bills. Sadly, not every state legislature agrees. Some state…
This Week in SolarHere's How We Connect Way More Solar to The Grid: Mike McGuire
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…
This Week in SolarYour State-By-State Plug-In Solar Update (Balcony Solar)
Plug-in solar is sweeping the nation. What started as a fringe, under-the-radar DIY movement (look up “guerrilla solar”) will soon be a legally protected…
This Week in SolarDr. Janette Freeman: Why Aren't We Recycling More Solar Panels?
Aaron talks with Dr. Janette Freeman, VP of Business Development at Fabtech and a leading expert in the circular economy for solar. Janette is a former…
This Week in SolarIs Solar Panel Quality Getting Worse?
What’s New:Two of the solar industry’s leading independent testing labs, Kiwa PVEL and RETC, just dropped their 2026 solar panel reliability reports. The…
This Week in SolarInventing a Transforming Solar Shipping Container: Dr. Ryan Wartena
Aaron talks with Dr. Ryan Wartena, CEO and Founder of Southern Beams Builds and creator of Dragonwings. If you don’t already know what Dragonwings are, you…
This Week in SolarElon Musk Planning to Double US Solar Manufacturing Capacity
What’s New: Earlier this year, Elon Musk set an aggressive goal for Tesla and SpaceX: to build 100 gigawatts (GW) of annual solar manufacturing capacity in the…
This Week in SolarEpisode 100! You Don't Need Permission to Use Solar: Mr. Money Mustache
In This Week In Solar’s one hundredth episode, Aaron Nichols sits down with Mr. Money Mustache. They dive into the unnecessary red tape surrounding traditional…
This Week in SolarBattery Storage Sets Q1 Record While Fueling AI Boom
What’s new: The U.S. energy storage sector just posted its strongest first quarter in history, installing 9.7 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new capacity.Why it…
This Week in SolarIt's Way Too Hard to Connect Solar to the Grid: Vaughan Woodruff
Aaron talks with Vaughan Woodruff, the founder of Equinox DG. Vaughan’s an interconnection expert, industry veteran, and “muck shoveler” who tackles…
This Week in SolarState of The Solar Union: Sean White
Since we started This Week In Solar last year, three news stories have gotten far more attention than any others: * Plug-In Solar * Large solar companies…
This Week in SolarHow to Break Free From the Grid: Deep Patel
Aaron Nichols sits down with Deep Patel, Founder and CEO of Gigawatt, to explore how we can return to the original promise of the solar pioneers (power to the…
This Week in SolarNot Everyone is Excited About Plug-In Solar
Note: Apologies if you saw this go out on Monday and tried to watch the video. I accidentally sent it early. If you were waiting for the video, please enjoy!…
This Week in SolarLisa Shulock: Why Isn't Solar On Every Commercial Building?
Aaron Nichols talks with Lisa Shulock, Director of Commercial Programs at the Philadelphia Energy Authority. Lisa is a policy expert dedicated to proving that…
This Week in SolarFour Republicans Are Trying to Save Solar Tax Credits
We decided to try something new for this episode! I invited Anders Alexander to give commentary on this developing story, but kept it under 5 minutes. If you…
This Week in SolarHow Any Homeowner Can Choose the Right Solar Company: Laura Gutierrez
Aaron Nichols sits down with Laura Gutierrez, seasoned solar professional and co-founder of SolarSync.Laura shares her journey from journalist and yoga teacher…
This Week in SolarFederal Judge Rules Against Trump's Clean Energy Blockade
What’s New: On Tuesday, Chief Judge Denise Casper of the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction halting five Trump…
This Week in SolarHow AI Can Actually Help Solar Companies: Tim Montague
Aaron talks with Tim Montague, host and creator of the Clean Power Hour podcast and a WSI Certified AI Business Consultant. Tim is a 30-year industry veteran…
This Week in SolarFreedom Forever Files for Bankruptcy as More States Pass Plug-In Solar
What’s New: Freedom Forever, the second-largest residential solar installer in the U.S. as of 2025, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday. The company…
This Week in SolarOperations Steps Most Solar Companies Miss: Jesse Callahan
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols sits down with Jesse Callahan to explore how she built a high-growth solar division within an…
This Week in SolarLatest St. Jude Dream Home Powered By Donated Solar
What’s newThe latest St. Jude Dream Home in Coachella Valley is now equipped with a fully donated, state-of-the-art solar energy system. Why it mattersThe St…
This Week in SolarEvery Solar Company Misses This Obvious Step: Sonny Sacks
In this episode, Aaron talks with Sonny Sacks, a Database Reactivation Specialist who works with home service companies. Sonny explains how solar companies can…
This Week in SolarUS Solar Manufacturing Surges to Meet Demand
What’s newIn just one year, the number of factories that assemble solar panels here on American soil grew by 35%, but it’s still not enough to meet demand. The…
This Week in SolarThere's Room for Every Solar Company to Win: Adam Larner
Aaron Nichols speaks with Adam Larner, Chief Operating Officer at Primergy Power, about why the clean energy industry needs to stop fighting over slices of the…
This Week in SolarThe Iran War's Making Energy Expensive. Solar Can Help.
What’s New: Amid already all-time-high energy prices, the war in Iran has driven energy prices even higher.Why it Matters: Thankfully, there’s a major…
This Week in SolarSolar's Gotten Too Complex: Derek The Solarboi
Aaron talks with Derek The Solarboi, one of the few influencers in the solar industry. Derek is a master electrician, lead technician, and content creator…
This Week in SolarVirginia is Second State to Legalize Balcony Solar. Who'll be Third?
What’s New: We’ve been tracking the national plug-in/balcony solar movement for weeks, so if you’d like to catch up on how balcony solar works and what’s…
This Week in SolarSolar Isn't Going Anywhere: Kristina Zagame
When the public’s trust is at an all-time low, how can reliable solar companies connect with customers? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Kristina Zagame…
This Week in SolarNew Website Tracks All Plug-In Solar Bills
What’s New: After listening to last week’s episode, This Week In Solar listener Ryan Yosua spent the weekend creating a website that tracks the status of every…
This Week in SolarHow Solar Developers Can Win Hearts In Rural America: Azuraye Wycoff
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols sits down with Azuraye Wycoff, co-founder of Yellow Barn Farm, to explore the tension between solar…
This Week in SolarThe Complete List of States Considering Plug-In Solar
Note: We published this piece back in March, but it’s still getting a ton of attention. If you landed here and you’re looking for updated info, read our most…
This Week in SolarPerovskite is About to Change Solar Forever: Scott Wharton
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols sits down with Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, to explore the new frontier of renewable energy…
This Week in SolarWhat You Should Know About Plug-In Solar
Last Friday, we did an episode about the 24 states considering legalizing plug-in solar.It’s already our most listened-to episode by far since starting This…
This Week in SolarThe Major Problem With Clean Energy Marketing: Jacob Yang
In this episode, Aaron talks with Jacob Yang, the Founder and CEO of Amp Your Story.After realizing there was no central hub for clean energy marketers, Jacob…
This Week in SolarMore States Consider Legalizing Plug-In Solar
What’s New: Inspired by Europe’s balcony solar boom, more than two dozen U.S. states are considering legalizing plug-in solar systems. These kits allow anyone…
This Week in SolarHow We Get Solar On Every Warehouse In America: Belle Sherwood
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols talks with Belle Sherwood, Clean Energy Advocate at PennEnvironment, about why we don’t see more…
This Week in SolarExact Solar's Habitat for Humanity Project Gains National Recognition
What’s new:Solar Power World just launched a new series, Projects of Impact, in which they interview the owners and installers of the highest-impact solar…
This Week in SolarHow to Talk About Solar Without Confusing Anyone: Phil Horwitch
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols sits down with Phil Horwich, co-founder of AMH Enterprises, to talk about where the solar industry…
This Week in SolarPolling Shows MAGA Voters Love American-Made Solar
What’s new:A new poll commissioned by US manufacturer First Solar reveals that a majority of Trump voters support solar power, with higher approval ratings if…
This Week in SolarYour Energy Bill Shouldn't Be So Hard to Understand: Jessica Fishman
In this episode of This Week in Solar, host Aaron Nichols sits down with Jessica Fishman, a longtime renewable energy communicator and the voice behind some of…