The Best 30 Podcasts for Solar Energy Experts
Quick, name two technological applications that large segments of humans consider indispensable…
Of course you did.
100 million people listened to podcasts each month in 2020. That number is expected to rise to 125 million listeners per month by 2022.
Solar energy is experiencing similar gains. Solar installations increased by 10% between 2018 and 2019. With the Department of Energy making a concerted effort to cut solar costs by as much as 60% in the near future, further adoption of solar is a near certainty.
Doesn’t it make sense to pair one of these growth sectors with the other?
These are some of the most popular, useful podcasts focusing on solar energy and the renewable sector more generally.
The Solarpreneur
Taylor Armstrong hosts The Solarpreneur, a podcast aimed at those in the solar industry. The target audience is those who want to take “solar sales or business to the next level”. More specifically, the podcast serves marketers, sales representatives, and solar entrepreneurs (hence the title).
This show could also be a valuable resource for those who are considering solar as a way to make a living or supplement their income.
MIT Energy Initiative
If you’re looking for a credible source for energy-related topics, you can’t do much better than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). One of the premier technical universities in the world sponsors the MIT Energy Initiative podcast.
The show features content broader than just solar, as it focuses on the “future of energy”. Guests on the show are heavyweights, including university professors and members of institutions like the United Nations (UN) and International Energy Agency (IEA).
The Solar Maverick
Benoy Thanjan hosts The Solar Maverick. Thanjan is a serial entrepreneur with a solar-focused energy company. He interviews guests in the solar energy space, asking questions meant to give the listener actionable advice for their own solar ventures.
The Solar Maverick also examines trends in the solar sector, but its format is interview-intensive.
Columbia Energy Exchange
Columbia University sponsors this energy-focused podcast, Columbia Energy Exchange. The show’s format centers on “in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia and civil society”. This is a diverse array of guests bringing a spectrum of perspectives on the future of energy.
CStraight-Talk Solar Cast
Straight-Talk Solar Cast is a “podcast for answers about solar” brought to you by Solar Harmonics. Solar Harmonics is a solar energy company based in the Sacramento area of northern California.
The podcast addresses topics relevant to listeners who are actively implementing solar energy in their lives. The hosts speak with experts in the solar field and discuss trending topics pertaining to solar.
Solar Media Editors’ Channel
Solar Media presents the Solar Media Editors’ Channel podcast. Clean energy and renewables technology are the centerpieces of the podcast’s content slate. Solar Media’s in-house editorial team interviews professionals in the renewable energy space for the listeners’ benefit.
Contractors Corner by Solar Power World
Solar Power World produces this contractor-focused podcast, Contractors Corner. The hosts speak with industry professionals to learn about the many applications for solar energy. Unlike some solar podcasts that take a big-picture view of solar, Contractors Corner examines specific topics in a detailed manner.
From solar car ports to residential solar and commercial applications, this show covers a lot of ground with a variety of guests.
CleanTech Talk
Zach Shahan and Mike Barnard host CleanTech Talk. In addition to solar energy, the hosts discuss related technologies like batteries and electric vehicles (EVs). They interview representatives from major brands including Lyft, BloombergNEF, NVDIA, and more about the latest developments in the field of clean technology.
Switched On by Bloomberg
Bloomberg presents Switched On, a show focused on the “future of energy, transport, sustainability, and more”. Hosts Dana Perkins and Mark Taylor conduct interviews where they delve into research from BloombergNEF.
Past shows have focused on the electric vehicle race, national and regional climate targets, the latest news in clean energy, and how the future of energy affects animal species.
Solar r.e.view by BayWa r.e. Solar Systems
Solar r.e.view is a podcast aimed at contractors in the solar industry. Produced by solar panel distribution company BayWa r.e., the stated goal of the show is “helping local installers run healthy and profitable businesses”.
Episodes focus on specific aspects of the solar industry. These focuses include solar tech, financing, commercial solar, and residential solar. Other episodes feature roundtable discussions with solar industry insiders.
SunCast
Nico Johnson is the host of SunCast. As host, he speaks with executives in the solar industry. A specific focus is emerging solar markets (including but not limited to Latin America) and how listeners can “get ahead” of competitors in those markets.
The Interchange
Greentech Media presents The Interchange, a podcast hosted by Stephen Lacey and Shayle Kann about the future of energy. Lacey is a journalist and Kann is a venture capitalist, so they bring a unique combined perspective to each episode.
The show’s focus includes “technology trends, markets, and companies” impacting the future of energy.
*Greentech Media is rumored to be disbanding, but this podcast is still worth checking out
Energy Policy Now
The University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy presents the Energy Policy Now podcast. The show offers “clear talk on the policy issues that define our relationship to energy and its impact on society and the environment” through bi-weekly episodes.
Clean Power Planet
Clean Power Planet is a “podcast for people that can't wait to switch to renewable energy”. Even if you don’t have strong feelings about renewable energy, you may get some value out of this show, which is hosted by David Butler.
Each show features an interview which addresses a topic relevant to clean energy, from retraining coal miners to DIY wind turbines.
Energy Insiders
Energy Insiders is a podcast from RenewEconomy, an Australian publication focused on clean energy. RenewEconomy editor and founder Giles Parkinson partners with energy markets experts David Leitch as co-hosts.
Energy Insiders' three primary discussion points are solar energy, politics, and solar storage.
Currents
Currents is a podcast focusing on project finance for energy infrastructure. It takes a behind-the-scenes look at the funding powering the future of energy, solar included.
Interview subjects include policymakers and business leaders. Host Todd Alexander, a partner at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, pairs with guests to discuss “important trends affecting the energy and infrastructure space”.
The Freeing Energy Podcast
Clean Energy CEO Bill Nussey hosts The Freeing Energy Podcast alongside co-host Sam Easterby. Players in the global energy ecosystem speak with Nussey and Easterby about electric power. Topics pertain to those concerned with installing electric energy at both the individual and community levels.
Campus Energy and Sustainability
Campus Energy and Sustainability is a podcast focused on sustainable energy specific to college campuses. Topics of discussion include “energy conservation and efficiency...planning and finance...building science...social science...energy systems…[and] food system[s]”.
Guests knowledgeable in the energy field join the show regularly for monthly or bi-monthly episodes.
The Energy Gang
The Energy Gang is a debate- and discussion-centric podcast about green energy. Presented by Greentech Media, weekly episodes explore the categories of “energy, cleantech, renewables, and the environment”.
Listening to this podcast is a way to stay tuned to the transformational aspects of the American energy landscape.
*Greentech Media is rumored to be disbanding, but this podcast is still worth checking out.
Local Energy Rules
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) presents Local Energy Rules. ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell hosts interviews with “leaders in local renewable energy development [and] people who have struggled to create community energy projects and change policy to make them easier”.
20 minute episodes are published every two weeks.
Solar Disruption Theory
Solar Disruption Theory brings listeners interviews with “the most forward-thinking minds in solar today”. The hosts look to expose a side of solar outside that lies beyond surface-level discussions. They are not shy about having solar activists and other unabashed solar supporters on the show.
Monthly episodes generally run about an hour long.
The Sustainability Agenda
Fergal Byrne hosts The Sustainability Agenda. It is a podcast about the future of sustainable energy. Specifically, it focuses on the challenges and questions facing the further adoption of sustainable energy sources. Interviews with “leading sustainability thinkers” are the centerpiece of the weekly show.
The Renewable Generation
The Renewable Generation is a climate change show “for young people, by young people”. It is a show that takes a hyper-recent approach to each show, focusing on current events impacting the climate. The future is inevitably a significant part of this show, as renewables and climate concerns go hand-in-hand.
The Beam Podcast
Anne-Sophie Garrigou, Editor-in-Chief of The Beam Magazine, hosts The Beam Podcast. The show addresses questions such as ‘How should we deal with the changing climate?’, ‘What is our response? Is it fast enough?’, and ‘How do we make sure that no one is left behind?' in an interview format.
The Sustainable Futures Report
Anthony Day hosts The Sustainable Futures Report. The show focuses on “Surviving climate change, resource depletion, the energy crisis”, and possibly making a profit at the same time. The show comes out weekly and generally runs between 20 and 30 minutes per episode.
POLITICO Energy
POLITICO Energy is a short, news-centric podcast covering the latest in the energy sector. This includes developments related to renewable energy and solar energy in particular. A ten-person team participates in the podcast, with the team including energy-focused journalists for POLITICO.
The Energy Transition Show
Energy expert Chris Nelder hosts The Energy Transition Show. The show is about “exploring global infrastructure and markets during the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewables” through interviews with industry professionals.
Redefining Energy
Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid co-host Redefining Energy. The podcast is unique in that the hosts have a finance background. Twice per month, the hosts “explore how tech, finance, markets and regulations are radically redefining the world of energy”. More precisely, how these forces are affecting renewable energy.
Green Energy Futures
David Dodge hosts Green Energy Futures. The show focuses on first-person stories of those taking part in the “green energy revolution”. Those who want to participate in solar energy or other renewable projects may find inspiration in these personal stories.
Energy Evolution
S&P Global Market Intelligence presents Energy Evolution, a podcast that examines the most noteworthy changes in the energy sector. This includes the emergence of renewable energy technologies like solar.
Interviews provide insight about “the trends that the policy makers, traders and industry professionals need to know about”.
Conclusion
You can find these podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other podcast platforms. If you’re looking for a convenient way to learn about solar energy’s potential and practical applications, take your pick of these 30 auditory resources.
