Solar Media Editors' Channel

The Solar Media Podcast returns with a dedicated look at the health of Europe's solar and energy storage markets, looking at the wealth of TOPCon PV modules on display at Intersolar Europe, what REPowerEU means for solar manufacturing on the continent and where energy storage is thriving. 

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the February 2022 episode of the Solar Media Podcast, starting with discussion around the situation in Ukraine and how the invasion, and subsequent geopolitical turbulence, could affect Europe's energy landscape this year and beyond.

Meanwhile, we speak to Lightsource bp CEO Nick Boyle and COO Ann Davies about the solar developer's target of deploying 25GW by 2025, getting the inside track of how the company intends to reach such an ambitious aim.

The year has gotten off to a frenetic start, with plenty of news from the global solar and energy storage sectors to digest on the January 2022 episode of the Solar Media Podcast.

Liam Stoker, Andy Colthorpe and Jules Scully discuss the need for a major ramp-up in solar energy manufacturing this year, discover what’s driving long-duration energy storage forward, examine the glut of recent financing deals in the clean energy space and take a look at why California’s net metering row has seen involvement from Hollywood actors.

With the year drawing to a close, the Solar Media editorial team reflect on what’s proven to be a frenetic 12 months for the global solar PV and energy storage industries, featuring tales of surging growth, supply chain volatility and policy machinations.

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe also glance forward and make their predictions for 2022.

A huge thank you to all who have listened or engaged with the podcast in any way this year, and we look forward to returning for another year of the podcast in January!

The US solar policy landscape is shifting at breakneck speed, with new incentives and trade tariffs promising to alter the shape of the industry for the coming decade. Luckily Andy Colthorpe and Liam Stoker are here to decipher the changes in the September 2021 episode of the Solar Media Podcast. There’s also talk of an increasing flow of investment and M&A deals in the energy storage space and the power market volatility disrupting much of Europe.

It may be the height of summer but there’s no respite for the Solar Media Podcast, the new episode of which is packed full of insight as the US begins its clampdown on solar imports.

With news of solar module shipments being seized at US border, Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe reflect on the difficult balancing act US President Joe Biden must strike between enforcing the withhold and release order – and a host of other prospective policies impacting on trade relations with China – and the need to support the deployment of solar PV in the country.

There’s also discussion on the huge growth figures posted by the US and UK energy storage industries and the ongoing case for long-duration energy storage technologies.

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe are back for another episode of the Solar Media podcast, and the cleantech materials crisis is showing no signs of abating. We discuss the ramifications across the energy sector, reveal while the US energy storage market is like the wild west, and talk exclusively to Honeywell’s Erin Ergin about the prospects for energy storage globally.

The February 2021 episode of the Solar Media Podcast reflects on recent market forecasts and asks just how much solar could be deployed in 2021 against a backdrop of gigawatt-scale supply contracts and national auctions. Meanwhile, Andy explores how utility-scale battery storage systems just keep getting bigger on the back of a recently-announced 1.2GW battery earmarked for Australia. There's also discussion around how grid services contracts continue to mature and why battery storage was frozen out of Spain's recent renewables auction. 

In this final episode of the Solar Media Podcast for 2020, Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe reflect on what’s been a tumultuous year by assessing some of the most impactful stories. There’s also a look back on some of the lighter developments in 2020, and Liam and Andy provide their predictions for what the next 12 months may have in store.

The Solar Media Podcast will be back in January for an entirely new season, but Andy, Liam and the rest of the Solar Media editorial team wish all of our listeners a happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

November 2020's episode of the Solar Media Podcast starts, perhaps predictably, with the fallout from the US Election. At the time of recording (Friday 6 November) the result wasn't quite yet certain, but there's still ample discussion about what a Biden Administration will do for the climate. Meanwhile, we also digest the latest cost projections of solar and energy storage from Lazard, look at why the IEA is correct to label solar as the "new king of electricity" and explore what the future holds for energy storage. 

In this episode of the Solar Media Podcast, Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe take a deep dive into what Elon & Co. presented at Tesla’s Big Battery Day, assess what the recent spate of solar manufacturing expansion announcements mean for the sector, and discuss the current state of energy politics.

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the August 2020 episode of the Solar Media podcast, reflecting on the biggest news stories from the global solar and energy storage ecosystems. Up for discussion this month are California's ongoing heatwave and its impact on energy demand and storage, why looming volatility in the cost of polysilicon should be on everyone's radar, and what we should be taking from the increasing costs of managing grids worldwide. 

Solar Media's Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the July 2020 episode of the Solar Media Podcast, starting with a rundown of the 500W+ module race that is shaping the next era of solar PV technologies. Elsewhere we uncover the policy decisions driving a green recovery in markets such as the US, India and the UK, and we learn what's driving recent moves within the energy storage market. 

If you've enjoyed listening to this or indeed any other episode, then please rate, like and subscribe!

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the June 2020 episode of the Solar Media Podcast, discussing first and foremost the previous month's activity in the US solar and storage markets. Also profiled in this episode are how the UK's grid is now greener than expected amidst lockdown, how behind-the-meter technologies are evolving and adapting, and the push for a European solar and storage manufacturing hub.  If you've enjoyed listening to this or indeed any other episode, then please rate, like and subscribe!

In this special episode of the Solar Media Podcast, Liam Stoker is joined by Jo Wilkinson, Jose Rojo and Molly Lempriere to review all of the industry-leading insight and discussion that took place during the Large-scale Solar Digital Summit. We learned how the solar industry has responded to and moved beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, while also provide a deep dive on what hurdles remain for large-scale solar development. We also talk technology trends, ranging right the way through from bifacial panels to trackers and innovative design approaches, and pinpoint the key drivers behind markets including Iberia, Italy, the UK and Ireland. 

In this special episode of the Solar Media podcast, Andy Colthorpe, Liam Stoker and Alice Grundy re-cap the critical insight offered during the Energy Storage Digital Summit, held between 11 - 15 May 2020. A wide variety of topics were discussed throughout the online event, including the potential for long duration energy storage technologies, revenue stacking and the critical issue of fire safety. Andy, Liam and Alice run through those topics, detailing the key takeaways from the event's most popular and thought-provoking sessions. 

Solar Media’s Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe discuss the continuing effects of COVID-19 on worldwide power markets, reflecting on IEA forecasts for historic energy demand lows and what they mean for renewables. There’s also talk of what new forecasts for record low LCOEs mean for solar and utilities, the advancement of energy storage and another difficult week for the PR teams of Elon Musk and Michael Moore.

Solar Media’s Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe record this month’s episode from their respective lockdowns, analysing what the spread of COVID-19 has meant for the global clean energy economy and, crucially, how renewables are responding. Also up for discussion in this episode are the ramifications of power demand fluctuations and the soaring importance of flexibility over capacity.

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the February 2020 episode of the podcast, with Andy reporting from the show floor of PV Expo in Tokyo. Up for discussion in this episode is the clean energy economy’s response to coronavirus, how preparations are underway for November’s COP26 summit, the emergence of cutting edge solar technology and a much-vaunted return of solar to the UK’s CfD mechanism.

Andy Colthorpe and Liam Stoker are back reviewing the pivotal clean energy headlines from around the globe. Liam reports back from the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi where the future of the Middle East’s power grid was up for debate before the discussion moves on to Australia’s bush fires, the nation’s relationship with coal and what ‘Scotty from marketing’ might be able to learn from Germany.

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe take a look back at 2019, re-capping some of the biggest stories in energy storage while also predicting what the key trends for the energy transition in 2020 may be. 

Solar Media's Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe take a look at the rapidly increasing solar and storage commitments from some of energy's biggest names, discuss the rise and rise of long-duration storage and try and provide some sense to the UK's general election. 

Solar Media's Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe are back for episode three of the Solar Media Podcast, discussing what's necessary for economies to reach net zero status - and, crucially, when that can be reached - while also taking a look at the recent spate of technology partnerships in the power sector. Meanwhile, Andy looks back at what's been a bumper month for energy storage developments worldwide. 

Energy Storage News editor Andy Colthorpe reports back from Solar Power International 2019 in Salt Lake City, Solar Media's editor in chief Liam Stoker discusses what's next for nuclear after EDF's latest Hinkley Point C update, and the two reflect on an important week for the climate crisis as Greta Thunberg inspires global protests, as well as the ire of a handful of detractors.

Energy Storage News editor Andy Colthorpe and Current± editor Liam Stoker discuss the headlines, causes and remedies for the blackouts which affected more than one million consumers in the UK in early August, and take a look at the latest episode to befall Elon Musk and Tesla. 

Current± & Energy-Storage.news editors' Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe met up halfway through this year's Intersolar Europe / ees Europe to talk about what they'd seen and heard, and what we expect to see shaping the future of energy to come. 

In the middle of 2019, with the clock ticking in the climate race, we try and make sense of a world in which renewable energy just means 'business as usual'.