Climate Stack, the podcast where digital technology meets the fight against climate change! If you're a software professional with a passion for solving hard pr...
"The Cure For Depression Is Action", Two Software Engineers fighting Climate Crisis!
ClimateStack is all about showing that the technology skills you already have can be applied readily to real problems that matter. In this episode, we have two guests who are parade examples of this fact. They run a climate technology consultancy, and have seen great variety of climate tech projects from several angles. About Our GuestsJaime and Jason Curtis have worked at software companies from small to large, and made the leap into climate - and working together - to put their energy toward climate resilience. We talked with them about their history in software, how they made the move to climate, and got some war stories from their experiences developing systems and advising climate startups in technology.Key Resource Mentioned In the show OptionZero - https://www.optionzero.co/Software for Climate Course - https://www.terra.do/climate-change-courses/software-for-climate/Climate Communitieshttps://workonclimate.org/https://mcj.vc/membersYour Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack
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41:00
Harnessing Data for Clean Power: Tyler McCandless on AI in Renewables
In this episode of The Climate Stack, we dive into the cutting-edge applications of machine learning in renewable energy with Tyler McCandless, Head of Data Sciences at Equilibrium Energy. Tyler shares how data science is driving innovation in the sector, from improving risk modeling and ROI forecasting to predicting failures and optimizing energy generation.This episode offers a comprehensive look at how technology is enabling the clean energy transition.About Our GuestTyler is an accomplished and forward-thinking data science leader renowned for spearheading strategic initiatives and delivering high-impact products at the convergence of weather, energy, and AI. Highly experienced at several companies in leading distributed cross-functional teams to conceptualize, develop, and deploy machine learning models, while balancing cost minimization with revenue maximization. Tyler is the Head of ML Sciences at Equilibrium Energy, a company focused on being energy innovators to combat climate change. Outside of work, Tyler balances a career in the sport of long distance running, having competed in four USA Olympic Marathon Trials. Learn more about Tyler on LinkedIn.Your Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack
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37:25
Powering the Future: Vish Ganti on Virtual Power Plants and Open Standards
In this episode of The Climate Stack, Mansi sits down with Vish Ganti, a visionary product leader at the nexus of clean energy, AI, and fintech. Together, they explore the transformative potential of virtual power plants (VPPs) in reducing reliance on carbon-intensive peaker plants and stabilizing the grid. Vish sheds light on how VPPs integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) and the critical need for open standards to create a frictionless ecosystem.VPPs are a prime example of how smart software optimizations can revolutionize the deployment and utilization of physical energy assets. By leveraging software to orchestrate diverse DERs, VPPs enable more efficient energy management, reducing waste and enhancing grid reliability. Discover why simplifying communication between DERs is essential for advancing sustainable energy solutions and making power management through VPP aggregators a reality.Our Guest Vish GantiVish is currently serving as Senior Director of Product Management for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) at Qcells, Vish specializes in developing scalable energy platforms that integrate first-party hardware with industry-leading solutions from partners like Enphase, Tesla, and SolarEdge. His expertise lies in transforming distributed energy resources into bankable grid assets through advanced edge AI technologies, enabling smarter energy systems and sustainable revenue models.Previously, Vish held leadership roles at AutoGrid, where he spearheaded the development of AutoGrid Flex, a SaaS platform for VPPs and 24x7 Carbon-Free Energy solutions, and contributed to the company’s acquisition by Schneider Electric. He also worked with renowned organizations such as CPower Energy, Johnson Controls, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, focusing on demand response, DER optimization, and energy system innovation.Vish holds a Master of Science in Electrical & Energy Systems from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics & Communications from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. A thought leader in the clean energy space, Vish has co-authored industry-recognized publications and continues to drive impactful solutions that advance the global transition to renewable energy.https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishganti/Your Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack
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Data-Driven Charging: Jamie Schiel’s Vision for Smarter EV Infrastructure
To beat fossil fuels for energy density and portability, EV charging has to be fast and ubiquitous. But the infrastructure to deliver charging is expensive, both in the chargers themselves and the power infrastructure to deliver the electricity. Companies delivering charging infrastructure are thus cautious, wanting to be sure they’ll make back their investment. But this isn’t somewhere we can afford to be timid. Stable Auto employs machine learning algorithms to build a cloud based SaaS product that can run deep analytics to determine optimal locations for EV charging. This lowers the risk for infrastructure investment, making it easier for businesses to justify capital investment and hastening the EV revolution. Higher profitability will inevitably also lead to more entrants in the market driving prices down for consumers and accelerating the adoption curve.Rising energy costs and thoughtful legislation have created a landscape where work like Stable’s can enhance ROI for the companies capable of delivering the infrastructure while simultaneously benefiting consumers by increasing the density of EV charging options. It’s a fantastic example of capitalism driving climate impact. Jamie spoke with us about Stable’s machine learning approach, the state of the US energy industry, and the truly shocking amount of electricity that’ll be necessary to fully switch to EVs.And, you can work for Stable! They’re hiring for all roles.Our guest, Jamie SchielJamie Schiel is the Co-Founder and CTO of Stable. Before co-founding Stable, Jamie helped pioneer the use of drones by electrical utilities in New Zealand before landing at MIT Media Lab, where he built a billion frames-per-second camera for automotive and medical sensing. His contributions to clean transportation and energy earned him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieschiel/Stable Auto: https://stable.auto/Your Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack
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Targeting Industrial Emissions with Eugenie.AI and Dr Soudip Roy Chowdhury
In this episode we speak with Dr Soudip Roy Chowdhury, CEO of Eugenie.ai. Eugenie is building an AI platform that is helping to reduce carbon emissions from asset-heavy manufacturing operations. Many industrial processes, such as steel and cement production, require large amounts of energy to generate high temperature process heat. The current reliance on fossil fuels for this energy makes it difficult and economically prohibitive to switch to low-carbon alternatives and effectively decarbonize.These industries are the epitome of what we think about when we think of carbon emissions. They are vast, generate a tremendous amount of carbon impact, and aren’t going anywhere. Eugenie.ai is tackling the problem by bringing accuracy to emission measurement using an ensemble of methods and then deep learning their way to the most optimal operational practices. In our conversation we learned just how medieval some of this tech is, which is great news - there’s a tremendous amount of slack in the system to take up. Eugenie’s platform is able to improve production, reduce wastage, and improve product quality all while reducing ~30% of emissions – and because of rising costs, do it at a net financial gain to companies.Though a complete overhaul might be long ways out, the smallest efficiency gain brought about in the industrial sector by machine learning adds up to carbon saving comparable to fixing the entire transportation industry!Our Guest, Soudip Roy ChowdhurySoudip Roy Chowdhury is the founder and CEO of Eugenie.ai. He has successfully taken Eugenie from the conceptualization stage to a merger, transforming it from 0 to 1. Eugenie has been featured by Google I/O, CNBC, Forbes, and major analyst reports as an innovative solution for industrial decarbonization.With over 18 years of professional experience, Soudip has held various technical leadership roles at IBM Research, Rakuten, Tata Elxsi, Fractal AI Inc., and other AI and data startups across three continents. He holds a PhD in machine learning and is passionate about applying AI to solve large-scale problems such as climate change.At Eugenie, Soudip and his team are building an AI platform to decarbonize asset-heavy manufacturing operations. A nature lover and avid traveler, he shares his environmental passion with his daughter. In addition to his work at Eugenie, Soudip advises several startups in sustainability, AI, and healthcare domains. He is an advisor on the Forbes Tech Council, serves as an AI/ML advisor for DevNetwork, and holds an adjunct faculty position at IIT Kharagpur in India.Eugenie: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eugenie-ai/Soudip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soudiprc/Your Hosts Mansi Shah - Joshua Marker ClimateStack
Climate Stack, the podcast where digital technology meets the fight against climate change! If you're a software professional with a passion for solving hard problems and a drive to make a difference, you're in the right place.Your hosts Mansi and Joshua, are seasoned technologists who have dedicated decades to building enterprise software solutions in Silicon Valley. Driven by a shared commitment to leave behind a better world, they transitioned to climate action. Through Climate Stack, they hope to share the incredible advancements in climate technology driven by software innovations. Tune in to hear from industry leaders, startup founders, and tech visionaries who are leveraging software to cut GHG emissions, enhance renewable energy, and revolutionize sustainability practices. Get ready to be inspired, get ready to be challenged, and get ready to stack up your skills for the planet.https://climatestack.podcastpage.io/