Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract issue. It is rapidly becoming a financial reality embedded in home values, insurance premiums, mortgage risk, and long-term affordability.In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Winston Morton, CEO of Climative, to explore how physical climate risk is reshaping the economics of buildings across North America and why resilience is emerging as one of the most important value drivers in real estate.With more than two decades of experience spanning engineering, enterprise IT, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and clean energy, Winston brings a systems-level perspective to one of the biggest challenges in the energy transition: how to turn awareness into action at scale.Climative sits at the intersection of climate risk, building performance, and financial decision-making. Its platform helps homeowners, banks, insurers, utilities, contractors, and governments understand how climate impacts a specific building, which upgrades improve resilience and efficiency, and how those investments translate into lower risk and higher long-term value.In this conversation, Wes and Winston unpack why traditional energy programs often fail to drive action, how emotional and life-stage moments influence homeowner decisions, and why comparing energy use to neighbors is rarely enough. Winston explains the three pillars required for real activation: clear guidance, affordable capital, and trusted execution.They also explore a powerful analogy shaping Climative’s vision: the idea that buildings need a climate “credit score.” Just as financial systems rely on standardized data to price risk, today’s housing market lacks a unified, scalable way to assess physical climate risk across millions of buildings. That gap is now being priced into insurance, lending, and asset valuation, often without homeowners realizing it.The discussion goes deeper into why the climate conversation is shifting from prevention to adaptation, how catastrophic losses are accelerating changes in insurance and finance, and why economics, not policy, will define the next phase of climate progress. Winston outlines the massive retrofit opportunity sitting idle across North America and what it will take to unlock over a trillion dollars in resilience, efficiency, and clean energy investments.This episode is essential listening for anyone working in climate, energy, real estate, finance, insurance, or infrastructure, and for homeowners trying to understand how climate risk is quietly reshaping the future of housing.Key themes include:Why climate risk is becoming financial riskHow resilience upgrades impact insurance, mortgages, and home valueThe missing data layer holding back large-scale retrofitsWhy economics will drive climate action faster than policyHow Climative is building a scalable platform for millions of buildingsListen to learn how the future of home value will be defined by resilience, data, and action.Links: Winston Morton on LinkedInClimative's WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

The solar industry has never been simple, and few leaders understand its full arc better than Marty Rogers.In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Marty Rogers, General Manager for North America at SolarEdge, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, global perspective, and what a healthy solar industry actually looks like over the next decade.Marty’s career spans more than three decades across electrical distribution, global manufacturing, service organizations, and renewable energy leadership. From building businesses in the U.S. to leading teams across Asia and Europe, his experience gives him a rare operator’s lens on how solar has evolved, where it struggles, and why its long-term fundamentals remain strong.The conversation begins with Marty’s unconventional career path and the formative leadership lessons he learned early, including the importance of patience, cultural awareness, and empowering teams rather than micromanaging them. He explains how global experience reshaped his approach to leadership and why strong middle management is often the true engine behind execution and growth.From there, the discussion moves into the realities of the “solar coaster.” Marty breaks down why the industry’s ups and downs often feel dramatic in the moment, yet consistently trend upward over time. He shares why policy changes, incentives, and political noise rarely alter the long-term trajectory, and how smart operators adapt rather than panic.A major theme of the episode is the shift from viewing solar as a transactional product to understanding it as a 20–30 year partnership. Marty explains why long-term service, support, and customer trust are essential to sustaining the industry and how that mindset influences everything from product design to organizational structure.The episode also dives deep into today’s biggest growth areas, including commercial rooftop solar, energy storage, and virtual power plants. Marty outlines why commercial rooftops remain one of the most underutilized assets in the country, how storage has moved rapidly from optional to essential, and why VPPs are becoming a critical tool for grid stability and cost control.Listeners will also hear an inside look at SolarEdge’s U.S.-based manufacturing strategy, including inverter and battery production across multiple states and the significance of exporting solar technology from the United States. Marty explains how shorter supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and product simplicity are reshaping reliability, scalability, and installer experience.The conversation closes with a forward-looking view of the industry. Marty shares why solar’s fundamentals remain strong, why demand for energy is only accelerating, and why the industry’s future continues to move “up and to the right.”What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How global leadership experience shapes better solar organizationsWhy solar’s long-term growth remains intact despite policy swingsThe importance of treating solar as a decades-long partnershipWhy commercial rooftops and storage represent massive untapped opportunityHow virtual power plants are quietly becoming essential grid infrastructureWhat responsible scaling and U.S.-based manufacturing really mean for solar’s futureLinks: Marty Rogers on LinkedInSolarEdgeWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with David Piperno, CFO of SparkCharge, to explore how portable energy solutions are reshaping EV charging, fleet electrification, and grid stability.SparkCharge is best known for building the world’s first portable EV charging network, but the conversation goes far beyond charging vehicles. David explains how mobile energy storage, pay-as-you-go models, and rapid deployment are solving some of the biggest bottlenecks in clean energy adoption, from long infrastructure timelines to rising grid constraints.Drawing on more than two decades of experience across finance, mobility, and energy technology, including leadership roles at Zipcar, Deloitte, and Spartan, David shares how aligning sustainability with strong unit economics is the key to scaling climate solutions.Key Themes CoveredWhy EV infrastructure keeps falling behind demand David breaks down why traditional charging infrastructure is too slow, too expensive, and often underutilized, especially for fleets trying to scale quickly.How SparkCharge’s portable, pay-as-you-go model works The discussion explains how SparkCharge eliminates upfront capital costs, deploys in days instead of years, and scales energy up or down based on real usage rather than peak assumptions.Flexibility as a competitive advantage From same-day deployments to serving locations without grid upgrades, SparkCharge’s approach gives fleets operational certainty while reducing financial risk.When delivered energy can be cheaper than the grid David walks through peak shaving, avoiding demand charges, and absorbing surplus renewable energy, showing how mobile storage can lower energy costs while supporting grid stability.Beyond EVs: supporting the grid and other power-constrained industries The conversation expands into non-wire alternatives, frequency regulation, data centers, and how mobile energy assets are becoming essential as electricity demand accelerates.Why EVs are deflationary and ICE vehicles are not David explains total cost of ownership, declining battery prices, lower maintenance, and why EVs continue to improve over time through software updates.What the U.S. must do to stay competitive The episode explores policy consistency, infrastructure incentives, and why pace matters as global competition in clean energy intensifies.The role of AI in accelerating electrification David shares how SparkCharge is using AI to reduce fleet analysis timelines from months to minutes, enabling faster and more accurate energy deployments.Why This Episode MattersAs electrification expands across transportation, data centers, and industry, the grid is under unprecedented pressure. This episode offers a practical look at how mobile energy, storage, and flexible deployment models can close the gap between ambition and execution, without waiting years for infrastructure to catch up.Whether you’re leading a fleet, building energy infrastructure, or navigating the clean energy transition, this conversation provides real-world insight into what scalable, economically viable solutions look like today.Links:David Piperno on LinkedInSparkCharge's WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Joe Adiletta, CEO of Volexion and a veteran of the battery world, to explore what it really takes to commercialize deep tech innovation in one of the most capital-intensive and strategically vital industries of our time: lithium-ion batteries.With two decades of experience spanning A123Systems, 24M, Ionic Materials, and now Volexion, Joe brings a rare blend of hard-won insight and strategic clarity. This isn’t a conversation about hype. It’s about navigating the messy, capital-constrained, slow-moving reality of energy storage innovation and doing it anyway.Volexion’s approach? A conformal graphene coating, what Joe describes as a “wetsuit for cathodes.” It’s a subtle but powerful manufacturing innovation that improves battery performance without overhauling production lines. And it’s gaining traction globally.But this episode goes far deeper than the tech. We unpack what it takes to build hard tech startups in the U.S., close the missing-middle funding gap, and lead teams through the emotional rollercoaster of building the next generation of industrial infrastructure.In this episode, we cover:Why the cathode, not the anode, may be the most underleveraged opportunity in battery innovationHow Volexion’s “small change, big impact” strategy drives measurable results with minimal disruptionWhat it takes to turn university research into commercial materials shipped around the worldThe brutal realities of funding first-of-a-kind facilities and what hard tech really needs from investorsWhy battery breakthroughs haven’t followed the step-change model of software and why that’s okayHow Joe leads through uncertainty and builds resilience inside small, mission-driven teamsWhy it matters: Energy storage is foundational to the electrification of everything. Battery innovation is a national priority. But meaningful progress doesn’t always look like sci-fi headlines. Sometimes, it’s a quiet revolution in materials science, backed by great people and smart capital.Whether you're a battery nerd, an energy investor, or a founder navigating the tough terrain of cleantech startups, this episode is a must-listen.Links: Joe Adiletta on LinkedInVolexion's WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

What if the strongest opportunities in renewable energy aren’t in massive utility projects, but in the overlooked middle of the market where disciplined operators consistently outperform?In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Mike Silvestrini, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Energea. After developing more than 500 solar projects across three continents and scaling Greenskies into a national C&I leader, Mike is now opening global solar investing to everyday investors.He unpacks the hard realities, the operational lessons, and the global opportunities most people never see.Inside the episode:How Greenskies scaled from a two-person startupWhy being undercapitalized became their advantageHow Walmart and Target reshaped the businesssWhat selling the company taught Mike about timingHow Energea was createdThe financing gap Mike discovered while meeting solar companies around the worldWhy emerging markets offered high-quality projects but little access to capitalHow Energea structures diversified portfolios with monthly dividendsGlobal markets and performanceWhy Brazil became a breakout successHow South Africa’s unstable grid drives demand for solar-plus-storageWhy Colombia’s hydro volatility creates huge opportunityOperating solar assets in the real world Why theft is often a bigger threat than weather Why key O&M and customer functions stay in-house How experience shapes better underwriting and better assetsMike also shares why he believes solar is positioned to win on economics, even if public perception lags behind.If you want a clearer view of how global solar projects are financed, built, and operated, this conversation delivers rare insight from someone who has been in the trenches for nearly two decades.Links:Mike Silvestrini on LinkedInEnergea's WebsiteEnergea - Get StartedWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/