Hardware to Save a Planet

Globally, we burn as much fossil fuel heating homes as we do driving cars, yet home heating rarely gets climate attention, even though it drives massive energy use, grid strain, and raises household costs.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Dan Yates, CEO and Chairman of Dandelion Energy, about why geothermal heat pumps may be the most overlooked solution in residential decarbonization. Dan explains how tapping the stable temperatures beneath our feet can slash home energy consumption, dramatically reduce peak electricity demand, and outperform air source heat pumps during extreme weather.

He shares how Dandelion cut system costs through builder partnerships, making geothermal viable at scale, and why utilities increasingly see it as a grid-stabilizing asset. The conversation explores how hardware innovation, smart incentives, and new business models can align to make clean, electric home heating both affordable and practical.

In this special year-end episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett explores how the rapid expansion of technology and the data centers to support it is accelerating some of the most important climate tech breakthroughs of the decade.

Dylan revisits insights from eight innovators shaping the future of grid capacity, renewable power, long-duration storage, hydrogen backup systems, thermal batteries, and low-carbon construction materials.

As AI’s energy demands surge, these technologies are proving essential for building resilient, sustainable infrastructure. This recap highlights the hardware, economics, and engineering advances that will define how AI and data centers can scale, without overwhelming the planet.

Recycling human waste rarely makes the sustainability spotlight, yet our current recycling system flushes away 32 billion gallons of fresh water and the nutrients that could replace a quarter of global fertiliser demand.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Taylor Zehren, cofounder and CEO of Wasted, about how rethinking human waste can unlock a powerful circular sanitation economy. Zehren explains how urine-diversion technology turns porta-potties into nutrient-recovery hubs, reducing water waste, cutting emissions, and replacing a significant share of global fertiliser demand. She highlights why separating waste at the source outperforms traditional wastewater treatment, how Wasted’s model transforms disposal costs into revenue, and why cultural shifts, starting with educating children, are essential for scaling sustainable, nature-inspired sanitation systems across homes, venues, and communities.

Decarbonizing maritime shipping is critical for a sustainable future, but conventional engines and fuel systems have long been a bottleneck. Anders Korsgaard and his team at Blue World Technologies are on track to change that.

Join Dylan Garrett on this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, as he welcomes Anders Korsgaard, Founder and CEO of Blue World Technologies, to discuss how methanol fuel cells are transforming the industry. Drawing on decades of expertise in fuel cell systems, Anders explains how high-temperature PEM fuel cells convert liquid methanol into clean electricity with 20–25% improved efficiency over conventional engines. He shares why methanol is emerging as the preferred green fuel for shipping, how waste heat recycling boosts system performance, and the practical challenges of retrofitting versus new-build vessels. From forming strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Maersk to scaling hardware solutions for hard-to-abate sectors, Anders reveals what it takes to make sustainable maritime shipping both economically viable and technologically feasible.

Updating home electrification is key to a sustainable future, but outdated electrical infrastructure has long been a bottleneck. Arch Rao and Span are out to change that.

Join Dylan Garrett on this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, as he welcomes Arch Rao, Founder and CEO of SPAN, to discuss how his company is reinventing the humble electrical panel for a modern, electrified home. Drawing on his experience at Tesla Energy, Arch explains how SPAN’s smart panel enables homeowners to monitor, control, and optimize their energy use, without costly service upgrades. He shares how SPAN is helping accelerate the adoption of solar, EVs, and batteries through intelligent load management and design aesthetics. From forging utility partnerships to scaling hardware manufacturing, Arch reveals what it takes to build climate-impactful hardware and unlock the next era of smart home energy systems.