Probably True Solar Stories
Tor "Solar Fred" Valenza
Probably True Solar Stories delves into the world of solar energy through a unique blend of fiction, urban legends, and real-world solar facts. Hosted and written by Tor "Solar Fred" Valenza, a solar pro since 2009 and a former Hollywood screen and television writer, this series aims to entertain and educate listeners about solar technology, its impact on our lives, and the people behind the solar industry.
The podcast episodes are inspired by various genres, including "Solar Noir," action, comedy, fairy tales, and thrillers, showcasing the diverse ways solar energy is integrated into our pop culture and daily lives. Each episode not only tells fictional stories about solar tech, solar workers, and solar homeowners, but also includes a wealth of factual information about the solar industry.
The podcast also weaves in contemporary solar-related issues, such as solar politics, permitting, policies, and supply chain issues, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the industry's challenges and advancements.
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Top 10 Probably True Solar Stories Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Probably True Solar Stories episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Probably True Solar Stories for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Probably True Solar Stories episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Red Knight and the Dawn of the Solar Dragon (Encore)
Probably True Solar Stories
05/15/24 • 57 min
Once upon a time, there were honest and friendly dragons who heated the boilers for steam-powered electric turbines. But due to the high cost of dragon energy, the King decided that the dragons needed to be replaced, sparking a bloody dragon war that led to the invention of solar power.
True Solar Takeaways
- Fossil fuel-based generators work by burning fossil fuels, which boil water to high temperatures. The boiled, high-pressure water produces steam that spins an electric turbine, generating electricity.
- Unionized labor dominates the energy industry, including solar.
- All utilities contract or own stand-by power plants known as "spinning reserves" or "Peaker plants." Peaker plants run 24/7 to provide backup power for when the grid is overloaded--typically when it's a hot summer day and more homes and buildings are using air conditioning.
- Utilities, states, and kingdoms pay a significantly higher price for Peaker Plant energy.
- The photovoltaic effect is how solar power is produced. When sunlight shines on a special semiconductor material, the sunlight excites electrons and creates a flow of electricity into a direct current.
- Tandem perovskite solar cells are coming soon. They promise higher solar cell efficiencies (more generated solar power) at a lower price, but as of July 2023, they haven't been commercialized yet.
- Wind power is one of the least expensive forms of energy today.
- Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries are increasingly gaining market share for backing up solar power.
- Energy wonks often refer to the cost of energy over time as the "Levelized Cost of Energy" or LCOE. It allows them to compare the total cost of a solar plant to, say, a gas or coal plant. Today, solar has the lowest LCOE.
- Milanium is an imaginary rare-earth metal. However, solar and clean energy is in great need of many rare-earth metals and not-so-are minerals. These include silicon, the base element for making solar cells for solar panels, and lithium for making rechargeable batteries.
- For all the True Solar Takeaways in this dragon story, read the episode notes of Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
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We Didn’t Know Our Solar Home Was Haunted Until We Got a Text from the Ghost
Probably True Solar Stories
10/26/22 • 30 min
This Probably True Solar Story is the first haunted solar house story ever told... So... we're making pop-culture history! I think... If you find another one, let me know.
As for the story, it's about a family that's moved into an updated solar home that seems to be haunted by a ghost with an unfulfilled environmental mission. But will that mission help the family ... or hurt them?
This episode is fairly tame in the scary story department. There are a couple of bad words. So... listen to it first before sharing it with any little ones.
True solar takeaways:
- Clean your solar panels regularly or a ghost might remind you
- You can make your solar home net zero--producing more solar energy than your home uses every year
- Lower your hot water heater's temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, 49 degrees Celcius.
- Vampire loads, (TVs, stereos, cable boxes, and other appliances on standby mode) suck energy and waste money. Get smart plugs and power strips.
- LED lightbulbs save money now. Don't wait until your old ones burn out.
- Solar homes have a higher resale value.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
- Don't forget to:
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Our Solar State of the Union: The Energy Deep State
Probably True Solar Stories
03/13/24 • 18 min
On the next Probably True Solar Stories., we imagine what a fictional President Biden --a.k.a. "Dark Brandon"-- could have said at his 2024 State of the Union to bring more urgency about our global climate crisis and current solar and clean energy solutions.
True Solar Takeaways
Climate Crisis and the Urgency to Act
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has consistently reported the urgency of acting on climate change to avoid catastrophic impacts.
Solar and other renewables are the leading sources of new U.S. power generation
Solar and battery costs have come down since 2010
Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) analysis reveals that solar module costs have plummeted by 89% since 2010, forecasting a further reduction by 63% by 2050. Battery prices have also dropped by 84% since the 2010s.
Solar and other renewables are now the least expensive energy source.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have created over $649 Billion in private investments, including $161 Billion for EVs and battery manufacturing. Here are the stats and maps:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes funding for EV infrastructure and expanding public charging stations across the United States.
How does your representative vote on climate action? Check their voting record here at the League of Conservation Voters
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- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
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Rufus the Solar Guard Dog (Encore)
Probably True Solar Stories
05/29/24 • 15 min
Rufus, a pet and mascot of a solar installer, is dognapped out of the installer's truck while on the job. A chase ensues, but we learn that the dog, the solar installer, and the dog napper aren't quite what they seem.
True Solar Takeaways
- As of 2020, there are 20,000 military veterans in the solar industry, making up about 9% of the solar workforce.
- IREC, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, supports veteran training programs. Get more information on these programs here.
- The Solar Ready Vets Fellowship connects mid-to-senior level transitioning service members with on-the-job training in leadership and management roles in the civilian solar workforce.
- The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has more information for solar veterans.
- GRID Alternatives is another solar job training organization that supports both veterans and non-veterans.
- The U.S. Department of Energy also has job training information and programs for military veterans.
- Here's a photo of the original Rufus with my real cat--for size comparison.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
- Don't forget to:
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Let's Get Married at RE+ in Vegas (Live from Las Vegas)
Probably True Solar Stories
02/28/24 • 19 min
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, you’ll hear a live storytelling about two solar pros who decide to get married at a solar conference in Las Vegas. But when the wedding gets unexpectedly interrupted, the solar industry comes to the rescue.
Watch the live video performance here:
https://youtu.be/YyhWQi1d2ZE
True Solar Takeaways
- RE+ is the largest annual U.S. solar and renewable energy conference. It's held in various locations every year.
- Abby Hopper is the head of SEIA, the leading U.S. solar industry advocacy organization, and she was at this live reading and had that line.
- Solar Power International (SPI) was the old name for RE plus.
- Dean Solon is the founder and former CEO of Shoals Technology. Every year, Shoals throws a huge party at RE+. As the saying goes, what happens at the Shoals party stays at the Shoals party.
- BOS. stands for "Balance of Systems"
- NEC stands for the National Electric Code
- Vegas has had blackouts, but not during a solar conference. However, air conditioners running on high during a heatwave have caused blackouts.
- Load flexibility is complicated. Read this.
- EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction. They're basically the solar installers.
- Solar developers can hire EPCs or sometimes they have their own EPC division.
- PE stands for Professional Engineer.
- AHJ stands for Authorities Having Jurisdiction. They're the various local organizations that deal with permitting for solar installations, large and small.
- KW stands for Kilowatts and kWh stands for Kilowatt-hours. Here's the difference.
- Interconnection is a difficult process of connecting solar projects to the grid.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
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The Caveman, the Devil’s Tools, and the Grid (Encore)
Probably True Solar Stories
04/24/24 • 25 min
Two teenagers are having a private moment in the hills above a utility substation when suddenly they happen upon a terrorist intent on bringing down their local grid. Will the teens escape and defeat the terrorist? Yes, but only with the help of modern-day cleantech resources...
True Solar Takeaways
- Terrorists have been attempting to disrupt the grid by firing rifle shots at the transformers of utility substations. Here are some news clips about these incidents:
- Yes, indeed. There is a "Smart Summon" mode on your Tesla, but you need to be close by. Behold.
- The smart homes of the future are here, not in the future. There are many, many companies that offer app connections that can control just about anything in your house through wi-fi and smart plugs, including the coffee maker, the TV, lights, stereos, and of course garage door openers. Pretty much everything.
- If you've only installed solar on your roof, you will generally not be able to use the solar generation, even if the blackout occurs when the sun is shining. That's because your solar power will backfeed into the grid and endanger the line-people who are fixing transmission wires, so your inverter will cut off your solar production. There are a few inverters that will "island" and route power to your home and not the grid. Check with your installer.
- If you want your solar power to back you up, day or night, you'll need to install a battery.
- However, whole home backup is rare--and expensive. Instead, you can tell your solar+battery installer about the "critical loads" that will be available during a blackout, and he'll configure your battery to keep those things running. Typically, it's the lights, refrigerator, and other small appliances. The size of your battery will partly determine how many hours those things will stay on. Of course, the more things you use during a blackout, the fewer hours of backup battery usage you'll have. Also, if you include high-intensity loads like air conditioning or a pool pump, you'll quickly use up your battery power in very few hours.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
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- Don't forget to:
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The Reason We All Decided to Go Solar after Halloween (Bonus Episode)
Probably True Solar Stories
10/26/23 • 13 min
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, twenty homes on the same cul de sac decide to go solar on the day after a Halloween night blackout. It’s a simple story, but when a young reporter looks into it, he gets the Halloween scoop of his short lifetime.
True Solar Takeaways
- Going solar is "contagious." That is, several studies have shown that when one person in a neighborhood goes solar, nearby homes follow.
- Blackouts often happen during a heatwave when energy-intensive air conditioning overwhelms the grid.
- In 2023, most solar homes need to add batteries to be cost-effective and to get a payback in 7 to 10 years.
- Whole-home backup is expensive and rare. Most of the time, solar + storage systems are tied to batteries with a critical loads panel.
- This critical loads subpanel will automatically switch on when there's a blackout. This panel is designed to keep on lights, the internet, the refrigerator, and other critical loads during a grid outage.
- When switching from off-grid to on-grid power--or visa-versa-- there may be a brief interruption of service. Most of the time, the switch is seamless.
- Turning on air conditioning, EV charging, and other high-intensity appliances will quickly drain a home battery's capacity. That's why air conditioners are rarely included in the critical loads panel.
- Listen to last year's Halloween story called, "We didn't know our solar house was haunted until we got a text from the ghost.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
- Don't forget to:
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The Solar Heist, or How I Got into the Solar Business, Parts 1-6
Probably True Solar Stories
09/20/23 • 107 min
For those solar fiction fans who prefer the longer formats, we've combined all six episodes of "The Solar Heist" into a single two-hour version, including chapter headings.
Two neighbors meet unexpectedly at an Oakland, California coffee shop specializing in dark, rich coffee. Mazz owns a trucking business by day and is a thief at night. Charlie is a solar project developer by day and a guy with an international solar problem that can only be solved by Mazz. As the two grow to be friends, Mazz realizes that Charlie may also have a dangerous side gig that jeopardizes their friendship and their lives...
True Solar Takeaways
- The solar installation industry is made up of residential, commercial, and utility-scale installers.
- There's a U.S. law against importing solar panels made with forced labor.
- Some solar developers hire quality assurance companies to monitor the supply chains and factories.
- All solar installations, regardless of size, can now receive a U.S. 30% tax credit. Big developers can also receive other tax incentives.
- Chinese solar panels still have import tariffs, as of 2022.
- "Procurement" means sourcing, purchasing, and delivering equipment.
- Generally, large solar asset owners hire an experienced solar developer to take care of building the product. The solar developer may in turn hire an "EPC," which stands for engineering, procurement, and construction.
- Large-scale developers typically only buy solar panels that are on a "Tier 1" list that's sold by Bloomberg. Even if the Tier 1 solar manufacturer is financially sound and honors the warranty, if you have a huge project, the replacement time and cost will be huge.
- With the passage of the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act of 2022), all solar projects, regardless of size, receive a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) if they pay prevailing wages.
- Solar projects that are built on landfills, brownfields, and EPA superfund sites can get bonus ITCs.
- AHJ (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) are the permitting authorities that review and approve the building of solar projects
- See all The True Solar Takeaways in the show notes of the original episodes:
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The Story Behind the Solar Panel: Solar Expectations (Sponsored)
Probably True Solar Stories
09/13/23 • 3 min
Today's Probably True Solar Stories mini-story is about one solar installer's expectations. It's also tangentially about a moose...
("The Story Behind the Solar Panel" is a new Prbably True Solar Stories mini-story series that is supported by sponsors. The stories are still fun and original fictional solar stories, but they're shorter and written in collaboration with the episode's sponsors.)
True Solar Takeaways
- Learn more about Maxeon Solar Technologies' solar panels.
- If you're a solar installer, learn about Maxeon's partner program.
- Visit Maxeon's booth at RE+ in Las Vegas at Booth 3368.
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- Visit ProbablyTrueSolar.com to sign up for the newsletter to learn about new episodes and live solar storytelling events.
- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
- Don't forget to:
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The Solar Heist, or How I Got into the Solar Business, Part 10: Timing
Probably True Solar Stories
02/14/24 • 35 min
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we continue with Part 10 of "The Solar Heist" series. Mrs. Prout returns to Mazz and Charlie’s house to give them a warning. But Mazz and Charlie are already in Chico. Despite her efforts, it’s just bad timing for Sylvia, and really, for everyone...
If you missed any of the previous Solar Heist episodes:
Listen to Parts 1-6 here.
Listen to Part 7 here.
Listen to Part 8 here.
Listen to Part 9 here.
True Solar Takeaways (Careful! Spoilers!)
- Building solar projects on landfills or brownfields can be extra profitable for solar developers and owners. Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), solar projects built on these and other distressed properties will receive a bonus 10% investment tax credit. The standard tax credit is 30%, so the solar project could receive a 40% investment tax credit, plus other bonus tax credits.
- The U.S. Department of Energy does have a unit called the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. According to its website: "The Office protects vital national security information and technologies, representing intellectual property of incalculable value. Our distinctive contribution to national security is the ability to leverage the Energy Department’s unmatched scientific and technological expertise in support of policymakers as well as national security missions in defense, homeland security, cyber security, intelligence, and energy security."
- I completely made up The Defence of Fossil Minerals (The "DFM") agency. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if the Department of the Interior had an intelligence agency that protects the interests of fuel and minerals on public lands.
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- Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
- Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
- Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
- Don't forget to:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Probably True Solar Stories have?
Probably True Solar Stories currently has 57 episodes available.
What topics does Probably True Solar Stories cover?
The podcast is about Sci-Fi, Fiction, Comedy Fiction, Drama, Energy, Comedy, Podcasts, Clean Energy, Crime, Arts and Performing Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Probably True Solar Stories?
The episode title 'The Solar Heist, or How I Got into the Solar Business, Parts 1-6' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Probably True Solar Stories?
The average episode length on Probably True Solar Stories is 22 minutes.
How often are episodes of Probably True Solar Stories released?
Episodes of Probably True Solar Stories are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Probably True Solar Stories?
The first episode of Probably True Solar Stories was released on Sep 16, 2022.
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