Hardware Podcasts

Making DERs work for load growth

Catalyst · 9 Jan 2025 · 38m

What this episode covers

Pier LaFarge, co-founder and CEO of Sparkfund, argues that utilities should adopt 'distributed capacity procurement' (DCP) to address AI-driven load growth by procuring customer-sited solar and storage rather than relying solely on large centralized plants. He explains that while distributed energy resources (DERs) have lower Effective Load Carrying Capability (ELCC) and higher per-megawatt costs than centralized generation, their speed of deployment and ability to defer transmission and distribution infrastructure upgrades create a compelling value stack. LaFarge contends that high-load customers, such as data centers, should bear the incremental cost of this faster, more expensive capacity to unlock economic growth and onshoring benefits in the United States.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Sparkfund, Energy Impact Partners, EnergyHub, Microsoft
Products
Three Mile Island
Also
PJM, MISO

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Over the Air · 31m

    Managing Energy At The Edge: Navigating The Modern Grid With Itron

    Nick Tumilowicz, Director of Product Management at Itron, discusses the challenges of managing the aging electrical grid amid the energy transition, focusing on transformer capacity limits and the shift to underground infrastructure. He explains how Itron leverages its installed base of smart meters as edge compute devices to enable real-time, autonomous load management for distributed energy resources like EVs and solar. The conversation covers the long sales cycles in the utility sector, the cultural differences in grid adoption between the US and Europe, and the importance of balancing technological innovation with customer incentives.

    Energy & climate techConnected products & IoT
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 20m

    Renewable Energy Policy with Ari Gerstman

    Ari Gerstman, from the Department of Energy's Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), discusses the transformative impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which have allocated $100 billion to shift the US energy paradigm. He explains how massive electrification, driven by EVs and heat pumps, is creating unprecedented grid load, forcing utilities to choose between expensive infrastructure upgrades and distributed energy resources like microgrids and batteries. Gerstman highlights the regulatory challenges of investor-owned utilities, the importance of energy efficiency codes, and the social equity issues surrounding flat electricity rates for low-income residents.

    Policy, trade & tariffsEnergy & climate tech
    9 chapters

  • Moore's Lobby · 41m

    Powering EVs: Microgrids & DC Charging Solutions

    Antonio Di Vaira, Senior VP for Power Products at Schneider Electric, discusses the critical need for grid modernization driven by EV charging and AI data centers. He explains how microgrids and native DC distribution offer efficiency and resilience solutions, citing a pilot project at Schneider's Raleigh campus. Di Vaira also highlights the company's 'Flexset' switchboard, a modular, kit-built product designed to reduce lead times and empower electricians, while emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary engineering and customer-centric design.

    Energy & climate techDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    9 chapters

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 54m

    Smart Electrical Panels: Avoiding $25K Upgrades to Enable Home Electrification with Arch Rao

    Arch Rao, Founder and CEO of Span, explains how his company’s smart electrical panel enables homeowners to monitor, control, and optimize energy use down to the circuit level, avoiding costly $15,000–$25,000 service upgrades. Drawing on his experience at Tesla Energy, Rao details how Span’s intelligent load management allows homes to adopt EV chargers, solar, and batteries without upgrading the grid. He discusses the evolution from a consumer-led product to a utility-scale infrastructure asset, highlighting partnerships with utilities like PG&E and the importance of interoperable, aesthetically designed hardware. Rao emphasizes the need for deep system-level engineering to navigate supply chain issues and scale production across 50 states.

    Mechanical engineeringPCB design & layout
    13 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 36m

    259: Data Centers, Modularity, and Mission Critical Manufacturing featuring Keith Hutchens of BW Design Group

    Keith Hutchens, Partner at BW Design Group (part of Barry-Wehmiller), discusses the transformative impact of AI-driven data center construction on the manufacturing supply chain, noting that capacity is doubling every 3-4 years and creating severe strain on components like transformers and PLCs. He explains how modularity allows builders to manufacture units in parallel before site selection, a critical strategy for hyperscalers racing for speed to market. Hutchens also details BW Design Group's shift from commercial DDC controls to industrial PLCs for mission-critical redundancy and outlines their 'truly human leadership' philosophy, which includes formal principal engineer tracks and flexible relocation programs to manage large, dispersed site teams.

    Scaling productionEmbedded firmware
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Catalyst. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.