Hardware Podcasts

The Unique Challenges of Global Power with Mike Gallagher, CEO of AMPS Advanced Modular Power Systems

Tough Tech Vets · 9 Dec 2024 · 47m · Episode 2

What this episode covers

Mike Gallagher, CEO of AMPS (Advanced Modular Power Systems), explains how his team developed a grid-forming battery system to stabilize remote diesel generators in harsh environments like the Middle East. He details the transition from a garage prototype to early production, highlighting the use of EPC inverters and LG batteries, and the challenges of navigating international supply chains and UL certification. Gallagher discusses the strategic decision to lease units to oil companies in Oman and Iraq, proving the technology's value by reducing fuel consumption by 50% and improving uptime, while outlining plans for scaling production and expanding into markets like Alaska and Ecuador.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
AMPS, EPC, LG, Sempra, Duke Energy, Starcube, The MisFits

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Catalyst · 26m

    A former race car engineer on battery safety and supply chains [partner content]

    Tristan Doherty, Chief Product Officer at LG Energy Solution Vertech, discusses the transition from his career as an IndyCar race engineer to leading US-based energy storage manufacturing. He details LG's $1.4 billion investment in Holland, Michigan, aiming for 16.5 GWh of annual cell production with a 100% non-Chinese supply chain by early next year. Doherty explains how the Moss Landing fire drove a shift toward containerized systems, reducing failure rates by 97%, and describes a strategic 'outside-in' design philosophy that prioritizes grid needs over component availability.

    Batteries & low-power designManufacturing partners & offshoring
    8 chapters

  • Catalyst · 43m

    Inside the AI power wars

    Jeremie Eliahou Ontiveros of SemiAnalysis explains that hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, and Meta are adopting divergent power strategies to address grid interconnection delays, with Google leading in sophistication and Meta pioneering behind-the-meter solutions. He details how frontier labs like Anthropic and OpenAI are driving demand by leveraging hyperscaler balance sheets for financial backstops to secure capacity, while also deploying modular generation like aeroderivative turbines and fuel cells to meet speed-to-power requirements. The conversation highlights the shift from traditional grid reliance to self-built, behind-the-meter infrastructure, including reciprocating engines and Bloom Energy fuel cells, as a necessary response to transmission constraints.

    Energy & climate techScaling production
    6 chapters

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 53m

    Sustainable Kitchens: Smart Induction Stoves for Fighting Climate Change with Sam D’Amico

    Sam D’Amico, Founder and CEO of Impulse, explains how his company is launching a smart induction stove with a 3 kilowatt-hour integrated battery to accelerate home electrification and grid stability. He details the engineering challenges of building a full-stack system—including custom temperature sensors and high-power inverters—to create a product that outperforms gas stoves on speed and precision. D’Amico describes a multi-layered strategy for leveraging this distributed storage, ranging from behind-the-meter energy optimization to participation in Virtual Power Plant programs that aggregate capacity for utilities.

    Energy & climate techMechanical engineering
    7 chapters

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 41m

    10x Grid Storage: How Mesh Batteries Are Revolutionizing Home Energy

    Cole Ashman, CEO and founder of Pila Energy, explains how his company is disrupting the home energy storage market with a mesh battery system that is significantly cheaper and more accessible than traditional whole-home solutions like the Tesla Powerwall. Ashman, drawing on his experience at Tesla and Span, details the technical architecture of Pila’s 1.6 kWh batteries, which use a sub-gigahertz mesh network to coordinate power distribution and enable bi-directional energy flow in the future. He discusses the regulatory hurdles for balcony solar and distributed backup, the supply chain strategies that allow for low unit economics, and the vision of embedding these batteries into appliances and multi-tenant buildings to create a resilient, distributed grid.

    Starting a product companyBatteries & low-power design
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 06m

    Good Energy Citizen

    Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the Boeing Starliner launch scrub due to a faulty oxygen valve, highlighting the risks of outsourcing in aerospace. They analyze the business failures of the Airbus A380 and Tesla's Supercharger network, noting how long-term market predictions and financial pressures impact hardware strategy. The conversation shifts to home energy systems, comparing AC and DC battery architectures from brands like DEYE and Tesla, and exploring blockchain-based energy trading via Power Ledger. Finally, they examine the cultural and operational challenges of TSMC building chip fabs in Arizona, including workforce training and massive power consumption.

    Energy & climate techChips, FPGAs & semiconductors
    7 chapters

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