Good Energy Podcast: Episode 1 – Turning Trash into Energy

Mallory Whitfield:

Thanks for joining me for Good Energy and ADT Solar podcast I’m your host Mallory Whitfield.

We’re here to let you know what’s happening in the world of renewable energy.  Each episode we’ll talk about the latest Innovation or news in sustainable energy, hear from some of the most interesting people in the field, and share some ideas on how the changes you make today can make a big difference.

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So, let’s dive right in. First off we’re going to bring in my co-host Daren Wang to talk about the monster in the room.

Hi Daren. So today we’re talking about something that’s been in the news. Brightfields, brownfields or maybe Cloverfield, right? That movie where the monster takes over Manhattan is that what we’re talking about? What are we talking about today?

Daren Wang:

Yes, we are kind of talking about something taking over actually New Jersey.

This isn’t the Cloverfield monster coming down on us, it’s actually the conversion of brownfields, or hazardous properties around the country, into solar Farms, which are then called bright fields. Just this past month we had a kind of a problematic dump in Mount Olive, New Jersey turned into a 25.6 megawatt solar farm. What could be better than that?

There have been some cases of it in the past but it’s it’s suddenly gaining a lot of traction since the inflation reduction Act of 2022. We’ve seen the equation for a solar farm being kind of profitable to, ‘yeah, this is profitable.’

That switch has flipped in the last six to eight months. Finding good eligible properties to build a solar farm? That’s an interesting business model right now. Everybody’s kind of pursuing it. And it turns out that these brownfields are ideal for that kind of business venture.

Mallory Whitfield:

I can’t imagine there’s not a lot you can put on a former landfill site. Nobody’s going to want to build a house where there used to be the city dump, but maybe some solar panels are okay.

Daren Wang:

That’s exactly right. There have been a few cases of large landfills being turned into golf courses or something like that, but there’s a lot of challenges in how that works. When you close down a landfill you have to contain all the bad stuff that that’s been dumped into it for decades. Then you put a cap on it and that cap is not supposed to be permeable. After you cap it you can’t  really penetrate the ground where it’s been covered.

It can be covered in grass and it’ll look pretty but you know you can’t build anything on it because penetrating it will allow all the bad stuff out. There’s limited options on this and that makes it not very useful for regular Developers. Solar panels, however. Doing a solar farm– there’s a lot of different techniques for installing solar panels on a utility scale and with a little bit of specialty equipment, you don’t have to penetrate  the ground. You just lay these right on top in a stable way and generate plentiful clean energy.

Mallory Whitfield:

You mentioned the IRA, which was the national bill that was passed last summer. So what role do other government subsidies play? You  mentioned this particular landfill was in New Jersey. Are we seeing this more in certain parts of the country? Are certain state subsidies or local  governments getting involved to turn old landfills into solar farms? Where is this happening?

Daren Wang:

The biggest movement up until now has been in the Northeast. I think that’s because of a bunch of different factors, but there’s actually a lot of money nationally coming from the EPA towards the remediation of these brownfields. And a lot of times what will happen like this project in Mount Olives, New Jersey, when the company went bankrupt in the early 80s and abandoned this property, they of course stopped paying taxes and those taxes have been accumulating. And as part of this project, the solar developer made the local town whole on those and paid 2.6 million dollars into the city’s coffers, and Mount Olives is, you know, pretty happy about that, right? So they get money in the bank, they get jobs, they get clean energy, and you know, what was once a major liability in the city is now a major asset.

Mallory Whitfield:

Awesome! So, I’m assuming we should expect to see more of these brightfield solar panels on former landfill developments happening across the country, right?

Daren Wang:

So, the fact of the matter is, these landfills are oftentimes ideally located for solar fronts or are oftentimes close to a city. They have all the amenities, and oftentimes the power infrastructure is nearby, because they are close to the city. They have easy access roads and all that, so the conversion is, you know, relatively inexpensive. And I think as the IRA has made these solar farms really much more profitable to do, you’re going to see these happening all over the country, I think, particularly in the South, where there really hasn’t been much going on, but I think there’s a lot of potential in this region.

Mallory Whitfield:

Well that’s very exciting. So we should just expect to look for more solar panels coming to former landfill sites and dumps near us in the future?

Daren Wang:

Yeah, and every time you see one, you think, “That’s a whole lot less carbon in the air” and you know, what’s better than that?

Mallory Whitfield:
For our next segment, we have Daniel Chang from Q Cells. Daniel leads Q Cell’s photovoltaic product management team, which works on everything related to the company’s existing solar products and future technology innovations.

Daren Wang:

Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with us Daniel.

Daniel Chang:

Thank you for having me.

Daren Wang:

When people think about making solar panels in the U.S.,they probably think there’s some assembly here but not the whole process. Now, when I drive (I live in Atlanta), and when I drive up I-75, I’ll pass through Dalton, Georgia which has this huge Q Cells plant. So tell me about what you guys have got going on there and how that fits into your strategy.

Daniel Chang:

Sure, absolutely. So in 2019, Q Cells took part in the production of a manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia and that resulted in 1.7 gigawatts of capacity, and we are planning to actually expand that to 8.4 gigawatts of module production by 2024.

Daren Wang:

Wow, I mean, so like am I right… is one 1.7 gigawatts, that was in 2019 when you opened that up, that was the largest plant in the Western Hemisphere, wasn’t it?

Daniel Chang:

Exactly, yes. So you might have seen, as well, in January when we made the announcement. Module production of course is… kind of, is, you know, very important. However, the materials needed to make those modules is just as important. So we decided to increase and develop an ingot, wafer and cell factory a few miles down the road in Bartow County, Georgia.

Daren Wang:

A lot of what we’ve heard about in the last year and a half has been supply chain challenges. You guys are literally, you know, putting an answer to one of the biggest challenges in the supply chain, three exits down the street from your main manufacturing hub.

Daniel Chang:

Absolutely, yeah. We understood, and we heard the market. Believe it or not, one in three modules installed in America on a home is likely a Qcells module. And so the demand has been very very huge. So we know that market is growing, and there’s a history and track record for that, and we are responding accordingly.

Daren Wang:

That sounds really kind of transformative. Do you have any idea how many people you are going to be employing up there?

Daniel Chang:

So, after all is said and done, we’re hoping to have around 4,000-plus employees in our facilities. And going beyond the number, actually, our idea is hopefully to create both careers, right? Not just jobs for people in Georgia, but careers. So, developing from maybe somebody that starts on the line or even becomes a quality engineer, or even becomes some part of our team in headquarters developing new products. And so we hope that the number, of course, is a good starting point, but we’re hoping to really grow careers, at the end of the day.

Daren Wang:

That’s fantastic. So As people consider which panels to put on their roof right it’s it’s there’s great rebates or great tax credits available at this point and it’s like so why am I why am I interested in Q sales what’s what do you guys do to like maximize efficiency for Q Cells panels?

Daniel Chang:

So, efficiency is a very important part of a module and, of course, especially for residential applications, because you only have so much roof space, so you probably want to get as much power as possible, right?

However, you have to understand that every region, especially in the U.S., has its own different requirements. For example, Florida has a higher wind load rating that’s required of the module so that it can withstand the higher wind speeds. We have Texas and the hail belt where there’s a lot of hail that comes down and making sure that our modules will withstand the duration of hail that may occur during the year.

So, when you take all those into consideration, you have to kind of choose a supplier that’s tested and really goes beyond just the certifications, but through rigorous vetting internally as well with third parties. And Hanwa/Q Cells is actually one of the few companies that are actively working with both third-party labs, as well as internal TUV testing called the QCPV. And by putting a priority on quality, as well as manufacturing for the best design usages, I think this is going to be the choice that most people will feel confident with, because they know that the modules are coming from a company that’s focused on quality, not just producing power.

The thing is that we are focused to become a complete energy provider. Solar is going to be one very important arm of that, right? And so when you have integrations such as our Q Home product, which is an integration of an inverter and battery in a management system, you would want to have a one-stop shop and create a single point of contact for your needs. And so that’s part of our old, like, kind of a long-term goal to have a single point of contact for the consumer, so that when they do want to upgrade or have any issues, even, they can have a single point of contact for a manufacturer where they can call the same person for a module or a in-home energy backup system.

Daren Wang:

Can you talk about any other innovations or new products? What’s the latest and greatest you guys have rolled out?

Daniel Chang:

Yes! We are looking at different materials. You have to understand that silicon itself has a theoretical efficiency wall, if you will, and so we are trying to basically harvest as much energy as we can through different methods, whether it be different applications like a bifacial where there’s energy on the back side as well as in the front, which is what we’re already selling in our utility and commercial side. But since we’re talking about more for residential, we’re also looking at different ways of how we can use more materials that have not been commercialized yet. One of those materials is called perovskite, for example, so that’s what we’re looking at.

Daren Wang:

So, do you guys have any sense of a timeline for commercialization of perovskite?

Daniel Chang:

Yeah, perovskite. So, that is also in the works. We are testing them internally and commercialization is not too far off.

Daren Wang:

That’s some exciting technology.

Daniel Chang:

It is. It’s something that’s been around for a long time, but reaching that commercialization is the hard part, right? And I think with Hanwha’s background and balance sheet and, you know, our presence and our long-term goal, combining those two makes it possible.

Daren Wang:

One of the things, I know, when people start thinking about putting panels on their roofs, they don’t necessarily think about the aesthetics of individual panels. But I know that Q Cells puts a lot of thought and a lot of effort into, you know, the aesthetics of solar panels that you put on your roof. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Daniel Chang:

So, I think, you know, I actually put some thought to this, but, you know, the best modules are the modules that you don’t really notice, right? So, that’s why I believe, you know, like a long time ago when solar tiles and whatnot was introduced, they really like that because it looked like a roof, right?

So, the idea of having something that’s not glaring, number one, and not showing some sort of white part of this between the cells has been a focus industry-wide. But for us, we are integrating that, of course, as well, but we’re trying to make it so that it’s easier for insulation, honestly. Aesthetics can only go so far with solar modules, but I think by making an installation easier for a lot of our installation partners, we can make it so that modules aren’t placed on awkward parts of the roof, for example.

Daren Wang:

Yeah, that makes sense. So I’ve grilled you a little bit. Is there anything else I haven’t asked you about that you want to talk about with Q Cells?

Daniel Chang:

I don’t know if you guys saw, but similar to the timing of our expansion plans announcement, we also signed an agreement with Microsoft for 2.5 gigawatts of supply of solar modules going forward in the next few years.

Daren Wang:

Where is that going to be? Is that for a data center?

Daniel Chang:

It’s a portfolio of projects, but yeah. It’s not going to be one specific project, but it’s going to be to be decided, of course, but most likely it will be to help with their carbon footprint. I’m sure Microsoft have their own kind of applications that they would like to put it on. Data centers comes to mind.

Daren Wang:

Yeah, that’s exciting. It’s cool. Sorry I interrupted you, you had something else.

Daniel Chang:

Oh no, I was going to say, going back to our Georgia factory a little bit… I just wanted to say that, you know, it’s not just about, you know, participating in the IRA but we want to build a complete solar supply chain, we want to create jobs, we want to do it sustainably. And so I think this we think that can bring greater dependability to our direct customers, installers, distributors and ultimately the homeowner.

Mallory Whitfield: Next stop we’re talking with ADT Solar’s own Shae Thomas for “You Can Make a Difference,” a look at some of the actions you can take today to make things better for all of us. Shae is a senior designer for ADT Solar, but it’s her passion for all things sustainable that really makes me want to talk with her.

Mallory:

Hi Shae, and thanks for joining us to talk about some green cleaning tips. I’ve heard that you make some of your own household cleaners using everyday products you can find. Can you tell us more about how you got started with that and how we can do it too?

Shae Thomas:

Yes, absolutely, I originally got into the cleaner green world with my transition into being a pet owner and beekeeper. I learned very early on that a lot of the things that we bring into our house to clean it, really, in a lot of ways can contaminate it both in the air quality and in, you know, when things are getting washed into our water source.

You know, what’s really going back into the environment as a result of what we’re doing? So I actually made a switch into removing all of my chemical cleaners that I had at my home and switched into homemade recipes using simple ingredients that you’d find at your grocery store that you can buy for a reasonable cost and use reusable containers with them.

So, something like vinegar even mixed with some water, it makes for this fantastic cleaner. I have a ton of windows in my house. I like to use a lot of sunlight to light up my space and reduce, you know, using my lights and things and I like my windows to be clean.

So, finding something that was going to be a good cleaner is, you know, important. But we want something that doesn’t cause a negative impact, as well, even if you’re talking about cleaning surfaces and things like that, mixing a little bit of lemon oil in with some water is a great way to wipe down all your countertops.

I know we get a lot of those pet footprints around the house and things, cats jumping on your bookshelves and so forth, and so that comes with a better result without having to rely on chemicals. But even so, I mean, you think about air quality, you think about people with sensitive skin, you think about all these different things that people are affected by chemicals in our environment, and you kind of go is it worth it to get you know this shiny surface if it’s gonna cause a problem down the road anyway? And I don’t think so, I don’t think it’s worth it at all.

I mean, in the world of beekeeping, the tiniest amount of chemical in that environment is something that a little tiny insect like a bee can even react to. And I see this all the time when I’m working in my beehives that, you know, they’re exposed to chemicals and it’s harmful to them, so why would I do that to myself and my pets in my own home when I’m just trying to clean it, right? Clean, not contaminate, that’s really the goal, you know, I’m trying to go for.

So, looking at using reusable packaging, water bottles, spray bottles and things like that that you can mix up these basic safe ingredients with and then clean your home, as opposed to continually buying the same thing over and over again at the store. It’s kind of a twofer, you know, you’re getting what you need out of the situation, you’re also helping to not cause any negative impacts in that way as well. You know, it’s a little thing that everybody can do and it’s something that can help so many situations. I just think it’s definitely something everybody should try out.

 

[Music] That’s it for Good Energy this month. If you’d like to learn more about solar and what’s going on in the world of clean energy, check out our blog at ADTsolar.com.

For everyone here at Good Energy, I’m Mallory Whitfield. We’ll see you next time. For now, keep the Sunny Side Up.

This podcast is being made available for educational purposes only. The information contained herein should not be construed as an offering of professional advice or an offer to sell or solicitation to buy any products or services. This podcast is the sole property of ADT Solar and may not be reproduced or posted without the prior written consent of ADT Solar. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the thoughts or opinions of ADT or our affiliates.

Daniel Chang is the Senior Director of PV Product Management at Qcells where he leads the engineering group dedicated to the successful lifecycle of Qcells’ solar modules. Daniel has over 17 years of technical sales and product management experience in the solar and semiconductor industry. Prior to joining Qcells, Daniel held various technical and sales roles at leading solar companies across the value chain. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Shae Thomas is a Senior Graphic Designer at ADT Solar and an eco-enthusiast. She received her B.F.A. from Louisiana State University. Since her undergrad days, she’s had a history of designing for environmentally aware projects and companies. Additionally, she operates a beekeeping program in Louisiana to promote bee populations and help educate residents about the positive actions they can take to help the environment.