Listen "Wildfires, Microgrids & Troubleshooting the Grid – Piper Wilder of 60Hertz"
Episode Synopsis
Send us a Text to Watts Up Solar Podcast!In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast, Emmitt sits down with Piper Wilder, founder & CEO of 60Hertz, to talk about the messy, beautiful reality of keeping renewable assets alive and performing in the real world.The conversation starts with microgrids in remote Alaska, indigenous operators running million-dollar systems, and a legit grizzly bear outside the tent… and then climbs all the way up the stack to utility-scale asset management, wildfire smoke, aerosols, AI, and VPPs.Piper breaks down:How 60Hertz grew from a CMMS into a full O&M platformWhy Alaska was ground zero for seeing O&M failures up closeThe origin of Flare API – an algorithm/API that quantifies lost generation from wildfire smoke, ash, pollen, and dustHow aerosol optical depth, PM, and satellite data explain “mystery” underperformanceWhy asset owners need to stop treating wildfire impact as “bad luck” and start treating it as a measurable business variableWhere parametric insurance and revenue protection may be heading for large portfoliosThe idea behind Asset Watch Pro, a “meta” dashboard for what asset owners actually need to seeThe tension (and partnership) between service providers, asset managers, and asset ownersOn top of that, Emmitt and Piper go deep on:Troubleshooting as meditation, not tortureThinking down to the component level – from automotive ECUs to PV invertersWhy training is troubleshooting humans so they can troubleshoot systemsWhere AI can help O&M teams work faster… and where it falls flat (Example: hello, cold solder joints)The future of work in renewables, trades versus degrees, and what Austria/Germany get right about apprenticeshipsIdentity, nationalism, and what it means to be called “the American” for the first timeThe episode closes with Emmitt’s reminder: Relationships are seasonal. The sun is permanent. And the sun will never send you a bill.🔗 Links & ContactGuest – Piper Wilder / 60Hertz Website: https://60hertzenergy.com/ Host – Emmitt Muckles S.E. Power Consulting: https://www.sepowerconsulting.com Solar Energy for Consumers: https://www.solarenergyforconsumers.comSubscribe & Follow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wattsuppod Spotify / Apple / Google: Watts Up Solar PodcastOur Sponsor for this Episode is S.E. Power Consulting S. E. Power Consulting offers Fractional Training Leadership—meaning you get expert-level training support when you need it, without the cost of a full-time hire.Whether you’re scaling up or just getting organized, we help you train smarter, not harder. Visit SEPowerConsulting.com to learn more. S.E. Power Consulting—Fractional training. Full-time results.
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