Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague interviews Tooraj Arvajeh, co-founder and CEO of Perl Street, a fintech platform designed to streamline financial operations for distributed energy resources. Tooraj shares his journey from sustainability engineer to fintech entrepreneur, explaining how his experience developing energy efficiency projects led him to identify a critical gap between engineering expertise and financial knowledge in the clean energy sector.

Perl Street addresses the financial complexity faced by companies developing and managing distributed energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar, battery storage, EV chargers, and heat pumps. Tooraj explains how their platform helps third-party asset owners and managers transform individual machines into projects, bundle those projects into portfolios, and finally convert them into financial products that can attract institutional investment.

The conversation explores how Perl Street's technology helps customers like King Energy, who develop commercial rooftop solar across real estate portfolios, by automating complex financial workflows and consolidating data from multiple sources. Tooraj highlights the value proposition for independent power producers (IPPs): enabling scale, improving returns, and creating standardization that makes distributed energy assets as easy to invest in as utility-scale projects.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the evolution of DERs from retail products to real estate investments to critical energy infrastructure and learn how financial technology is essential to unlocking capital at the scale needed to accelerate the clean energy transition. Tune in to understand the financial backbone that's powering the deployment of distributed energy resources across the country.

Social Media Handles

Tooraj Arvajeh

Perl Street

Support the show

Connect with Tim

Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with Ryan Mayfield of Mayfield Renewables and Jayson Smith of CPS America to explore commercial and industrial battery solutions, with a special focus on the new "Gonzo" 125 kW / 261 kWh C&I battery from CPS America.

The conversation dives deep into microgrid applications, examining both resiliency and demand response use cases. Jayson Smith details the technical specifications of the Gonzo unit, highlighting its grid-forming capabilities with a 20-millisecond switchover time, 125 kW continuous output, and scalable design allowing multiple units to be connected for larger installations.

Safety is thoroughly discussed, with Smith explaining the multiple layers of safety features built into the Gonzo system, including cell sensing circuits, heat/smoke/fire detection, dry pipe systems, and deflagration panels. Ryan Mayfield provides valuable context around current fire safety standards, including NFPA 855, CSA TS 800, and 9540A certification, and how CPS America is addressing jurisdictional requirements across different regions.

The experts also cover integration with building systems, microgrid controllers, commissioning processes, and maintenance plans. CPS America's exceptional service model is highlighted, with 60% of their workforce dedicated to service and support including free commissioning services and long-term service agreements.

Whether you're an installer looking to understand commercial battery options, a developer navigating complex safety regulations, or a facility owner exploring demand charge reduction and resiliency options, this episode provides crucial insights into the rapidly evolving commercial and industrial battery storage landscape.

Social Media Handles

Ryan Mayfield

Jayson Smith

Mayfield Renewables

CPS America

Support the show

Connect with Tim

Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Today on the Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague delves into the critical yet often overlooked aspect of electrification: EV charging infrastructure for multifamily housing. Tim welcomes Aubrey Gunnels, CEO and co-founder of 3V Infrastructure, a company that's tackling the significant gap in EV charging accessibility for the 31% of Americans living in multifamily buildings.

Aubrey explains how 3V's business model works – they provide all capital expenditure and operational costs while installing Level 2 chargers at multifamily properties at zero cost to property owners. The company generates revenue by charging drivers a premium on electricity rates, creating a sustainable business model that doesn't rely heavily on government subsidies. This approach addresses a crucial market need, as currently, only about 5% of multifamily buildings have EV chargers despite 80% of charging happening at home.

The conversation explores how 3V uses data-driven approaches to determine the optimal number of chargers for each property, considering factors like local EV registration data, building demographics, and anticipated growth patterns. Aubrey shares insights about how property managers see EV charging as an increasingly important amenity that affects NOI (Net Operating Income) and resident retention.

Tim and Aubrey discuss the challenges of EV infrastructure development in the US compared to Europe, the importance of charger reliability, and how private investment in charging infrastructure remains critical regardless of policy shifts. They also touch on the broader EV market trends, battery price decreases, and how the automotive sector's global competitiveness continues to drive EV development despite political changes.

This episode provides valuable insights for real estate owners, property managers, clean energy professionals, and anyone interested in the future of transportation electrification. Listen now to understand how companies like 3V Infrastructure are working to make EV ownership accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they live.

Social Media Handles

Aubrey Gunnels

3v infrastructure

Support the show

Connect with Tim

Clean Power Hour
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com