Technical Article
Introducing Dispatches from the Energy Transition
The webinar series demystifying emerging technologies and how they benefit real-world renewables projects
In Dispatches From The Energy Transition, we start conversations with the people behind emerging technologies and the projects they impact. The goal is to share smart and engaging insights that clearly articulate the value of the innovations driving the transition.
Our first episodes have resonated well with our audience of energy transition leaders, cleantech startups, and developers in the distributed generation and mid-market space.
- We’ve explored long-duration energy storage.
- We’ve shed light on microgrid communications and controls.
- We’ve looked behind the scenes of a solar array built on a floodplane.
Those are just a few of the topics we’ve tackled with our guests — adventurous people taking the time to share valuable, replicable insights with us and our listeners.
Since we’re off to such a good start, we’ve decided to draw back the curtain on Dispatches itself, so you can get to know us better. We’ll explain why Dispatches exists, introduce the team, and (if you haven’t tuned in yet) show you what you’ll get out of the series.
Why does Dispatches exist?
Building a plane while flying it is no easy task. But as anyone in our industry would probably agree, that’s what’s happening with the energy transition. It’s well underway, and we’re all still finding our way.
Emerging technologies are coming thick and fast — distributed generation, EV charging, microgrids, batteries, digital tools. It’s hard for industry professionals to keep up. Sure, the plane is in the air and we’re moving forward, but there’s still a whole lot to figure out.
One of the best ways to do that, we believe, is by disseminating reliable, high-quality knowledge: Expert discussions that reveal best practices, plot roadmaps for real-world projects, and above all demonstrate the practical value of new technologies.
That’s why we started Dispatches. It’s about demystifying what’s happening — figuring out the hardware, the software, how they fit into projects, and what the codes and standards should look like. Those are just a few of the pieces we need to fit together to generate real uplift.
A big focus of the series is distributed generation, specifically mid-market solar where C&I projects reside. This segment has immense promise, but the realities of C&I projects mean they can be off-puttingly complex and don’t always receive as much coverage as they should.
We wade into that complexity to show how mid-market solar projects get off the ground and the products and services helping them succeed. In a world where microgrids and the value of resilience still aren’t fully understood, these insights are crucial.
Who’s behind Dispatches?
Dispatches is a team effort between Robert Cross of Outfit, Lucas Miller of Mayfield Renewables, and Chris Crowell of Solar Builder. Part of the value of Dispatches is this unique collaboration: It’s driven by expertise in storytelling, engineering, and journalism.
As principal of Outfit, the cleantech marketing agency, Robert is always looking for creative ways to tell stories and visualize them. That’s why he devised the conversational format for Dispatches – and why the series uses animations and infographics to depict value and impact.
Lucas, a senior consultant engineer, brings the technical lens to the show. He digs into the projects to establish what the engineering problems were and how they were overcome, examines the codes and standards, and explores permitting, installation, and maintenance.
It’s not an impermeable line, though: Lucas is also an experienced storyteller, and Robert has years of technical experience in cleantech. Hosting the show, they both complement and contribute to each other’s unique perspectives.
As an editor-in-chief, Chris always wants to bring good content to as many people in his audience as possible. By connecting Dispatches to Solar Builder, he expands the series’ reach and gives solar experts and practitioners access to the in-depth case studies they value.
How do we build an episode?
We start by exploring technologies or products and reaching out to the companies to see if they want to participate. Like we said, a big focus is on the mid-market segment because we see a real need to cut through the ownership, economic, and engineering complexities there.
Once we have our guests on board, Lucas leads the work on putting together an abstract, so we have a summary of what the episode is going to be about. Then it’s time to record, with Robert and Lucas hosting and also fielding questions from the audience.
When the episode is finished and edited, it goes up on YouTube. This is also where Chris steps in. He brings the episode to Solar Builder readers, and finds new ways to package it — in follow-up presentations, say, or by reusing animations, infographics, and key quotes.
On top of our digital format, we recently took Dispatches into new territory with a live event at Intersolar in San Diego. The relaxed fireside chat gave existing and new listeners the chance to join the conversation in person, build their network, and share ideas and feedback with us.
Live from San Diego, Bryan Wagner from CPS America, and Casey Miller from Elexity joined us for our first live panel discussion.
What do listeners get out of Dispatches?
Dispatches is essentially building a library of expert insight into the technologies and projects shaping the energy transition in general, and the distributed generation and mid-market solar segments in particular.
This library will be a source of roadmaps showing you how others succeeded with challenging projects. By highlighting the value of emerging technologies, it will help you make informed decisions about which innovations would be most helpful for your goals.
As audiences engage with the episodes by asking questions and providing their own thoughts, we’ll collectively create a supportive community of well-educated peers. Future live events will create opportunities for meeting in person and growing your own networks.
We also hope that by demonstrating the viability of mid-market technologies and projects, listeners will feel inspired to engage with this sector. It holds a wealth of business opportunities and its growth will bring much-needed resilience and reliability to the energy system.
Join the conversation
You can follow Dispatches on the Mayfield Renewables YouTube channel and you can find Dispatches content at Solar Builder.
If you have ideas for future episodes, we’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch with Robert, Lucas, or Chris and let us know what you’re thinking.
