Episode 708

708: Inside Sunrun’s Customer-Led Revolution with CEO, Mary Powell

Published on: 13th June, 2024

Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, has cast the vision of the leading solar brand in North America as a clean energy lifestyle company. She recently shared with Nico how Sunrun is accelerating the transition and nearing its millionth customer despite the typical electric utilities' “no and slow” culture.

Under Powell's leadership, Sunrun installed more than 1 GW of solar in 2023, maintaining its position as the nation's leading residential solar provider. Even more impressive, perhaps, is how Sunrun’s “year of energy storage” netted an unprecedented growth rate of battery attachment to solar projects. They’ve also set a few key milestones in key markets like CA and Puerto Rico for grid services of distributed batteries.

As a former utility executive, Nico asserts that Powell is “bilingual”, understanding how to navigate and communicate in both the private sector and Utility environments facilitating the integration of more renewables into the grid. Now, she is proving that distributed energy resources (like rooftop solar) can support grid reliability when networked as virtual power plants (VPPs), and promises we are in the midst of a ‘customer-led revolution’.

Expect to learn:

  • Details of the largest virtual power plant (VPP) in the nation.
  • Why “customer obsession” is key to consumer confidence.
  • The role of virtual power plants in creating a resilient grid.
  • How Sunrun achieved a 50% storage attachment rate.

Click play to hear directly from the CEO proving that distributed energy resources can support a stronger, more resilient grid.

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!

SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes