FEOC compliance is the number one question solar buyers ask in 2026, and the answer determines which module manufacturers survive. In this episode, Tim Montague talks with Chris Lettman of Imperial Star, Benoy Thanjan of Reneu Energy, and the host of the Solar Maverick podcast, and Dean Solon of Create Energy at InterSolar San Diego 2026.

Here's what you'll learn in this conversation:

• Find out how Imperial Star offers "domestic light" module configurations that let developers hit their required domestic content percentage without overpaying for content they don't need.
• Learn why some module manufacturers will disappear this year as FEOC compliance separates companies with verified supply chains from those without.
• Understand what the ITC phase-out by 2028 means for project economics and why Dean Solon says the industry needs to "break free of that pacifier."
• You'll hear why Dean Solon built Create as an open-architecture system where project owners control their own data without recurring software fees.
• Learn how battery storage is expanding beyond California and Texas into Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Benoy Thanjan notes that residential customers in Florida are now buying storage for peace of mind during blackouts, not purely for economic payback.

The FEOC compliance deadline that took effect in January 2026 is reshaping the entire solar supply chain. With the ITC phasing out by 2028 and battery storage markets expanding into new states every year, solar professionals need to understand their module sourcing options, domestic content configurations, and post-incentive business models right now.

Connect with the Guest

Chris Lettman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislettman/

Benoy Thanjan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bthanjan/

Deon Solon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-solon-b8876649/

Imperial Star: https://www.imperialstar.com/

Reneu Energy: https://www.reneuenergy.com/

Create Energy: https://www.create.energy/

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Connect with Tim

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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

Natural gas prices in Europe surged roughly 80% after the Iran war disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off 20% of the world's oil supply. On this episode of The Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down how this energy war affects electricity costs, solar economics, and your business as a clean energy professional. They cover solar's fastest growth in a decade, the new SEIA market report, Virginia's clean energy moves, deep geothermal technology, and a perovskite milestone that signals large-scale manufacturing.

Episode Highlights:

The Iran war has disrupted oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Tim and John discuss how this "energy war" raises electricity costs, increases shipping expenses for solar equipment, and changes forward price curves for commercial solar proposals. (Clean Air Task Force)

John reports in PV Magazine that US solar generation grew at its fastest rate in a decade. (PV Magazine)

Solar and wind are set to pass nuclear as a share of global electricity generation in 2026. Combined with hydro at 14%, clean sources now supply about 44% of global electricity. (Michael Liebreich)

Virginia's new Democratic governor moved the state back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which funds renewable energy certificates worth 3 to 4 cents per kWh. (Politico Pro)

Quaise Energy raised $200 million to develop a super-hot geothermal power plant in Oregon. (Canary Media)

Maxwell Equipment achieved 32.5% efficiency in a perovskite/HJT tandem solar cell. (PV Tech)

If you sell, finance, or develop solar projects, this episode gives you the numbers and context to update your proposals and conversations with clients.

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

Third-party testing shows robotic solar panel installation reduces micro cracks and defects by 16 to 20%. In this episode, Tim Montague sits down with Jay Wong, CEO of Luminous Robotics, and Andy Klump, longtime solar industry advisor, at RE+ Boston. They walk through the new Lumi 4 robot, its autonomous pallet bot companion, and how robotics-as-a-service delivers 20 to 30% cost reduction for EPCs and mechanical installers. This conversation covers where robotic solar construction stands today and why labor shortages make adoption urgent.

Here's what you'll learn in this conversation about robotic solar installation and the future of utility-scale construction:

• Find out how the Lumi 4 robot was redesigned since last year, with a smaller form factor that fits under torque tubes and adapts to varying site conditions.
• Learn how Luminous Robotics pairs an autonomous pallet bot with the installation robot to separate material staging from panel placement, bringing factory-style Lean process optimization to the field.
• You'll hear why third-party testing by an independent engineering firm confirmed 16 to 20% fewer microcracks and defects with robotic installation compared to manual crews.
• Understand the cents-per-watt, robotics-as-a-service pricing model that gives customers 20 to 30% cost reduction from day one without owning or maintaining the equipment.
• Andy Klump explains why developers who have safe-harbored gigawatts of equipment will face a labor shortage in 2027 and 2028, and why many systems will not connect to the grid on time without large-scale robotic deployment.

With a wave of safe-harbored solar projects set to break ground in the next two years, the construction workforce will not scale fast enough to meet demand. Robotic installation is moving from proof of concept to commercial deployment, and EPCs who adopt early, stand to gain a measurable cost and quality advantage on utility-scale projects.

Reach Jay and Andy Here

Jay Wong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymingwong/

Luminous: https://www.luminousrobotics.com/

Andy Klump: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aklump/

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