The Energy Show

AI is hungry. Very hungry.

And it's coming for your electricity.

Every ChatGPT prompt, AI image, Google search, streaming video, and cloud application runs inside massive data centers that consume enormous amounts of power.

But where will that power come from?

And who's going to pay for it?

In this episode of The Energy Show, Barry explains why utilities, data centers, and consumers are headed for a collision course over electricity.

In this episode:

• Why data centers ar...

The energy world just changed.

Again.

For years solar, batteries, EVs and heat pumps were sold as clean alternatives. Now they're simply the least expensive alternatives.

In this episode, Barry Cinnamon explains why economics -- not politics — is driving the next phase of the energy transition, and why fossil fuel interests are fighting harder than ever to slow this transition down.

In this episode:

• Why electrons beat molecules every time

• The real economics of EVs vs gasoline vehicles

• Why solar and batteries k...

Did you know that you can plug solar panels into a WALL outlet!

Utility executives are spewing out their morning coffee. Who would have thought a good little solar panel could destroy our wicked trillion dollar business! ????????????

Balcony Solar — AKA Plug-In Solar — is coming and is inevitable. Europeans love Balcony Solar. Renters love Balcony Solar. Utilities…they’d rather come down with Ebola.

Because these small solar systems let people make their own electricity without paying a huge connect fee and ongoing tolls to utilities. Just to connect...

Barry’s Heat Pump Promises:

1. Your AC will die on the hottest day of the year

2. PG&E gas rates will keep going up

3. Resistance — to electrification — is futile

So… are heat pumps part of the solution, or just part of the precipitate…or problem?

This week on The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon sits down with Dana Fischer from Mitsubishi Electric to explore the truths about modern heat pump systems — and why today’s technology is NOTHING like the loud, inefficient, polluting heating and cooling systems in mos...

Barry' been bashing his head against the wall for over two decades to reduce solar and battery system costs in the U.S. So on his recent “vacation” to Australia, he did a deep dive into solar costs Down Under.

As Jigar, Saul and Birchy have observed, solar and battery system costs in Australia are one fourth the price of comparable systems in the U.S. But the REAL reasons for these high costs are not what you may think.

• It’s not greedy installers — although there are still too many sleaze bags...

That’s right, in many California cities you MUST replace a broken air conditioner condenser with a dual-purpose heat pump.

These Reach Codes — also known as AC2HP Requirements — are currently in effect in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Menlo Park, Mountain View and Alameda.

Barry’s guest on this week’s Energy Show is nationally-known HVAC expert Nate Adams, “The House Whisperer.” Nate and Barry provide a no-BS breakdown of what’s changing, relative costs and savings, and how you can make the smartest decision when your...

In this episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon talks with Mark Toney, Executive Director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN), about the growing energy affordability crisis in California and across the U.S.

Despite increasing costs for homeowners and businesses, utility companies continue to raise rates—while reporting strong profits.

So what’s really driving these high electricity bills?

This episode covers:

• Why utility rates keep increasing year after year

• The hidden structure behind utility profits

• How regulation (or lack of it) imp...

When you electrify your home – with a heat pump HVAC system, EV charger, induction cooktop or heat pump water heater – your demand for electricity will go up. Duh. Or as Tim Allen would say: “I need more power.”

Incentives as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) help reduce the "upfront" costs of these electrification upgrades. But the only way to reduce the "operating" costs of these new electrical appliances is with more solar power on your roof.

But upgrading an old solar system is not for the faint of heart. New sola...

Yes, definitely. Heat pumps are literally and figuratively cool. And without a doubt, the best time to consider installing a heat pump is when your AC (or furnace) dies.

Heat pumps do double duty, providing both heating and cooling. They offer significant savings and improved comfort -- which I confirmed first hand after my old outdoor air conditioner compressor died. Replacing both my old AC and gas furnace with a heat pump was one of the best home improvements I’ve ever made. The system operates almost silently, has better temperature control throughout my house, an...

Since our worldwide economy depends on a steady supply of fossil fuels — oil, gasoline, natural gas, LNG, jet fuel — even the mere threat of disruption can cause a large and long-term increase in energy costs. Especially energy that is generated from burning hydrocarbon molecules, which have to be physically transported in pipelines and tankers. But not so much for energy that is generated from photons (I bet you know where I’m going with this).

During the first two weeks in March, 2026, Iranian drones set ablaze four oil tankers with a combined total of about 750,000 barrel...

In this week’s episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon talks with Sean Gallagher (Senior VP of Policy, SEIA) about the new market reality after recent federal changes. As well as the financing tools, state policies, and grid programs that can help homeowners and installers move forward.

In this episode:

• How installers are adapting to the end of the residential tax credit with leases, PPAs, and newer financing structures

• What to ask a financing provider before you sign (risk, Fair Market Value, payment timing, working capital, Approved Vendors List)

• Wh...

After more than four decades in the solar industry, Barry Cinnamon breaks down the most common mistakes made by solar installers and homeowners and how to avoid them to ensure long-term performance, savings, and peace of mind.

In this episode of The Energy Show, you’ll learn:

• The installation mistakes that can cause leaks or system failures

• Why some systems are oversized or undersized

• How shading, roof orientation, and design affect performance

• The truth about solar loans, leases, and payment escalators

• How to compare quotes using price...

In this episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon breaks down the science, economics, and practicality behind the proposed Trillion Trees Act — and asks the big question: Will it actually make a meaningful difference?

Trees absolutely help remove carbon from the atmosphere through natural carbon sequestration. But when you look at the numbers — global CO₂ emissions, land requirements, cost, and timing — the reality becomes clear: planting trees alone won’t solve the climate crisis.

• How trees absorb and store carbon (carbon sequestration explained)

• How much CO₂ a trillion trees would actually re...

Consider the poor photons! If your panels are dirty you are causing trillions of premature photonic deaths when they collide with dirt molecules. Please give those photons the chance to knock an electron loose from an eager semi-conductor. Instead of being converted to heat and banished to quantum hell.

Save The Photons. Clean Your Solar Panels

After just a week, your panels might look slightly dusty. But a light coating of dust doesn't significantly block sunlight. However, severe grime, especially on low-tilt panels, can slash your output by over 25%!

<...

Unfortunately, there are a few "quick buck" solar companies that take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. These ten tips will help you avoid these scam artists -- and get the best solar and battery installation for your home or business.

1. Beware of the word “Free”

2. Beware of TGTBT pricing and financing

3. Don’t sign up on the spot

4. Do not trust quotes generated completely online

5. Beware of “free maintenance and cleaning” commitments

6. Beware of optimistic system savings

7. Research the company that manufacturers the solar panels you...

This week on The Energy Show, we’re talking about solar + battery systems not just the equipment, but the customer service and troubleshooting that keeps these systems performing year after year.

Traditional “solar-only” systems can be wonderfully simple and reliable. But when you add batteries (plus transfer switches, CTs, load management, apps, and firmware), you also add more moving parts and that means it’s helpful to know what’s normal, what’s fixable, and what’s worth upgrading.

Barry is joined by the Cinnamon Energy Systems service team Frank Teague, Lucas Cordero...

Rooftop solar, net metering, and clean energy policies are being dismantled across the U.S. From the effective cancellation of the Inflation Reduction Act to broken contracts and financial clawbacks, fossil-fuel interests are pushing hard to regain control of our energy system.

This week on The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon is joined by Bernadette Del Chiaro, Senior Vice President at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and former Executive Director of CALSSA, for a powerful, no-nonsense conversation about what’s really happening—and how consumers can push back.

• Why utilities are attacking roofto...

On this week’s episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon is joined by Carl Guardino, a longtime leader in government affairs and public policy, to explain how smart advocacy, trust, and relationships shape the laws and regulations that impact our energy future.

Carl has helped guide policy from every angle — from leading the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, to expanding clean-energy markets at Bloom Energy, to bringing high-speed broadband to underserved communities at Tarana Wireless.

Barry and Carl explore:

• Why good policy takes more than great technology

• How busin...

Nietzsche must have been referring to clean energy. Not even Nostradamus could have predicted this much turmoil in the energy sector in 2025. Nevertheless, Barry predicts steady clean energy progress due to lower solar, battery and heat pump costs.

1) Bad news - expect a record number of clean energy bankruptcies in 2026

2) AC2HP reach codes for homes will take off

3) Utilities will lie every time they say that the data center buildout will not cause electric rates to skyrocket

4) Battery storage costs will continue to decline rapidly

5) Cheap...

AI and data centers are driving unprecedented demand for power. At the same time, federal clean-energy support is being rolled back, leaving households and businesses exposed to higher costs and grid instability.

So where does that leave us?

In this episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon is joined by Sachu Constantine, Executive Director of Vote Solar, to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes — and why state-level solar and storage policy may be the most powerful lever left to protect affordability, reliability, and clean energy growth. Sachu breaks down...

AI and data centers are driving unprecedented demand for power. At the same time, federal clean-energy support is being rolled back, leaving households and businesses exposed to higher costs and grid instability.

So where does that leave us?

In this episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon is joined by Sachu Constantine, Executive Director of Vote Solar, to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes — and why state-level solar and storage policy may be the most powerful lever left to protect affordability, reliability, and clean energy growth.

In this week’s Energy Show, Barry talks with Panama Bartholomy, Founder and Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, about how heat pumps, induction cooktops, better incentive programs, and smart building codes are transforming homes and businesses across the U.S.

• Heat pumps are 400% efficient, yes that's thermodynamically possible.

• Learn about the new heat pump water heaters that plug into the wall

• Home cooks love induction cooktops

• Why many contractors love electrification but hate rebate paperwork

• What happens to gas utilities, pipelines, and workers as we electrify

On this week's Energy Show we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges in America’s energy future: powering the exploding growth of AI data centers without causing electric rates to skyrocket even more. And without waiting 5-10 years for utilities to build new power plants and long distance transmission lines.

Here’s how: instead of building giant power plants hundreds of miles away, we can install new power capacity much closer to the data centers themselves — on the rooftops of homes, businesses, warehouses, and public buildings.

Think about it:

Barry exposes political, corporate, and global climate failures — and explains why solar, wind, and batteries remain our only practical way forward.

Episode Highlights:

• How Donald Trump’s policies are gutting clean-energy investments and reversing progress on solar and wind.

• Why corporate giants are abandoning their sustainability promises.

• Why the UN Climate Conferences have become dominated by fossil-fuel interests.

• Why even Bill Gates’ new climate stance misses the mark.

The EnRoads Climate Model shows the world is still headed for a 3.3°C rise in global temperature...

This week Barry sits down with Gary Lam, CEO of

Franklin WH. A New Jersey native who’s now building

batteries in Santa Clara, California, Gary has led

Franklin from startup to one of the top-selling

whole-home batteries in the U.S.

In this episode:

• OBBB explained: Why 2026 pricing changes and

financing shifts.

• Franklin’s edge: The A Power 2 battery, new A Power

S (battery + inverter), the Hub load-shedding

controller, and meter-coll...

Barry dives into what real “action” means. Using the En-Roads global climate simulator, he breaks down which solutions actually move the needle on global warming and which are just feel-good distractions.Episode Highlights: • How the En-Roads climate simulator models global warming and why we’re still on track for 3.3°C by 2100 • Why expensive “solutions” like fusion, trillion trees, and carbon capture barely move the dial • The one proven fix: putting a real price on carbon • How electrifying transport, buildings, and industry can cut global warming by nearly 1°C • Simple personal actions — and the political choices — that matter mostClimate Action Day is tomorrow, November 6th. Jo...

The OBBB is now law in the U.S. It eliminates the 30% residential solar credit and adds restrictions for commercial systems—including many residential leases/PPAs. That means cash/loan projects effectively get ~30% pricier, while leases/PPAs face domestic content, safe harbor, and FEOC rules that affect equipment and pricing.

The 30% residential solar credit ends on Jan 1, 2026 but performance still wins. Barry talks with Brian Ghiglia about how REC’s Alpha Pure-RX (HJT, G12, half-cut) squeezes more energy from tight roofs, why hair-thin wiring (no hot-spot solder points) improves longevity, and how installers/homeowners can navigate 2026 with smarter financing and ops.

Episode Highlights

• REC tech explained: HJT + G12 (210mm) + half-cut architecture; cooler operation & yield

• Degradation: ~0.24%/yr → ~92% output at 25 years (long-tail production matters)

• Installer tactics: distributor partnerships, CAC reduction, credit-union loans, prepaid leases, AI in lead-to-install

• Homeowner checklist: vet tech, warran...

The 30% residential tax credit is ending in 2026—and the rules around commercial credits, domestic content, and safe harbor are tightening. What now? Aurora Solar’s CEO & Co-founder Chris Hopper joins Barry to lay out a practical plan for installers and homeowners: cut soft costs with software, speed up project cycles, and choose financing that fits the new reality.



What you’ll learn

RE+ (formerly Solar Power International) brought together over 40,000 energy enthusiasts in Las Vegas this year. From cutting-edge home batteries to balcony and plug-in solar systems, the industry is buzzing with products that are practical, reliable, and ready for homeowners now.

On this week’s Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon shares his Top Product Picks from RE+ 2025 — technologies that check all the boxes: affordability, reliability, ease of installation, and real benefits for your home or business.

You’ll learn:

• Why solar panel costs have dropped by 150x over the past 25 years

• T...

Dan Javan Explains the Mad Scramble for Solar Financing in 2026.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) killed the 30% tax credit for residential solar. With no more residential tax credits as of 1/1/2026, the demand for solar financing will be higher than ever. But the supply of easy financing is constrained by safe harbor headaches, higher interest rates and questions about domestic content.

What does this mean?

Solar loans, credit unions and cash purchases will be 30% more expensive in 2026

Leases and PPAs using the commercial tax credit structure can stil...

In this episode of The Energy Show with Barry Cinnamon, Barry speaks with Tom McCalmont, CEO of McCalmont Engineering and co-founder of Paired Power, an innovative microgrid and EV charging company.

Together, they break down how the elimination of the 30% residential solar tax credit and restrictions on commercial projects will reshape solar — and why smart companies must adapt now to survive in 2026 and beyond.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

In this episode of The Energy Show with Barry Cinnamon, Barry reconnects with Jeff Wolfe, clean-tech veteran, founder of GroSolar, longtime SEIA board member, and now managing partner at Wolf Yates & Co. Together, they unpack what contractors and homeowners need to know as the 30% residential solar tax credit disappears in 2026.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• OBBB 101 – Why cash and loan solar prices jump 30% in 2026

• Why batteries may become the financial backbone of solar installs

• Contractor survival playbook – AI-driven marketing, cutting acquisition costs, diversifying into heat pumps & electrification

• Financing sh...

In this week’s episode of The Energy Show with Barry Cinnamon, we break down how the elimination of the 30% residential solar tax credit and new commercial restrictions are shaking up the entire solar industry.

Joining Barry is Tom Werner, former CEO & Chairman of SunPower, one of the most respected leaders in solar. Together they cover:

Enphase co-founder Raghu Belur joins Barry Cinnamon to break down the future of solar + storage in this eye-opening episode of The Energy Show.

As tax credits fade and utility rates surge, inverters and batteries are becoming the heart of the home energy system — and Enphase is leading the charge. This episode reveals how Gen 4 and Gen 5 batteries, smarter microinverters, and bidirectional EV charging will reshape the energy landscape

In this episode of The Energy Show, host Barry Cinnamon welcomes Dan Fadden, co-founder of Greentech Renewables (CED). Dan and Barry discuss the jaw-dropping new reality facing every solar installer and homeowner in America. With the 30% residential tax credit ending 12/31/25 and new commercial financing restrictions kicking in, the entire industry is racing toward a deadline. Only the smartest contractors will survive.

Welcome to the next episode in our continuing series examining the devastating impact on the solar industry embedded in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or OBBB as described in polite terms. We’re interviewing experts in the solar and battery industry throughout the entire value chain. If you’re a homeowner looking for solar, a contractor installing solar and battery systems, or a manufacturer/service provider, this series is for you as you plan for the future.

This week’s guest is Corey Geiger, Chief Operating Officer at Enstall—the largest rooftop solar racking company in the world...

Welcome to the next episode in our continuing series examining the devastating impact on the solar industry embedded in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or OBBB as described in polite terms. We’re interviewing experts in the solar and battery industry throughout the entire value chain. If you’re a homeowner looking for solar, a contractor installing solar and battery systems, or a manufacturer/service provider, this series is for you as you plan for the future.

On this week’s show we're joined by Jeff Spies, President of Planet Plansets. If you didn’t know, Planet...

You Are Getting Ripped Off.

That’s right. If you’re a California homeowner, your utility is jacking up your electric bills to maximize their profits — and the government is approving these rate increases.

PG&E’s profits have gone up three years in a row. Their profits hit a record of $2.5 billion in 2024. All because of steadily increasing electric rates and continued over-investment in expensive utility infrastructure.

It’s a little-known fact that utilities like PG&E get a guaranteed 10-12% return on all of their assets — i...

Warning: The clean energy forecast for 2026 looks stormy—are you ready to weather it?

In part two of our conversation with SunCast host Nico Johnson, we go deep into the chaotic, fast-changing landscape that solar companies are bracing for.

You’ve probably heard the rumors: tax credits vanishing, new tariffs incoming, battery costs skyrocketing, and a federal crackdown via FEOC regulations. But this isn’t just talk—it’s the start of a true solar shakeup. We break down what’s coming and how smart companies can pivot, survive, and even thrive in th...