DeepSummary
Leslie Chang, Director of Strategy and Policy at Calix Corporation, discusses the role of solar energy, particularly perovskite solar cells, in the global energy transition. She explains that perovskites are a unique chemical formulation that can be coated on glass or plastic to create flexible solar cells more efficiently than traditional silicon cells.
Chang highlights the advantages of perovskite cells, including increased power production, lower costs, and versatile applications. However, challenges remain in improving their durability and convincing the public and investors to embrace solar as a viable solution rather than chasing newer, unproven technologies.
Chang emphasizes the critical role of government incentives in commercializing perovskite cells and ensuring an inclusive energy transition. She expresses optimism in people's growing awareness of climate change and their desire to contribute to a sustainable future through well-paying green jobs and community-driven initiatives.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Perovskite solar cells offer increased power production, lower costs, and versatile applications compared to traditional silicon cells.
- Challenges in commercializing perovskite cells include improving durability and convincing the public and investors to embrace solar over newer, unproven technologies.
- Government incentives, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, play a crucial role in promoting domestic manufacturing and commercialization of perovskite solar cells.
- Ensuring an inclusive energy transition requires intentional efforts to make solar technology accessible and ubiquitous in communities most affected by climate change.
- Growing public awareness and discourse around climate change, as well as people's desire for well-paying green jobs and community-driven initiatives, offer optimism for the future of sustainable technologies like perovskite solar cells.
- Companies like Calix Corporation are working to improve the efficiency and durability of perovskite solar cells while simultaneously addressing issues of equity and justice in their deployment.
- Collaboration between the private sector and governments at various levels is essential for setting a vision, creating incentives, and implementing policies that support the growth of a sustainable energy economy.
- Perovskite solar cells have the potential to accelerate the proliferation of solar energy by integrating seamlessly into existing manufacturing processes and reducing installed costs.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “So perovskite solar cells, it's what Calix is working on. And so if you think about a regular solar panel in a slightly simplified format, glass, it's the solar cell, and then it's the bottom glass, and the solar cell is what converts sunlight into electricity.“ by Leslie Chang
- “The Biden administration, with the Inflation Reduction act, with the Infrastructure and Jobs act, has really created an environment where not only investors but also manufacturers can come to the table to say, hey, let's work on creating new factories. Let's think about how to bring domestic manufacturing back to the United States again.“ by Leslie Chang
- “I really think it's people like humanity overall. Several years ago, climate change was not a fringe topic of discussion, but it was almost never talked about in kind of mainstream media the way it is now, the way media outlets have been talking about climate and broadcasting about it has changed.“ by Leslie Chang
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Episode Information
Climate Changers
Ryan Flahive
8/22/23