Matt Campbell of Terabase Energy on Building the Platform for Terawatt-Scale Solar Ep.75

Less than 1% of the solar that’s going to be built has been built. And in the wake of climate change, it’s imperative that we build solar plants faster and make the process cheaper. 

But what will it take to achieve terawatt-scale solar power?

Matt Campbell is the Cofounder and CEO of Terabase Energy, a technology solutions company on a mission to reduce costs and accelerate deployment by digitizing the solar power plant. Prior to Terabase, Matt spent 15 years at SunPower, and his experience spans 200-plus projects in 20 countries representing $10B in project investment.

On this episode of Clean Power Hour, Matt joins Tim to explain why digitization and automation are key in unlocking the full potential of PV technology and explore how close we are to seeing a robotized solar construction site.

Matt shares the thinking behind his cost-reduction goal of one cent per KWh of solar energy and describes how Terabase is addressing the two biggest constraints to reaching terawatt scale—cost and scalability.

Listen in for Matt’s insight on leveraging narrow AI to make solar farm design more efficient and learn how Terabase is reducing the carbon footprint of solar construction and minimizing its impact on the land while building the platform for terawatt-scale solar. 

Key Takeaways

How the desire to drive innovation in utility-scale solar inspired Matt to build Terabase Energy

Why digitization and automation are key in unlocking the full potential of PV technology

The thinking behind Matt’s cost reduction goal of 1 cent per KWh of solar energy

Why Matt is a true believer in green hydrogen (and why we can’t get to full decarbonization without it)

How Terabase is addressing the 2 biggest constraints to reaching terawatt scale—cost and scalability

The Mammoth Solar Project and how narrow AI makes large-scale solar farm design more efficient

The benefits of automating solar construction

Matt’s perspective on scaling the US labor force in clean energy and clean tech

How close we are to seeing a robotized solar construction site

How to reduce the carbon footprint of solar construction and minimize its impact on the land

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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