Shows
EnergypreneursE250: From 3-Wheelers to Tesla Model Y: Equity and Energy SecurityIn this episode, Sohail Hasnie shares a personal monologue, offering an on-the-road reflection from behind the wheel of his Tesla in Metro Manila. He unpacks how electric vehicles—whether high-end Teslas or modest electric tricycles—can drive profound social, economic, and environmental change. From reducing fuel poverty in Bangladesh to transforming urban transport in the Philippines, Sohail explains why EVs should be seen not as luxury items but as essential tools for national energy security and individual empowerment. This engaging solo narrative connects lived experiences with global energy policy, battery innovation, and second-life uses for EV technology. Conn...2025-07-1748 min
EnergypreneursE223: The Lithium Boom and Its FutureJoe Lowry, a 35-year lithium industry veteran, joins Sohail Hasnie to break down lithium’s rise from obscurity to a global necessity. He shares insights on China’s battery dominance, EV market shifts, and the next frontier—home and grid storage. Joe also teases his upcoming book Lithium Confidential and offers sharp advice for newcomers in the industry. He discusses investment trends, the role of trust in business, and how lithium will continue shaping the future of energy storage worldwide. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs Instagram @energyp...2025-03-2052 min
EnergypreneursE220: Strategizing Energy TransitionIn this episode, Sohail Hasnie speaks with Gabriel Laera, an economist with extensive experience in energy transitions, investment banking, and utility sectors. Gabriel discusses the complexities of new energy strategies, emphasizing the importance of filtering through hype to determine what’s truly viable. He highlights the challenge of managing legacy assets in the energy sector, particularly in oil, gas, and utility companies, which must balance reinvestment with shareholder returns. Key topics include the risks of stranded assets, the impact of electrification on traditional industries, and the critical role of capital allocation in ensuring long-term business sustainability. Gabriel al...2025-03-0343 min
EnergypreneursE219: The Future Is Electric: Batteries Leading the Way In this episode, our host, Sohail Hasnie, delivers an interesting insight on the transformative power of batteries in reshaping the energy landscape. He explores how advancements in battery technology are revolutionising everything from solar power storage to electric vehicles, making renewable energy more reliable and accessible. Sohail breaks down why batteries are the key to energy independence and climate action, highlighting the latest trends that will shape the future of sustainable power. Please join to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2025-02-2817 min
EnergypreneursE212: The Future of Solar: 2025 and Beyond In this episode, our host, Sohail Hasnie, sets the scene for 2025 by exploring the latest trends, breakthroughs, and challenges in solar power. He discusses solar energy's evolving role in the global energy transition, the impact of policy shifts, and emerging technologies that will define the sector’s future. Please join us to find out more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2025-02-0331 min
EnergypreneursE124: Driving Beyond Range AnxietyIn this monologue, Sohail Hasnie, the host of Energypreneurs, dispels the myth of range anxiety associated with electric vehicles (EVs). He argues that range anxiety, fueled by the fossil fuel industry, is exaggerated and unnecessary for most drivers. Sohail shares personal anecdotes and a recent road trip he took in a Tesla Model Y, covering 1,020 kilometers in a day. He highlights the convenience of destination chargers and the cost savings of driving an EV. Sohail encourages listeners to overcome their fears and consider EVs as a viable option for their next vehicle, emphasizing the readiness and joy of driving an...2023-07-1124 min
EnergypreneursLet’s Understand HydrogenHydrogen is not only highly flammable; it’s a hot topic in the energy world today. In this episode, Xavier Lara, James Hamilton, David Wenger, John Poljak, and I introduced (01:00 min) and engaged in a conversation with Project Examples (06:30 min), Gray, Green, Blue, and Numbers (11:30 min), the Hydrogen and Ammonia (27:45 min), the Kilos and Gigajoules (33:25 min) and new Market Opportunities (40:50) We touched upon the need for new players (48:50) and high-level project numbers (53:40) Please join in to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2022-06-2959 min
EnergypreneursVisualizing Climate CrisisKeisuke Taketani is a graphic facilitator or designer who does something magical; he turns long reports into a single page of graphics that are easy to understand. Today we discuss visualization and communication on climate Issues (01:20 min) and how to turn long boring presentations into exciting insights (06:09 min). Keisuke insists that we have to communicate better as we don’t have time (14:22 min) and why we are unable to about obvious things (24:00 min). He also explains the resources are available (32:00) in to cope with the challenges of translating long English texts to friendly Visuals (40:00 min) Plea...2022-06-1741 min
EnergypreneursHow to Engage Communities in Climate ActionsAliman Temirbek is high energy and engaging communication professional. She heads Asian Development Bank’s communication in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Today she tells a story (0:33 min) about her not keeping a secret to herself (09:00). We discussed electric cars (22:00 min), charging business opportunities (26:00 min), and electric vehicle retrofit (30:22 min) opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic. While we all ponder what we can do at an individual level to take action and save our energy costs, here, in this episode, Aliman explains what she did. I was amazed by her extraordinary efforts in her neighborhood to engage everyone in climate actions. Con...2022-06-1041 min
EnergypreneursHow Startups Changing Australia’s Energy LandscapeJohan Karlsson, co-founder of State of Charge, Melbourne, discussed the fascinating state of play in the electric vehicle space in Australia. We discuss the story behind their startup, the energy transition (07:50 min) in Australia and the re-thinking (09:46 min) of the EV charging business. Johan explained their start up (13:00 min), bi-directional charging opportunities (23:00 min) and why there needs to be mandatory solar and charging requirements (30:45 min). I liked Johan’s one sentence advice to all entrepreneurs (35:00 min) and his excitement for the overall state of play in Australia (40:35 min). Please join us in this conversation to find...2022-06-0843 min
EnergypreneursSustainable Mobility Options for the PhilippinesRobert Siy is a columnist and advocate for sustainable mobility in the Philippines. In today’s episode, we get to hear his view on why electric vehicles are only part of the solution for the Philippines. We discussed the main challenges in changing our policies and systems (05:00 min), the flooding by the motorcycles and financing options (12:00 min) for electric vehicles. We explored investment opportunities (18:00 min), especially retrofit of existing vehicles (20:00) and business model for public transport (26:00 min) and policy options (34:00 min) for the government, and immediate opportunities (41:00 min) Please join us in this conversation to fin...2022-06-0855 min
EnergypreneursJourney of a Renewable Energy Specialist: From Bangladesh to the Pacific Today, Emily So, a renewable energy specialist with the Asian Development Bank, shares her professional transformation from working in a think-tank to a startup to finally a development professional today. In this episode, we hear about her challenges in installing solar power in luxury lodges in Africa, poor off-grid locations in Bangladesh, and countries across the Pacific. She explains why and how the smaller Pacific countries are introducing solar power and batteries to tackle climate change. Emily explained why development organizations need to invest more in innovative systems and projects to tackle climate change. To fi...2022-05-1235 min
EnergypreneursNuts and Bolts of Green House Gas AccountingToday, we tap into the experiences of Darshak Mehta, a technical guru of climate change accounting and an energy efficiency veteran of the 90s. Our conversation tried to decipher the ecosystem of technical terms: Green House Gas Accounting, Clean Development Mechanism, and reference to many guidelines and International Protocols that created this ecosystem. We tried to explain these items in terms of simple numbers and examples. What is the voluntary mechanism, why does it get complicated, and how does it link back to the Paris Agreement and the countries that have made it. Please listen in to fi...2022-04-2841 min
EnergypreneursEnergy Transformation: Skills and Policies for Human Capital DevelopmentManuela Prina explains how to anticipate the skills that may be necessary for the future. She works for the European Training Foundation, an European Union agency specializing in human capital development policies, especially education and training, vocational and technical education, and labor market policies. Today, we talked about upskilling and reskilling, including skills that may be essential to support the energy transition. According to her, skill development is not only the concern of the public sector; private companies, especially the employers of the future, need to play a vital role. Her message: we need to pr...2022-04-2842 min
EnergypreneursVirtual Reality: How to bring nature indoors with the latest technology?Yuji Tsujiki, the CEO of "forestdigital, inc.", explains how his new startup can organize a trip to your favorite Japanese forest without leaving your living room, corporate relaxation room or a hospital bed or from anywhere. Yuji's Tokyo-based startup specializes in Virtual Reality. With the help of their intelligent software and cloud computing, they can capture and "replay" the forest experience—the sound, smell, and high quality surround video anywhere. In today's episode, we discussed his vision, the technology platform, and the entire process of 'capture" and "delivery". The idea of this product came from ex...2022-03-2233 min
EnergypreneursHow to Build Exponential Organizations to Scale Innovation Emilie Smith, the CEO of ExO Works, is in the business of transforming business with a purpose. Her motto is to accelerate technology adoption into society; exactly how a few developers started companies like Google, Airbnb, Uber, and Facebook and eventually defined today's way of life, transforming many things in their ways. In this episode, Emilie shared how her company helps clients to innovate and scale fast. Companies with all the data and the system fail to innovate because the culture of open communication may be lacking, and how companies fail to hire the right people. Changing people's minds and id...2022-03-2247 min
EnergypreneursCommunication for TransformationJason Rush, ADB’s Team Leader for Communication, Knowledge and External Partnerships in Southeast Asia, started his career as a lawyer in the United States. He then moved to Asia, focused on communication work in UNICEF, others before joining the Asian Development Bank. In this episode, Jason explained the impact of analog to digital transformation in large organizations. While communication has changed from one to one community meetings handling out brochures to talking thousands of people over Zoom across the globe, large organizations had to re-think communication strategy and their views about social media. Our ne...2022-01-1445 min
EnergypreneursThe Future of Electricity is Distributed — even HydropowerEmily Morris returned as a guest and updated me on Emrgy’s latest projects and their expansion in New Zealand, South Africa, and Asia. She explained why she is convinced that the future of electricity is distributed. We discuss why the levelized cost of micro-hydropower could be between 2 to 6 cents a kWh, while the capital cost is relatively high ($1500 to $4000 per kW). We analyzed situations where micro-hydro hybrid systems can replace many small diesel generators. Please listen in to find out more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie ...2022-01-0648 min
EnergypreneursWhat if the biomass waste could replace Graphite in a Lithium Battery? Dr. Vinod Nair is currently the Chief Technical Officer and co-founder at FaradPower, Inc., developing advanced battery materials from agricultural waste. In this episode, he explained one of his innovations to use anode made from domestic waste and replace graphite, the hard carbon material. Vinod also touched on the idea of DC vs AC electricity, and in his view it was a “historical mistake” to opt for AC electricity. We touched on many other fun ideas. Please join to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog...2021-12-2237 min
EnergypreneursIs Green Hydrogen the Answer to net Zero A long-term renewable energy and storage veteran, James Hamilton, shared his industry insight today. He leads the technology innovation and hydrogen team in BayWa Renewable Energy. In today's episode, James shared his renewable energy journey, especially his views on our path to net zero. He argues, solar, wind and batteries are great, but they won't be able to deliver a 100% decarbonized economy so hydrogen definitely will have a role. Then we got into the mixed feelings about the hydrogen boom we are seeing today, what are the technical limitations and where we need to focus and much...2021-12-2246 min
EnergypreneursADB Ventures—Impact at Scale through Tech Startups across AsiaDaniel Hersson and innovation go hand in hand. His early work on innovation is now switched to support climate-friendly venture capital investments. ADB Ventures provides capital and support to early-stage, climate-focus tech start-ups from all around the world. They are helping entrepreneurs build long-term relationships faster and create value. In this episode, we also discussed how ADB Ventures are different from other venture capitals. We also talked about case studies and start-ups ADB Ventures helped through the years. In this episode, Daniel shared what they do at ADB Ventures, and what specific elements...2021-12-1353 min
EnergypreneursSolar Power in the PhilippinesLeandro Leviste, the CEO of Solar Philippines, started his solar venture in 2013 when the Philippines had less than 10 MW of installed solar power. Today his ambitions are big: he wants to build solar plants on his 10,000-hectare land through partnerships and enable the transition from coal and gas. Although Leandro started from a mindset of distributed generation, today he believes in large centralized battery and solar installation because of economies of scale and other factors. From the proceeds of his early investments in Solar City and Tesla, Leandro went to big plants —not rooftop solar but large ce...2021-12-1339 min
EnergypreneursPeer-to-peer Networks - The Uber of the Energy Sector in BangladeshSebastian Groh, the Managing Director at SOLshare, shares his journey from an investment banker in Europe to the CEO of an off-grid solar company in Bangladesh and its evolution over the past years. His interests are in distributed energy, e-mobility and energy storage. He explains how he became an “entrepreneur” by accident. Sebastian's business is focused on peer-to-peer grid trading excess electricity to the neighbours. His business has also evolved to smart battery networks for the 1.5+ local “Teslas” of Bangladesh. We also talked about his future expansion plans to different countries, given the success in Bangladesh. Pl...2021-12-1245 min
EnergypreneursHow Energy Infrastructure Affects Wildlife: Should Biodiversity Offsets Be Used?Janice Baird is currently the Principal at Earth & Every, an environmental advocacy start-up. Her passion: seeking regulatory best practice for major projects, with a focus on energy and fossil fuels. Her team works with communities across the board—from affected areas to concerned citizens. Today we heard from Janice about her exciting work with conservation organizations and some of the projects they are currently working on--mostly on gas projects in regional Australia. We explored how changes in land use can contribute to the extinction of different species. We talked about the situation in Australia, how en...2021-12-0755 min
EnergypreneursThinking Behind ADB’s New Energy PolicyDr. Priyantha Wijayatunga, Chief of the Energy Sector Group, of the Asian Development Bank and I discuss the behind the scenes activities and thinking, which became the recently approved Energy Policy of ADB. We analyze the impact of this new energy policy on the generation, transmission, distribution segments of the power sector and the importance of climate change. Please listen in to find out more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-12-0745 min
EnergypreneursHow Solar Power became Mainstreamed at ADB Dr. Cindy Tiangco’s 25-year work experience includes 10 years in ADB leading clean energy projects—solar PV, mini-grids and battery energy storage systems in the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. In some countries in Central Asia she is the “Mother” or “Queen” of Solar. In this episode, Cindy explains the transformation she has seen in the clean energy journey from landlocked and fossil fuel-rich Centra Asia to small pacific island economies surrounded by vast oceans. How a simple solar roadmap paved the transformative paths in larger economies like Uzbekistan. How we can bring scale by adding deman...2021-11-2146 min
EnergypreneursToday’s Megatrends and Benefits of InnovationWhat a high-energy discussion on innovation? How to choreograph elephants to dance and create a trend. How to amplify the benefit of innovation by aligning them with megatrends. In this episode, Dan brought his perspectives from his 40+ years of system automation and transformational change in different industries. Jen brought her perspectives from the humanitarian sector, working globally. We slowly converged into electric vehicles—the battery on wheels—and their contribution to tackling climate change, and global transformation. Dan discussed how the rules of the game changed over the years. We collectively touched upon the technical innovation and the...2021-11-0152 min
EnergypreneursTime to Think about the Long-term Impact of COVID-19 Dr. Michael Friedman is a medical doctor and medical epidemiologist. As the Country Director, CDC Bangladesh, as his last posting, he was at forefront of Bangladesh’s battle with Covid-19. After 25 years, with the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC), he is exploring the next chapter of his life—contemplating what to do next, specifically initiatives on global warming. As an epidemiologist, he looks at health and health issues from a broader standpoint, taking into account the whole society or community. In this episode, we discussed our changed attitude towards climate change beca...2021-10-201h 03
EnergypreneursHow Safe are the EV Batteries?In this episode, I was able to hear two scientists' views on the future of electric batteries, their safety, and racing. Dr. Xu’s research group focuses on Lithium-ion battery safety, design, and development of multifunctional energy storage systems among others. Dr. Mesbah Uddin, Professor, and Director of NC Motorsports and Automotive Research Center at the University of Charlotte. We discussed internal and external stress on batteries, and how short circuits can lead to thermal runaway—or very fast temperature increases—that can eventually lead to a fire in a battery even when the car may be j...2021-10-1451 min
EnergypreneursLeading the Energy Transformation in TaiwanElaine Chen co-founded BillionWatts Technologies, a subsidiary under Billion Electric Corp, with a focus on solar PV and energy storage-related products and solutions. Today, we discussed with this high-energy young entrepreneur the details of today’s energy transformation in Taiwan and its key drivers. Elaine shared the future of Taiwan’s energy sector and their capacity expansion plans—a huge target of 20,000 MW of solar and 7,000MW of wind by 2025. We learned how the sector is moving from its imported coal and oil-based energy sector to indigenous renewable energy. We also talked about how the transf...2021-10-1242 min
EnergypreneursHow COVID-19 has Stretched Digital Financial ServicesMara Villegas has been in the banking sector since 2008 and is currently the Director for Compliance of a financial investment company. In this episode, we discuss how COVID-19 has accelerated the world of the digital finance industry today and the expected market growth. In the Philippines alone, almost 70% of the population are now using digital banking in almost all of their transaction. Before the pandemic happened, services like GCash were available but hardly anyone used them. The pandemic has forced people to accept reality. Covid-19 has also accelerated e-commerce services. We talked about how effective...2021-10-0952 min
EnergypreneursAustralia's Transition to Electric VehiclesMary Hendriks, an advocate of electric transport and battery storage, discussed her views on the future of electric vehicles in Australia. We talked about the recent uptakes of electric vehicles in Australia and the incentives on the table. Most of the vehicles in the country are imported from other countries as there is minimal car manufacturing in Australia, but there are some niche opportunities for local manufacture and innovation as well as expansion of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure. If you want to get a thorough understanding of the electric vehicle scene in Australia, please listen in.2021-10-0744 min
EnergypreneursElectric-Vehicles and Solar-Power in Urban AreasLloyd develops and implements sustainable urban transport initiatives for ADB’s Central and West Asia region. He is particularly supporting the development of quality public transport systems and non-motorized transport integration. In this episode, Lloyd Wright sheds light on some of his recent projects and the fast-changing landscape of urban transport. He explains the advantages of new technology micro-mobility options and their impact. We discuss the high-profile project electric three-wheeler with lithium-ion battery project in Pakistan. He explained the incentives and the provisions of the new electric vehicle incentives in Pakistan, which could be a template for ot...2021-09-2947 min
EnergypreneursTsunami of Electric Vehicles in AustraliaGreg MacGarvie, CEO of ACE Electric Vehicles, the flag bearer of a new and innovative future in Australia explains how he is aligning his company to this once in a lifetime transition. In 2021 ACE EV Group is launching a range of Australian-made light commercial electric vans and cars. In this episode, he shared his Australian EV vision, and why he is expecting a "tsunami" of electric vehicles. His cars would eventually support some of the power distribution networks in the coming days. Please listen in to find out more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook...2021-09-2839 min
EnergypreneursChanging Landscape for Green Energy in KazakhstanGiovanni Capannelli, a long-term development professional and the true face of today's multiculturalism shares his exciting professional journey of about two decades across many countries--from islands in the Pacific to landlocked Central Asia-- at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Today he also shared his insight from the mysterious countries along the Great Silk Road, especially Kazakhstan, where he was the Country Director for ADB. In this episode of Energypreneurs, we talked about Giovanni's journey, his life after ADB, and his current ventures- building his own consulting company. Originally from Italy, moving to Japan, and now working in K...2021-09-2250 min
EnergypreneursToday’s Solar Power in the PhilippinesSilverio Navarro, a veteran of Solar Power in the Philippines, shared his insights on the progresses made in the solar market in Philippines. Silver has been part of many solar projects in the country since 1990s and recently working on hybrid systems and financing solar projects. We discuss the regulatory framework, pricing and the size of the market. If you want to understand the Philippine market including the off-grid solar market, please listen in; Silver will take you through the nuts and bolts of the solar power sector in less than an hour. Connect...2021-09-2139 min
EnergypreneursLessons from the Japanese Solar Power MarketDr. Farhad Tagdizadeh, Associate Professor of Economics, Tokai University, Japan shares his insight from his own research work on reasons for the continuous decline of solar power prices. He explains the transition from fossil fuel. His research focus is energy economics, energy policy, and the financial side of green energy. Farhad also explained his findings in the green finance field, including the green credit guarantee scheme that is designed to facilitate private investments in green projects. He discussed the factors affecting the supply and the demand of green technologies including solar modules. We also talked about how...2021-09-0949 min
EnergypreneursEnergy Transition and the Mining IndustryChih-Ting Lo, a mining industry veteran, entrepreneur, and energy expert shared her insight in this high-energy conversation. Her storytelling style conversation touched upon the hydrogen and mining industry de-carbonization Apart from taking me through the “Mining Industry 101”, she touched upon the current trend on hydrogen and how hydrogen-powered vehicles for mining applications may lead to eventually electrifying current fleets of diesel machinery. If you want to find you more about these exciting opportunities, please join in. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-09-0451 min
EnergypreneursUnprecedented: The Remarkable Decade of Success of Solar Power Michael Taylor, a senior energy analyst is pushing today’s evidence-based good news about the energy transition. As a data analyst, he likes to dig deep into the numbers and try to understand the impact of cost and performance improvements for renewables will have on the energy transition. Today, this International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) veteran talks about IRENA’s analysis of renewable technologies' cost and performance. In this episode, Michael shared about his journey which started in 1993 where he started as an energy modeler and economist in New Zealand. We talked about the transition of solar PVs...2021-08-3050 min
EnergypreneursChanging Australian Energy Sector—Perspectives of a Senior Policy Maker Richard Bolt, with his background in electrical engineering, was the secretary of Victoria’s Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. Richard spent some time in political activism as a researcher for the Australian Democrats, before assuming a variety of leadership roles in the Victorian Public Service. In this episode, we were able to discuss his vision for the Australian energy landscape, the changes in the environmental and social values of Australia, and his passion for tackling climate change. We find out what keeps Richard awake at night, and the incentives that are driving changes in Austra...2021-08-2541 min
EnergypreneursWill ADB Stay Relevant if it Fully Stops Financing Fossil Fuel? How will ADB Balance Popular vs. Practical PolicyADB is revising its energy policy and Dr. Yongping Zhai, Chief of Energy, is leading the Energy Policy update for ADB. In this episode, Dr. Zhai and I discussed the energy policy and its challenges: how to get the right policy mix that will be practical enough to deliver ADB’s planned climate outcome. No new coal. Yes. But what is the best option for all ADB members? What about gas? Stranded asset risks? Please join in to explore more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie AD...2021-06-0755 min
EnergypreneursADB's Energy Policy Review — the detailsIn this episode, I go through the ADB’s draft Energy Policy for public consultation. If you are interested to understand the proposed policy and want to engage in this consultation process, this may be a good start. I discuss the changing energy landscape, ADB’s support for climate change, and activities and investments that the energy policy will prioritize to align ADB operations with the Paris agreement. In this policy document you will find, how ADB pans to move away from investing in fossil fuels, promote energy efficiency, electric vehicles, improve cities and people’s lives, using...2021-06-0653 min
EnergypreneursEnergy Efficiency in the Philippines and the Growth of Asia-Pacific ESCO Industry AllianceToday we hear from Alexander Ablaza, the man behind many energy efficiency initiatives across Asia, for more than two decades in development agencies and the private sector. His new passion how to scale up markets through ESCOs and help countries meet their Paris Commitment In this episode, Alex shared his journey on the energy efficiency sector and building non-profit organizations like the Asia Pacific ESCO Industry Alliance- with 10 countries as its member including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Moreover, he explained what ESCO is and how they are helping the energy...2021-05-2850 min
EnergypreneursSuccessful Personal Branding on LinkedIn—Jerin and her 780,000 followersJerin Hossain is a mother, entrepreneur, and CEO of a textile company in Bangladesh. Her casual use of social media and engagement with others by sharing her passion to give voice to animals and plants has made her the person with the highest LinkedIn followers in Bangladesh. In today’s episode, she shares her insights into her success with another social media guru, Reah Sy, who manages some of the corporate social media accounts for the Asian Development Bank. In this conversation, we could glean some of Jerin’s strategies and key to this success that...2021-05-2650 min
EnergypreneursBuilding Your Personal Brand and How Social Media HelpsDoreen Cooper is an award-winning speaker, international trainer, book author, and content creator. In this episode, we explore more about personal branding and leveraging social media. According to Doreen, personal branding is the identity that you highlight base on your personality, experiences, skills, and values. She also shared some steps on how to start building your personal brand and understanding the gap between "where you are now" and "what you want to be". We also talked about the importance of social media presence especially during this pandemic, being mindful of what you post...2021-05-1355 min
EnergypreneursBattery Performance — What You Need to KnowVarun Kumar Duggal is working on performance modeling and the techno-economic assessment of lithium-ion battery systems. In this episode, we discuss the importance of stationary energy storage systems in the grid and the complexity of battery degradation. We explore the impact of electric vehicles on the grid, the vehicle-to-grid opportunities, options to maximize battery lives, and the timing for solid-state batteries. Please join in to explore more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-05-0943 min
EnergypreneursRE Development in the Philippines and Regulatory ChallengesMonalisa Dimalanta is the former Chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board of the Philippines. In this episode, we talked about the history of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the Philippines. We also explored the Philippines' renewable act, which can be argued as one of the best renewable acts there is, and reviewing the regulatory framework. Monalisa also shared the country's RE development both on-grid and off-grid. She gave clarity as well as to why rooftop solar was not included in the feed-in tariff of the country. Please join in to explore...2021-05-0945 min
EnergypreneursClean Energy, Hydrogen and Storage Perspectives from ChinaYuki Yu, Researcher & Founder of Energy Iceberg, an information and intelligence in English about the Chinese renewable, and new energy market. Her company focuses specifically on wind or solar, and some of the emerging technology areas like hydrogen and battery energy storage. We discuss China's renewable energy vision, and why China's battery storage capacity will need to increase multifold from 2,500 MWh now. We engage in hydrogen and the future of feed-in tariff, and tariff and much more. Please join in to find more Yuki YuFounder & Independent Researcher Chinese...2021-04-2847 min
EnergypreneursADB Ventures — What You Need to KnowADB Ventures is investing in bold technology startups solving today’s biggest unsolved problems. Sherwin Pu, the head of ADB’s new impact-technology investment platform, talks about its business model to deploy venture capital investments and technical assistance to support early-stage technology businesses. We learn today the intent behind ADB Ventures, what it aims to do to become $1 billion in funds in years to come. We discuss the Ventures Labs that ADB has been working on with other partners in the region. If you are ready for applying for technical support from ADB for...2021-04-2639 min
EnergypreneursElectric Vehicles in Australia — Are We There Yet?Tim Washington, the co-founder of, JET Charge and Chargefox, two successful EV charging start-ups in Australia, speaks candidly about the private sector-led electric vehicle future of Australia. Tim is also the Chair of the Australian EV Council, and as an early adopter of EV, has been driving a model Tesla Model S with free lifetime charging from Tesla in Melbourne. We come with an innovative concept of subscription for a range of anxiety insurance and discuss why EV manufacturing in Australia needs immediate government support. Automotive today is not about just building vehicles but the...2021-04-1546 min
EnergypreneursCrowdfunding Climate ChangeJacqueline van den Ende, a serial entrepreneur, and investor talks about her passion for building high-impact ventures. Born in Australia, growing up in Syria and Europe with ex-pat parents, and even living in Asia she brings an excellent perspective on entrepreneurship in multiple industries and countries—a non-profit consulting firm in Europe, a real estate start-up in the Philippines, and an alternative investing platform to promote climate investment in Europe. I am amazed by the energy Jacquie brought into our conversation — please join in to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie Link...2021-04-1343 min
EnergypreneursLithium Age is Here: Are you Ready?Jukka Jarvinen, a matrix entrepreneur of batteries, talks about the dawn of a new era, where energy storage brings the biggest paradigm shift in the energy sector. His passion for electric cars started when he drove his first EV in 1992, his love of EV eventually led him to become one of the top battery technology experts. In this episode, he explains the battery value chain, its recycling, demand for batteries, pricing, and how coal can be a raw material for batteries. We discuss the opportunity for battery and EV manufacturing in Australia and why the global pandemic...2021-04-0745 min
EnergypreneursA New Electric Vehicle for AsiaFreddie Tinga, President at Global Electric Transportation, is building new electric vehicles for Asia and Europe. Freddie’s team brings technical design from California and manufacturing in Spain. Freddie’s vision is to create an entire ecosystem with his 54 kWh 6.5meter four-wheeler electric vehicles. He wants to import fully made electric cars in the Philippines and then eventually establish electric vehicle industry units. Please join in this exciting discussion. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-03-2948 min
EnergypreneursChanging Energy Landscape: A Regulatory Practitioner's PerspectiveRajat Sarawat is an experienced energy sector professional with more than 25 years of experience in the Industry. Rajat’s core experience derives from developing and implementing the regulatory frameworks in the energy industry in Australia. As a practicing regulator, he shares his thoughts on the challenges of future regulation as rooftop solar power and batteries are fundamentally changing the energy landscape. Rajat explains the changing nature of Ancillary services, which he says, is now been renamed more aptly as Essential System Services in Australia as the market dynamics is changing. How will the market perform wi...2021-03-2538 min
EnergypreneursOcean — The Ultimate Source of Energy for the Coastal AreasJonathan Fievez, the CEO of Carnegie Clean Energy, explains why we may have waves all around us but it is hard to commercially extract energy from them. Sitting by the Indian Ocean in Perth, Australia, Jonathan explained how Carnegie as a technology developer in partnership with the project developers finding niche opportunities between the expensive remote gensets and solar and wind inland constrained island situation. He argues unlike other renewable energy, wave energy is consistent and predictable. He shares a fascinating insight into how these structures can attract a full spectrum of new fish populations and can...2021-03-2142 min
EnergypreneursLarge Hydropower to Off-grid Solar: Where is Our Energy Future?Xuefei Liu is now in Paris completing her EMBA. This is her third continent in search of a solution to development challenges. Having spent close to a decade in Sinohydro, one of the largest hydropower companies in China, and then in West and North Africa, and to Europe. She brought an extraordinary aura of energy into our conversation while talking about solving problems of others who can’t help themselves. Her advice to young people: life is short, please find something you like and not too huge, preferably in your own country. Xuefei also asked me...2021-03-1754 min
EnergypreneursLearning from Tomorrow using Strategic ForesightBart Édes, the author of Learning from Tomorrow to prepare for the Next Big Disruption, shares his thoughts on how organizations and entrepreneurs can prepare for the future. How to guard ourselves against obsolescence of our skills and investments. We both shared optimism about climate change and discussed the lessons from the Covid-19 experience—how that has fundamentally changed many businesses and why companies must avoid their "Kodak moment" of ignoring early warning signs and many more. Please join in. Connect with Bert Édes: LinkedIn Website Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-03-1152 min
EnergypreneursPCs to EVs - A Serial Entrepreneur's Vision for Public Utility VehiclesYou need to have a purpose as an entrepreneur and the purpose can't be making money. My today's guest Mr. Christie Fernandez, CEO of SOOORYA EV, Singapore shares his ambition for the purpose build a 4-wheel electric car for ride-sharing. His target to keep the costs low and develop a modular 4-wheeler for the mass market reaching a production capacity of about 100,000 units per year. To find out more about these serial entrepreneurs, please join in. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-03-0949 min
EnergypreneursUber of Electricity SupplyYvonne Power is one of three Co-Founders and the COO at Village Energy, and an advocate for microgrids and renewables, moved from a large state-government-owned power utility in Western Australia to a start to change people’s lives. Village Energy operates in developing Asia —Indonesia and India. Yvonne shares her technology passion and her entrepreneurial journey, which is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Village Energy with its IoT-enabled devices and smart app work with utilities and consumers to make electricity cheaper and efficient for all without any additional resources. Please join in to find more. 2021-03-0446 min
EnergypreneursPositive Momentum for Climate Change Here to StayYes, there is a positive momentum today. Let’s listen to what Michael Grimm, Chief Executive Officer, of Carbon Negative Energy, has to say as he shares his passion for renewable energy and battery projects. In Michael’s world, our addiction has reached its tipping point and we have many reasons to be excited about the post covid world. We discuss green hydrogen, seasonal storage, and large-scale solar and wind projects —their specific challenges and the solutions. We bring a unique startup idea for today’s petrol stations and many more. Please join in. Connect...2021-03-0340 min
EnergypreneursEntrepreneurship: Rooftop Solar to Mental Health during COVID?Cameron Quin and Yuri Marshall are the co-founders of Mind You, who are committed to protecting the mental well-being of people for more fulfilled lives. We talk about Cameron’s entrepreneurial journey from a rooftop solar startup in Australia to a startup for mental health in the Philippines. Their collective journey in lifting the stigma, lowering counseling costs, and many more. Please join in. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2021-02-171h 15
EnergypreneursEnergy Transformation in South Asia In this episode, we get a chance to the world through the eyes of Dr. Priyantha Wijayatunga, Director, South Asia Energy of the Asian Development Bank. We get to hear about his own transformation from the Director-General of a multi-sector regulator, to an academic to today, managing a multi-billion dollar energy portfolio covering all of South Asia. We talk about the challenges the South Asia region facing with its rooftop solar, off-grid solar, and energy efficiency. The ambitious program of the Indian government to convert all public vehicles, Bangladesh’s floating solar project, and the potential of on-g...2021-02-1542 min
EnergypreneursA Super Optimist’s View of Technology Led End to Climate Change Concerns While we all have moved our dinner table discussions gradually from Virus to Vaccine in 2021, I had the opportunity to tap into the thinking of a renowned serial entrepreneur, Norman Crowley, owner of Crowley Carbon on tackling climate change. In this episode, we get a chance to see the world through Norman’s optimistic eyes, where cheap solar, EV everywhere and revolutions in modern agriculture will take us to 1.5 C degrees. Norman’s view of the future, even few notches stronger than my view or that of Tony Seba. Please join in to find out more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie...2021-02-1551 min
EnergypreneursSolar Energy: Passion to ProfessionToday I had a lively discussion with Mr. Rabindra Kumar Satpathy, a Professional in Solar Energy, who has experience of 30+ years and is the author of the book- ‘ Solar PV Power - Design, Manufacturing, and Applications- Sands to Systems’. He has a long journey since 1984 starting small projects of solar-powered electric fences for elephant sanctuary to GWP on-grid solar. We touched upon the future of Off-Grid DC Solar and its impact on power systems and many more. Please listen in. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasn...2021-02-1053 min
EnergypreneursYoung Female Entrepreneur’s take on Future of AfghanistanNilofar Ghazanfar, the Head of Project Coordination Unit of the Ghazanfar Group in Afghanistan, shares her enthusiasm about the future of Afghanistan, especially its path to decarbonizing using solar power. We explore her passion and vision for women entrepreneurship and solar power, electric vehicles, and batteries in Afghanistan. Born in Afghanistan, raised in Dubai, studied in London, now working in her own office in Kabul and in Dubai she is an amazing source of inspiration for all of us. Please join to explore more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie...2021-01-2148 min
EnergypreneursThe Shining Star of the Electric 3-wheeler IndustryGayam Raja, the founder and CEO of Gayam Motor Works (GMW), from India, traces back his successful transition from manufacturing gasoline power 3-wheeler to manufacturing the complete ecosystem of electric 3-wheelers or e-trikes. We explore his inspiration and vision to reach a 1500 unit per unit production capacity exporting to about countries. He believes in a future where most of the last-mile delivery all over the world will do by e-trikes —the GMW version can carry 400 kgs and price below $5,000. Please join me to explore more. Connect with Gayam Raja: LinkedIn Page ADB Bl...2021-01-1551 min
EnergypreneursA Short Recap of my Podcasts in 2020Congratulating myself to have competed this 50th episode of Energypreneurs on 31 December 2020. In this episode, I summarize episodes 4-49: what they are about and how they fit together. If you are new to my channel this will be a very good start and if you have been listening regularly, this will be a good recap. Please keep a pen and paper handy while listening, as I do refer to the episodes by their episode number in the audio Happy New Year! Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn...2021-01-0128 min
EnergypreneursHow do I do podcasts —a quick summaryIf you are planning to start a podcast this will be useful for you. This episode is a recording of my presentation to an internal audience at the Asian Development Bank, on the software, hardware, and strategy behind my podcast. Some found it technical, but if you are interested to understand the various equipment, software, and system choices, this will save a lot of time. Please connect with me for the PowerPoint file and the video record. Happy New Year! Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog...2020-12-3135 min
EnergypreneursRetirement Myths — How it is ChangingJayantha Perera, an author of 12 books, talks about his lifestyle in the first decade of retirement. He and his wife Shyamala sheds light on how longevity and technology are impacting retirement planning. We explore the importance of technology adaptation on top of remaining healthy and stay connected. While “retirement” or rather "not 9 to 5” as Jayantha defines it, could be fun and enjoyable planning is key to avoid getting trapped into a box. Please join in to explore more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail H2020-12-3133 min
EnergypreneursThe Two Beacons of My Social Media StrategyCarlos Santamaria and Reah Sy are good friends and social media gurus. They both managed multiple facets of the Asian Development Bank’s social media content and the strategy behind the activities. Together, they are not only fun to be with — they bring an infectious enthusiasm to the table. Since I met them in 2015, my perspectives about social media have changed dramatically, and a lot of my ideas have been shaped by these two friends. In this episode, we look at where to go from here and the global context. Get many insights into this fun...2020-12-3042 min
EnergypreneursJourney of an Entrepreneur: Dream to RealityCarmela (Candy) and Arnel Sevilla explain how they turned their dream and love for diving into a boutique hotel—“Portulano”—with its extensive diving facilities. They explain how they morphed into this lifestyle business from their high-pressure corporate jobs. Today Arnel plans to go 100% solar with batteries one day, and I think hydroponics and electric boats will also be an amazing addition to that plan. Please join in to find out more. Portulano: San Pablo, Bauan, Batangas, Northside of Anilao, Philippines Tel: +639175404257 (https://www.portulano.com) Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook...2020-12-3051 min
EnergypreneursThinking of Tomorrow’s Big OpportunitiesDan Milison, takes us through the journey of his professional life —innovative projects, the climate leadership he has seen in three countries, and the BIG ideas he has. We get into the hot topic of today —Hydrogen; although I may not agree with some of the positive lights he sees in the hydrogen way, he does have a clear vision. Please join in to explore more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-12-231h 01
EnergypreneursTechnology, Development and Future—Perspectives of Werner Liepach, Director-General, ADBWerner Liepach, Director-General, Asian Development Bank, discusses his fascinating, 28 year-long journey through different levels of ADB, and how the roles for a development bank have changed in the face of technological changes, the threat of climate change, and finally, Covid-19. With a Ph.D. in financial engineering and a love for seeing places around the world, Werner shares the ideas and changes that he introduced as a senior development professional. Why just an idea for innovation is not enough - innovation needs communication, alliances, and long-lasting stamina. We hear the mindset changes in the fossil...2020-12-2045 min
EnergypreneursEntrepreneur to a Development Practitioner- Addressing Climate Change Bottom Up and Top DownDurreh Tabassum, from the Infrastructure Investment team of the International Finance Corporation, shares her inspiration to work in the climate space and discusses the various technologies that are available today to achieve SDG 7. Starting from her family-owned power company, to one of the largest wind power generators, to World Bank, and now to IFC, Durreh carries the professional experience of hands on entrepreneurship to development financing in addressing the global energy transition. We discuss many aspects of technology and development: digitization, regional cooperation, energy efficiency, hydrogen, and women in engineering. Please listen in to find...2020-12-1632 min
EnergypreneursThe Disruptive Power of Unstoppable Large SolarAgostinho Miguel Garcia from SunBD - Sun Business Development, analyzes the disruptions that low priced #solarpower is causing as the perception and attitude about solar power has changed over the years—30+ cents per kWh feed-in tariff in 2006 to 1.1 cents per kWh in the Portuguese auction of August 2020. Today, even the underlying math for rehabilitation of old hydropower is challenging as building a new ground-mount or floating solar power may be quicker and cheaper. Hear about CSP plants and hydrogen as seasonal storage and many more Today to get a glimpse of this exciting fu...2020-12-1649 min
EnergypreneursThe Joy of Development WorkSunniya Durrani-Jamal, Country Direction, Cambodia of ADB, shares her passion for development work in this inspiring discussion today. We hear journey at the Asian Development from Afghanistan to Indonesia to Cambodia. We discuss our passion for development work and what keeps us motivated despite the hoops and red tapes that we face in our client countries and in our own organisation. Please join us in this inspiring chat. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-12-1640 min
EnergypreneursUzbekistan’s Plan to Move Away from Fossil FuelsHow does one discuss climate change in a country, where almost all of its installed power generation capacity is from fossil fuels. This week, Seung Duck Kim, Energy Specialist, of Asian Development Bank explains the ongoing power sector restructuring in Uzbekistan and how its government is slowly moving away from fossil fuel in the face of its depleting gas reserve. We also discuss the fate of regional cooperation as solar power becomes cheaper and cheaper destroying the concept of “energy-rich” and the “energy poor”. We discuss electric vehicles, solar power, and energy efficiency Opportunities in Uzbekistan. Pleas...2020-12-1538 minEnergypreneursMillions of EVs Everywhere with Vehicle-to-Grid Technology: Who Should be Worried?Today, I talked with Monroe Zhang, a fan of Tesla and an EV enthusiast, who is also building batteries. I learned many of her ideas in her easy to understand language. Monroe brought a supplier's perspective to the EV industry, vehicle to grid technology, consumer choices, and consumer security. Today she works and spends most of her time on all aspects of battery manufacturing from cell design, to BMS and battery packs. She shares the smart choices made by the car manufacturers by vertically integrating from sourcing minerals to building cars. We explore various ideas behind battery...2020-12-1349 min
EnergypreneursGreen Gas -- Wishful Thinking or Clean Energy Champion?Sarin Abado, Energy Specialist of Asian Development Bank shares her thoughts on the transition from fossil gas to green and renewable gas; why we need to discuss a scenario where gas may no longer be the gas as we know today. Sarin argues, if electricity can be renewable, why can't we look at renewable or green gas today technology allows to cross the strong barrier between a renewable energy asset and a fossil fuel asset. We discuss contracts for difference and other instruments to augment today’s approach to carbon pricing, and the benefits of renewable gas a s...2020-12-0845 min
EnergypreneursOff-grid Solar is our New FrontierVictor, the co-founder of the GenixGreen, a battery design and manufacturing company, talks about his 12.5 kg. 1 kWh battery pack with BMS, which is about $250-$300. Victor believes, this plug and play system, that can directly connect DC and AC products, the future of off-grid solar. His company moved out of E-bike Batteries, as competition is huge but sees huge potential in-home storage segment. He explains why his company left the e-bike market and shares his insight on quality aspects of e-bikes. Please join us in this inspiring chat. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie...2020-12-0838 min
EnergypreneursWhat's Next for the Electric Car Industry in 2020 and Beyond?Dr. Shannon Arvizu, a long term advocate and researcher of electric vehicles, shares her journey in the industry and explains how the policy scene has changed and where it's headed. Shannon also shares what it's like to be a Chevy Volt owner for over 10 years. Shannon and I discuss the waning influence of the fossil fuel industry on the transportation and energy sector and promising directions for the decade ahead. They conclude with a conversation about a recent Norwegian "climate thriller" series on Netflix called "Occupy. Follow Dr. Shannon Arvizu: EPIC TEAMS LinkedIn Connect...2020-12-011h 02
EnergypreneursBoundless New Tech Opportunities in the PacificIs there a future for hydrogen in the Pacific? Maybe yes, maybe no, what about the electric vehicles? I discuss all these exciting transformational technologies and many more with Rafael Abbasov a seasoned Energy Specialist of the Asian Development Bank. Rafael started his career as a CFO of a state-owned power utility in the Caucus and then developed an energy project in the former Soviet countries in Central Asia. Today his challenges and ambitions are big: how do we bring new technologies and business models in the Pacific beyond just supplying solar power, batteries, or electric vehicles.2020-11-2048 min
EnergypreneursVertical Agriculture and Renewable Energy with zero or negative CO2Speaking from the "Salad Bowl” of sunny California, Bill Shelvin, a seasoned CEO of multiple renewable energy and tech companies shares his vision about zero to negative carbon growth. Bill is a-passionate about efficiency and moved from the real estate industry to sustainability and he sheds light on renewable energy, methane capture, hydroponics, and community vertical agriculture. His passion is about capturing CO2 from agricultural sources and add that back to growing more plants. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-11-1654 min
EnergypreneursInsights on Sustainability: From Asian Megacity to a Rural Australian TownNigel Savidge, and international development professional, now living sustainability in their 5000 m² property in rural Victoria, Australia, growing vegetables and everything else. He shares his view about sustainability and climate change—we talk about working from home, growing green tomatoes and gardening but at the same time the realities of climate he can now see. Please join us in this inspiring chat. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-11-0345 min
EnergypreneursStay Passionate, Stay Challenged and Enjoy Running the MarathonJeff Wolfe, a serial entrepreneur, CEO of Veloce Energy, explains how he scaled up his small mom and pop solar company of 1998 to become the first nationwide residential solar company in the US. His today’s passion is modular energy storage and charging that will eliminate the design for custom design and installation to minimize the use of space. Please listen in. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-11-0349 min
EnergypreneursLessons from COVID-19 for Climate ChangeAndrew Chakhoyan is an alumnus of the global leadership program at the World Economic Forum and is a regular contributor to the Forum Agenda blog. His latest piece was titled: "What has COVID-19 taught us about flattening the climate curve?" We discuss parallels between the Covid-19 crisis and climate change looking at both through the lens of global affairs and diplomacy Neither virus nor climate cares for national borders, and there is no better remedy than global cooperation to address such “tragedies of the commons.” Please listen in. If there is a place to i...2020-11-0347 min
EnergypreneursClimate Change—if not now when?Are we seeing the beginning of the end of coal, oil, and gas financing? Sonia Dunlop, a real third-generation environmentalist, brings optimism to our climate change discussion and explains why the Paris Agreement was a game-changer in the global climate landscape. We discuss financial instruments that are available to retire high carbon infrastructure because of the savings on energy bills. We discuss the role of energy efficiency, solar PV, batteries, and electric vehicles: the dramatic price reductions in all of these and their unimaginable impacts ahead. Why should countries be more ambitious in updating their...2020-10-1949 min
EnergypreneursEverty, The Intelligence behind Smart ChargingEverty enables a charging station to talk to its client, an electric vehicle. Carola Jonas, the young CEO joins me to explain her startup company, its strategies, and how smart charging infrastructure will impact the energy sector. We discuss pricing options and trends leading us towards 2030. We try to imagine the future where millions of autonomous EVs with large batteries connect to the grid and is able to send electricity to the grid (v2G) or another vehicle (v2V). As you know, the future is electric, and charging infrastructure will be an essential element...2020-10-1645 min
EnergypreneursWhy ADB Should Formally Withdraw from Financing New Coal ProjectsGlobally investors are moving investments away from financing coal projects. Today, we discuss with Mr. Alfredo Bano, the main author of the report, which made the bold recommendation that ADB formally withdraws from financing new coal projects. We discuss the future of the power sector and the changes that have happened and going to happen. If you want to find more, please join us and find out the reasons behind this recommendation. Do you agree to the argument: “if not now when?” Connect with Alfredo Bano: LinkedIn Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @soha...2020-09-2746 min
EnergypreneursWhy COVID-19 is Reinforcing the Need for Climate ActionsHow urgent is Climate Change in the post COVID world? How our climate discussion has changed over the years even within the Asian Development Bank. What can we expect at the next big climate discussion and what opportunities will it bring. Let’s find out from Preety Bhandari, the Chief of ADB’s Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitter @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie 2020-09-2647 min
EnergypreneursOff-grid Solar: Will it Really Change the Energy Landscape?Today we meet Sean Luangrath, the CEO of Inergy, a US startup focusing on off-grid solar power. We get a wide angle view of the emerging world of "mail order home solar power”. From remote health clinics in Haiti to middle of the Amazon Jungle, Sean’s team is displacing diesel generation and bringing lights to many for the first time. Sean invites new entrepreneurs in this nascent industry with: “if a refugee boy who came to this country with nothing can do it, anyone can” Company Website: Inergy Technologies - Power For Life Connec...2020-09-1643 min
EnergypreneursBatteries in homes — Are you ready?Australia is leading the world in rooftop solar and home batteries. My today’s guest Simon Franklin, Managing Director, of ITP Renewables in Australia, shares his insights on the home battery segment in Australia—price, performance, government incentives, and what to look for while buying a battery. Simon talks about the huge uptake on utility-scale batteries in Australia and the reasons behind it, especially now that data shows how a big battery can respond faster than a gas generator to meet system needs. Simon explains the price trend on the solar modules, where prices have fallen from $8 a Wa...2020-09-0448 min
EnergypreneursNew Lithium-ion Battery Giga-factory in NorwayAfter transforming Sarawak Power as the CEO, Torstein went back to Norway to retire. Retirement was too boring, so he decided to build a Giga factory on a 500,000 square meter of land with 32 million KWh of battery cells a year. We discuss the future battery price and how his Norwegian battery plans to supply all of Europe. Torstein Dale Sjøtveit is currently the Executive Chairman of Freyr AS. We discussed how batteries are competing with gas power generation head-on. He explains the cha lenses in building a new company and how the world is changing. 2020-08-2141 min
EnergypreneursLet’s Get Excited About Autonomous CarsIn this episode, my guest was Hang Yin, who is part of the Corporate Strategy team of NIO (https://www.nio.com), who really believes the future is in smart, electric and autonomous vehicles. This was an exciting discussion, we discussed Nio and it’s new cars: all the stats of their different models, range, price etc. I finally found someone, who like me, believes that electricity could be free or have a near zero price in near future. If you want to see the future through our eyes where every home has batteries, solar panels and al...2020-08-1750 min
EnergypreneursConcentrated Solar Power -- Power Generation with its Own StorageWhen we convert our first physics experiment in life—create fire with sun and a magnifying glass—on a Giga scale, we get something close to concentrate solar power. This technology simply uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight from a large area on a single receiver, and covert that concentrated light into heat than to steam and then to electricity. Concentrated solar power projects are big — The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, located in the Mojave Desert, is the largest CSP in the world, and uses three power towers and generates about 377 MW. My today’s guest...2020-08-1144 min
EnergypreneursEnergy Efficiency --the misunderstood and cheapest sourcePierre Langlois, the President and Chairman of the Board at Econoler, and I discuss energy efficiency. What is Energy Effciency? A service or an investment? Why it is so difficult to understand and convince clients on energy efficiency projects? How many people does it really take to change a light bulb? Pierre and I worked on an energy efficiency project many years back, and today we discuss success and failure in many energy efficiency projects. We delve into the electric vehicle industry and explore how the "benefit sharing" approach from the energy efficiency industry can be...2020-07-2351 min
EnergypreneursA Candid Talk on Lithium-ion Battery PricesWe hear a lot about battery prices going down but mostly from researchers and reporters. My today’s guest is Fancy Lu of Liyuan Battery Company, a battery manufacturer, who will share details of their products and some pricing. I learned lot about batteries on the market from her and was surprised that batteries with about 5,000-6,000 cycles are becoming so common. We discuss the large MWh scale batteries with system cost of about $300 per kWh or the plug and play home batteries from $5,000 to $20,000. To find out more, please join in: Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie Twitte...2020-07-2321 min
EnergypreneursOur Electric Vehicles' Future with a FuturistDiscussing electric vehicle with a man from the future James and I explore predictions and possibilities about the future of EV and how that might impact the energy sector. Putting my future of energy glass, I tried to view the EV world of futurist James’s. We discuss stranded assets for the power sector and the possibility of distribution companies breaking up into micro-grid and eventually to off-grid for many. The impact of autonomous cars—a slow retreat from downtown centers but offset that reduction by the increased flurry of delivery activities. Jo...2020-06-2852 min
EnergypreneursEnergy Transition: How Bangladesh, Malaysia and Vietnam’s are using Solar Power to Transform their Power SectorIn this episode, Anthony Jude, an ex-ADB staff, explains the transition to renewable energy and explains the floating solar technology, its limitations, and challenges, especially the associated environmental concerns in Bangladesh where floating solar is proposed in fish farms and shrimp farms. He explains how Bangladesh has dramatically increased energy access to about 90% of households with increased nationwide generation capacity from 5,500 MW in 2009 to about 21,700 MW in 2019. Bangladesh still relies on about 95% fossil fuels, importing about $1-$1.2 billion of fuel, and with declining domestic reserve government has resorted to importing LNG. While 5,000-7,000 MW may...2020-06-2159 min
EnergypreneursFuture of Energy: EV Retrofit, Battery Prices, Hydrogen and Carbon Tax with Paul MartinWhat is an electric vehicle for the poor? Is it a repurposed old Toyota or a cheap new small electric car? Listen to this episode where Paul takes me through the entire conversion process, the necessary steps, equipment, suppliers, and the component prices. However, Paul may convince you that car conversion is not a good idea as battery prices are still high, but I am not convinced. What’s your take? Car conversion or brand new? We discuss the future of hydrogen, the need for a carbon tax, and why we need the right perspectives ab...2020-06-2153 min