Raptor Report

Resilience is Expensive, Except in Retrospect - Michael Perron (FM)

A few themes stood out from our conversation with Michael: * Having resilience isn't the same as proving it. Auto-stow and high-angle tilt are meaningful advances, and it is just as important to make sure they perform as designed in the field. Michael's analogy: hail stow should function like a sprinkler system in a commercial building — tested, verified at inception, and re-verified on a regular cadence. * Hail gets the headlines, but it isn't the full picture. Transformer health, vegetation and inverter fires, and other quieter exposures all shape a site's risk profile. Preventative and predictive maintenance across the full balance of system is what keeps the picture complete. * Build for the project's lifetime, not just COD. Solar projects are financed for 20 to 30 years, while insurance policies renew annually. Resilient design and disciplined preventative maintenance are what keep an asset insurable across its full life. * Shared data makes the whole industry stronger. Insurers, OEMs, developers, operators, and research labs each hold pieces of the risk picture, and no single party sees it all. Shared hail maps, third-party verified stow testing, and open conversations about near-misses are how the industry compounds what it learns. As Michael put it, quoting a former client: "A hail loss for any of us is bad for all of us." Michael Perron is the Renewable Energy Market Lead and a member of the management team for FM’s Renewable Energy unit. He leads broker engagement, contributes to renewable energy strategy, and serves as a central internal market voice across underwriting, engineering, research, approvals, and other FM staff functions. With nearly 10 years focused on renewable energy and more than 20 years as a broker, Perron brings an “internal insider” perspective to FM—bridging broker insights, client expectations, and technical risk expertise. Prior to FM, he co‑led Brown & Brown’s Energy & ClimateTech practice and previously led WTW’s U.S. Power & Renewables team. He also contributes thought leadership for FM and works closely with the marketing team on externally facing content. Who's Raptor Maps?   Raptor Maps is a solar management platform at the intersection of AI and robotics. Our services combine the industry's most comprehensive visual analytics suite with the ability to orchestrate solar management, construction, and operations work by people and robotics. In turn, Raptor Maps provides the digital foundation teams need to scale their capabilities without straining their budgets and to ultimately increase the reliability and return of their solar assets.

Innovation’s North Star: Policy’s Impact on Domestic Manufacturing and R&D

In this episode of The Raptor Report, hosts Avery Black and Don Nista sit down with Scott Moskowitz, VP of Market Strategy and Industry Affairs at Qcells North America, to discuss the current "inflection point" of the U.S. solar industry. With a decade of experience in solar policy and market research, Scott provides a high-level look at why domestic manufacturing has evolved from a niche goal to a "national economic security imperative" in the face of massive load growth from AI and data centers. Episode Highlights: The Grid Maintenance Trap: Why an aging, 100-year-old grid is driving up electricity rates and how scalable, fast-to-deploy solar is the primary lever to maintain consumer affordability. Domestic Manufacturing as an R&D Engine: A look at the Qcells Solar Hub in Georgia and why co-locating R&D with manufacturing is critical for accelerating the commercialization of high-efficiency tandem perovskite cells. The Policy Lever: Why demand-side incentives like the Domestic Content Bonus are just as vital as supply-side credits (45X) for sustaining long-term manufacturing investments and scaling the U.S. supply chain. Smart Orchestration of "Dumb" Panels: Why manual monitoring is no longer sufficient for utility-scale assets and how visual analytics are providing the "digital foundation" required to spot voltage and heat anomalies before they impact ROI. The Power of Collaboration: Insights into how manufacturers, policymakers, and operators must integrate education to ensure the industry can scale to meet 2030 demand targets efficiently. Who's Raptor Maps?   Raptor Maps is a solar management platform at the intersection of AI and robotics. Our services combine the industry's most comprehensive visual analytics suite with the ability to orchestrate solar management, construction, and operations work by people and robotics. In turn, Raptor Maps provides the digital foundation teams need to scale their capabilities without straining their budgets and to ultimately increase the reliability and return of their solar assets.

The Force Multiplier: Automation, Robotics, and Workforce Development with Straylight Ventures Andrew Morse

On this episode of the Raptor Report, Avery Black and Don Nista sit down with Andrew Morse, VP of Software at FTC Solar and Founder of Straylight Ventures, to discuss the expanding role of robotics in the solar industry. Andrew provides a unique perspective on automation, arguing that robotics are not a replacement for the workforce but a natural evolution of the technologies we already deploy, such as tracker control systems. The conversation centers on the concept of the "Force Multiplier"—how leveraging robotics for repetitive or dangerous tasks allows human crews to double productivity and focus on high-value critical thinking. In this episode, we cover: The Force Multiplier Effect: How to double field productivity without doubling headcount. Safety & Efficiency: Reducing risk by removing technicians from heavy lifting and high-voltage environments. Technology Evolution: Why robotics are the next logical step in site instrumentation and control. Adoption at Scale: Moving beyond pilot programs to widespread industry integration. Related Resources: * The Raptor Maps 2025 State of Solar Robotics: https://raptormaps.com/resources/state-of-solar-robotics-2025 * Straylight Ventures 2025 Solar Robotics Report: https://straylightventures.com/product/2025-solar-robotics-report/ * FTC Solar Robot-Ready Report: https://www.ftcsolar.com/robot-ready-solar-construction/ Who's Raptor Maps?   Raptor Maps is a solar management platform at the intersection of AI and robotics. Our services combine the industry's most comprehensive visual analytics suite with the ability to orchestrate solar management, construction, and operations work by people and robotics. In turn, Raptor Maps provides the digital foundation teams need to scale their capabilities without straining their budgets and to ultimately increase the reliability and return of their solar assets.

Digitally Native Solar: From Smart Operations to Solar Savannas with Silicon Ranch CTO Nick DeVries

In this episode of The Raptor Report, we sit down with Nick DeVries, CTO of Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the nation's largest independent solar power producers. With over 14 years at Silicon Ranch and a background spanning semiconductor manufacturing to solar power plant design, Nick brings a unique perspective on building assets designed for 40+ year lifespans. Nick introduces the concept of solar being "digitally native"—unlike other forms of energy generation that were built before modern data tools existed, solar has always generated streams of actionable data. He explains how this advantage is enabling Silicon Ranch to manage operations across 180+ projects in 16 states through AI-powered analytics, from thermal imagery identifying equipment issues to comprehensive environmental monitoring. We dive deep into how artificial intelligence is helping operators process the overwhelming amount of visual and sensor data flowing from modern solar farms. The conversation also explores Silicon Ranch's strategic approach to domestic sourcing, highlighting the operational advantages of shorter lead times, higher quality control, and faster issue resolution that come from building with U.S.-made equipment. Nick shares how their long-term ownership model—owning both the power plants and the land for decades—enables smarter material choices and stronger community relationships. Finally, Nick unveils his innovative research on "solar savannas"—a novel ecosystem approach to agrivoltaics that combines solar panels, grasslands, and livestock to create mutually beneficial relationships between energy generation, land health, and biodiversity. This groundbreaking work demonstrates how solar development can enhance rather than compete with agricultural land use. Who's Raptor Maps?   Raptor Maps is a solar management platform at the intersection of AI and robotics. Our services combine the industry's most comprehensive visual analytics suite with the ability to orchestrate solar management, construction, and operations work by people and robotics. In turn, Raptor Maps provides the digital foundation teams need to scale their capabilities without straining their budgets and to ultimately increase the reliability and return of their solar assets.

In Harmony with Water: A Deep Dive Into Floating Solar | Thomas Lang, Director of Technology at Accusolar

In this episode of The Raptor Report, we explore the rise of floating solar with Thomas Lang, Director of Technology and Business Development at AccuSolar [https://accusolar.com]. As demand for clean energy accelerates and land availability tightens, floating solar presents a unique opportunity to generate renewable power while conserving precious water resources. Thomas unpacks how floating solar works, where it’s being deployed, and why it’s becoming an increasingly attractive option for utilities, municipalities, and data center developers. From anchored rafts on cooling ponds to evaporation reduction and seasonal panel tilting, this conversation covers both the fundamentals and the advanced considerations of deploying solar on water. What you’ll learn in this episode: * What floating solar is—and why it's not "rocket science" * How systems are installed and maintained without boats * Where floating solar is most impactful (think cooling ponds, reservoirs, water treatment sites) * The performance edge: up to 15–20% higher energy yield than ground-mount * The environmental upside: up to 50% less water evaporation, less algae growth * LCOE insights: Why floating solar is cost-competitive despite higher capex * How public policy and federal mandates are shaping market growth Thomas also shares his unconventional path into clean energy—from Middle East counterterrorism work to pioneering floating solar in the U.S.—and gives a glimpse into where the industry is headed next. Who's Raptor Maps?   Raptor Maps is a solar management platform at the intersection of AI and robotics. Our services combine the industry's most comprehensive visual analytics suite with the ability to orchestrate solar management, construction, and operations work by people and robotics. In turn, Raptor Maps provides the digital foundation teams need to scale their capabilities without straining their budgets and to ultimately increase the reliability and return of their solar assets.