Power to the People

11 - Unlocking immediate grid capacity with solar curtailment and reward-based grid connection contracts

S1E11 - We sit down with Gerard de Leede, CTO of Solarge [www.solarge.com]—one of the Netherlands’ most innovative solar companies—to talk about the growing problem of grid congestion and what can be done about it right now.  Solarge produces lightweight, toxin-free solar panels with a fair and transparent supply chain. Their mission? To lead the way in clean, responsible photovoltaic production.  But here’s the twist: despite making some of the greenest solar panels around, Gerard can’t get a bigger grid connection for his factory. To keep up with demand, he’s had to rely on… a diesel generator. We dive into this ironic situation, explore the challenges of limited grid capacity, and hear Gerard’s ideas for solving it.

10 - Looking at the energy transition through the lens of systems change

S1E10 - Today we speak with Floor Alkemade, expert in systems change. Through the lens of systems change we see how the energy transition is connected to questions of economic survival of countries, energy policy and social behavior. We also discuss energy autonomy and the EU's dependency on gas and oil from other countries. Floor is a professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology [https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/floor-alkemade] and specialized in the field of systems change. This multidisciplinary approach shines a refreshing light on the challenges we face today. To understand system change is helps to break out of your bubble and see the system in all its different facets. She acknowledges that we have to make sacrifices in this transition and that we will have winners and losers. But more importantly, she stretches the fact that the Energy transition is a smart investment. For the planet, our economies and the people.

9 - Creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition

S1E9 - We speak with Mark Spijker about creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition.   Mark is the main director of Arnhem Electricity Week [https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/] and wants to make it the number one energy conference in Europe. He is a master in the art of Brand Building and has been shaping stories to make the energy transition speak to a broad audience. That is why we talk with him about creating compelling stories to get people involved in the energy transition

8 - Electric Planes as a new sustainable Transport Category

S1E8 - We speak with Professor Maarten Steinbuch about the rise of electric planes. Electric planes have a huge potential to replace short haul flight and revolutionize the aviation sector. Something that was hard to imagine 20 years ago is coming within hand reach. Maarten is a distinguished professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He has a very good eye for the influence that technology has on the world of tomorrow. For instance, he was one of the first to see the potential of electric vehicles and promoted this extensively in the media.   In recent years Maarten has talked about the next big transport revolution: short haul electric flying. Also, he has worked on making regional airports into energy hubs with his company NRG2FLY [https://nrg2fly.com/]. Can we undo the bad rep that airplanes suffer and fly guild free again? Let's see what Maarten has to say about this.

7 - Energy Poverty in the Netherlands

Today we speak with Marije Ruysch about energy poverty in the Netherlands. Marije is head of the energy bank Arnhem [https://energiebankregioarnhem.nl/], where they strive for energy access for everyone. We speak with her about how energy is a basic life necessity and how it should be available for everyone in a rich country like the Netherlands.  The stories that she shares of people in energy poverty make us think again about our energy system and how just it actually is. We ask the question if a system based on solar wind and batteries could provide us with a more just system. This episode is part of the Arnhem Electricity Week [https://arnhemelectricityweek.com/] Series.