Over Our Heads

On Over Our Heads, we introduce you to several of the topics we work on and the experts we meet along the way and dive into some energy and tech issues that are sometimes over our heads… often more complicated or nuanced than what you’ll find in most press coverage about clean energy. Pecan Street chief technology officer Scott Hinson talks with our guests, including FERC Commissioners, physicists, and AI experts, all of whom are working on some of the most pressing issues for the clean energy transition. Listen via SoundCloud below or find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Stitcher. And don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe.

Over Our Heads with FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee

We’re kicking things off with former Commissioner Neil Chatterjee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC as it’s known by energy wonks. We gave the commissioner a tour of our Austin lab, and he sat down afterward with our chief technology officer, Scott Hinson, to talk about how FERC commissioners approach their job and how research like what we do at Pecan Street applies.

Over Our Heads with Physicist and Microgrid Expert Jon La Follett

Scott talks to long-time Pecan Street partner Jon La Follett, a physicist by training who has worked for most of his career on advancing clean energy technologies while working for the Department of Defense and Shell New Energy Technologies. In his new role, he works at the cutting edge of microgrid development with Houston-based startup Green Structure.

Over Our Heads with AI Expert Paul Navratil: Part I

Scott talks with Paul Navratil, the director of visualization at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, about artificial intelligence and how it can be used to accelerate the clean energy transition… if you start with the right data. Paul and Scott had a lot to talk about, so this is part one of a two-part series.

Over Our Heads with AI Expert Paul Navratil: Part II

Episode two of two with AI expert Paul Navratil. Listen in for a deep dive on opportunities and limitations for AI technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition.

Over Our Heads: South vs. West Facing Solar

We’re keeping the conversation in-house for this episode. Scott speaks with Pecan Street’s strategy and communciations director Colin Rowan about our rooftop solar research and the grid benefits of south vs west-facing solar panels.