The smarter E Podcast

Innovation in solar business models and technology is front-and-center on this episode of The smarter E Podcast. Featuring two leaders from the U.S. solar industry, it explores how innovation across the solar value chain is taking the global energy transition in new directions. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, host Jonathan Gifford speaks with two executives from companies that represent very different stages of the industry's evolution: one scaling and redefining an established global business, the other pushing a new generation of solar technology toward commercial reality.

First, Howard Wenger, President of Nextpower, discusses the company's rapid transformation from a solar tracker specialist into a provider of integrated utility-scale solar and energy storage platforms. Following a series of strategic acquisitions – most recently the German mounting system manufacturer Zimmermann and battery storage integrator Prevalon – Wenger explains why combining hardware, software, and storage is becoming essential for utility-scale renewable energy. He also shares insights into Europe's growing importance for the company, the role of battery storage in addressing negative electricity prices and data centre demand, and why customer-focused innovation remains central to Nextpower's expansion strategy.

The conversation then turns to the future of photovoltaic cell-and-module technology with Aaron Thurlow, Chief Commercial Officer at Caelux. Thurlow explains how the company's perovskite-on-glass approach could accelerate commercial adoption by augmenting existing silicon module production lines rather than replacing them. He discusses the pathway from pilot production to scale manufacturing, the potential for significant efficiency gains, and why perovskites could unlock new opportunities not only for terrestrial solar but also for space applications. The discussion also tackles one of PV-perovskite technology’s biggest questions: long-term durability and why confidence is growing and commercial-scale deployment drawing closer.

Together, these conversations highlight an industry advancing on multiple fronts and developing the technologies that could define the next generation of highly-productive photovoltaics.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at podcast@thesmartere.com

As Europe faces rising energy-security concerns, volatile electricity markets and growing grid congestion, a new generation of energy solutions is emerging that could turn these challenges into opportunities. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, this episode explores how EVs, smart charging, and vehicle-to-grid technology are transforming cars into active participants in the electricity system. These “batteries on wheels” have the potential to be friends rather than foes when it comes to electricity network functionality.

The Mobility House founder and CEO Thomas Raffeiner joins the pod to discuss the next phase of electrification and the company's renewed focus on energy services, following the sale of its fleet charging business. Raffeiner explains why fleet electrification is accelerating worldwide, how falling charging costs are bringing businesses closer to zero-cost and zero-emissions mobility – and why electric vehicles should be viewed as energy assets rather than as additional demand on the grid.

Also joining the podcast is Petrouschka Werther, Director of Sustainable Mobility at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, who shares how the Netherlands became a European EV-integration pioneer, with a fleet undergoing rapid transformation.

Werther explains how the country's speedy adoption of solar energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicles has created significant pressure on the electricity grid — and how smart charging and vehicle-to-grid solutions are now helping to relieve that congestion. She discusses innovative projects in cities such as Utrecht, where electric vehicles are already supporting local electricity networks, and outlines the European collaboration now underway to establish the technical standards and regulatory framework needed to scale V2G across the continent.

Together, these conversations paint a picture of an energy system where electric vehicles are able to become mobile batteries, flexible grid assets, and a critical component of a secure, affordable and renewable energy future.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at podcast@thesmartere.com

As Europe faces rising energy-security concerns, volatile electricity markets and growing grid congestion, a new generation of energy solutions is emerging that could turn these challenges into opportunities. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, this episode explores how EVs, smart charging, and vehicle-to-grid technology are transforming cars into active participants in the electricity system. These “batteries on wheels” have the potential to be friends rather than foes when it comes to electricity network functionality.

The Mobility House founder and CEO Thomas Raffeiner joins the pod to discuss the next phase of electrification and the company's renewed focus on energy services, following the sale of its fleet charging business. Raffeiner explains why fleet electrification is accelerating worldwide, how falling charging costs are bringing businesses closer to zero-cost and zero-emissions mobility – and why electric vehicles should be viewed as energy assets rather than as additional demand on the grid.

Also joining the podcast is Petrouschka Werther, Director of Sustainable Mobility at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, who shares how the Netherlands became a European EV-integration pioneer, with a fleet undergoing rapid transformation.

Werther explains how the country's speedy adoption of solar energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicles has created significant pressure on the electricity grid — and how smart charging and vehicle-to-grid solutions are now helping to relieve that congestion. She discusses innovative projects in cities such as Utrecht, where electric vehicles are already supporting local electricity networks, and outlines the European collaboration now underway to establish the technical standards and regulatory framework needed to scale V2G across the continent.

Together, these conversations paint a picture of an energy system where electric vehicles are able to become mobile batteries, flexible grid assets, and a critical component of a secure, affordable and renewable energy future.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at podcast@thesmartere.com

The future of energy was on display in Munich last week — and this isn’t hyperbole! While some still question how an industrialised nation like Germany can be powered by renewable energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, The smarter E Europe 2026 offered some compelling insights. Through a major new study, an interactive exhibition, and the countless innovations showcased across the event, a pathway to a fully renewable energy system was laid out in remarkable detail.

In this special on-site edition of the podcast, we capture the energy of the event itself, explore the technologies on display, and discuss some of the industry's most important developments. One theme stood out was the emergence of truly 24/7 renewable energy systems.

Author, engineer, and consultant Tim Meyer joins the podcast to guide us through the special 24/7 Renewables exhibition at this year's event. He explains why electric mobility and vehicle-to-grid technology is a game changer for a solar-and-wind lead energy system. Meyer also argues that the transition to clean energy presents major opportunities for industry, particularly through access to low-cost electricity during periods of abundant wind and solar generation.

The smarter E founder and CEO Markus Elsässer also joins the podcast at both the opening and closing of this year's event. He reflects on the number of visitors this year, the key conversations taking place across the show floor, and the challenges currently facing the renewable energy sector.

Other guests in this special edition of the podcast include:

Charlotte Senkpiel, Fraunhofer ISE

Sitaram Chodimella, SIEMENS

Stefan Feilmeier, FENECON

Sören Vahland, GE Vernova

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at podcast@thesmartere.com

Recorded at the Tandem PV Workshop in Berlin, this week’s episode explores one of the most exciting frontiers in solar technology: perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics. Featuring two leading researchers from Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the conversations dive into why perovskites could unlock the next major step forward in solar efficiency – and what still needs to happen before the technology reaches mass commercialization.

In the first interview, we’re joined by Professor Rutger Schlatmann, Head of the Solar Energy Division at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, to unpack why silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells are attracting so much attention from researchers and industry. Rutger explains how conventional silicon technology is approaching its physical efficiency limits, and why adding a perovskite layer on top of silicon offers a pathway to significantly higher performance.

In the second half of the episode, we speak with Angelika Harter, Group Lead Industrial-like Silicon Perovskite Tandem Baseline at HZB, about the transition from record-breaking laboratory results toward commercially viable solar products. Angelika shares insights from the Tandem PV Workshop, where the industry’s focus is shifting from simply achieving higher efficiencies toward improving stability, scalability, and reproducibility.

We also explore new opportunities for perovskite technologies beyond conventional solar modules – including flexible PV, indoor applications, and space technologies – and why the next five years could prove critical for bringing the first generation of commercial perovskite products to market.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at podcast@thesmartere.com