Expand the use of solar power by enabling access to DeFi liquidity

Sitting down with Mark Johnson, founder of CleanestCharge, was an eye-opening exploration of the future of sustainable energy. Johnson is co-founder of CleanestCharge, a leading solar infrastructure provider and sustainable energy company. He has big long-term plans and is committed to leading the world through this time of energy transition. From the first meeting, Johnson’s experience on the ground is evident and his calm responses to every question are a refreshing break from the sense of urgency attached to the climate crisis. A steady hand guiding the ship is exactly what is needed to develop a greener future.

Johnson has a solid foundation in the energy sector. He has worked with several large companies, running their e-commerce. After IBM, he went to work at Schneider Electric where he led their Smart Cities of North America division. Revenue from the public services for which he was responsible reached 30 billion. Johnson also served in the US Department of Energy, under Vice President Biden, which doled out multi-billion dollar funding. At the Department of Energy, Johnson pioneered energy products and services bringing together city and state supply consortia.

For Johnson, solar-powered clean energy stations aren’t a technological breakthrough because they’ve been around for almost 30 years. But he is quick to point out that it would be a shame not to use this technology as our production of new vehicles increases.

“Solar is not a revolutionary concept. As the penetration of electric vehicles is still low, it remains expensive. But as electric vehicles become more popular, it would be a shame to only power them with fossil fuels, coal or oil or natural gas. So let’s use solar and clean energy for the future. says Johnson.

Johnson also highlights the need to invest in basic solar technology infrastructure to advance a greener future.

“We have to spend money to invest in solar panels. Let’s put battery energy storage with solar so we can store that energy when we need it. And then let’s install a fast charger, 175 kilowatts and more, instead of slow chargers that are already plugged into the network.

He asked us not to be afraid: “Microgrids have been around since 1882. It’s a scary word. But a microgrid, by definition, is just an island resource. It can be a fossil fuel or a natural gas generator. It’s a micro-grid. In our case, it is clean energy.

“We like that you can put them anywhere. And you don’t have to plug it into the network because the network is already stressed. The network is already overloaded. You will blow the network if you plug in fast charging stations to the grid, so solar power works,” continues Johnson.

Asked about customer expectations for charging stations, Johnson outlines a roadmap for faster charging solutions.

“What we’re all trying to do in the clean energy refill industry is to imitate or copy the gas or gas refill experience. If we can do it in 5, 10 or 15 minutes, you know that’s close to what you would do if you were going to a gas station. So that’s what a fast charger is supposed to do.

Moreover, it is rightly recognized that the public, in general, does not have the patience that is asked of them to use the most widespread electric vehicles today.

“If you need a charge and you’re going to spend four or five hours in a cafe. You are a bit crazy. So let’s do a quick charge. That’s how we came up with the cleanest charging idea,” Johnson says.

What is the CleanestCharge offer?

Each CleanestCharge station is valued at $1.2 million, with an IRR of 12.4%, daily solar production of 466 kWh, battery capacity of 576 kWh and 4 charging points with 2 x 175 kW fast chargers. CleanestCharge intends to use grants from the Fully Funded Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.

CleanestCharge has invested heavily in engineering and has a deep understanding of the requirements needed to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels. In order to create a scalable modern solution.

Johnson highlights where improvements can be made: “What is the best way to couple solar storage and electric vehicle charging. It is the DC coupling, which is important and also remarkable because today everything is AC coupled. But solar is not AC DC, batteries are not AC, they are DC, and even fast charging is DC. Using DC coupling therefore makes it more efficient.

Johnson notes that we are at a tipping point when it comes to providing access to clean energy solutions everywhere, “I bet you remember when you first saw someone with a iPhone, and you were rich if you had one but you stayed with your Blackberry and then one day you wake up and everyone including your mom has one I think that’s what’s going to happen with clean energy.

However, Johnson also recognizes that until the auto industry makes clean-energy cars affordable to the general public, there will not be massive change or mass adoption of these technologies, so the focus needs to be on production and accessibility of cars. “Until they make an electric vehicle, it’s, you know, $30,000 or less, I’m not going to buy one.”

Fund clean energy projects

As mentioned earlier, CleanestCharge will use grants from the infrastructure package.

“This is funded for five years to provide EV charging or clean energy across the United States. It is therefore now a race to access these funds. All 50 states receive this money from the federal government.

“We have to buy the equipment in advance and not just plug into the grid and suck dirty energy from the grid, we create clean energy with solar panels. And so we can reimburse that cost with this grant. This is our vision.

In addition to this, CleanestCharge is looking to explore how Silta Finance can help it steer DeFi towards funding EV fast charging station projects at various locations in the United States. The Silta solution is designed to enable infrastructure developers to access DeFi liquidity to cover costs associated with infrastructure development. Silta will provide credit scores and secure DeFi loans by providing infrastructure borrowers with on-chain collateral. Borrowers begin repaying loans once the infrastructure enters its operational phase.

Speaking of Silta’s approach, Johnson shows his admiration for the democratization of investing in clean energy solutions and the due diligence that stems from the vast experience of Silta’s founders.

“What’s great about their approach is the crowdsourcing and the ability for you and me to own a percentage of the CleanestCharge stations anywhere.”

“They are so thorough in what they do. And what I love about decentralized finance is that a big part of it is the accessibility for the community to be a shareholder. Before, a certain piece of the pie was given to an elite group or to a group at the very top. But anyone can own a slice of the pie if they’re passionate about it. »

Production partnerships across the United States

CleanestCharge is committed to working with local businesses and making a positive impact. Johnson talks about his partnership with Crossroads Solar, an admirable company that trains prisoners to build solar panels.

“There are a lot of companies building solar panels with prison labor, which is really redeeming. Because prisoners can’t get jobs because they’re prisoners. And then they try to come back into the company with relevant skills Wafers and chips can be made in China, but the panels will be fully assembled in the United States.

Founded by a University of Notre Dame peace studies professor, Patrick Regan, the founder of Crossroads, left his job as a full professor to work with prisoners on the solar panel project.

When you connect CleanestCharge to Silta with Crossroads, you start to see that everyone has the opportunity to plant their flag in the sand and show their support for the larger vision of a cleaner, greener future.

The energy crisis is making headlines around the world as the general public is rapidly beginning to realize the implications of an overreliance on fossil fuels. This has forced people to rethink everyone’s access to clean and more sustainable sources of energy.

Many of the projects you encounter as a journalist claim to be bigger than they are, but when meeting CleanestCharge, the size of the vision is undeniable and the focus on a brighter and more clean is admirable.