S202: ”Data Decoded” with Jenny Chase of BloombergNEF

In our second episode of the season, Torsten is joined at The smarter E in Munich by trailblazing solar analyst Jenny Chase, who was the first member of the BloombergNEF solar analyst team. Jenny, who has spent over 17 years shaping solar market intelligence, shares her journey from studying physics at Cambridge University to leading one of the world’s top sources for solar data and analysis.

Jenny walks us through the early days of solar, back when the price of polysilicon was astronomical and when installing half a terawatt of PV in one year (as we are on track to do in 2024) would've been unthinkable. She reflects on how solar has evolved to become an essential driver of the global energy transition and discusses the many challenges of analyzing an ever-changing and rapidly evolving market.

An extremely engaging conversation, sprinkled with her signature wit and no-nonsense approach, Jenny speaks to the joys of building a team, the perils of management, and the importance of doing what you love (which may or may not include tending to a flock of multi-generational geese).

PLUS: On the Espresso segment, Sven Albersmeier-Braun reports from the new Solar & Storage Live Zürich event. Sven is from upstart Chinese power electronics and battery supplier Sigenergy, and he describes how the residential battery market in Switzerland is undergoing a transition, as fears of power shortages begin to fade.