Probably True Solar Stories
Probably True Solar Stories tells fictional stories about solar tech, solar workers, and solar homeowners. From "Solar Noir" stories to "Winnie-the-Pooh" to Solar Punk, solar is part of our pop culture lives, and this anthology solar podcast shows how. Probably True Solar Stories is written and hosted by Tor “Solar Fred” Valenza, a solar pro since 2009 and a former Hollywood screen and television writer (Stargate SG-1, Dharma & Greg, The Dead Zone, and other screenplays locked in the development hell vaults of Hollywood studios.) New seasons launch every few months, including new episodes of the ongoing mini-series, "The Solar Heist, or How I Got Into the Solar Business."
Episodes
Two teenagers are having a private moment in the hills above a utility substation when suddenly they happen upon a terrorist intent on bringing down their local grid. Will the teens escape and defeat the terrorist? Yes, but only with the help of modern-day cleantech resources...
True Solar Takeaways
- Terrorists have been attempting to disrupt the grid by firing rifle shots at the transformers of utility substations. Here...
There's a new superhero in town. His name is Solar Man, and he's here to help the world, but not in the way you might think. To defeat his arch-nemesis, Solar Man reluctantly decides to join the Ultra League of Super Defenders, a band of superheroes that are beyond the law. But will Solar Man be able to show his Super Solar strengths and pass the audition?
True Solar Takeaways
A solar installer thinks he hears a gunshot while performing a drone solar site survey. The shot--if it was a shot--came from the ranch house of his ex-fiancé. Can the solar installer’s drone footage solve the gunshot mystery? And even if it does, will anyone believe him?
True Solar Takeaways
- Drones are an increasingly common tool for inspecting and designing residential solar systems.
- A "POI" is an acronym for...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, you’ll hear a new Probably True Solar Song that was inspired by the relentless climate action and advocacy of Greta Thunberg.
True Solar Takeaways
- We loved this song so much that we made a music video version. Check it out at: https://youtu.be/T69fNdXsS9g
- Listen to the original solar music pioneers and their real solar music written and sung by humans:
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we return for our second Probably True Solar Song about a woman who decides to break up with her utility and fall in love with solar power.
True Solar Takeaways
- This solar breakup song was inspired by my friend, "Solar Rosana" Francescato's blog post.
- Solar can and does reduce utility bills, but your payback time and ROI will vary on many factors. With some utilit...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we introduce our music division: Probably True Solar Songs. You'll also learn about our new solar-themed dive bar, meet the band, and hear our first future hit solar song, "The Solar Coaster Life."
True Solar Takeaways
(The following is an encore episode from 2022, but all the info is still "probably true.")
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we imagine how the AI and robots of the future could affect solar sales in the year 2040. On the surface, it seems great, but there's a bit of a twist at the end...
NOTE: This Probably True Solar Story does reference when two people fall in love, yada, yada, yada. So y...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, a psychic predicts a sunny future for a struggling solar installer and the entire California solar industry. But when the installer doesn’t believe her, the psychic makes a bet that could cost him a free solar installation. Can the psychic really change the installer's future or the CPUC?
True Solar Takeaways
- Recent decisions by the California Public Utilities Commission hav...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories., we imagine what a fictional President Biden --a.k.a. "Dark Brandon"-- could have said at his 2024 State of the Union to bring more urgency about our global climate crisis and current solar and clean energy solutions.
True Solar Takeaways
Climate Crisis and the Urgency to Act
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has consistently reported the ur...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we revisit the story of how Winnie-the-Pooh went solar, but this time, with a certain Pooh character who wasn’t part of the public domain… until now.
True Solar Takeaways
- As Christopher Robin mentioned, you should always get at least three solar quotes before selecting a solar installer.
- The typical solar system consists of the solar panels, the inverter, and the racking.
- An inve...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, you’ll hear a live storytelling about two solar pros who decide to get married at a solar conference in Las Vegas. But when the wedding gets unexpectedly interrupted, the solar industry comes to the rescue.
Watch the live video performance here:
https://youtu.be/YyhWQi1d2ZE
True Solar Takeaways
- RE+ is the largest annual U.S. solar and renewable energy conference. I...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we conclude our limited series, "The Solar Heist, or How I Got Into the Solar Business." It's about two neighbors who unexpectedly form an odd friendship and work to uncover a solar energy crime syndicate. But arresting the syndicate’s leader turns out to be more complicated than they expected.
Previous Solar Heist episodes:
Listen to Part 1 here.
Listen to Pa...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we continue with Part 10 of "The Solar Heist" series. Mrs. Prout returns to Mazz and Charlie’s house to give them a warning. But Mazz and Charlie are already in Chico. Despite her efforts, it’s just bad timing for Sylvia, and really, for everyone...
If you missed any of the previous Solar Heist episodes:
Listen to Parts 1-6 here.
Listen to Part 7 here.
Listen ...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, "The Solar Heist" series continues. Charlie goes to Chico, California to hunt for "CATs," --certain awful things--buried at a landfill that’s about to become a new solar farm. Meanwhile, Mazz tries to calmly educate the solar farm’s opponents without doing ... certain awful things.
To catch up with the previous episodes:
- Listen to Parts 1-6 here.
- Listen to Par...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, Sylvia Prout, the widow of Richard Prout, visits Mazz and Charlie looking for answers about her husband's apparent murder. After some intense questioning and bourbon Irish coffees, Sylvia asks Mazz and Charlie for a favor that they can't refuse.
If you missed the earlier episodes with Richard Prout, listen to episodes 3, 4, 5, and 6.
True Solar Takeaways
- PTO ...
On the next episode of Probably True Solar Stories, we continue with Part 7 of The Solar Heist, or How I Got Into the Solar Business. When an intruder breaks in and holds a gun to the head of Mazz's wife, Mazz, Charlie, and Beth come to the rescue. But doing so risks blowing Charlie's cover and the entire DOE intelligence operation.
Listen to the previous episode here: The Solar Heist, Part 6: Trust
Listen ...
Welcome, solar fiction fans to the Season 3 preview of Probably True Solar Stories!
Last season's theme was "Solar Noir." For Season 3, it's a presidential election year, so our stories are going to explore politics and the #EnergyDeepState. Listen to this episode to hear about the next ten solar stories.
- Note: The first five episodes will mark the conclusion of "The Solar Heist, or How I Got ...
On the next Probably True Solar Stories, twenty homes on the same cul de sac decide to go solar on the day after a Halloween night blackout. It’s a simple story, but when a young reporter looks into it, he gets the Halloween scoop of his short lifetime.
True Solar Takeaways
- Going solar is "contagious." That is, several studies have shown that when one person in a neighborhood goes solar, nearby homes follow.
- Blackouts of...
For those solar fiction fans who prefer the longer formats, we've combined all six episodes of "The Solar Heist" into a single two-hour version, including chapter headings.
Two neighbors meet unexpectedly at an Oakland, California coffee shop specializing in dark, rich coffee. Mazz owns a trucking business by day and is a thief at night. Charlie is a solar project developer by day and a guy with an internat...
Today's Probably True Solar Stories mini-story is about one solar installer's expectations. It's also tangentially about a moose...
("The Story Behind the Solar Panel" is a new Prbably True Solar Stories mini-story series that is supported by sponsors. The stories are still fun and original fictional solar stories, but they're shorter and written in collaboration with the episode's sponso...
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