Watt It Takes: Dan Shugar, the King Midas of Solar

The Energy Gang

Dan Shugar lives, breathes and bleeds solar.

"If you cut my wrist, pure silicon comes out," he exclaimed in an interview with Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch, as part of the Watt It Takes interview series.

This week, Shugar steps behind the microphone to talk about turning his passion for PV into deals and acquisitions worth over $1 billion.

Shugar has a storied career. Some call him the "King Midas" of solar, because he's turned so many ventures into gold. He's the former president of Powerlight, the pioneering developer acquired by SunPower in 2006. He's now CEO of the tracker company NEXTracker, which was sold to Flextronics for $330 million last year.

In this edition of Watt It Takes, Shugar describes the moment he realized solar's potential while working for PG&E; how Powerlight was founded and funded; the risks he took when getting into solar; his passion for the environment; and why everyone is underestimating the growth of PV.

This conversation was recorded live in Oakland, California at Powerhouse. In the next episode, GTM Co-Founder Scott Clavenna takes the stage.

This podcast is brought to you by Mission Solar. Find out more about Mission's high-quality, American-made solar modules.

Listen to earlier episodes of Watt It Takes:

• SunPower Founder Dick Swanson’s Guide to Launching a Cleantech Startup
• Lessons From the Fall of Sungevity

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