Probably True Solar Stories

About Probably True Solar Stories

Probably True Solar Stories delves into the world of solar energy through a unique blend of fiction, urban legends, and real-world solar facts. Hosted and written by Tor "Solar Fred" Valenza, a solar pro since 2009 and a former Hollywood screen and television writer, this series aims to entertain and educate listeners about solar technology, its impact on our lives, and the people behind the solar industry. The podcast episodes are inspired by various genres, including "Solar Noir," action, comedy, fairy tales, and thrillers, showcasing the diverse ways solar energy is integrated into our pop culture and daily lives. Each episode not only tells fictional stories about solar tech, solar workers, and solar homeowners, but also includes a wealth of factual information about the solar industry. The podcast also weaves in contemporary solar-related issues, such as solar politics, permitting, policies, and supply chain issues, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the industry's challenges and advancements.

Publisher

Tor "Solar Fred" Valenza

Category

arts · fiction · fiction

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

16 Sept 2022

Latest episode

4 Apr 2025

Latest episodes

58 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Apr 2025

   Bonus Episode:REALLY True Solar Stories -- Live From RE+ 2024!

   On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we're going rogue for a midseason bonus episode! Instead of the strange and wonderful fictional solar stories that we usually tell, we're going to share some strange and wonderful REALLY True Solar Stories from actual solar workers and solar industry leaders. There are around 279,000 solar industry workers today. And about 40,000 of those came to the RE+ conference in Anaheim, California in September 2024. And about 100 of those attendees came to my a...

2. 

   3 Jul 2024

   A Declaration of Probably True Solar Independence (Encore)

   For July 4th, I asked ChatGPT to write a version of the Declaration of Independence for solar power. The result was pretty good, so I wanted to share it. "When in the course of human development, it becomes necessary for individuals and communities to break free from the dependence on unsustainable and finite sources of energy, and to embrace the abundance of renewable solar power, a respect for the laws of nature and sustainability requires that they should declare the reasons. For this transition, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all individuals and communities have the right to access and generate energy from the sun, the ultimate source of light and life on our planet..." (listen to the full episode). Thanks for listening. If you agree with this declaration, make a commitment to only vote for politicians who support the rapid deployment of residential, commercial, and utility solar power. ----- Visit ProbablyTrueSolar.com (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/)to sign up for the newsletter to learn about new episodes and live solar storytelling events. Support the show by visiting the merch store (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/p/Merch/) and buying a tee shirt! Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/p/sponsorships-live-events/)and tell their own creative stories. Follow @SolarFred (https://twitter.com/SolarFred) and/or @ProbTrueSolar (https://twitter.com/ProbTrueSolar) on Twitter to discuss episodes Don't forget to: Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast streaming service Rate Review, and Share!

3. 

   26 Jun 2024

   The Naked Solar Lady (Encore)

   On the next encore episode of Probably True  Solar Stories, a semi-sweet retired teacher gets inspired by Greta Thunberg to advocate for solar energy. But when her neighbors make excuses for not getting a solar quote, she starts a radical social media campaign that almost gets her arrested by the local Sheriff. True Solar Takeaways This story is fiction, but Greta Thunberg is very real and a true climate action activist. You can follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gretathunberg/?hl=en), and you can follow her campaign here (https://fridaysforfuture.org/). Here's a link to her "How Dare You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_8XwcX9q_c)" speech. Here's a link to her "Blah, blah, blah (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2TJMpiG5XQ)" speech, which includes "words that sound great, but led to no action." It's very, very simple to get a solar quote today. You can search the web for solar installers in your area, but please compare prices. Get three estimates and compare online reviews. As The Naked Solar Lady says in this story, if solar doesn't make financial sense for you, don't do it.  At least you now know what it costs today and you'll be able to benchmark for another set of solar quotes in another year or two. It just takes an hour of your time. And if it does work, what are you waiting for? There are also several websites that will compare three online quotes for you after inputting some information about your home and energy usage. While it's true that solar does not work by itself at night, that's okay. Almost every solar home remains connected to the local grid to keep the lights and fridge on at night. Despite some recent blackouts and brownouts in California and Texas, the grid rarely goes down. In 2018, the latest data available, the entire U.S. grid was up and running 94% of the time (https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43915), but that's in specific areas. Your utility may be more stable than others. If you're concerned about being without power for a few hours or, at most, a day or two, then you can install batteries with your solar panels. Batteries have other advantages besides rarely used backup power. In certain places like California, Hawaii, and other states, batteries can be used to save more money by storing your extra solar power for use later when evening and nighttime utility rates are higher. As mentioned earlier, get three solar+battery quotes from three qualified and well-reviewed installers. They'll let you know if installing a battery makes financial sense for you.  Perhaps it makes sense to only install a small battery that will be programmed for energy savings and not backup power. ----- Visit ProbablyTrueSolar.com (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/)to sign up for the newsletter to learn about new episodes and live solar storytelling events. Support the show by visiting the merch store (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/p/Merch/) and buying a tee shirt! Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories (https://www.probablytruesolar.com/p/sponsorships-live-events/)and tell their own creative stories. Follow @SolarFred (https://twitter.com/SolarFred) and/or @ProbTrueSolar (https://twitter.com/ProbTrueSolar) on Twitter to discuss episodes Don't forget to: Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast streaming service Rate Review, and Share!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

25 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 45 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

56

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

Contact Probably True Solar Stories

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.