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In this episode of the Watts Up Solar Podcast, I sit down with Ziwen Deng, a startup founder, innovator, and renewable energy trailblazer. We get real about the challenges of immigrant grit, the future of skilled trades, and why the renewable industry desperately needs fresh hands in the field.

Ziwen shares how his journey from micro-loan projects in North Carolina farms to cutting-edge AI solutions in solar taught him the power of technology to change lives. We dive into:

• Why startups succeed (or crash and burn) in renewables
• The massive labor gap that is coming to the trades and solar fieldwork
• How training must evolve in the attention economy (hint: it’s not about PDFs anymore)
• The role of AI in transforming manuals into instant, on-site knowledge

This conversation is equal parts gritty reality check and hopeful vision for the next generation of energy workers. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build solutions at the intersection of startups, solar, and workforce training—this is the one you don’t want to miss.

🌐 Learn more at suresteps.io
🔗 Connect with Ziwen on LinkedIn
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