🎙️ In this episode of the GREENROOM, we sit down with Gil Rhodes – engineer, trainer, and founder of AGR Electrical – for one of the most technical yet practical conversations we’ve ever had.

From the origins of PowerCAD software and why it’s essential for large-scale solar design, through to the real-world challenges of AC/DC cabling, derating, switchboards, and compliance, this podcast is packed with lessons for anyone serious about solar and electrical engineering.

Expect to learn:
✅ When and why PowerCAD is needed for solar & commercial projects
✅ The biggest design mistakes that cost installers time and money
✅ How to avoid pitfalls with cable tray selection, derating, and airflow
✅ What it takes to navigate Energex/Ergon standards & RPEQ requirements
✅ Gil’s career journey – from apprentice to trainer, to running his own consultancy

Whether you’re an installer looking to sharpen your design skills, an engineer aiming to stay compliant, or just someone fascinated by the nuts and bolts of megawatt-scale solar systems, this conversation delivers insights you can take straight to the field.

THE GREEN ROOM - EPISODE 10!
MATT MANSFIELD

Learn the story of Mansfield’s Nursery, a third-generation horticultural business with over 75 years of experience.
Matt Mansfield shares his journey from working in landscaping and traveling abroad to returning home and taking on the challenges of the family business.
Hear insights into the realities of running a propagation nursery, from cuttings and tissue culture through to supplying millions of plants a year. It’s a candid look at how tradition, innovation, and family intertwine in horticulture.

For those in agriculture and horticulture, this conversation explores the nuts and bolts of plant production — green roofs in Canada, citrus grafting, propagation techniques, and the rise of tissue culture as a scalable solution.
Matt also unpacks how Mansfield’s integrates sustainability into its practices, from biodegradable pots to reducing plastics, and how technology and data collection are transforming the nursery sector.
It’s a practical yet inspiring discussion for anyone passionate about plants and the systems that support them.

In this candid, engaging podcast - THE GREENROOM EPISODE 9, Gerard McAllister opens up about his journey from growing up as one of eight brothers in the Latrobe Valley to founding Assertive Marketing.

Dive into stories of his European travels, love for history, lessons in leadership, and bold career pivots—from power stations and personal training to pioneering renewable energy marketing.

This episode unpacks the psychology behind branding, the power of storytelling, and the grit needed to build a niche agency. Whether you're a small business owner, a marketer, or just love a good life story, Gerard’s wisdom will leave you inspired and entertained.

Meet Kevin Manion—Greenwood’s O&M lead and all-round top bloke.
From drag cars and judo to solar farms and boxing rings, Kevin’s journey is anything but ordinary.

What shines through most, though, is his humility, curiosity, and genuine care for people. He talks leadership, renewables, and why listening is one of the most underrated skills in the industry.

Kevin is a straight-talking sparkie with a heart of gold and a passion for doing things right.

🎙️ 30 Years of Renewable Energy Secrets, Off-Grid Living & the Future of Energy Storage – Revealed by Trent Mair from TRENTLECK!

Veli goes on an amazing journey with the man who's spent three decades at the coalface (and solar face) of renewable energy.
From designing off-grid systems for remote Indigenous communities to managing critical power for the British Museum in London, to building Australian-made solar frames tougher than a cyclone, Trent’s done it all.

But wait till you hear about the flywheel revolution – kinetic energy storage that could outlast lithium batteries by decades and reshape how we power the world.
And just when you think you’ve heard it all... enter biogas: how your kitchen scraps (and yes, even bones) can fuel your cooking and heat your home.

💥 If you're in renewable energy, off-grid living, farming, manufacturing, or just want to know where the future of power is heading, this is a MUST-WATCH.

🚨 Key highlights include:

- The surprising truth about battery backups (most can't run your house – here's why)
- How flywheels could be the future of grid stability & EV fast-charging
- Turning cow poo and veggie scraps into clean cooking gas
- The ugly truths of cheap solar framing (and how Aussie-made beats imports)
- Building resilience in a volatile renewable energy market

And trust us, we barely scratched the surface.

Veli is joined by special guest Mick Jojic from Clenergy to dive deep into the realities of the solar industry—from technical design challenges to the art of product management.

Whether you're new to renewables or a seasoned professional, this conversation offers lessons, laughs, and the occasional hard truth.

Plug in for an unfiltered look at what it really takes to deliver solar at scale and how the renewable industry will change over the next decade.

👷‍♂️ Brought to you by Greenwood Solutions — real talk from real experience.


Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and War Stories from the Job Site
08:20 Why Site Inspections Make or Break Your Quote
19:45 The Tools You Think You Need vs. What You Actually Use
29:30 Dealing with Dodgy Roofs, Heritage Buildings & Unseen Headaches
44:15 Project Management: Communicating with Clients & Crews
01:00:00 When the Budget’s Tight: Engineering for Outcome, Not Overkill
01:13:25 Final System Checks, Commissioning & What We Always Forget
01:28:50 The Greenwood Culture: Building Skills and Growing the Academy
01:42:10 Final Thoughts & What’s Coming Next


👍 Like the talk? Hit the subscribe button for weekly field-tested insights on renewable engineering, BESS projects and big-grid know-how.

🛎️ Hit the bell so you never miss a thing!!

Learn more about Greenwood Academy:

www.greenwood.academy

Instagram: @greenwoodsolutions

Facebook: @greenwoodsolutions

When your neighborhood runs on sunshine and batteries— and the odd temperamental diesel genset — “energy” stops being an invoice and becomes your lifestyle.

In this wide-ranging chat, renewables expert-electrician Anne Wilson takes us from the mud-brick beginnings of her off-grid home to the cutting-edge software that now powers commercial design desks worldwide. Anne explains how life in Victoria’s Moora Moora intentional community (36 households, zero grid connection) sharpened her approach to system sizing, load profiling and big-battery safety; why she now splits her week between training users on Solar Plus and wiring experiments at Glen Morris’s Smart Energy Lab.

Along the way we dig into:

• lead-acid nostalgia vs. lithium reality
• keeping clients honest about hair-dryers, cool-rooms and sneaky loads unaccounted for
• generator gremlins, frequency droop and biodiesel dreams
• battery warranties, FCAS/arbitrage math and three hours of free power in NZ
• building careers (and Flemish-bond houses) as a woman on the tools — including an all-female 100 kW installation
  
  
  

Whether you’re a rooftop rookie, a software geek or a hardened off-grid veteran, Anne’s mix of pragmatism, humor and hard-won lessons will leave you itching to grab a multimeter… or at least read the manual first.

Raised in the cricket loving suburbs of Mumbai to now steering megawatt projects in Melbourne, Jayesh Satani unpacks the exact steps—from visa hurdles to solar accreditation—that turned a Gujarati electronics grad into one of Australia’s go-to product managers for GridSafe secondary protection.
Jayesh shows you how jugaad-level hustle, family values, and relentless up-skilling helped create his own path.

This is a must listen for all engineers and graduates who are wanting to pave their path into renewable energy.

Whether you dream of designing Australia’s next solar farm or turbo-charging India’s rooftop revolution, this episode hands you Jayesh's blueprint of how hard work creates your own luck.

Learn more about Greenwood Academy:

www.greenwood.academy

Instagram: @greenwoodsolutions

Facebook: @greenwoodsolutions