
829: Dean Solon Unfiltered: What the Shoals Founder Will Create Next Is Unprecedented
About this episode
What would you do after taking your company public and becoming a billionaire?
If you’re Dean Solon, you start over—with even bigger ambitions.
The outspoken founder of Shoals Technologies is back with his new venture, Create Energy, and a mission to tear down the solar industry’s bloated, outdated playbook—and rebuild it from the ground up with speed, precision, and American grit.
In this unfiltered live keynote from Midwest Solar Expo, Dean reveals:
- The real story behind Shoals’ rise to a billion-dollar IPO
- Why he walked away at the peak—and what he’s building next
- His no-BS take on labor, logistics, and why the industry’s too damn slow
Expect big ideas, bold opinions, and:
🔹 Why he’s betting (again) on U.S. manufacturing
🔹 How “Hot Pocket munchers” inspired a new labor model
🔹 The “McDonald’s menu meets Amazon Prime” approach to solar
🔹 How Create Energy built Nissan’s next-gen microgrid in 9 months flat
If you like your clean energy insights with a side of irreverence and hard truth, this one’s a must-listen.
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