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In this episode of The 360 on Energy and Carbon Podcast, Andrew Birch (Birchy), co-founder and CEO of Open Solar, joins hosts David Arkell and John Pooley to unpack how solar moved from a niche, expensive technology to the lowest-cost source of electricity in history, and what that shift means for global energy systems.
Drawing on more than 25 years in the solar industry, Birch explains why cost curves, electrification and storage are fundamentally changing the energy equation, and why many commonly cited global energy statistics misrepresent how close we already are to large-scale transition. The conversation also examines why countries like Australia scaled solar rapidly, while North America continues to face structural barriers tied to permitting, grid access, and outdated market design.
Highlights and key insights
Solar’s cost collapse
Birch traces solar’s dramatic cost decline since the early 2000s and explains why it has become the cheapest energy technology humanity has ever deployed.
Electrification changes the denominator
The episode breaks down why “primary energy” statistics overstate fossil fuel demand and how electrification sharply reduces the total energy required to power the economy.
How Australia scaled solar
Early market mechanisms, minimal bureaucracy and strong participation from small businesses enabled Australia to reach over 30 per cent solar penetration in just a decade.
Batteries as the missing link
Energy storage removes the perceived limits of solar by stabilizing the grid, shifting load and providing critical grid services.
Policy barriers, not technology, are slowing progress
Permitting delays, interconnection bottlenecks, tariffs and outdated grid rules, particularly in North America, are identified as the real constraints on adoption.
Markets over mandates
Birch argues that competitive economics, not ideology, will ultimately drive the transition, provided markets are allowed to function on a level playing field.
Why this episode stands out
Rather than framing clean energy as a story of sacrifice, this episode positions the transition as an economic opportunity: lower costs, better infrastructure, and improved quality of life for end users. Birch offers a data-driven, system-level perspective that cuts through political narratives and focuses on how energy actually works.
This episode is especially relevant for energy professionals, policymakers, infrastructure planners and business leaders seeking a clearer understanding of where energy economics is headed and what is truly holding progress back.
Listen in for a grounded, numbers-driven conversation on why solar, batteries and smarter market design are reshaping the future of energy faster than most forecasts suggest.
Speakers
Andrew Birch: Co-founder and CEO, Open Solar
David Arkell: President and CEO, 360 Energy
John Pooley: Vice-president of program development, 360 Energy
Lysandra Naom: Executive producer, The 360 on Energy and Carbon Podcast
Industry Events
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