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


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Learn more about Greenwood Academy:

www.greenwood.academy

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