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In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Laura Miranda Perez, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer at Oxford PV, about one of the most important developments in solar tech today: perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

We unpacked how Oxford PV’s approach improves solar panel efficiency from the typical 20–22% to over 30%, and why that matters not just for land use, but also for grid capacity, system costs, and the speed of global decarbonisation. Laura also explained how tandem cells work, why silicon has hit a performance ceiling, and how perovskite offers a new path forward.

We dug into the real-world implications:

• Why higher efficiency panels lower the cost of electricity, not just hardware
• How tandem solar can reduce emissions by 20% or more, even compared to conventional solar
• What’s holding Europe back in solar manufacturing, despite strong deployment figures
• Why utilities, not just residential customers, are driving early demand for Oxford PV’s tech

Laura also addressed common misconceptions about solar, including whether it works in cloudy weather and the overblown concerns about solar panel waste.

If you’re working in clean energy, manufacturing, or just curious about where solar is headed, this is a must-listen conversation.

🔗 More on Oxford PV: https://www.oxfordpv.com

Listen and subscribe at https://www.climateconfidentpodcast.com

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:

• Lorcan Sheehan
• Jerry Sweeney
• Andreas Werner
• Stephen Carroll
• Roger Arnold

And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.

Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.

If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

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In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I speak with Alexei Beltyukov, co-founder of Universal Fuel Technologies, about a new approach to producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), using a process they call flexiforming.

Unlike traditional methods like HEFA or Fischer–Tropsch, flexiforming allows producers to use a much wider range of feedstocks, from mixed alcohols to naphtas and renewable waste streams, and turn them into jet fuel, renewable diesel, or chemicals. This flexibility is critical as SAF demand surges, especially with EU mandates requiring a rising share of SAF in jet fuel starting in 2025.

We explore:

• Why SAF is the only viable decarbonisation path for long-haul aviation (for now)
• What sets flexiforming apart from conventional SAF production
• How current SAF mandates and incentives (EU vs. US) shape supply and pricing
• Why scaling SAF requires compatibility with existing refinery infrastructure
• The role consumer awareness might play in driving airline demand

Alexei also makes the case for slow but steady growth in SAF adoption, pointing to its current double-digit annual growth and comparing its trajectory to that of electric vehicles 10 years ago.

If you're working in energy, fuels, aviation, or sustainability policy, or you’re just trying to understand how we decarbonise one of the hardest-to-abate sectors, this episode offers a clear, grounded perspective.

🔗 Listen now and learn more at climateconfidentpodcast.com

#sustainableaviationfuel #SAF #decarbonisation #aviation #cleantech #climatechange #renewablefuels #energytransition #climateconfident #podcast

Support the show

Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:

• Lorcan Sheehan
• Jerry Sweeney
• Andreas Werner
• Stephen Carroll
• Roger Arnold

And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.

Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.

If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

Send me a message

In this episode of Climate Confident, I speak with Alice Chun, inventor of the world’s first inflatable, origami-inspired solar light and founder of Solight Design. Alice shares how a career in material technology and a deeply personal experience with her son’s asthma led her to tackle energy poverty, disaster relief, and carbon emissions with a single, deceptively simple product: the SolarPuff™.

We discuss the staggering health and environmental toll of kerosene lighting, especially in off-grid and disaster-affected communities — and how collapsible, durable solar lanterns are not only cleaner and safer, but can also act as tools for education, safety, and psychological recovery.

Alice walks us through the practical design choices (like sailcloth and origami folds) that make the lights lightweight, shippable, and long-lasting. She also unpacks her field experiences from Haiti to Ukraine, why she insists on personally delivering lights, and the complex balance of running a mission-driven company that also needs to survive commercially.

Key takeaways:

• Why light access is essential for disaster resilience and safety
• How solar design can scale through beauty, durability, and function
• The unexpected link between solar tech and trauma recovery in children
• What business models can sustain social impact in climate tech

For more, visit https://solight-design.com or head to climateconfidentpodcast.com.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:

• Lorcan Sheehan
• Jerry Sweeney
• Andreas Werner
• Stephen Carroll
• Roger Arnold

And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.

Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.

If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper