Climate Stack
Climate Stack, the podcast where digital technology meets the fight against climate change! If you're a software professional with a passion for solving hard problems and a drive to make a difference, you're in the right place.
Your hosts Mansi and Joshua, are seasoned technologists who have dedicated decades to building enterprise software solutions in Silicon Valley. Driven by a shared commitment to leave behind a better world, they transitioned to climate action. Through Climate Stack, they hope to share the incredible advancements in climate technology driven by software innovations.
Tune in to hear from industry leaders, startup founders, and tech visionaries who are leveraging software to cut GHG emissions, enhance renewable energy, and revolutionize sustainability practices. Get ready to be inspired, get ready to be challenged, and get ready to stack up your skills for the planet.
https://climatestack.podcastpage.io/
Climate Stack
The EV Grid Challenge: Making 280 Million Cars Work for the Grid w/ Apoorv Bhargava, CEO of WeaveGrid
Show Notes
We hear a lot about electrification as quickly as possible, but most of that takes the electric grid for granted that it can handle the demand. But our guest today, Apoorv Bhargava, points out that the demand posed by electric cars is akin to putting industrial levels of demand in every residential neighborhood. With ⅓ of new cars in the US being electric by next year, the capacity just isn’t there.
WeaveGrid, which Apoorv co-founded, partners with utilities and automakers to make EV charging more reliable and flexible to deal with this rapidly increasing demand - and to take advantage of new opportunities, like the fact that many families will have giant batteries on wheels sitting unused at night.
In This Episode:
⚡ Why a single EV can have the same power demand as 2-3 homes
⚡ The surprising bottleneck to decarbonization (Hint: It’s not generation)
⚡ Why charging at 10PM may not be the best solution for the grid
⚡ The role of AI and automation in optimizing EV charging
⚡ The lack of standardized protocols for EV-grid communication
⚡ How WeaveGrid is building the most sophisticated EV Virtual Power Plant (VPP)
⚡ The real challenge: Consumers don’t want decarbonization, they want reliability!
Apoorv also shares hot takes on EV adoption, public charging infrastructure, and the future of AI in energy, plus why software engineers should consider working in climate tech.
About Our Guest:
Apoorv Bhargava
https://www.linkedin.com/in/apoorv-bhargava/
Apoorv has spent over 12 years at the intersection of climate, energy, and technology, driving innovation in utility software, grid management, and electrification. Before founding WeaveGrid, he worked on demand-side management at Opower (now Oracle), energy storage strategy at NRG Energy, and clean tech investments in venture capital. Apoorv holds an MBA and MS in Energy & Resources from Stanford University and degrees in Chemical Engineering and Energy Economics from Rice University.
Under his leadership, WeaveGrid has grown to nearly 90 employees and serves 15+ utility customers across the U.S.. In 2024, the company expanded partnerships with multiple major automakers, solidifying its position as a key player in EV-grid integration.
Apoorv at RE:Invent: Apoorv Bhargava on “How Can AI Accelerate Progress in ...www.youtube.com › watch
Apoorv on Climate Tech Cocktails - talking, and singing: https://www.instagram.com/climatetechcocktails/reel/C-gDpLdpknc/
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