Data Visualisation, Radar Engineering & The Reality of Solar Comms - with Chris Martell S2E24

What happens when defence-grade software analytics meets renewable infrastructure, and why is 30% of commercial solar offline right now?In this episode, we sit down with Chris Martell: Managing Director of GSES (Global Sustainable Energy Solutions): to explore solar engineering, training evolution, and advanced asset management.Chris shares his journey from working on military radar arrays at Raytheon in Boston to leading one of Australia's most respected renewable energy consulting and training institutions, GSES. We discuss the technical challenges of early commercial solar, engineering car park canopy arrays over active easements, and the launch of Mindaro for large-scale microgrid engineering.We also explore Diagno, a machine-learning data visualization platform built in partnership with UNSW and UTS to automate fault detection. Chris breaks down the massive industry-wide failure in communications, the lack of structured O&M programs, and how the solar sector must adapt as systems integrate into virtual power plants (VPPs).What we cover:✅ Chris's transition from defence systems engineering to terrestrial solar photovoltaics✅ The legacy of UNSW and Martin Green in pioneering modern cell efficiency records✅ Inside early commercial solar deployments and complex grid connection architectures✅ Designing bespoke solar canopy structures over commercial easements✅ The scaling of GSES from an international aid consultancy to an industry-standard RTO✅ How Mindaro spun out to handle utility-scale designs up to 150MW plus✅ The technical birth of Diagno and utilizing cloud APIs for data cleaning and normalization✅ Why 30% of solar asset communications are down at any given moment ✅ Building structured O&M frameworks with defined SLAs for high-value asset owners✅ The true potential of alternative storage mediums including flywheels and mechanical storage✅ Expanding clean energy skills training across developing nations like the Philippines and Pakistan