Battery energy storage has gone from niche to essential — but many projects are still set up to struggle long before they ever reach the field.

In this episode of Barrels to Batteries, Mohit Kaul speaks with Shawn Shaw, Founder & CEO of Camelot Energy, about the realities of developing, financing and operating energy storage projects in today’s market.

Drawing on more than two decades across solar, storage, project finance, advisory and development, Shawn shares what the industry still gets wrong about batteries, why timing and assumptions matter so much, and how to build projects that actually perform over their lifetime.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: • Why treating batteries like commodities is a costly mistake • How early assumptions in models and contracts shape long-term performance • The evolving economics of degradation, augmentation and total cost of ownership • Fire safety, quality, codes and standards in battery projects • Why bringing technical expertise in too late can derail deals • The difference between megawatts in a pipeline and real progress on the grid • Culture, leadership and restoring the “sanctity of work” in clean energy companies • Advice for students, young professionals and founders entering the energy transition

This conversation is especially relevant for: • Developers working on storage and solar-plus-storage projects • Investors and lenders evaluating BESS and renewable portfolios • Project finance and M&A teams underwriting deals and risks • Engineers and consultants focused on storage design, safety and performance • Policy and strategy professionals shaping the future of clean energy

About our guestShawn Shaw is the Founder & CEO of Camelot Energy, a firm focused on smart, technically rigorous solutions in renewables and energy storage. With deep experience across advisory, project finance and hands-on development, Shawn and his team work at the intersection of technology, finance and execution.

About the show – Barrels to BatteriesBarrels to Batteries: Decoding Energy’s Next Chapter is an Enerdatics podcast hosted by Mohit Kaul. Each episode features operators, founders and leaders reshaping the energy system — from hydrocarbons to electrons, from legacy infrastructure to innovation at scale.

Follow the show and share this episode with someone working in storage, renewables or grid-scale infrastructure.