EP 14 - Pivot Energy's Zamiyad Dar on why the past determines a battery's future

Battery storage is an asset where the past determines the future. If you don't charge at 10 a.m., you can't discharge at 3 p.m. Zamiyad Dar, Senior Director of Energy Storage at Pivot Energy, joins Sean to explain how that single principle reshapes the way developers model, finance, and operate storage, why degradation guarantees belong in day-one underwriting, and why the same battery runs completely different cadences depending on the market it sits in. Chapters 00:00 | The battery timing problem 01:25 | Pivot's growth playbook 07:00 | Becoming a storage developer 09:10 | Developer-to-IPP mistakes 12:35 | The utility and ISO lens 15:55 | The battery cost lesson 18:40 | Adding storage to PV 26:10 | How the grid actually flows 37:55 | Degradation and sizing decisions 48:20 | Lessons from solar for storage About the guest: Zamiyad Dar leads energy storage strategy at Pivot Energy, where he built the storage unit from the ground up and its 2 GWh-plus development pipeline. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering and has spent two decades across ISOs, utilities, consulting, and development, with prior roles at Entergy, NYISO, and GE Vernova. Mentioned in this episode: Battery Asset Management Summit, where Zamiyad is speaking on FEOC and ITC navigation for developers. Subscribe for more conversations on the future of energy, storage, and the grid. Connect with Zamiyad Dar   / zamiyad-dar-301a9a71   Pivot Energy on LinkedIn   / pivot-energy   Pivot Energy website https://www.pivotenergy.net/