Batteries are not optional: Zahra Hargens Iliff of Vessyll on building the energy future

Battery storage is one of the most critical — and misunderstood — components of the clean energy transition. In this episode, Zahra Hargens Iliff, founder and CEO of Vessyll, joins us to talk about how her company is helping businesses cut costs and reduce grid strain by deploying on-site battery systems.

We explore why battery storage is essential to meeting future energy demand, how utilities and private companies can collaborate more effectively, and what policy and infrastructure barriers are slowing things down. Zahra also shares her journey from construction to climate tech, and why we don’t need to wait for perfect conditions to move forward.

This is a grounded, systems-focused look at where energy is going — and what it will take to get there.

🔗 Learn more about Vessyll's energy storage systems: https://www.vessyll.com

🔗 Learn more about about how we help mission-driven business grow their impact: https://www.stillpointinsight.com

Chapters

01:29 – What battery storage actually does
04:01 – Energy demand, data centers & diesel backup
06:38 – The myth of all-or-nothing energy transitions
08:47 – Utilities, grid infrastructure & collaboration gaps
11:00 – How battery systems reduce demand charges
14:30 – Use cases: medical clinics, data centers, commercial buildings
17:12 – The promise of distributed energy systems
19:30 – Why the U.S. is behind: a global comparison
22:00 – Zahra’s journey from homebuilding to battery tech
24:13 – What drives the work: curiosity and persistence
27:46 – Barriers to adoption: education, affordability, and incentives
33:02 – How federal tariffs are disrupting progress
38:47 – What collaboration could make possible
42:10 – What Zahra wants listeners to know and do