Solar Power World produces an annual list of top solar contractors in the U.S. They rank EPCs, subcontractors, and developers by installation volume for the previous year. In 2022 there were 411 solar contractors on the list, and 251 of them use HeatSpring for Teams for all or some of their employee learning. That’s 61%.

Learning and development evolves as companies grow. A company with 10 employees does things differently than company with 500 employees. At smaller companies there’s usually a founder/CEO creating training opportunities for the team. When a company hits ~30 employees there is usually an HR manager – somebody responsible for the people stuff – taking care of recruiting, onboarding, payroll, and training is part of that role. At 100 employees training becomes somebody’s full or part time job. At 250+ employees there’s usually a training facility and a small team that manages employee development. 

Some companies use registered apprenticeships to provide structured career paths for their team. A lot of managers encourage NABCEP credentials and pay for their team’s classes and exam fees. Almost every company in the industry has used our free courses, like Solar Power 101, for employee onboarding. Safety classes are popular across the board.

Learning and development is a superpower for some organizations. B-Corps and other companies where culture is closely tied to the mission. Other companies talk about training but find it hard to consistently invest in it. L&D is an investment that takes time to pay back and sometimes it’s not a top priority.

We’re proud to bring NABCEP credentials, free courses, onboarding training, and CEUS to 61% of Solar Power World’s top contractors. Together we can go farther, faster. It’s our pleasure to be a foundational piece of the solar industry’s L&D infrastructure.