What is the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)? The Inflation Reduction Act provided many incentives for clean energy adoption across the United States. Included in the legislation was a major boost to the already existing Rural Energy for America Program (also known as REAP). REAP helps agricultural producers… Continue reading “What is the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)? “
What are Landfills and Why Are They Great Candidates for Solar Development? Solar on landfills is seeing a major boost in many places across the country. States like Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, are encouraging or incentivizing the repurposing of closed landfills, also known as brownfields, to generate clean, renewable energy… Continue reading “What are Landfills and Why Are They Great Candidates for Solar Development? “
What Makes Someone a Qualified Person? Here at HeatSpring, we get a lot of questions that are along the lines of… “what course can I take to make me qualified?” To that we answer, there’s no quick fix or single course that can make you qualified… Continue reading “What Makes Someone a Qualified Person?”
Understanding the 2023 NEC Requirements for Disconnecting Means on Energy Storage Understanding where to place disconnects on solar and storage projects can feel complicated if you’re unfamiliar with the National Electrical Code (NEC). In fact, some inspectors (like Pete Jackson, Chief Electrical Inspector for the City of Bakersfield, mentioned in IREC’s… Continue reading “Understanding the 2023 NEC Requirements for Disconnecting Means on Energy Storage “
Key Elements of a Safety Program Creating a strong safety program is a critical, yet sometimes overlooked, aspect of running a successful solar installation company. It’s not just about meeting bare-minimum regulatory requirements or avoiding accidents; it’s about fostering a work environment where every team member… Continue reading “Key Elements of a Safety Program”
Solar Job Highlight: Chief Operating Officer at Sẽsẽnergi As a part of HeatSpring’s free Solar Career Pathways course, professionals from across the solar industry share an inside look at their careers through short interviews. Professionals talk about the details of what their jobs entail, their day-to-day activities, how… Continue reading “Solar Job Highlight: Chief Operating Officer at Sẽsẽnergi”
Performance-Based Solar and Storage Incentives When your customers are considering solar and storage solutions for their home or business, it’s essential to understand the various incentives available to help offset the initial investment and provide ongoing benefits. In this blog post, we hear from Spencer… Continue reading “Performance-Based Solar and Storage Incentives”
How Do Companies Start a Safety Program? Safety is the cornerstone of any successful construction business, especially in the solar industry where workers are exposed to various hazards – like working at heights and electrical hazards – on a daily basis. If you are a leader at… Continue reading “How Do Companies Start a Safety Program?”
Which NABCEP is right for you? Let’s Use a Mind Map to Find Out! Navigating the different NABCEP certifications and credentials can be difficult if you aren’t immersed in the details day in and day out. NABCEP offers one credential (which is the PV Associate) along with 7 professional certifications. What’s the difference between… Continue reading “Which NABCEP is right for you? Let’s Use a Mind Map to Find Out!”
Why Do Companies Need a Safety Program? In the solar industry, safety should never be just a buzzword or a box to check off on a list of requirements. It is a fundamental principle that should be ingrained in the fabric of every company’s culture. It feels… Continue reading “Why Do Companies Need a Safety Program?”
Solar Job Highlight: Founder at Agrivoltaics Project Development Firm Meet Savannah Whitfield. She is the COO and Co-Founder of Okovate Sustainable Energy. They’re on a mission to make community solar deployment more sustainable through agrivoltaics and dual-use habitat development. Okovate recognizes the challenges faced by farmers in today’s economic… Continue reading “Solar Job Highlight: Founder at Agrivoltaics Project Development Firm”
Interconnection of Renewables to Electric Transmission: Insights from Industry Expert Tim Taylor Tim Taylor is a HeatSpring instructor who focuses on utility transmission and distribution systems, and the interconnection of renewables to those systems. We recently asked Tim a few questions about two new courses that he has been developing. Tim’s new… Continue reading “Interconnection of Renewables to Electric Transmission: Insights from Industry Expert Tim Taylor”
A Brief History of Transmission Legislation in the United States The electricity industry in the United States has undergone significant changes over the past few decades, largely driven by a series of legislative and regulatory initiatives aimed at promoting competition, efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy resources. In this… Continue reading “A Brief History of Transmission Legislation in the United States”
The Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit – Is it refundable? Essentially every single homeowner in U.S. who purchases a solar PV system for their home is going to be applying for the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit (also often called the Investment Tax Credit or ITC), currently a 30% federal… Continue reading “The Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit – Is it refundable?”
Spanish Language Captions Now Available on HeatSpring Courses HeatSpring offers Spanish language captions on our online courses. This feature is designed to support learners who speak English as a second language, providing them with the option to read along in their native Spanish while engaging with the course… Continue reading “Spanish Language Captions Now Available on HeatSpring Courses”
New Bundle Announcement: 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes for Energy Storage Systems Ryan Mayfield and the Mayfield Renewables team are back on HeatSpring. We are excited to welcome Ryan – engineer, educator, and technical committee member – back to our platform with his latest course bundle – 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes… Continue reading “New Bundle Announcement: 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes for Energy Storage Systems”
What Are You Allowed to Have in a NABCEP Certification Exam? Feeling nervous to take a big exam is totally normal. Being well prepared can help to minimize the pre-exam jitters. In this blog post, we’re going to cover what you need to know about what you can have in your… Continue reading “What Are You Allowed to Have in a NABCEP Certification Exam?”
The Four Categories to Qualify for the Low Income Community Bonus Adder The Low Income Community Bonus Adder provision in the Inflation Reduction Act is different from all the other bonus adders and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) itself, because it is an allocated credit. That means there is a limited number… Continue reading “The Four Categories to Qualify for the Low Income Community Bonus Adder”
What Are Demand Charges for Commercial Customers? It’s often a natural career progression within solar sales to begin in residential solar and then progress to working with more commercial customers. The reason being is the sales cycle for commercial clients tends to be much more complex than… Continue reading “What Are Demand Charges for Commercial Customers?”
What are the Types of Manufacturer Warranties? Product Warranties. Performance warranties. Labor and installation support warranties. There’s a lot to compare when evaluating solar components for your projects. When home or business owners choose to invest in a solar energy system, the warranties provided by the manufacturers… Continue reading “What are the Types of Manufacturer Warranties?”