What’s New in the “Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room” Course The original Solar Executive MBA launched in 2012, and it was genuinely ahead of its time. There wasn’t anything else in the industry teaching solar development that way. Now Keith Cronin is bringing that same spirit of innovation to a… Continue reading “What’s New in the “Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room” Course”
What Is a Solar Service Agreement (SSA)? Not every offtake structure looks the same once you leave the standard PPA framework, and state rules can change how a project is structured. We asked Keith Cronin, instructor of Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room, to explain what… Continue reading “What Is a Solar Service Agreement (SSA)?”
Development Service Agreement vs. Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, Explained Solar deals eventually require ownership to change hands, whether a project gets assigned to a developer through a development service agreement (DSA) or an asset gets sold outright through a membership interest purchase agreement (MIPA). We asked Keith Cronin, instructor… Continue reading “Development Service Agreement vs. Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, Explained”
What the O&M Agreement Covers and Why It’s Tied to Your Financial Model Solar assets need decades of upkeep, and that responsibility needs to be spelled out in the O&M agreement. Skipped infrared testing and visual inspections, excessive panel soiling, or an inverter failure without a response plan in place are just a… Continue reading “What the O&M Agreement Covers and Why It’s Tied to Your Financial Model”
Clawbacks & Milestones: Notable Solar EPC Agreement Clauses The EPC agreement governs the actual construction of a solar project, and two parts in particular can cause problems for developers as projects slip: clawback clauses tied to completion deadlines, and the milestone payment structure that governs how money moves… Continue reading “Clawbacks & Milestones: Notable Solar EPC Agreement Clauses”
Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room We just published a new course, and there’s nothing else like it in the world: Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room. Keith Cronin opened up actual data room documents and models he uses to develop, finance, and sell solar… Continue reading “Inside the Solar Executive MBA Data Room”
Why Developers Get the Solar Data Room Wrong (and What It Costs Them) Ask a handful of solar developers where their project documents live, and you’ll get some version of the same answer: a folder on someone’s desktop, scattered across an engineer’s inbox, or nowhere organized at all. HeatSpring instructor Keith Cronin has… Continue reading “Why Developers Get the Solar Data Room Wrong (and What It Costs Them)”
Build a Solar Financial Model from Scratch with This New HeatSpring Course Plenty of solar professionals can spec a system. Fewer can build a financial model that can inform a real investment decision. HeatSpring’s new course, Intro to Solar Financial Modeling in Excel, helps to close that gap. The course is led… Continue reading “Build a Solar Financial Model from Scratch with This New HeatSpring Course”
One Number That Can Zero Out Your Entire Storage Tax Credit Many people building out energy storage projects in 2026 are focused on the headline numbers: the 30% base ITC, the domestic content adder, the energy community bonus. It’s true that math is genuinely exciting. It’s worth noting that there’s a… Continue reading “One Number That Can Zero Out Your Entire Storage Tax Credit”
What Happens When AI Writes Battery Software HeatSpring instructor Peter Gruenbaum spent years writing software that tells batteries when to charge and when to discharge on utility-scale energy projects. When he built his course on battery energy management systems for HeatSpring, he leaned into AI as a… Continue reading “What Happens When AI Writes Battery Software “
Here’s How the New HeatSpring PRO Works [Video] We recently launched HeatSpring PRO, a new subscription service for solar professionals navigating an evolving industry. Solar professionals are being asked to do more than ever – energy storage, service and maintenance, building electrification, and consultative sales. HeatSpring PRO gives… Continue reading “Here’s How the New HeatSpring PRO Works [Video]”
Announcing HeatSpring PRO: Career Insurance for Solar Professionals To HeatSpring’s community of 100,000+ solar professionals, this is for you. The solar industry just changed. We created HeatSpring PRO so you can start offering energy storage, solar service contracts, energy audits, heat pumps, and consultative sales on more creative… Continue reading “Announcing HeatSpring PRO: Career Insurance for Solar Professionals”
What Your Nonprofit Customers Need to Know About the Latest Solar Policy This blog was originally posted on CollectiveSun and has been adapted for HeatSpring with permission. The recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OB3) rapidly phases out solar tax benefits and adds new restrictions for nonprofits who want to… Continue reading “What Your Nonprofit Customers Need to Know About the Latest Solar Policy”
Utility-Scale Solar PPA Price Trends - Berkeley Lab Report Analysis Part 3 Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) prices and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) serve as critical indicators of utility-scale solar’s market progression. Drawing from Berkeley Lab’s “Utility-Scale Solar, 2024 Edition” report, HeatSpring instructor Tim Taylor explores the relationship between these metrics, examining… Continue reading “Utility-Scale Solar PPA Price Trends - Berkeley Lab Report Analysis Part 3”
C&I Solar Economics: Ask Matt Anything about Commercial Electric Tariffs We need more solar salespeople who truly understand the economics of C&I solar projects. So starting today – for a limited time – “Commercial Electric Tariffs: Impacts on Solar” is free for HeatSpring Members. Matt McNearney teaches the course. Over… Continue reading “C&I Solar Economics: Ask Matt Anything about Commercial Electric Tariffs”
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?”
New Free Course Announcement: Domestic Content Bonus Adder The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has opened up tremendous new incentives for solar projects – including a potentially lucrative 10% tax credit adder for using domestically-made components and products, known as the Domestic Content Bonus Adder. Although, actually qualifying for… Continue reading “New Free Course Announcement: Domestic Content Bonus Adder”
New Free Course Announcement: Inflation Reduction Act Solar Provisions: Direct Pay Elective Pay (more commonly known as Direct Pay) creates a pathway for nonprofit organizations to utilize tax credits. It was included as a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act passed in August 2022. Prior to Direct Pay, it was difficult… Continue reading “New Free Course Announcement: Inflation Reduction Act Solar Provisions: Direct Pay”
New Course Announcement: Commercial Electric Tariffs: Impacts on Solar Incorporating commercial solar sales into your business can be an advantageous income stream for residential solar businesses looking to diversify their revenue sources. There are many opportunities in this sector as companies, non-profits, and local municipalities look to reduce their… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Commercial Electric Tariffs: Impacts on Solar”
Solar Profitability Calculator Now Included with HeatSpring Membership Starting today, for a limited time, Keith Cronin’s “Solar Profitability Calculator” is free for HeatSpring Members. Predicting profitability is the difference between a growing company or a shrinking one. The solar industry is struggling with low margin projects. Every dollar… Continue reading “Solar Profitability Calculator Now Included with HeatSpring Membership”