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”
Wes Kennedy Just Updated “Energy Storage Finance.” Here’s What’s New. The energy storage market moves fast, and lucky for us, HeatSpring instructor Wes Kennedy has kept pace. The U.S. installed a record 57 gigawatt-hours of new battery storage capacity in 2025, a 29% increase over the previous year, and the… Continue reading “Wes Kennedy Just Updated “Energy Storage Finance.” Here’s What’s New.”
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 “
What is a Battery Simulator? If you’re building software for battery energy storage systems, you can’t just plug into a real battery every time you want to test something. That’s expensive, potentially damaging, and frankly impractical. That’s where battery simulators come in. In Peter Gruenbaum’s… Continue reading “What is a Battery Simulator? “
New Course Bundle: Microgrid Essentials with Mayfield Renewables As battery storage costs drop and grid reliability concerns grow, microgrid projects are moving from the margins to the mainstream. The broader energy storage market is surging – the U.S. installed a record 57.6 GWh of new battery storage in… Continue reading “New Course Bundle: Microgrid Essentials with Mayfield Renewables”
How Does Energy Bidding Work for Battery Systems in Power Markets? Understanding how battery systems participate in power markets can seem complex at first, but the fundamentals are surprisingly straightforward. The basics of energy bidding are essential knowledge for anyone working in the utility-scale energy storage space – from entrepreneurs and… Continue reading “How Does Energy Bidding Work for Battery Systems in Power Markets?”
A Look at Two Types of Battery Installations: Front of the Meter and Behind the Meter Where you install a battery system – and which side of the electricity meter it sits on – fundamentally changes how it operates and who benefits from it. There are two primary configurations for battery installations: front of the meter… Continue reading “A Look at Two Types of Battery Installations: Front of the Meter and Behind the Meter”
New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Software for Battery Systems While utility-scale solar and battery systems are transforming our energy infrastructure, finding comprehensive, accessible education on the software that powers these systems can be challenging. Most available training focuses on hardware components or high-level energy concepts, but there are limited… Continue reading “New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Software for Battery Systems”
1 Free NABCEP CEU – New Course: An Overview of Microgrid Feasibility Studies The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has set an ambitious target: 700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of installed battery capacity across all U.S. market segments by 2030. This goal, outlined in SEIA’s Vision for American Energy Storage, would require approximately 10 million… Continue reading “1 Free NABCEP CEU – New Course: An Overview of Microgrid Feasibility Studies “
The Texas Battery Boom: A Look at the Growth of BESS and How to Get Involved The energy landscape of Texas is changing rapidly. While still a major oil producer, the state is seeing a surge in renewable energy, especially wind and solar. This shift brings challenges, primarily the intermittent nature of these resources. This Financial… Continue reading “The Texas Battery Boom: A Look at the Growth of BESS and How to Get Involved”
The Science Behind Battery Fires: Thermal Runaway Explained What happens when a battery cell reaches its ignition temperature and triggers an unstoppable chain reaction? In this segment from the Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems course, instructor Drew Lebowitz explains the phenomenon of thermal runaway in battery systems… Continue reading “The Science Behind Battery Fires: Thermal Runaway Explained”
New Course Announcement: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems The clean energy transition is accelerating, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming more and more central to this transformation. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new course: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems. Read on to learn… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems”
“Microgrid Design & Implementation” course now included with HeatSpring Membership Starting today, for a limited time, Dr. Andrew Skumanich’s “Microgrid Design & Implementation” course is free for HeatSpring Members. Microgrids are the future of energy production and distribution, but very few people understand how to create a successful microgrid. In this… Continue reading ““Microgrid Design & Implementation” course now included with HeatSpring Membership”
“Electric Utility Distribution Equipment” now included with HeatSpring Membership Starting May 31st, for a limited time, Tim Taylor’s “Electric Utility Distribution Equipment” is included with your HeatSpring Membership. Membership gives you access to premium courses that usually cost more, including: There are tons of other benefits, too – you… Continue reading ““Electric Utility Distribution Equipment” now included with HeatSpring Membership”
Innovative Solar Microgrids for Resiliency with the Footprint Project The Footprint Project’s mission is to provide cleaner energy for communities in crisis. They work to green disaster response in the aftermath of climate change emergencies. In this blog post, we hear from William Heegaard, Operations Director at the Footprint… Continue reading “Innovative Solar Microgrids for Resiliency with the Footprint Project”
This New Free Class Might Win You Your Next Project Tim Taylor just released a new free class: Overview of Electric Distribution Equipment. If you’re a system designer, project developer, installation professional, or O&M specialist, understanding how the grid works will unlock a higher level of creativity and problem solving.… Continue reading “This New Free Class Might Win You Your Next Project”
Ariel Horowitz Awarded Genius Award for Her Work to De-Risk Solar & Microgrid Growth Please join us in congratulating Ariel Horowitz from MassCEC, winner of our latest Genius Award. Ariel’s job is to look into the future and de-risk future solar and microgrid projects and encourage innovative approaches and partnerships. Her work helps our… Continue reading “Ariel Horowitz Awarded Genius Award for Her Work to De-Risk Solar & Microgrid Growth”
What Happened in Texas? February 2021 Power Outages At its highest level, electric power elevates us in so many ways. It helps us build our awareness of local and global events, understand the experiences and perspectives of others, and collaborate with others to enact change. It is a… Continue reading “What Happened in Texas? February 2021 Power Outages”
Energy Grid of the Future: A New Free Course Here’s the backstory on “Energy Grid of the Future“, a new free course taught by Fortunat Mueller and offered in partnership with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and ReVision Energy: In this presentation you’ll hear the results of the “Grid… Continue reading “Energy Grid of the Future: A New Free Course”
Help Choose the Solar District Cup 2020 Industry Choice Winner We are excited to invite all HeatSpring students, instructors, and members of our community to participate in the selection of the Industry Choice winner of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar District Cup 2020 Competition Event on Monday April 27th from… Continue reading “Help Choose the Solar District Cup 2020 Industry Choice Winner”