Access the Tools, Network & Knowledge You Need to Advance Your Solar Career Here are the powerhouse solar courses you don’t want to miss: Megawatt Design – Master large-scale solar project design, learn how to get your projects permitted and installed faster and cheaper. Access valuable tools and resources, while advancing your career and the… Continue reading “Access the Tools, Network & Knowledge You Need to Advance Your Solar Career”
Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers Microgrids are an emerging technology with few real-world examples to study. This new short course, taught by Dr. Andy Skumanich, covers two real-world examples of microgrid solutions for major application segments: rural electrification and off-grid telecom tower power. These two segments… Continue reading “Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers”
Resilient Community Microgrids: An Introduction Learn about the potential of community microgrids in this new short course. Microgrid Institute Director Michael Burr provides a comprehensive introduction to how community microgrids work, what problems they can solve, and how market trends are driving microgrid development, in… Continue reading “Resilient Community Microgrids: An Introduction”
GRID Alternatives’ International Program Expands to Nepal In July, HeatSpring published a Sustainable Women Series article featuring the Founder and CEO of GRID Alternatives, a national non-profit that facilitates affordable solar power projects, oftentimes in low-income communities. In this follow-up article, I spoke with Jenean Smith, the… Continue reading “GRID Alternatives’ International Program Expands to Nepal”
Key Application for Microgrids: Oil & Gas Pipeline Protection from Corrosion At first glance, it may seem as though the petro-chemical industry and the renewable energy industry are mutually exclusive. However, this is not the case. In fact, there are several areas where the former can benefit the latter. Of great significance,… Continue reading “Key Application for Microgrids: Oil & Gas Pipeline Protection from Corrosion”
Three Big Energy Problems Microgrids Can Remedy The majority of us take our energy for granted, just like our air and water. But let’s take a closer look. Already under siege, our air and water are suffering from the effects of pollution and climate change. The good news… Continue reading “Three Big Energy Problems Microgrids Can Remedy”
Meet Sustainable Scholar Andy Skumanich: Global Microgrid Expert & Solar Start-up Whiz A successful Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, Dr. Andy Skumanich is currently CEO and Founder of SolarVision Consulting, a boutique technology business development company whose technologists work on renewables and DG energy production projects. He also co-founded Advenira Enterprises, a start-up… Continue reading “Meet Sustainable Scholar Andy Skumanich: Global Microgrid Expert & Solar Start-up Whiz”
Microgrids: Creation, Implementation and Finance/Policy Concerns HeatSpring is proud to announce our newest microgrid course: Microgrid Design & Implementation Microgrids are the future of energy production and distribution, but very few people understand how to create a successful microgrid. In this course, microgrid expert Dr. Andrew Skumanich… Continue reading “Microgrids: Creation, Implementation and Finance/Policy Concerns”
Eradicating Energy Poverty: 80 Microgrids by 2020 The EarthSpark team spent 5 years developing their first microgrid in Haiti. Inaugurated in June 2015, it is currently serving 449 homes and businesses with affordable, reliable electricity 24/7. The grid contains 93 kW of PV panels, a 30 kVa… Continue reading “Eradicating Energy Poverty: 80 Microgrids by 2020”
How Can We Convert Malls, Homes and Offices into Microgrids? Whenever I am driving in a city, I look at the shopping malls, office buildings and residential streets and say to myself: Each of these I can convert into microgrids. Each of these I can take “off-grid,” either in one… Continue reading “How Can We Convert Malls, Homes and Offices into Microgrids?”
Growing the Microgrid Business in the U.S. & Underdeveloped Regions On the Microgrid Executive MBA Discussion Board How will the microgrid business grow and how can the model be adapted in underdeveloped or poor regions? Microgrid expert and course instructor Mahesh Bhave answers student questions… Mahesh Bhave: Here is a good question from… Continue reading “Growing the Microgrid Business in the U.S. & Underdeveloped Regions”
Free Lecture: “Economic Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Microgrids” with HOMER Energy There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter microgrid design. The number of inputs and design choices can be staggering. HOMER Software is the best recognized tool on the planet for microgrid design, and this free lecture will get you up… Continue reading “Free Lecture: “Economic Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Microgrids” with HOMER Energy”
Free Microgrid Excel Model 2024 update: This excel model is no longer available because it was getting pretty old. We hope to replace it some day! Designing a microgrid is an incredibly complex task – there’s no such thing as a standard microgrid. This… Continue reading “Free Microgrid Excel Model”
Making the Financial Case for Microgrids: Microgrid Executive MBA Training On the Microgrid Executive MBA Training discussion board… Takeaways: The clustering of microgrids creates a new set of considerations for executives. It is worth investigating from a microgrid economics standpoint what other drivers (besides low price or cost to the consumer) may… Continue reading “Making the Financial Case for Microgrids: Microgrid Executive MBA Training”
[Interview] Grid Storage Economics and Policy 101 There has been a huge amount of buzz about storage lately with more press hitting every week. SCE signed 250MW worth of contracts, Sandia is investing in battery reliability studies, the Navy is investing in micro-grids, Texas is evaluating storage, and New Jersey has issued… Continue reading “[Interview] Grid Storage Economics and Policy 101”
Building Microgrids? Four Economic Factors to Consider Microgrids are poised to alter the economics and topology of the electricity grid, ultimately transforming the electricity industry as we know it. In this article, we discuss the four economic factors to consider before and during microgrid development and provide… Continue reading “Building Microgrids? Four Economic Factors to Consider”
AC Coupling – How to Cost Effectively Add Battery Back-up to Existing Grid-Tied Solar PV systems This is a guest article by Chris LaForge. Chris is teaching an in-depth 6-week technical training on designing battery based solar PV systems that starts in September. You can read the full description and get a limited-time discount here. If… Continue reading “AC Coupling – How to Cost Effectively Add Battery Back-up to Existing Grid-Tied Solar PV systems”
Chris LaForge on Load Analysis for Battery-Based Solar Projects [Video] ISPQ Master trainer and solar legend Christopher LaForge is teaching a class on designing battery based solar PV systems. The capstone project for the class is design a complete battery based solar PV system. This is an intensive six-week training… Continue reading “Chris LaForge on Load Analysis for Battery-Based Solar Projects [Video]”