Solar PV


The U.S. Solar industry achieved another record year in 2014, growing by 34% over 2013 to install nearly 7,000 megawatts (MW) of solar electric capacity. Within the photovoltaic (PV) sector, over 6,200 MW of capacity was installed, led by the residential and utility segments, which grew by 51% and 38%, respectively. The concentrating solar power segment enjoyed its largest year ever with 767 MW of capacity installed. Together, the solar industry istalled 32% of all new electricity generating capacity in the U.S. – second only to natural gas. This growth is expected to continue, with an additional 20,000 MW of solar capacity projected over the next two years.

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Striking a Balance Between Aggressive and Conservative Solar Project Designs

It’s tempting to pack a roof with too many solar panels to sell a system, says Randy Batchelor, instructor, along with Ryan Mayfield, of HeatSpring’s Megawatt Design course.

“An engineer might say, ‘It will only fit 1 MW.’ A salesperson might say, ‘Let’s fit more on to win the deal.’”  

It’s important to strike a balance between […]

March 26th, 2020|Categories: Certification, Megawatt Design, Solar Design & Installation||
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Solar Legend Lends Expertise to HeatSpring Courses with Sean White

Solar legend Bill Brooks has partnered with HeatSpring instructor Sean White to prepare new materials for some of White’s courses that train students to take NABCEP exams.

Brooks, who calls himself an ambassador for solar technology, is an engineer with more than 30 years of experience designing, installing and evaluating grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

More than […]

March 14th, 2020|Categories: Certification, NABCEP, Solar Business Growth, Solar Design & Installation, Solar Sales & Marketing||
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Bringing More PV Online with Power Control Systems

If you’re a PV solar producer who is not home for a week, the PV may fill up your battery storage and send too much current to the grid, possibly violating NEC or other rules. If this is likely to happen, a new Power Control System (PCS) that regulates the flow, timing and direction of […]

March 5th, 2020|Categories: Certification, NABCEP, Solar Design & Installation||
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Best Practices for Hiring, Training and Retaining Installation Crews

A major challenge for renewable energy companies right now is a labor crunch; it’s hard to line up workers and salespeople in the industry, says Ryan Carda, principal engineer, Dandelion Energy, whose company uses HeatSpring for Groups courses to prepare its new workers in the geothermal field.

“Finding people in areas we are most interested in […]

February 25th, 2020|Categories: Certification, Drones, Geothermal Heat Pumps, HeatSpring for Groups, Hydronic Heating, NABCEP, Solar Business Growth, Solar Design & Installation||
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Creating a Flexible Financial Model that Incorporates the ITC Changes

It’s not unusual for people in a rush to hard wire some information into the formulas of their financial models for solar projects, says Chris Lord, instructor of HeatSpring’s Solar Executive MBA Training course along with co-instructor Keith Cronin.

But it’s important to create models that are as flexible as possible–especially when it comes to the […]

January 31st, 2020|Categories: Solar Business Growth, Solar Design & Installation, Solar Finance, Solar Sales & Marketing||
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