Stacking, Microgrids, and Other Trends Moving the Solar-Plus-Storage Industry Early adopters of solar-plus-storage have their eye on “stacking” the benefits of storage, which would allow for storage owners to be compensated by utilities or regional transmission organizations for more than one benefit, says Wes Kennedy, instructor of HeatSpring’s Comprehensive… Continue reading “Stacking, Microgrids, and Other Trends Moving the Solar-Plus-Storage Industry”
3 Lessons I Learned From Collaboration It was early 2002 and the idea of a solar PPA was in its infancy. I got an email from a guy from BP Solar seeing if I was interested in buying some solar panels. His name was Jigar Shah.… Continue reading “3 Lessons I Learned From Collaboration”
How to sell a utility scale solar project There is constant interest from developers looking to sell their solar projects. How can you get a piece of this lucrative opportunity and help wean us all off of dirty fossil fuels? Solar development breaks down into three essential steps:… Continue reading “How to sell a utility scale solar project”
How Mineral Rights Can Kill Your Solar Farm Deal There is probably nothing more frustrating than spending months talking to land owners and learning late in the program that the deal is dead. How much did you invest in time and money knocking on doors and drumming up engineering… Continue reading “How Mineral Rights Can Kill Your Solar Farm Deal”
NABCEP PV Associate Course in Niagara Falls NY HeatSpring instructor Dr. Sean White will be teaching a NABCEP PV Associate Course at the upcoming NABCEP Continuing Education Conference in Niagara Falls, NY on March 19-22. This is a great opportunity to get your NABCEP PV Associate credential and… Continue reading “NABCEP PV Associate Course in Niagara Falls NY”
Studying for the Gold Standard NABCEP Exam with More Laughs, Less Caffeine and More Certification Options Sean White promises that studying for the NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) exam with his “40-hour Advanced Solar PV Training” course won’t be tedious or boring. “When I’m talking to the class, I try to make it like it’s in… Continue reading “Studying for the Gold Standard NABCEP Exam with More Laughs, Less Caffeine and More Certification Options”
Inspiring Others to Create Bigger, Impactful Solar Projects Randy Batchelor was inspired by a high school science teacher to follow a career path in engineering, and his passion for the environment led him to work in the solar industry. Now, as instructor of HeatSpring’s Megawatt Design course, along… Continue reading “Inspiring Others to Create Bigger, Impactful Solar Projects”
When, Where, and How Can I Take the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification Exam? As you may have heard, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) has changed the options for taking their PV Installation Professional certification exam. In past years, the exam was offered twice a year (April and October) at… Continue reading “When, Where, and How Can I Take the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification Exam?”
Why You Should Embrace Solar Financial Modeling and Avoid Guesswork “People often have a tendency to make decisions based on unverified instincts and outright guesswork – because it’s quick,” says Chris Lord, instructor of HeatSpring’s Financial Modeling For Solar PV Projects class. Too often, those instincts and guesswork land developers in less-than-… Continue reading “Why You Should Embrace Solar Financial Modeling and Avoid Guesswork”
Avoid These Mistakes When Developing Solar Projects It’s easy to make mistakes when developing solar projects—and just one goof can lead to other goofs, extra costs, and wasted time. That’s the word from Keith Cronin and Chris Lord, instructors for HeatSpring’s Solar Executive MBA Training course, which… Continue reading “Avoid These Mistakes When Developing Solar Projects”
Instructor Sean White: Solar Energy Author, Interpreter and Comedian Sean White, instructor of numerous HeatSpring courses, is a highly regarded expert who has worked with solar energy notables, authored popular books about solar PV and served on NAPCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) exam committees. But what… Continue reading “Instructor Sean White: Solar Energy Author, Interpreter and Comedian”
Four Trends Shaping the Solar-Plus-Storage Market Until recently, consumers and businesses embraced solar-plus-storage because they either wanted a backup in the case of utility outages or desired to be off-grid, says Wes Kennedy, instructor of HeatSpring’s Comprehensive Solar-Plus-Storage course. But in recent years, all that has… Continue reading “Four Trends Shaping the Solar-Plus-Storage Market”
What Solar Installers Need to Know about the 2017 National Electric Code and its Big Changes for the Solar Industry An image of a solar PV system appears on the cover of the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC)—and for good reason. “The 2017 NEC has more changes than any other version of the NEC since any of us have been… Continue reading “What Solar Installers Need to Know about the 2017 National Electric Code and its Big Changes for the Solar Industry”
Get Solar Smart and Boost Your Income in the Solar Industry Many solar professionals worry right now that the Trump administration may impose tariffs on solar panels from China, a move that would increase the costs of doing business in the US and spark layoffs in the industry. However, if… Continue reading “Get Solar Smart and Boost Your Income in the Solar Industry”
Why All Solar Workers Need to Know Solar Energy Industry Basics In the past, a small crew of workers with a truck served as a whole solar company, and each crew member had a good grasp of the basics of the industry. They all were well-versed enough in the industry to… Continue reading “Why All Solar Workers Need to Know Solar Energy Industry Basics”
NABCEP PV Associate Credential Goes International Are you located outside of the United States and interested in earning the NABCEP PV Associate credential? We have great news! You can now take the PV Associate exam at any Castle Worldwide testing center in the world. You could… Continue reading “NABCEP PV Associate Credential Goes International”
“Bring me tariffs!” U.S. Solar Industry Braces After ITC Ruling Friday the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued its decision finding “a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry” due to dumping of low cost Chinese solar panels in the U.S. market. By the “domestic industry” the ITC… Continue reading ““Bring me tariffs!” U.S. Solar Industry Braces After ITC Ruling”
How to Design Smart Solar Systems in a Fast-Moving Industry Because technology, regulations and software are evolving rapidly in the solar industry, it’s important for contractors, designers and engineers to stay informed about the latest ways to design solar systems. While it may seem daunting to track industry changes, you… Continue reading “How to Design Smart Solar Systems in a Fast-Moving Industry”
New Course Format – Solar Business Masterclass We are excited to introduce a new course format, developed by veteran HeatSpring instructor Keith Cronin. We are now accepting enrollments in Keith’s Solar Business Masterclass. In 2011 Keith helped us develop what would become our most popular course, the… Continue reading “New Course Format – Solar Business Masterclass”
What You Need to Know to Create a Successful Solar-Plus-Storage Project With a booming market, evolving technology and ever- changing incentive programs, energy storage is the Wild West of the solar business right now, says Wes Kennedy, an application engineering manager and instructor for HeatSpring’s “Comprehensive Solar Plus Storage” course. “People… Continue reading “What You Need to Know to Create a Successful Solar-Plus-Storage Project”