The Difference Between Load-Side & Supply-Side Connections: Sean White Explains The distinction between load-side and supply-side connections is fundamental to solar and energy storage installations, yet the terminology keeps evolving, and the common terms don’t always match what’s actually in the code. In the video below, HeatSpring instructor Sean White… Continue reading “The Difference Between Load-Side & Supply-Side Connections: Sean White Explains”
What is String Sizing in PV Solar Design? Sean White Explains String sizing is one of the most critical and foundational calculations in PV system design. At its core, string sizing is about understanding how solar modules behave under different temperature conditions and ensuring your system operates safely within the voltage… Continue reading “What is String Sizing in PV Solar Design? Sean White Explains”
How Companies Launch an O&M Department (and Why Your Accounting Matters More Than You Think) There’s a predictable moment in virtually every growing solar company’s trajectory – the day you realize that pulling installers off job sites to handle service calls is costing you more than you thought. Most solar businesses don’t strategically plan their… Continue reading “How Companies Launch an O&M Department (and Why Your Accounting Matters More Than You Think)”
Rapid Shutdown in PV Installations: Sean White Explains Rapid shutdown requirements can feel overwhelming, but they’re actually pretty straightforward once you understand their purpose. In this video, HeatSpring instructor Sean White cuts through the confusion about NEC 690.12 rapid shutdown requirements for PV systems on buildings. He explains… Continue reading “Rapid Shutdown in PV Installations: Sean White Explains”
Is 2026 the Year You Get Your NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification? Ready to level up your solar career in 2026? There’s never been a better time to pursue your NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) Certification. If you don’t yet have all your required installation experience, NABCEP’s new Board Eligible Status program… Continue reading “Is 2026 the Year You Get Your NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification?”
Why Do Electrical Panels Often Have More Loads Than Supply? Have you ever added up all the breakers in an electrical panel and realized the total capacity of all those breakers exceeds what the main service can actually supply? If you’re like most people, this raises the question: why would… Continue reading “Why Do Electrical Panels Often Have More Loads Than Supply?”
Taking a Look at Ground-fault Path Scenarios: Positive Ground Fault on a Transformer-Based Inverter When it comes to solar PV systems, understanding ground fault scenarios is crucial for both safety and proper system operation. This video excerpt from our comprehensive “Solar PV Ground-fault Troubleshooting: Theory, Tools, and Field Application” course demonstrates why mastering the… Continue reading “Taking a Look at Ground-fault Path Scenarios: Positive Ground Fault on a Transformer-Based Inverter”
What Are the Components of a Main Service Panel? When you’re scoping a solar project, a battery system, or a whole-home electrification retrofit, one of the first considerations will be main service panel capacity. Panel capacity is affected by its components: the service conductors, meter, busbar rating, and main… Continue reading “What Are the Components of a Main Service Panel?”
EMS vs. PCS in the 2026 NEC: Understanding the Critical Differences Every three years, the National Electrical Code gets a chance to clarify anything that wasn’t quite right the last time around. Sometimes that means refining vague language. Other times it means introducing new terms to distinguish between concepts that were… Continue reading “EMS vs. PCS in the 2026 NEC: Understanding the Critical Differences”
The 2026 National Electrical Code is Now Available Online for Free Great news for solar and energy storage professionals! The 2026 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC®) has been released, and you can review it for free on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website. How to Access the 2026… Continue reading “The 2026 National Electrical Code is Now Available Online for Free”
Why Avoid Upsizing the Main Panel? When homeowners consider electrification upgrades – adding heat pumps, EV chargers, heat pump water heaters, other electric appliances, or solar and storage systems – they’re sometimes told they need a main panel upgrade. What many people don’t realize is that… Continue reading “Why Avoid Upsizing the Main Panel?”
Diversify into Solar Service with HeatSpring’s Solar Service PRO Badge Millions of solar systems are already installed across the US. These systems will operate for 25+ years, and every single one will need maintenance, troubleshooting, and occasional repairs. Yet many solar companies have historically focused exclusively on new installations while… Continue reading “Diversify into Solar Service with HeatSpring’s Solar Service PRO Badge”
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]”
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”
Inverter Topologies and DC System Grounding When it comes to troubleshooting ground faults in solar systems, understanding inverter topologies is absolutely essential for both safety and efficiency. These fundamental topology differences don’t only affect how power flows through your system – they completely change how ground… Continue reading “Inverter Topologies and DC System Grounding”
How the NEC is Revised – A Look at the Public Input Process Ever wondered how the National Electrical Code gets updated every three years? The NEC revision process is open to everyone – electricians, solar installers, engineers, industry associations, and even individuals with ideas for improving electrical safety can all participate in… Continue reading “How the NEC is Revised – A Look at the Public Input Process”
New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades Home electrification is accelerating rapidly, but there’s a bottleneck that’s been frustrating homeowners and professionals alike: the dreaded main panel upgrade. If you’ve worked on the residential side, you know the story all too well. A homeowner wants to install… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades”
Level Up Your Energy Storage Knowledge with the Energy Storage PRO Badge The U.S. energy storage market set a new record in 2024 with 12.3 gigawatts of installations across all segments – a massive 33% increase year-over-year. This record-breaking year is just the beginning. Industry projections show 15 GW of storage expected… Continue reading “Level Up Your Energy Storage Knowledge with the Energy Storage PRO Badge”
New Course Alert: 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC®) Changes: PV, ESS, EVs, PCS, and More, The electrical landscape is evolving as clean energy adoption and electrification accelerate – and the 2026 National Electrical Code is adapting right alongside it. Every three years, the National Electrical Code undergoes comprehensive revisions to align with industry practices and… Continue reading “New Course Alert: 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC®) Changes: PV, ESS, EVs, PCS, and More,”
Solar Safety: Risks During Construction Versus Operations The transition from solar construction to operations brings fundamentally different safety challenges that you and your team need to understand. These two video clips from Andy Nyce’s “Introduction to Utility-Scale Solar Operations & Maintenance” course highlight that what keeps workers… Continue reading “Solar Safety: Risks During Construction Versus Operations”