Solar


The solar industry continues to grow at a meteoric rate. We write regularly on both technical and finance concepts critical to success in solar.

Free Technical Solar PV Training Resources

Free Course: Basic Solar PV Design, Code, Economics, Sales, and Site Visits
Free Course: Battery Capacity – The Basis of Storage

Free Solar Finance Courses

Free Course: Commercial Solar PPA’s 101

Advanced Training. If you need to get in depth training on how to market, sell, design or install a solar PV project, look at our solar trainings like Megawatt Design Solar + Storage, Solar Executive MBA, and NABCEP Training.

White Paper: Best Practices for Teaching Clean Energy Skills

This is the second white paper in our “Researcher-in-Residence” series. A PDF version of this white paper, along with supplementary videos, is available in the free course, “What Data Tells Us About Teaching & Learning Clean Energy Skills”.

Courses on Heatspring are created by subject matter experts (SMEs) who have a deep domain expertise in areas […]

Inverter-Based Resources Reactive Power Capabilities

This is the third of five articles in the series “Reactive Power in Utility-Scale Solar PV Applications.” Here’s the last article – “Reactive Power and Transmission & Distribution Operations” – in case you need to catch up.

Inverters are a key component of any Inverter-Based Resources (IBR) facility, including utility-scale solar PV.  Because of their ability […]

New Free Course Announcement: Construction Communication Methodology

Construction communication methodology is a critical, yet rarely discussed, element that shapes the overall outcomes of a construction project and the experiences of those working there. With the countless timely needs that require our focus on construction projects, it can be difficult to be intentional about the way we communicate. Nonetheless, communication strongly impacts everyone’s […]

Reactive Power and Transmission & Distribution Operations

This is the second of five articles in the series “Reactive Power in Utility-Scale Solar PV Applications.”

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the differences and relationship between real, reactive, and apparent power.  We also looked at the production and absorption of reactive power by equipment such as transformers, reactors, and capacitors.

Before we […]

What Are Reactive Power and VArs?

This is the first of five articles in the series “Reactive Power in Utility-Scale Solar PV Applications.”

Right after I started my first job out of college, I found myself presenting at a meeting and talking about reactive power and VArs.  These were very senior-level engineers, and, although I didn’t recognize it at the time, never […]