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?”
Prep for Two Industry Credentials with HeatSpring PRO If you’re a solar professional looking to future-proof your career, there’s never been a better time to expand your skillset. The residential solar market is evolving quickly, and the professionals who thrive will be those who can offer more than… Continue reading “Prep for Two Industry Credentials with HeatSpring PRO”
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”
How Do Battery Systems Maintain Grid Frequency? When a heat wave hits and entire cities crank up their air conditioning simultaneously, we rarely think about what keeps our electrical grid humming at exactly the right frequency. But grid frequency is critical – too high or too low,… Continue reading “How Do Battery Systems Maintain Grid Frequency?”
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]”
Everything You Need to Know Before Taking Your NABCEP Exam Pre-exam jitters are real and completely normal, especially when you’re about to take a challenging certification exam you’ve spent months – or even years – preparing for. Being well-prepared means understanding exactly what to expect on testing day. In this… Continue reading “Everything You Need to Know Before Taking Your NABCEP Exam”
How Does Energy Bidding Work for Battery Systems in Power Markets? Understanding how battery systems participate in power markets can seem complex at first, but the fundamentals are surprisingly straightforward. The basics of energy bidding are essential knowledge for anyone working in the utility-scale energy storage space – from entrepreneurs and… Continue reading “How Does Energy Bidding Work for Battery Systems in Power Markets?”
Why Does EV Charger Energization Efficiency Matter & What Challenges Can Local Government Address? The U.S. will need nearly 28 million charging ports by 2030 to meet projected EV adoption – a massive expansion from today’s charging network. Local governments play a critical role in ensuring this infrastructure can be deployed quickly and efficiently.… Continue reading “ Why Does EV Charger Energization Efficiency Matter & What Challenges Can Local Government Address?”
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”
Go Beyond Basic Solar Sales with the Skilled Sales PRO Badge The residential solar industry we’ve known is fundamentally changing. The federal tax credit ends in December 2025. Net metering is being phased out or significantly reduced by utilities nationwide. And customers are no longer asking for just solar panels –… Continue reading “Go Beyond Basic Solar Sales with the Skilled Sales PRO Badge”
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”
IREC’s New Courses on EV Charging Infrastructure I’m hyped up about a new partnership between HeatSpring and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) to help utilities and local governments deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure more efficiently. The journey from planning to powering up can make or break… Continue reading “IREC’s New Courses on EV Charging Infrastructure”
Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge Heat pumps are replacing furnaces and air conditioners across the US. For professionals in solar, HVAC, construction, and energy efficiency, one of the next waves of opportunity lies in comprehensive building systems – heat pumps, building science, and load calculations… Continue reading “Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge”
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”
New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Software for Battery Systems While utility-scale solar and battery systems are transforming our energy infrastructure, finding comprehensive, accessible education on the software that powers these systems can be challenging. Most available training focuses on hardware components or high-level energy concepts, but there are limited… Continue reading “New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Software for Battery Systems”
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”