The Texas Battery Boom: A Look at the Growth of BESS and How to Get Involved The energy landscape of Texas is changing rapidly. While still a major oil producer, the state is seeing a surge in renewable energy, especially wind and solar. This shift brings challenges, primarily the intermittent nature of these resources. This Financial… Continue reading “The Texas Battery Boom: A Look at the Growth of BESS and How to Get Involved”
Solar & Storage Conferences Happening in 2025 Behind every development in clean energy is a conversation that first sparked it. While virtual meetings and LinkedIn connections absolutely have their place, nothing beats walking the exhibition floor, seeing new technology up close, and having spontaneous conversations over breakfast.… Continue reading “Solar & Storage Conferences Happening in 2025”
Breaking Down Berkeley Lab’s Annual Utility-Scale Solar Report – Part 1 Berkeley Lab’s annual Utility-Scale Solar Report has become one of the industry’s go-to resources for tracking the evolution of large-scale solar (and storage) deployment across the United States. The 2024 Edition analyzes ground-mounted PV projects above 5 MW ac, offering… Continue reading “Breaking Down Berkeley Lab’s Annual Utility-Scale Solar Report – Part 1”
Inside AC Block Architecture: A Technical Walkthrough of Utility-Scale BESS Design The rapid deployment of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) demands a comprehensive understanding of system architecture, electrical engineering principles, and operational considerations. In this excerpt from the Foundations of BESS course, industry expert Drew Lebowitz examines the critical design… Continue reading “Inside AC Block Architecture: A Technical Walkthrough of Utility-Scale BESS Design”
The Science Behind Battery Fires: Thermal Runaway Explained What happens when a battery cell reaches its ignition temperature and triggers an unstoppable chain reaction? In this segment from the Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems course, instructor Drew Lebowitz explains the phenomenon of thermal runaway in battery systems… Continue reading “The Science Behind Battery Fires: Thermal Runaway Explained”
New Course Announcement: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems The clean energy transition is accelerating, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming more and more central to this transformation. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new course: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems. Read on to learn… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Foundations of Battery Energy Storage Systems”
A Look at NFPA 855: Locations for Energy Storage in One- or Two-Family Dwellings The US energy storage market saw a dramatic 84% surge in installed capacity during Q1 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as reported in the June 2024 US Energy Storage Monitor from Wood Mackenzie and American Clean Power.… Continue reading “A Look at NFPA 855: Locations for Energy Storage in One- or Two-Family Dwellings”
2023 Energy Storage Code Course – Now Free for HeatSpring Members We need more professionals designing and installing energy storage systems safely. So starting today, for a limited time, 2023 NFPA 855 & Fire Codes for Energy Storage Systems is free for HeatSpring members. Ryan and the Mayfield Renewables team teach… Continue reading “2023 Energy Storage Code Course – Now Free for HeatSpring Members”
Understanding the 2023 NEC Requirements for Disconnecting Means on Energy Storage Understanding where to place disconnects on solar and storage projects can feel complicated if you’re unfamiliar with the National Electrical Code (NEC). In fact, some inspectors (like Pete Jackson, Chief Electrical Inspector for the City of Bakersfield, mentioned in IREC’s… Continue reading “Understanding the 2023 NEC Requirements for Disconnecting Means on Energy Storage “
New Bundle Announcement: 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes for Energy Storage Systems Ryan Mayfield and the Mayfield Renewables team are back on HeatSpring. We are excited to welcome Ryan – engineer, educator, and technical committee member – back to our platform with his latest course bundle – 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes… Continue reading “New Bundle Announcement: 2023 Electrical & Fire Codes for Energy Storage Systems”
The Ultimate Guide to NABCEP’s New Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP) Certification The NABCEP Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP) Board Certification was created for experienced energy storage professionals who have demonstrated knowledge in energy storage system development, design, installation, commissioning and decommissioning, and operation & maintenance (O&M). Successful ESIP candidates work in… Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to NABCEP’s New Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP) Certification”
“Microgrid Design & Implementation” course now included with HeatSpring Membership Starting today, for a limited time, Dr. Andrew Skumanich’s “Microgrid Design & Implementation” course is free for HeatSpring Members. Microgrids are the future of energy production and distribution, but very few people understand how to create a successful microgrid. In this… Continue reading ““Microgrid Design & Implementation” course now included with HeatSpring Membership”
2024 Solar & Storage Conferences – Will You Be There? After a few years with no in-person gatherings during the pandemic, solar and storage conferences have been slowly coming back in 2023 and certainly now in full force in 2024. Conferences are great because not only do they support professional… Continue reading “2024 Solar & Storage Conferences – Will You Be There?”
New Course Announcement: 30-Hour 2023 NEC PV, Energy Storage, Building and Fire Codes Sean White and Bill Brooks are back with the new 30-Hour 2023 NEC PV, Energy Storage, Building and Fire Codes training. This course is full of all the latest insights, interpretations and comparisons of the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC).… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: 30-Hour 2023 NEC PV, Energy Storage, Building and Fire Codes”
Help Your Team Get a Foundation in Solar with this Free Bundle of Courses to Onboard New Installers Residential solar saw its biggest year in 2022 with 40% growth in installations and the residential market adding 9,500 jobs, according to the Solar Jobs Census 2022. The long-term demand for skilled residential solar installers is expected to grow as… Continue reading “Help Your Team Get a Foundation in Solar with this Free Bundle of Courses to Onboard New Installers”
Battery Capacity Basics for Solar and Storage When choosing the right energy storage device, we must consider what we are doing with them, where we will put them, how much we will work on them, and how long we want them to last. Of course, all of these… Continue reading “Battery Capacity Basics for Solar and Storage”
Let’s Meet @ RE+ in Las Vegas RE+ is the biggest solar conference in North America. This year it’s happening in Las Vegas on September 11-14, 2023. It’s impossible to see everything at a huge show like this. So here are some of the events that we… Continue reading “Let’s Meet @ RE+ in Las Vegas”
Meeting the Demands of the Solar Plus Era: Why Shaw Solar is Launching their Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Electrical Apprenticeship Program Based in Durango, Colorado, Shaw Solar can be described as a big fish in a small pond. Opening their doors back in 2006, they initially worked on residential and small commercial solar thermal and PV and some lead-acid battery storage.… Continue reading “Meeting the Demands of the Solar Plus Era: Why Shaw Solar is Launching their Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Electrical Apprenticeship Program”
Looking to be Professional in Solar PV Systems – 10 Things You Need to Learn Learning solar photovoltaic systems might not be as straightforward as they appear while standing, fixed on a roof, or installed on the ground. Even though it seems like basic electricity-generating modules, the process of creating electrical energy involves various theories… Continue reading “Looking to be Professional in Solar PV Systems – 10 Things You Need to Learn”
Innovative Solar Microgrids for Resiliency with the Footprint Project The Footprint Project’s mission is to provide cleaner energy for communities in crisis. They work to green disaster response in the aftermath of climate change emergencies. In this blog post, we hear from William Heegaard, Operations Director at the Footprint… Continue reading “Innovative Solar Microgrids for Resiliency with the Footprint Project”