Robert Bean + HeatSpring = Integrated HVAC Engineering Training The way a building functions represents an incredibly complex intersection of numerous fields, including architecture, design, engineering, environmental and health sciences, and construction. As each field evolves, it becomes increasingly necessary, but also difficult, to understand how they are interrelated.… Continue reading “Robert Bean + HeatSpring = Integrated HVAC Engineering Training”
The Most Common Solar PPA Modeling Mistake, The Fix, and a Free Tool This article will address the most common error that developers and EPCs make when modeling commercial solar PPAs. The video below will discuss the problem, the solution, and provide a free tool you can download so you can work through… Continue reading “The Most Common Solar PPA Modeling Mistake, The Fix, and a Free Tool”
Interview with Cory Honeyman, GTM Research Solar Analyst, on Emerging Trends in Residential and Commercial Solar In this interview, GTM Research Solar Analyst Cory Honeyman provides some background on the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report and discusses trends in residential and commercial solar, including hard costs, important skills for salespeople, state incentives, common misconceptions, and financing.… Continue reading “Interview with Cory Honeyman, GTM Research Solar Analyst, on Emerging Trends in Residential and Commercial Solar”
How to Price the Risk of Cash Equity vs Tax Equity Positions in Solar Partnership Flips This article is part of a series common topics and questions that professionals have about financing commercial solar projects. Chris Lord of CapIron provided some insights into pricing certain types of investor risk in partnership flips. Chris is a co-teacher… Continue reading “How to Price the Risk of Cash Equity vs Tax Equity Positions in Solar Partnership Flips”
How to Calculate the Buyout Price for Commercial Solar PPAs This article is part of a series tutorials, interviews and definitions around commercial solar financing that is leading up to the start of our next Solar MBA that starts on Monday September 15th. In the Solar MBA students will complete financial… Continue reading “How to Calculate the Buyout Price for Commercial Solar PPAs”
SolarPro, HeatSpring, Ryan Mayfield Launch Megawatt Solar Design Class The online technical training experts at HeatSpring have teamed up with photovoltaic design and instruction professional Ryan Mayfield and technical media specialists SolarPro to launch a 10-week online course in megawatt-scale solar PV system design. To learn more about the… Continue reading “SolarPro, HeatSpring, Ryan Mayfield Launch Megawatt Solar Design Class”
5 Keys for Greening Commercial Roofs Dr. Jim Hoff currently serves as vice president of research for the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing in Washington, D.C., and president of TEGNOS Research Inc., a consulting organization dedicated to expanding understanding of the building envelope. He’s also… Continue reading “5 Keys for Greening Commercial Roofs”
[Interview] How to Provide Solar Financing to Any Non-Profit Solar Project Larger Than 50kW Lee Barken and his team at Collective Sun have figured out the holy grail of commercial solar financing. Collective Sun can provide solar financing to non-profit solar projects from 50kW and up. Currently, they’re offering their product in California but… Continue reading “[Interview] How to Provide Solar Financing to Any Non-Profit Solar Project Larger Than 50kW”
5 Perspectives for Using Solar Subcontractors for Residential PV Installation This is a guest post by Fred Paris. Fred teaches our 6 week Solar Startup Accelerator where students get the tools (budgeting, planning, pricing, project management) and business plan they need to start new solar business or solar division within… Continue reading “5 Perspectives for Using Solar Subcontractors for Residential PV Installation”
Your Invitation –> NESEA Building Energy Trade Show Discount, Startup Alley, Building Energy Masters Series Meetup Next week is the Building Energy Conference. I’m going to be there, and there’s going to be a lot of fun things happening. I’ve gone to the NESEA show ever year since I was 16, and my buddy Gilbert from… Continue reading “Your Invitation –> NESEA Building Energy Trade Show Discount, Startup Alley, Building Energy Masters Series Meetup”
[Interview] How Faze1 Used Data to Acquire a 5kW Residential Solar Customer for $0.25/watt This is the story of how Faze1 learned how to acquire a 5kW residential solar customer in Massachusetts for $1,250 or $0.25/watt. This is about 50% lower than the $0.49/watt that is typically referred to for average residential customer acquisition… Continue reading “[Interview] How Faze1 Used Data to Acquire a 5kW Residential Solar Customer for $0.25/watt”
5+ Trends that will Drive the Growth of the Hydronic Industry in the Next 3 Years: A 30-Minute Conversion with John Siegenthaler There are a variety of forces changing the dynamics of the hydronic heating and renewable thermal industries that were not happening five years ago. While hydronic distribution is still attractive for similar technical reasons that it was five years ago—comfort,… Continue reading “5+ Trends that will Drive the Growth of the Hydronic Industry in the Next 3 Years: A 30-Minute Conversion with John Siegenthaler”
[30 Minute Interview] Why SREC Markets Will Grow in a Post-ITC Solar World + Other Trends in Commercial Solar Finance All eyes are on the reduction or expiration of the 30 percent federal solar tax credit (ITC). While it’s the prime goal of SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) to maintain the federal ITC, some have argued explicitly that it’s time to… Continue reading “[30 Minute Interview] Why SREC Markets Will Grow in a Post-ITC Solar World + Other Trends in Commercial Solar Finance”
50 Minutes of Video Answering 5 Questions on Finding, Pitching, Managing Solar Tax Equity Investors This event has already happened. Please scroll down to see the recording and read the answers to the questions. This week our focus has turned to a question that everyone wants answered. Investors, investor, investors! Everyone needs more capital for projects,… Continue reading “50 Minutes of Video Answering 5 Questions on Finding, Pitching, Managing Solar Tax Equity Investors”
Advice from a $20MM Solar PV Investor for Commercial Solar Installers = Focus on a Niche, Be Fast, and Standardize your Operations This article is part of a series of tutorials, interviews and definitions around commercial solar financing. If you need to learn more about solar finance, click here to test drive our Solar MBA. In the Solar MBA students will complete financial… Continue reading “Advice from a $20MM Solar PV Investor for Commercial Solar Installers = Focus on a Niche, Be Fast, and Standardize your Operations”
Get Ahead of the Curve in the Solar Industry The solar industry in the U.S. is growing at a breakneck pace. A recent report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association states that, for the first time in well over a decade, the U.S. is expected to… Continue reading “Get Ahead of the Curve in the Solar Industry”
Guide to Solar Water Heater Installation Best Practices In my work with many solar water heating manufacturers, designers and installers here in the upper Midwest I have compiled a list of best installation practices for solar water heating systems. This work is collaboration and is ongoing, so if… Continue reading “Guide to Solar Water Heater Installation Best Practices”
Battery Backup Basics for Solar PV When choosing the right battery, 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 factors will… Continue reading “Battery Backup Basics for Solar PV”
Chris LaForge on Load Analysis for Battery-Based Solar Projects [Video] ISPQ Master trainer and solar legend Christopher LaForge is teaching a class on designing battery based solar PV systems. The capstone project for the class is design a complete battery based solar PV system. This is an intensive six-week training… Continue reading “Chris LaForge on Load Analysis for Battery-Based Solar Projects [Video]”
Two Things You Should Know About the Michigan Solar Industry The Open PV Project ranks Michigan as the 28th best state for solar PV with 7.09 MW of installed capacity. Here are two things you might not know about the Michigan solar industry if you’re not spending a lot of… Continue reading “Two Things You Should Know About the Michigan Solar Industry”