Jenny’s Story – How Shifting from Sustainable Farming to Clean Energy Led to Becoming an Electrician & Educator Join us in celebrating Jenny Conrardy, whose inspiring journey from organic farmer to licensed electrician and solar educator has been chosen for HeatSpring’s Stay Curious campaign. This initiative highlights the transformative power of education in the clean energy sector, showcasing… Continue reading “Jenny’s Story – How Shifting from Sustainable Farming to Clean Energy Led to Becoming an Electrician & Educator”
NABCEP Launches New “Board Eligible Status” Program for Solar Professionals We’re excited to share some significant news from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) that makes the path to becoming a certified PV Installation Professional (PVIP) more flexible than ever before. What’s Changing? NABCEP has introduced a… Continue reading “NABCEP Launches New “Board Eligible Status” Program for Solar Professionals”
How Does a Utility-Scale Solar Project Move from Concept to Fully Operational? The development cycle of a utility-scale solar project demands precise orchestration across multiple phases and stakeholders. From initial site acquisition through interconnection studies, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) negotiations, and ultimately construction, each stage builds upon the last in a carefully… Continue reading “How Does a Utility-Scale Solar Project Move from Concept to Fully Operational?”
The Complete Guide to Getting Your Remote Pilot Certificate for Commercial Drones Your first step to flying drones professionally is earning the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107 regulations. This essential credential verifies your understanding of drone safety, airspace rules, and operational procedures, giving you the legal authority to conduct commercial… Continue reading “The Complete Guide to Getting Your Remote Pilot Certificate for Commercial Drones”
Types of Transmission Line Structures and Their Components The United States power grid is made up of more than half a million miles of transmission lines, delivering power to more than 160 million customers, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Understanding the basics of transmission systems is… Continue reading “Types of Transmission Line Structures and Their Components”
What if everybody on your team mastered construction drawings? Construction drawings are the language we use to build and power the world. Engineers and architects get lots of training, but everybody else learns on the fly. Have you been trained in how to read or create construction drawings? If… Continue reading “What if everybody on your team mastered construction drawings?”
We Need More Utility-Scale Solar PV Designers Engineers…we need you. You can spend your whole career working in solar energy and never get bored. Climate change is the biggest problem you could tackle and you’ll never have trouble finding interesting work to do. Let’s zoom out and… Continue reading “We Need More Utility-Scale Solar PV Designers”
Now Offering the NABCEP Solar PV Associate Prep Course in Spanish HeatSpring and Sean White are excited to announce the launch of our NABCEP PV Associate Prep course in Spanish. With over 559 million Spanish speakers worldwide and 13% of the U.S. population speaking Spanish at home, this update allows us… Continue reading “Now Offering the NABCEP Solar PV Associate Prep Course in Spanish”
Going Outside the Queue | Speeding Up Interconnection of Generation & Storage to Transmission We all know that utility-scale solar and storage is building momentum, yet the process of interconnecting new renewable power sources remains a substantial bottleneck in the clean energy transition. In this quick video, HeatSpring instructor Tim Taylor unpacks recent developments… Continue reading “Going Outside the Queue | Speeding Up Interconnection of Generation & Storage to Transmission”
Working Safely on Energized Equipment – Understanding Restricted Approach, Limited Approach, and Arc Flash Boundaries When it comes to electrical safety, understanding arc flash hazards and how to mitigate their risk is crucial, but all too often misunderstood. Many workers believe that staying outside the arc flash boundary guarantees safety, but this is a dangerous… Continue reading “Working Safely on Energized Equipment – Understanding Restricted Approach, Limited Approach, and Arc Flash Boundaries”
Contractors Say Better Training Would Help Them Sell More Brands create structured training programs because they increase loyalty, decrease user error, and improve customer satisfaction. Think IronRidge certification, Carrier’s Authorized Dealer program, or Microsoft certification. Education is a powerful form of marketing and the foundation for all product sales.… Continue reading “Contractors Say Better Training Would Help Them Sell More”
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”
How Does Electricity Flow Through a Utility-Scale Solar Site? The utility-scale solar segment installed 7.6 GWdc in Q2 2024 – a whopping 59% jump from last year, according to SEIA’s latest Solar Market Insight Report. If you’re one of the newer folks joining in the industry to help get… Continue reading “How Does Electricity Flow Through a Utility-Scale Solar Site?”
What is the Architectural Solar Continuum? The Architectural Solar Continuum is a framework for understanding and implementing solar energy in architectural design. This approach categorizes projects across 6 levels of solar integration, each impacting coordination requirements, costs, and energy density. The continuum provides architects, designers, and… Continue reading “What is the Architectural Solar Continuum?”
Key Players in Transmission Interconnection: Understanding FERC, NERC, and ISOs/RTOs From 2000 to 2010 the U.S. power grid saw a steady but modest flow of new transmission interconnection requests, averaging between 500 to 1,000 annually. Fast forward to today, and the picture has dramatically changed. With the clean energy boom… Continue reading “Key Players in Transmission Interconnection: Understanding FERC, NERC, and ISOs/RTOs”
What’s the Difference Between the NABCEP PV Installation Professional and Installer Specialist Certifications? Navigating the world of NABCEP certifications can be daunting for solar professionals, especially when faced with seemingly similar options. Many in our community have expressed confusion about the various certifications available, with the comparison between the NABCEP PV Installation Professional… Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between the NABCEP PV Installation Professional and Installer Specialist Certifications?”
NERC PRC-024-3: Understanding “Ride Through” Capability and “No Trip Zones” “Ride through” capability in power systems has become increasingly important in recent years, because it contributes to maintaining grid stability during system disturbances. In this video excerpt from the new Interconnection of Utility-Scale Solar PV to Transmission course, HeatSpring instructor… Continue reading “NERC PRC-024-3: Understanding “Ride Through” Capability and “No Trip Zones””
Getting Your NABCEP PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist Certification | Everything You Need to Know NABCEP’s PV Commissioning and Maintenance Specialist (PVCMS) Certification was created to recognize experienced solar technicians who have a deep understanding of operations, maintenance, and commissioning. These certified specialists excel at the application of verification protocols as well as preventative and… Continue reading “Getting Your NABCEP PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist Certification | Everything You Need to Know”
New Course Announcement: Interconnection of Utility-Scale Solar PV to Transmission It seems like every time news outlets report on new utility-scale solar projects coming online, the megawatt (MW) capacity keeps getting bigger. With an increasing number of high-capacity solar projects in development, many industry professionals are finding themselves in need… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Interconnection of Utility-Scale Solar PV to Transmission”
The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your NABCEP PV Design Specialist Certification The NABCEP PV Design Specialist Certification recognizes experienced solar professionals with a track record of designing successfully installed solar PV projects. Prime candidates for the PVDS demonstrate expertise in both electrical and mechanical aspects, creating accurate and safe PV designs.… Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your NABCEP PV Design Specialist Certification”