Solar Safety: Risks During Construction Versus Operations The transition from solar construction to operations brings fundamentally different safety challenges that you and your team need to understand. These two video clips from Andy Nyce’s “Introduction to Utility-Scale Solar Operations & Maintenance” course highlight that what keeps workers… Continue reading “Solar Safety: Risks During Construction Versus Operations”
What is Insulation Resistance Testing (IRT)? When it comes to solar PV system maintenance and troubleshooting, few skills are as critical as understanding insulation resistance testing. This fundamental diagnostic technique serves as both a preventive measure and a powerful troubleshooting tool, helping technicians identify potential issues… Continue reading “What is Insulation Resistance Testing (IRT)?”
Announcing HeatSpring PRO: Career Insurance for Solar Professionals To HeatSpring’s community of 100,000+ solar professionals, this is for you. The solar industry just changed. We created HeatSpring PRO so you can start offering energy storage, solar service contracts, energy audits, heat pumps, and consultative sales on more creative… Continue reading “Announcing HeatSpring PRO: Career Insurance for Solar Professionals”
Why Documented Safety Training is Essential + Safety Courses on HeatSpring Documented safety training has become a business necessity across the construction industries, not just good practice. That’s because the benefits of documented safety training go beyond keeping your team safe. It also adds value across multiple areas of your business:… Continue reading “Why Documented Safety Training is Essential + Safety Courses on HeatSpring”
What is a PV System DC Ground Fault? Understanding DC ground faults is crucial for anyone working with solar PV systems, whether you’re troubleshooting existing issues or trying to prevent them in the future. This video excerpt comes from Solar Tech Collective’s comprehensive course on “Solar PV Ground… Continue reading “What is a PV System DC Ground Fault?”
New Free Course Announcement: Understanding Concepts of Solar PV Power with Fundamental Calculations Preparing for a solar certification exam? Looking to strengthen your grasp of the fundamental calculations that underpin solar PV system design? We’re excited to announce our latest free course, Understanding Concepts of Solar PV Power with Fundamental Calculations, designed specifically… Continue reading “New Free Course Announcement: Understanding Concepts of Solar PV Power with Fundamental Calculations”
New Course Announcement: Construction Math for Clean Energy: An Overview Math shows up constantly in construction work – measuring solar panel layouts, calculating concrete for equipment pads, figuring out material quantities. And while most people can get by with the basics, having a solid understanding of the key formulas and… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Construction Math for Clean Energy: An Overview”
What is Grounding and Bonding? Grounding and bonding are fundamental safety concepts in solar PV installations that every installer, technician, and system owner should understand. Though these terms are frequently confused or used interchangeably, understanding their distinct roles is crucial for electrical safety. Grounding creates… Continue reading “What is Grounding and Bonding?”
New Course Announcement: Identifying Issues on PV Systems Using Thermal Imagery Solar systems of all scales have mushroomed in recent years. As any industry professional can tell you, this growth brings challenges. Chief among them is ensuring these systems operate safely while maintaining peak performance. Visual inspections only catch the most… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Identifying Issues on PV Systems Using Thermal Imagery”
New Course Announcement: Solar PV Ground-Fault Troubleshooting: Theory, Tools, and Field Application Ground faults are one of the most challenging issues solar technicians face. They’re difficult to locate, potentially dangerous, and can bring PV systems to a grinding halt. Yet despite being one of the most common and costly issues in solar… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Solar PV Ground-Fault Troubleshooting: Theory, Tools, and Field Application”
What Your Nonprofit Customers Need to Know About the Latest Solar Policy This blog was originally posted on CollectiveSun and has been adapted for HeatSpring with permission. The recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OB3) rapidly phases out solar tax benefits and adds new restrictions for nonprofits who want to… Continue reading “What Your Nonprofit Customers Need to Know About the Latest Solar Policy”
New Free Course: “Changes to Solar Policy: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Go Solar Now” The solar landscape has shifted dramatically for everyone in recent months, including nonprofits, and staying informed has never been more critical. That’s why we’re excited to announce our brand-new free course: “Changes to Solar Policy: What Nonprofits Need to Know… Continue reading “New Free Course: “Changes to Solar Policy: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Go Solar Now””
Mastering Commercial Solar Sales: Beyond the Pitch Commercial solar isn’t residential sales scaled up—it’s an entirely different game. High-pressure tactics that might work for residential installations fall flat when you’re sitting across from executives evaluating million-dollar energy investments. As detailed in my new book, Wired for Sun, success… Continue reading “Mastering Commercial Solar Sales: Beyond the Pitch”
Understanding NFPA 70B Equipment Condition Categories: The Foundation of Effective Maintenance One of the most critical aspects of implementing NFPA 70B is properly assessing and categorizing your electrical equipment. The standard requires a comprehensive evaluation that examines multiple factors to determine maintenance frequency and protect both safety and system reliability. The… Continue reading “Understanding NFPA 70B Equipment Condition Categories: The Foundation of Effective Maintenance”
Unique Characteristics of Utility-Scale Solar Projects The utility-scale solar industry continues to demonstrate remarkable momentum, with 9 GWdc of new capacity installed in Q1 2025 alone. While this represents a 7% decline from the previous year, the sector remains a cornerstone of the U.S. clean energy… Continue reading “Unique Characteristics of Utility-Scale Solar Projects”
Get Telehandler Certified and Meet OSHA Requirements with HeatSpring If you work in construction or maintenance and operate telehandlers – the versatile telescopic forklifts also known as boom forks, rough terrain forklifts, or reach forklifts – training is required by law. Here’s everything you need to know about getting… Continue reading “Get Telehandler Certified and Meet OSHA Requirements with HeatSpring”
How Will ANSI/SEIA 301-2025 Standard Be Implemented and What’s the Best Case Scenario in 10 Years? The approval of ANSI/SEIA 301-2025, the Solar and Energy Storage Operations and Maintenance Technician Training American National Standard, marks a big moment for the solar and storage industry. This new standard establishes more than training guidelines – it creates the… Continue reading “How Will ANSI/SEIA 301-2025 Standard Be Implemented and What’s the Best Case Scenario in 10 Years?”
Identifying Issues On Installed PV Systems: A Thermal Imaging Guide for Solar Professionals Originally adapted from a technical paper titled “Identifying Issues on Installed Photovoltaic Systems Using Thermal Imagery” with permission from Infrared Training Center As solar professionals, regular maintenance is crucial for keeping photovoltaic systems operating at peak performance. But how do… Continue reading “Identifying Issues On Installed PV Systems: A Thermal Imaging Guide for Solar Professionals”
The Market is Changing. Entrepreneurial Action Will Win. Solar companies in the US are (rightfully) concerned right now about looming policy changes. I’ve been calling my senators to urge them not to roll back the IRA and eliminate tax credits because businesses will be hurt and jobs eliminated. … Continue reading “The Market is Changing. Entrepreneurial Action Will Win.”
Building Ethical Solar Sales Teams: Why Your Incentive Structure Makes All the Difference In the competitive world of solar sales (and truly many types of sales), there’s a critical tension every company faces: driving results while maintaining ethical standards. We’ve all seen the headlines – from coast to coast, news stories continue to… Continue reading “Building Ethical Solar Sales Teams: Why Your Incentive Structure Makes All the Difference”