The Story Behind Creating the New PV + BESS Operations & Maintenance Technician Training Standard In any rapidly growing industry, standardization is crucial to reliability, consistency, and long-term success. For years, operations and maintenance (O&M) practices in the solar and storage industries lacked uniformity, but solar + storage O&M has reached a critical inflection point. … Continue reading “The Story Behind Creating the New PV + BESS Operations & Maintenance Technician Training Standard”
How To Navigate the NFPA 70B | Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance Have you ever flipped through an unfamiliar technical standard and felt a bit lost in all the details? Many of us have been there. These comprehensive standards are absolutely essential for electrical safety and equipment reliability, but let’s be honest… Continue reading “How To Navigate the NFPA 70B | Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance”
New Course: Solar PV and BESS Operations & Maintenance Tech 1 Training The solar industry has taken a big step forward with the introduction of its first standardized training program for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) technicians. Until now, O&M training has been all over the map – companies were doing their own… Continue reading “New Course: Solar PV and BESS Operations & Maintenance Tech 1 Training”
The Types of Drawings Used on Utility-Scale Solar Sites On every jobsite, clear communication through construction drawings forms the foundation of successful project execution. Utility-scale solar is no exception. In fact, the sheer scale of these projects, combined with the numerous entities involved, adds significant complexity to the process.… Continue reading “The Types of Drawings Used on Utility-Scale Solar Sites”
1 NABCEP CEU – New Free Course: Utility-Scale Solar Design Overview The utility-scale solar sector experienced explosive growth in 2024, outpacing both commercial and residential installations in yearly capacity additions. According to the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) Solar Market Insight Report 2024 Year in Review, the utility-scale segment installed a… Continue reading “1 NABCEP CEU – New Free Course: Utility-Scale Solar Design Overview”
How to Become a “Qualified Person” in Electrical Work If you work in the electrical field, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the term qualified person in safety standards and workplace requirements. But what does this designation actually entail, and how does one earn it? Both NFPA 70B (Standard for Electrical Equipment… Continue reading “How to Become a “Qualified Person” in Electrical Work”
What’s the Difference Between an Inverter That’s Grid-Following Versus Grid- Forming? It feels like a day doesn’t go by without energy storage in the headlines. These systems are experiencing unprecedented adoption across residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. As storage continues to become increasingly critical to the clean energy transition, design professionals… Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between an Inverter That’s Grid-Following Versus Grid- Forming?”
Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Ethics in Solar Sales – 1 NABCEP CEU Are you looking to strengthen you and your team’s solar sales strategy while building lasting customer relationships? We’re excited to announce a free course that addresses one of the most critical aspects of solar sales and the success of our… Continue reading “Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Ethics in Solar Sales – 1 NABCEP CEU”
New Course Announcement: Design Considerations for Energy Storage Systems As grid outages increase nationwide and demand charges squeeze commercial budgets, energy storage expertise has never been more valuable. This skill gap is especially critical now that SEIA has set an ambitious industry target of 700 gigawatt-hours of installed storage… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Design Considerations for Energy Storage Systems”
The 9 Key Elements of an Electrical Maintenance Program When it comes to electrical safety and reliability on our solar and storage sites, having a well-structured maintenance program is more than just good practice—it’s required by the new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70B: Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance.… Continue reading “The 9 Key Elements of an Electrical Maintenance Program”
Understanding Height and Clearance: Critical Design Parameters for Utility-Scale Solar Racking Understanding the intricacies of utility-scale solar racking design is crucial for successful project implementation. One of the most fundamental aspects is the careful consideration of minimum clearance and maximum height parameters. These specifications play a vital role in both fixed-tilt… Continue reading “Understanding Height and Clearance: Critical Design Parameters for Utility-Scale Solar Racking”
Understanding the Organizations Working in Transmission Interconnecting solar and storage projects at the transmission level is far more complex than interconnection at a smaller scale, and the challenge is growing. According to the Department of Energy’s 2024 Transmission Interconnection Roadmap, while the early 2000s saw around… Continue reading “Understanding the Organizations Working in Transmission”
Get Your Certification Questions Answered: Introducing Monthly Live Q&A Sessions Navigating professional certifications in the clean energy space can be challenging. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new monthly Let’s Talk Certifications: Live Q&A meetings – your direct line to expert guidance on all things professional certifications. What to… Continue reading “Get Your Certification Questions Answered: Introducing Monthly Live Q&A Sessions”
Navigating Wetlands and Their Impact on Utility-Scale Solar Design In an era where utility-scale solar development is rapidly expanding across the United States, understanding and protecting wetlands has become increasingly critical for project success. As wetlands now cover less than 6% of the lower 48 states – half of… Continue reading “Navigating Wetlands and Their Impact on Utility-Scale Solar Design”
What is an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP)? Electrical maintenance programs (EMPs) are critical for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of electrical systems in any facility, including our solar and storage sites. In this quick and informative breakdown, HeatSpring instructor Alex Jahp explores the fundamental requirements of… Continue reading “What is an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP)?”
The Rise of Bifacial Modules and Their Considerations in Utility-Scale Design Bifacial solar modules have become the de facto choice for utility-scale PV ground mount projects in recent years. Unlike traditional modules, they capture light on both sides, offering production gains of 5-25% through their transparent back sheet design. While this… Continue reading “The Rise of Bifacial Modules and Their Considerations in Utility-Scale Design”
1 Free NABCEP CEU – New Course: An Overview of Microgrid Feasibility Studies The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has set an ambitious target: 700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of installed battery capacity across all U.S. market segments by 2030. This goal, outlined in SEIA’s Vision for American Energy Storage, would require approximately 10 million… Continue reading “1 Free NABCEP CEU – New Course: An Overview of Microgrid Feasibility Studies “
Why Adopt NFPA 70B: A Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance? Maintaining electrical equipment on our solar and storage sites is about maximizing uptime while keeping maintenance costs down, ultimately optimizing the entire lifecycle of our projects. A well-structured Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP) based on NFPA 70B offers a systematic approach… Continue reading “Why Adopt NFPA 70B: A Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance?”
A Look at a Utility-Scale Solar Site Plan Understanding how to analyze and plan utility-scale solar sites has become increasingly critical, with over 195 GWdc of utility-scale solar projected to be added to the U.S. power grid between 2024-2029 (Source: SEIA Solar Market Insight Report Q4 2024). In… Continue reading “A Look at a Utility-Scale Solar Site Plan”
Solar Job Highlight: Training for Equipment Manufacturer As a part of HeatSpring’s free Solar Career Pathways course, professionals from across the solar industry provide students with an inside look at their careers through bite-sized interviews. Professionals share the details on what their jobs entail, their day-to-day activities,… Continue reading “Solar Job Highlight: Training for Equipment Manufacturer”