How Does a Solar Project Dealmaker Spend His Time? “Solar Project Dealmaker” is the best way to describe Chris Lord. He’s a lawyer, financial modeler, and builder of project teams. Hearing about his work helps you understand how big solar projects happen. Below you’ll hear about a few projects… Continue reading “How Does a Solar Project Dealmaker Spend His Time?”
The Whys of String Sizing Let’s go over the whys of string sizing. What is it and why do we do it? String Sizing Basics String sizing is critical when you’re putting modules in series. Remember that when you put modules in series, the voltage… Continue reading “The Whys of String Sizing”
What is IEEE 1547-2018 and how is it relevant to utility scale solar projects? – Ask an Expert In the Ask an Expert series, HeatSpring instructors and industry thought leaders answer a question on the minds of the HeatSpring community. We are joined by Tim Taylor, instructor of the Interconnection of Utility-Scale Solar to Distribution course. Tim discusses… Continue reading “What is IEEE 1547-2018 and how is it relevant to utility scale solar projects? – Ask an Expert”
What skills do teams need to execute utility scale solar projects? – Ask an Expert In the Ask an Expert series, HeatSpring instructors and industry thought leaders answer a question on the minds of the HeatSpring community. We are joined by Dylan Reitenbach, Project Manager at a national solar developer and financier. In this session,… Continue reading “What skills do teams need to execute utility scale solar projects? – Ask an Expert”
Working in utility-scale solar? What you need to know about interconnection – Ask an Expert In the Ask an Expert series, HeatSpring instructors and industry thought leaders answer a question on the minds of the HeatSpring community. We are joined by Tim Taylor, instructor of Interconnection of Utility-Scale Solar to Distribution, Introduction to Distribution Systems,… Continue reading “Working in utility-scale solar? What you need to know about interconnection – Ask an Expert”
New Free Course: Solar Development on Brownfields & Landfills In the past few years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified over 80,000 brownfields and municipal solid waste landfills across the country that could be used for renewable energy facilities. There are many benefits to reusing contaminated land for renewable energy, such… Continue reading “New Free Course: Solar Development on Brownfields & Landfills”
Transmission and Distribution Interconnection Standards – Does Your Organization Know About Them? Utility interconnection standards will be critical for increasing the connection of DER (Distributed Energy Resources), including solar PV, to distribution and transmission systems. In the US, IEEE 1547-2018 is a predominant standard, accompanied by UL 1741 for testing, that governs… Continue reading “Transmission and Distribution Interconnection Standards – Does Your Organization Know About Them?”
Free NABCEP CEU – Live Webinar on Utility-Scale PV and Distribution Voltage Challenges Live Webinar – Wednesday, June 8th – 12-1:30pm EST – Reserve your spot on HeatSpring If you or your company have worked on developing utility-scale projects, you know that connecting large PV power plants to the grid can present challenges, especially… Continue reading “Free NABCEP CEU – Live Webinar on Utility-Scale PV and Distribution Voltage Challenges”
Ask an Expert: What Is Value Stacking as It Relates to Solar Plus Storage? In the Ask an Expert series, HeatSpring instructors and industry thought leaders answer a question on the minds of the HeatSpring community. This session, we are joined by Chris Brown and Chris LaForge, instructors of the Utility Scale Commercial &… Continue reading “Ask an Expert: What Is Value Stacking as It Relates to Solar Plus Storage?”
Ask an Expert: What are Some Challenges of Adding More Distributed Energy to the Grid? In the Ask an Expert series, HeatSpring instructors and industry thought leaders answer a question on the minds of the HeatSpring community. This session, we are joined by Chris Brown and Chris LaForge, instructors of the Utility Scale Commercial &… Continue reading “Ask an Expert: What are Some Challenges of Adding More Distributed Energy to the Grid?”
The Basics of Utility Transmission for Utility-Scale Solar Access to high voltage transmission lines is integral for utility-scale solar projects. Transmission is part of the high voltage system that connects generation (like utility-scale solar power plants or coal-fired power plants) with load centers, subtransmission, and distribution. Essentially, high… Continue reading “The Basics of Utility Transmission for Utility-Scale Solar”
New Course: Connecting Utility-Scale Solar PV to Distribution Systems The United States is forecasted to add an additional 21.8 GW of utility-scale solar in 2022 and 24.1 GW in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In fact, they expect solar additions to account for nearly half of… Continue reading “New Course: Connecting Utility-Scale Solar PV to Distribution Systems”
Recycling PV Equipment – Why We All Should Be Talking About the End-Of-Life of Solar PV Systems: A Conversation with Kate Collardson of SolarRecycle.org HeatSpring’s Brit Heller sits down with Kate Collardson, one of the founders of SolarRecycle.org, about the need for the solar industry to begin addressing solar power plant’s decommissioning and recycling for projects as they are being built today in order… Continue reading “Recycling PV Equipment – Why We All Should Be Talking About the End-Of-Life of Solar PV Systems: A Conversation with Kate Collardson of SolarRecycle.org”
Selecting DAS Equipment on Utility Scale PV Projects Data acquisition systems (DAS) are often employed on small utility scale solar projects to gather information about the performance and conditions of a site. Various sensors, meters, and equipment collect the data that must then be evaluated and visualized within… Continue reading “Selecting DAS Equipment on Utility Scale PV Projects”
Agrivoltaics in Action – Jack’s Solar Garden Connecting the dots between clean energy, local food, and community building may seem like a utopian dream, but for Byron Kominek, founder of Jack’s Solar Garden, it is an intentional undertaking that has been generations in the making. By co-locating… Continue reading “Agrivoltaics in Action – Jack’s Solar Garden”
Agrivoltaics: a multi-faceted approach to climate change Climate change affects everyone and farmers are feeling the pressure now more than ever. Higher temperatures, dwindling water supplies, and a challenging economy are pushing farmers to explore new revenue streams and opportunities for their land. What is agrivoltaics? Local… Continue reading “Agrivoltaics: a multi-faceted approach to climate change”
The Importance of Commissioning and Testing on Utility Scale Projects Utility scale solar projects are years in the making from inception to completion. The process typically includes land development, interconnection studies, environmental evaluations, securing financing, materials procurement, and construction. The final step before a system is fully operational is commissioning… Continue reading “The Importance of Commissioning and Testing on Utility Scale Projects”
Photo Contest Giveaway: Fluke Solar Irradiance Meter Thanks to our partners at Fluke, HeatSpring is giving away two Fluke Solar Irradiance Meters! Fluke was founded in 1948. Ever since, they have been making quality testing and troubleshooting tools for a variety of manufacturing and service industries. Solar… Continue reading “Photo Contest Giveaway: Fluke Solar Irradiance Meter”
How to get your NABCEP PV Design Specialist (PVDS) Certification The NABCEP PV Design Specialist (PVDS) Board Certification recognizes the advanced experience and skill of PV system designers. This Board Certification demonstrates your proven ability to configure the mechanical and electrical design components of PV systems. PV EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR… Continue reading “How to get your NABCEP PV Design Specialist (PVDS) Certification”
How Do We Get From 4% to 45%? Today the Biden administration released a plan to increase the amount of solar energy produced from 4% of total generation (where it is today) to 45% by 2050. That represents a lot of growth for the solar industry. What will… Continue reading “How Do We Get From 4% to 45%?”