How to Operationalize Solar O&M Training

Solar PV Operations and Maintenance (O&M) providers are often pressed for time. When we’re working on residential, commercial, or even small utility scale systems, technicians usually have a set amount of time in which to get their work done, and then they need to move on to the next ticket. Keeping that sense of timeliness is right and good, and it helps our systems remain operational at reasonable prices.

But that kind of schedule does not leave much time for training. And train we must, if we are to expand the workforce over the coming years. 

With the structure provided by the new SEIA 301 Solar and Energy Storage Operations and Maintenance Standard – Technician Training, companies now have a framework to use with O&M technicians that illustrates what they need to train on at each level. And with the launch of the new Amicus O&M Cooperative Tech 1 training on HeatSpring, they now have access to the formal classroom curriculum that technicians need to understand the context of what they’re doing in the field.

But that is, of course, only part of the story. In order to train a great field technician, they need sustained, hands-on, practical and on-the-job training (OJT). External parties can only provide so much in this way – we must rely on employers to provide OJT for junior technicians. And in order to really integrate training into the day-to-day work, we need buy-in from a broad spectrum of stakeholders:

In many other trades, safety and training are assumed aspects of every job. The solar industry is maturing in this regard, and with the buy-in of these stakeholders, we can move the needle not only on safety but also ultimately on system performance. 

Ready to get your O&M team trained up? Check out our Solar PV and BESS Operations & Maintenance Tech 1 Training.