If DER Interconnection is part of your job, I’m begging you to listen to Vaughan Woodruff

The whole world is fighting for your attention. But if DER interconnection is part of your job, please take a minute to absorb what Vaughan Woodruff just made for you.

The new Interconnection Pro badge brings together four courses taught by Vaughan Woodruff that give solar and storage professionals a working command of the interconnection process, from how the rules came to be to what to do when a project stalls.

The four courses

1. How We Got Here: A (Riveting) History of DER Interconnection in the U.S.

Why does every state handle interconnection differently? This course traces how the current patchwork of 37 state rule sets came to be. Understanding that history explains why a fix in one territory doesn’t transfer to the next, and where the leverage points are.

2. The DER Interconnection Process

The foundation course, for people who know roughly what interconnection is but not how it works. It covers three layers:

1. The process as the customer experiences it, through their relationship with a solar and storage company.
2. The design of effective interconnection rules and what they are meant to achieve.
3. Model interconnection procedures, examined in detail to show how functional procedures operate.

The course also frames the larger goal: connecting more renewable energy while managing the aggregate impact of every project on a safe, reliable grid.

3. Managing the Utility Interconnection Process

Installers don’t control engineering studies or upgrade costs, but they control much of how customers experience the process. This course, built for interconnection and customer service staff, covers:

• Customer handoffs during the application process
• Tracking applications
• Building productive relationships with utility staff
• Guiding customers from a signed interconnection agreement through construction and closeout

Lessons combine video, original podcasts, real project examples, and resources teams can use the same day. Better process management reduces friction and builds trust with customers and utilities alike.

4. Managing Interconnection Challenges

An interconnection problem rarely announces what kind of problem it is. It may affect one project, or it may be the first sign of a change that will hit every project in a service territory. This course teaches teams to tell the difference and respond well. It includes:

• Case studies of common challenges
• A guide to the dispute resolution pathways available across the country
• A strategy tool for deciding when escalation is warranted and when it isn’t
• Guidance on accountability and how information should move between customer service, management, regulatory or legal staff, and executives
• How to build a record that supports informal resolution and prepares the company if formal action becomes necessary

The goal is to spot problems earlier, ask better questions, preserve working relationships with utilities, and make informed decisions about next steps.

Who should earn the badge

• Solar and storage installers and developers, especially interconnection coordinators, project managers, and customer service staff
• Company owners and executives who need to decide when to push back on a utility and when not to
• Utility staff who review interconnection applications
• Regulators fielding customer complaints about interconnection
• State agencies and nonprofits whose clean energy programs are slowed by interconnection

The courses work for teams preparing ahead of problems and for teams already in the middle of one. Learn more about the Interconnection Pro Badge.

Why you should listen to Vaughan

Vaughan knows SO MUCH about this topic and he’s trying so hard to help other people learn faster so they can do more. This is his true mission and passion and I want to live in a world where he’s successful and has a big impact. We’re all busy but there’s true leverage to be found here.

Thanks for listening:)