Solar + Storage Battery Considerations: Chemistry, Design & Charge Expert instructor Wes Kennedy answers 3 battery consideration questions in his Advanced Solar + Storage course discussion board… Student 1: One of the biggest hurdles we deal with on the commercial side of storage is the Authority Having Jurisdiction, or AHJ.… Continue reading “Solar + Storage Battery Considerations: Chemistry, Design & Charge”
Megawatt Systems: 3 Design Considerations On the Megawatt Design discussion board, Ryan Mayfield answers student questions about designing systems. He discusses surge protection, tilted arrays, and “levelized cost of energy.” Student 1: Do any of you specify surge or lightning-protective devices for your systems? Either on the… Continue reading “Megawatt Systems: 3 Design Considerations”
Women in Energy: POWERing Growth & Profit If gender-diverse companies financially outperform their less inclusive counterparts, then why do women make up only 24% of the solar industry? Why does this discrepancy exist and how can we work to eradicate it? Kaitlin Borstelmann of Portland Oregon Women in… Continue reading “Women in Energy: POWERing Growth & Profit”
Access the Tools, Network & Knowledge You Need to Advance Your Solar Career Here are the powerhouse solar courses you don’t want to miss: Megawatt Design – Master large-scale solar project design, learn how to get your projects permitted and installed faster and cheaper. Access valuable tools and resources, while advancing your career and the… Continue reading “Access the Tools, Network & Knowledge You Need to Advance Your Solar Career”
Installers: Put the Solar Breaker on the Opposite Side of the Main Breaker – Here’s Why In this discussion board thread, Sean White explains why installers need to put the solar breaker on the opposite side of the main breaker. Please share your experience in the comments section below. Student: Could you please explain the reasoning… Continue reading “Installers: Put the Solar Breaker on the Opposite Side of the Main Breaker – Here’s Why”
Fill in Your Knowledge Gaps – October HVAC Trainings Sharpen and grow your skillset via a technical, online course about heating, ventilation, cooling and air conditioning systems: Integrated HVAC Engineering – Master the complex interaction of room air temperature, humidity, mean radiant temperature, ventilation rate, lighting, sound, and even odors… Continue reading “Fill in Your Knowledge Gaps – October HVAC Trainings”
Building & Powering an Award-Winning Net Zero Energy Home Can a home be beautiful, powered entirely by solar energy, use sustainable heating and cooling systems and save it’s owners roughly $3,500 a year? Why, yes it can. Just ask Joanne Coons, who built her award winning, single-family, Net Zero Energy… Continue reading “Building & Powering an Award-Winning Net Zero Energy Home”
PPA Deal with 3 Investors: Questions to Ask to Model and Structure the PPA When you’re working on a PPA deal with multiple investors you need to know each investor’s end goal and then structure the PPA accordingly. Do you need to consider a Partnership Flip or the Unstructured model returns? Here’s a discussion from our… Continue reading “PPA Deal with 3 Investors: Questions to Ask to Model and Structure the PPA”
The Best Way to Sell Solar, According to a Nobel Prize Winning Economist “So Myron, have you installed solar panels on your house?” I asked. The answer was no: “I have these magnificent redwood trees, so that gives me trouble”… THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON BLOG.AURORASOLAR.COM ON 9/3/2016 …Indeed, we performed a shading analysis… Continue reading “The Best Way to Sell Solar, According to a Nobel Prize Winning Economist”
Climate Change: Global Crisis + A Wealth-Creating Opportunity? Boosting our economy – both nationally and globally – and solving humanity’s shared climate change challenge are not mutually exclusive endeavors. In fact, many of today’s brightest minds say they go hand in hand, and even make the case that climate change… Continue reading “Climate Change: Global Crisis + A Wealth-Creating Opportunity?”
Grow Your Green Building Skillset Online — From Design to Retrofits From building science to retrofits, energy modeling, smart homes, and beyond, HeatSpring offers a comprehensive marketplace of green building courses. Join your expert instructors for weeks of top notch technical training. Deep Energy Retrofits – Upgrade existing residential and commercial buildings… Continue reading “Grow Your Green Building Skillset Online — From Design to Retrofits”
Get Charged: Stylish Solar Bags Gaining Traction Solar is cool. Well… at least BirkSun’s new Boost Sports Collection is. Designed to be lightweight, durable, and waterproof, these bags were made for the active, youthful, and adventurous. Just under $250 and rechargeable via the sun or a wall outlet, Boost… Continue reading “Get Charged: Stylish Solar Bags Gaining Traction”
Meet NABCEP! By now, all solar professionals have heard of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certifications. But, what does it mean to be NABCEP certified, and how can you get certified? How is the new Associate Program different from… Continue reading “Meet NABCEP!”
Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers Microgrids are an emerging technology with few real-world examples to study. This new short course, taught by Dr. Andy Skumanich, covers two real-world examples of microgrid solutions for major application segments: rural electrification and off-grid telecom tower power. These two segments… Continue reading “Key Microgrid Application Case Studies: Rural Electrification & Telecom Towers”
The SunEdison Collapse & Today’s Solar Market It’s ugly out there. The folding of SunEdison has been a disaster for the industry. With the recent SolarCity announcement of Elon and the Rive Brothers using their cashed-in stock options to create a short term bond, what does this mean for an… Continue reading “The SunEdison Collapse & Today’s Solar Market”
Understanding Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Renewable Energy Systems show strong Returns on Investment (ROI) and energy storage appears to add to the benefits at the bottom line. Learn the elements of energy storage for residential and commercial clients with this introductory overview of the field,… Continue reading “Understanding Residential and Commercial Energy Storage”
Fostering Sustainability in Prisons + Reducing Emissions/Consumption How can prisons act as a catalyst for sustainability efforts? In 2003, Dan Pacholke, Superintendent of Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington, attempted to answer that question by implementing rainwater harvesting and composting measures designed to reduce waste, cut costs,… Continue reading “Fostering Sustainability in Prisons + Reducing Emissions/Consumption”
Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program — New, FREE Trainings! At HeatSpring, we’re no strangers to the amazing work of Glenna Wiseman at Identity3 and the Energy Trust of Oregon. That’s why we’ve decided to share the Build it Bright! Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program with our audience. This training series, facilitated… Continue reading “Crafting Your Solar Marketing Program — New, FREE Trainings!”
The ASES 2016 National Solar Tour From Maine to California, and almost everywhere in between, ASES’ 2016 National Solar Tour allows visitors to view over 35 solar energy sites across the United States The ASES National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots solar event in the nation,… Continue reading “The ASES 2016 National Solar Tour”
Deep Energy Retrofits for Historic Buildings Historic buildings are a special case in the world of Deep Energy Retrofits, as they bring additional constraints and special structural issues to the forefront. Still, bringing a beloved (but usually energy inefficient) community building into the resource climate of… Continue reading “Deep Energy Retrofits for Historic Buildings”