How do I Understand Optimal Voltage Drop Percentage? Q+A from NABCEP Advanced PV Installer Training I have question about voltage drop. In my area, some sources say if Voltage drop is less than 3% it is ok, some sources say it must be not more than 2%. How do I understand optimal Voltage Drop %?… Continue reading “How do I Understand Optimal Voltage Drop Percentage? Q+A from NABCEP Advanced PV Installer Training”
New Format for Deep Energy Retrofits by Marc Rosenbaum We’ve just released a new version Marc Rosenbaum’s renowned Deep Energy Retrofits Course. Instead of a scheduled session which happens once a year, this course is now offered as a self-study on demand course which students can begin anytime. We’ve… Continue reading “New Format for Deep Energy Retrofits by Marc Rosenbaum”
Reminder February 3, 2017 is the NABCEP Certification Application Deadline NABCEP Certified Professionals are in demand by state incentive programs, employers, insurers and projects around the country. The opportunity to sit for the certification exam only comes twice a year, so act now to give yourself a brighter future. The… Continue reading “Reminder February 3, 2017 is the NABCEP Certification Application Deadline”
Results from our Customer Survey and Changes at HeatSpring Over the past few months we have been conducting some intensive research and analysis of our customers. We conduced a large survey to our mailing list and received over 800 responses, about 50% were customers who had purchased a course… Continue reading “Results from our Customer Survey and Changes at HeatSpring”
General Mills & The Whey to Sustainable Food Production What is anaerobic digestion? How has General Mills’ Murfreesboro Plant leveraged it to save 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel, produce 1.6 megawatts of electricity and return 2,000 acres of farmland back to agricultural use? Sustainable Woman and Energy Engineer Leslie Marshall discusses.… Continue reading “General Mills & The Whey to Sustainable Food Production”
Exploring the National Parks & Reducing (Car)bon Emissions Sarah Knapp began OutdoorFest in 2013 with the vision of connecting city slickers to the great outdoors, sustainably. She’s brought together hundreds of New Yorkers through Festivals, “Mappy Hours” and online resources like the Get Outside Guide. Most recently, she… Continue reading “Exploring the National Parks & Reducing (Car)bon Emissions”
Shading Losses for PV Systems, and Techniques to Mitigate Them This article was originally published on Aurora Solar’s Blog Since PV systems generate electricity based on the amount of sunlight they are receiving, it makes sense that when a shadow is cast on a panel, from either a passing cloud… Continue reading “Shading Losses for PV Systems, and Techniques to Mitigate Them”
Solar O&M: Tips for Contractors, The Future of Solar & Workforce Development The solar industry is booming, and there’s a lot to keep track of. From system configuration to energy storage, O&M (Operations and Maintenance) and beyond, the job of Franklin Beach Energy’s Managing Director Carter Wall is never really done. Sustainable woman Carter… Continue reading “Solar O&M: Tips for Contractors, The Future of Solar & Workforce Development”
Infrared Imaging & The Future of Solar PV: A 30 Year Industry Veteran Reflects Dr. James rand is a 30-year solar veteran, president of Core Energy Works, a HeatSpring expert instructor AND a Sustainable Scholar. He spoke with us about his professional journey, how the industry has changed, his HeatSpring courses and the future of… Continue reading “Infrared Imaging & The Future of Solar PV: A 30 Year Industry Veteran Reflects”
Developing Your Solar Project: Research, Permits & Market Opportunities Chris Lord and Keith Cronin discuss property records, attractive solar markets and permitting processes on the Solar Executive MBA Training discussion board. Takeaways: It’s often helpful to work with a county clerk when determining which property records you’ll need Solar market… Continue reading “Developing Your Solar Project: Research, Permits & Market Opportunities”
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?”