3 Reasons Your PV System Load Profile is Overinflated and How to Fix It The article below is a discussion from our course, Batteries in Solar PV Systems, led by Christopher LaForge. Christopher LaForge is the CEO of Great Northern Solar and a NABCEP certified photovoltaic installer. He has been designing, specifying, and installing systems… Continue reading “3 Reasons Your PV System Load Profile is Overinflated and How to Fix It”
How to Take the IGSHPA Geothermal Certification Exam This is a short video explaining how the IGSHPA Geothermal Installer Certification exam works. The process has changed significantly in the past year – for the better – and we’re excited about how easy it is for students to take… Continue reading “How to Take the IGSHPA Geothermal Certification Exam”
Interview: Battery Expert Christopher LaForge on the Tesla Powerwall The debut of the Tesla Powerwall has made quite a splash in many circles. Claiming to outperform current battery systems for solar, it has the potential to make a large impact on the storage side of the production of solar… Continue reading “Interview: Battery Expert Christopher LaForge on the Tesla Powerwall”
4 Reasons Commissioning on Larger Solar PV Systems is Important The article below is an excerpt from the discussion board of our last Solar Executive MBA cohort. Student A and Student B are interested in learning more about: The importance of commissioning on larger solar systems The potential volatility of SRECs… Continue reading “4 Reasons Commissioning on Larger Solar PV Systems is Important”
Interview: Financial Models and Sample Documents for Commercial Solar Projects I recently spoke with Chris Lord and Keith Cronin about some of the financial modeling tools and sample documents that they frequently use to teach solar professionals working on commercial projects. Chris and Keith, who co-teach our Solar Executive MBA… Continue reading “Interview: Financial Models and Sample Documents for Commercial Solar Projects”
Passive House Design: An Investment in the Future This is a guest post by Mike Duclos. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant and principal and founder of DEAP Energy Group, a consultancy providing a wide variety of deep energy retrofit, zero net energy, and Passive House related… Continue reading “Passive House Design: An Investment in the Future”
3+ Ways to Replace Spray Foam Insulation in Your Basement Here’s a discussion feed from one of our best-selling courses, Zero Net Energy Homes. In the discussion, one of our students asks Marc Rosenbaum for foam-free ways to retrofit her New England basement. Here are the alternatives to spray foam… Continue reading “3+ Ways to Replace Spray Foam Insulation in Your Basement”
How I Failed to Attract Venture Capital and What It Says About HeatSpring I spent the summer of 2014 raising money. More accurately, I spent the summer of 2014 pitching investors to help our company grow more quickly, failed, and cried about it. This is the story of what happened and what it… Continue reading “How I Failed to Attract Venture Capital and What It Says About HeatSpring”
The Top Challenges with Technical Qualification for Commercial Solar Projects This article will provide a snapshot of the current technical challenges that engineers and project managers face with the technical qualification of solar projects. Project qualification is a critical part of the commercial solar sales process. It’s where sales, technical… Continue reading “The Top Challenges with Technical Qualification for Commercial Solar Projects”
NABCEP Certification: How To Get It, What It’s Worth This is a presentation I gave this week in Cleveland at the ElectroExpo. The audience was pretty small, just fifteen folks attended, so it turned into an intimate conversation rather than a formal presentation. An honest discussion about business, renewable… Continue reading “NABCEP Certification: How To Get It, What It’s Worth”
SpaceNews, Charles Miller, and the Incredible Commercial Space Course This week SpaceNews signed on as our media partner for the next round of the “Commercial Space Executive Leadership” course developed in partnership with the AIAA. I don’t like hyperbole or excessive hype, even when I talk about work we’re… Continue reading “SpaceNews, Charles Miller, and the Incredible Commercial Space Course”
Solar Leases vs. Solar Loans vs. Utility Rates vs. Cash Purchase (Used with permission. Source: http://cinnamonsolar.com/about-us/lease-borrow-or-buy/) The graph above is one of my favorites about the residential solar industry. It explains exactly why residential solar leasing is dying. It was created by Barry Cinnamon from Cinnamon Solar as a sales tool… Continue reading “Solar Leases vs. Solar Loans vs. Utility Rates vs. Cash Purchase”
The #1 Online Resource for Heating Questions: HeatingHelp.com Looking for an answer to all of your heating questions? Ask Dan Holohan. He’s the founder of the #1 online resource for heating questions: HeatingHelp.com. If Dan doesn’t know the answer, “The Wall” will (read below to learn more). I don’t… Continue reading “The #1 Online Resource for Heating Questions: HeatingHelp.com”
[Interview] Lessons Learned Developing Community Solar in Washington State (Source: Joe Deets from Community Solar Solutions. Used with permission) Today, I have a great interview for you community solar development lessons learned. I spoke with Joe Deets from Community Solar Solutions in Washington State. Joe was responsible for lobbying… Continue reading “[Interview] Lessons Learned Developing Community Solar in Washington State”
Online IGSHPA Geothermal Certification Course Now Available Between 2007 and 2011, we helped certify several thousand geothermal installers at 3-day workshops around the country. Oil and gas were expensive, and the industry was going through a big growth spurt. Over the past several years that growth has… Continue reading “Online IGSHPA Geothermal Certification Course Now Available”
Why We Chose HeatSpring as Our Educational Partner Mark Eatherton, Executive Director, Radiant Professionals Alliance authored the below article. We had a chance to see Mark at the ASHRAE conference a few weeks ago and when we told him we’d love to feature him in HeatSpring Magazine, he sent us… Continue reading “Why We Chose HeatSpring as Our Educational Partner”
Hydronic Air Handlers + Condensing Boilers = Greater System Efficiency The article below is a guest post from Roy Collver, President, OTBC Inc. Roy teaches Condensing Boilers in Hydronic Systems, a 6-week course where students optimize system designs and control strategies to take full advantage of the energy savings and comfort benefits boilers have to… Continue reading “Hydronic Air Handlers + Condensing Boilers = Greater System Efficiency”
Part 3 – Step-by-Step Process for Screening Land for Solar Development This is the third article in a three-part series about outlining the process for purchasing land with the intent to lease it to a solar developer. This is a personal project, but I felt it would be fun and appropriate… Continue reading “Part 3 – Step-by-Step Process for Screening Land for Solar Development”
Forest and Biomass Grants: Meet the Man Who’s Helped Companies Acquire $2.5 Million+ The article below is an interview with Craig Rawlings, President & CEO of the Forest Business Network (FBN). Craig has more than 30 years of experience in the forest products industry. As a “serial entrepreneur,” Craig has started and run several… Continue reading “Forest and Biomass Grants: Meet the Man Who’s Helped Companies Acquire $2.5 Million+”
Great Expectations: The Ten Most Common Mistakes of Solar Businesses and How to Avoid Them This article is a guest post from Bill Rever, Owner and Principal at WB Rever Associates. Bill spent ten years in senior strategic roles at BP Solar where he helped launch new products and companies. He’s advised some of the… Continue reading “Great Expectations: The Ten Most Common Mistakes of Solar Businesses and How to Avoid Them”