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 solar industry and connecting with a network of professionals.

Advanced Solar + Storage – Master a technical understanding […]

Megawatt Design: 3 Obstacles You Might Face (…and 3 Solutions!)

Megawatt Design expert Ryan Mayfield addresses 3 obstacles that professionals in the field might experience.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
Student 1: The most common obstacle we run in to is the structural requirement during the initial budgeting phase. Typically the potential customer does not want to pay for a structural analysis of a building roof or soil borings and engineering […]

Sean White on Microinverters, String Inverters & Optimizers

On the 40 Hour Advanced Solar PV Installer Training Discussion Board…
Sean White discusses microinverters, string inverters & optimizers

Student 1: I am enjoying the course and I like the way you explain things by citing real world examples. I just want to get your opinion on microinverters. These provide great solutions for power optimization and rapid shutdown, not to mention the […]

Ryan Mayfield on Megawatt Design Equipment and Software Selection

Happening on the Megawatt Design Discussion Board…
Expert Instructor Ryan Mayfield on three student questions regarding Megawatt Design equipment and software selection
1. String inverters & AFCI failures…

Student 1: I have seen many people staying with central inverters on big jobs mostly due to AFCI failures. I think the AFCI issues are being resolved, but it burned […]

SolarPro, HeatSpring, Ryan Mayfield Launch Megawatt Solar Design Class

 The online technical training experts at HeatSpring have teamed up with photovoltaic design and instruction professional Ryan Mayfield and technical media specialists SolarPro to launch a 10-week online course in megawatt-scale solar PV system design. To learn more about the course, register for one of two premium webinars being offered:

Cost Effective Megawatt Design with Ryan Mayfield on Tuesday May 20th at 1pm EST.

The Megawatt Design class is a technically rigorous and challenging 10-week course. Click this link for a complete commercial solar design training description and to claim one of thirty $500 bird discounts that are available.
The course has been developed for professionals who are responsible for designing, specifying, permitting, and managing the construction of megawatt-scale large-commercial solar projects and who need to stay current on equipment selection, design, budgeting, and code compliance. It is tailored to professionals with previous experience in large-commercial PV system design as well as those seeking to expand into the commercial market from a base of experience in residential PV system design. Students will use computer aided drafting, industry specific design tools and spreadsheet tools to complete the course.
Graduates of the Megawatt Design class will:

Submit a complete set of drawings, equipment, budget, code references, and calculations for an actual megawatt PV system design project.
Understand how to design projects that are cost effective, structurally sound, high performance and code compliant.
Understand the current best practices for line side connections, grounding, rapid shutdown, fire regulations, and other complex and common design challenges for large projects.
Be confident that their permitting package will be Code compliant the first time.

Course Outline

Project Qualification: In this opening week, we will review best practices for technical sales on large-scale commercial projects. Topics include: Establish major project goals, array location possibilities, rooftop/carport/ground mount, roof loading considerations, electrical infrastructure.
Equipment Selection: In this module we dive deeply into equipment selection. Pricing and equipment change rapidly in our industry. We’ll make sure you’re up to speed on the latest thinking. Topics include: Product selection thresholds, first cost, warranty, manufacturer service, module considerations including warranties and PID, inverter considerations, dc-to-ac ratio, micro/string/central inverter options, tracked and fixed racking, and system BOS.
Site Selection: This week we’ll cover requirements and best practices for siting your projects, covering both ground mount and rooftop systems. Topics include: Permissible shading allowances and  grading requirements for ground mounted arrays.
Software Tools: What software should you use to design large commercial solar projects? We’ll review the available options and help you to get the most out of your current or future program of choice, enabling fast, efficient design.
Designing Systems for Different Criteria: Every system design requires trade-offs. This week will cover how to optimize your designs for different criteria and how to minimize the downside of the trade-offs you make. Topics include: Lowest first cost, maximized energy production and targeted energy production.
NEC Considerations: Code, Code, Code. We could spend the entire course covering code, but we’re going to assume everyone in this course has a firm grasp of the NEC. This week we’ll discuss some of the 2014 updates and nuanced details to help you make fewer mistakes and get your jobs permitted faster.
Fire Code Considerations: Large-commercial rooftop systems require an in-depth understanding of fire codes and techniques for coordinating with fire departments, inspectors and owners.2012  International Fire Code (IFC) requirements will be covered.
Operations & Maintenance: Develop a detailed O&M plan that can be refined and re-used on your next large-commercial PV project.
Permitting: How do you get your permitting done faster and cheaper? That’s the multi-million dollar question. In this module we’ll provide tips and tools for getting your projects permitted more easily than your competitors.
Capstone Project: Students will receive all the inputs for a large-commercial rooftop installation, and develop and submit drawings, equipment and budgets to get the project installed as quickly and inexpensively as possible without compromising performance. Data for the capstone project comes from a real job. We’ve masked the identity of the project, but you’ll get to see all of the choices that were made and discuss the pros and cons of each as you do the work of designing your own system.

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