Interplay’s SolarSimO&M is a NABCEP-accredited troubleshooting course that lets contractors practice troubleshooting four major residential system types in a simulated, video game-like environment.
Michigan-based HeatSpring has provided clean energy and building trade education for almost a decade. Initially, it offered training entirely face-to-face in three-day seminars across the country. But after success with some experimental online courses, the company decided to move its education programs fully online.
“We found that an online format enabled us to provide better quality education than we could in person,” said Duncan Miller, co-founder of HeatSpring. “An expert instructor can get much more in-depth in an eight-week online course than in a three-day seminar. Also, most of our students have full-time jobs, and the self-paced nature of our online courses allows them to review the material whenever it’s convenient. An online course can live for a long time—our instructors have seen their up-front investment in course development pay dividends over time. It’s also helped us reduce costs and pass those savings along to customers, so in the end everyone wins.”
Miller has seen demand for online learning steadily increase in the last five years as more people give it a try and experience the benefits. Obtaining certifications like NABCEP have further pushed contractors to look for training that fits their schedules.
Comly Wilson, marketing director of another solar education provider, Kaplan Clean Tech Education, said his company is also seeing demand for online training grow. “We’ve seen more and more contractors becoming comfortable with and searching out online training,” he said. “Though some people still are only interested in a classroom where an instructor is in front of them, online training is slowly but surely becoming an equally attractive option.”
Doug Donovan, CEO of Interplay Learning, attributes the increasing demand for his company’s online solar training to owners needing to quickly develop technicians. “Technical trades are facing a large and growing shortage of skilled workers,” he said. “Owners of contracting companies must improve their ability to develop their own technicians. Our platform will support this and enable companies to build a ‘culture of learning’ to support, grow and retain their employees.”
Interplay’s approach to online solar training allows contractors to learn in a simulation-based environment, kind of like a video game. “Simulation-based learning leads to faster employee productivity in the field, reduced in-the-field errors and higher employee retention,” Donovan said. “Our training speaks to the new generation of millennials in the work place. Additionally, the system helps reduce management stress of training and supporting employees. Owners are starting to recognize that quality training is directly linked to profitability, and we seek to support that by delivering timely, cost efficient and high-quality training.”
Some online solar training providers:
Kaplan Clean Tech Education: Offers courses geared toward residential PV installations. This includes courses for the physical installation of the system as well as the technical sales aspect of solar. Both paths discuss system design. In addition, an entry level course teaches the fundamentals of photovoltaics and the solar industry. Watch a couple demos of online learning here: demo1, demo2.
HeatSpring: Courses such as Solar PV Installer Boot Camp and 40-Hour Advanced Solar PV Installer help prepare participants to pass the NABCEP Entry Level and PV Installation Professional exams. HeatSpring instructors also offer courses to provide the technical and business knowledge to design, develop, finance and install world-class solar systems. HeatSpring’s Megawatt Design course covers the design of all types of large-scale solar PV projects, with a heavy emphasis on commercial rooftop systems, while its Advanced Solar + Storage provides an advanced technical perspective of residential, commercial and utility-scale solar-plus-storage systems. A six-week Solar Executive MBA Training is also available for those looking to develop and model commercial solar projects. Beyond paid content, HeatSpring also offer free tools and lectures.
Interplay Learning: With the support of NYSERDA, Interplay launched SolarSimO&M, a NABCEP-accredited troubleshooting course that lets contractors practice troubleshooting four major residential system types in a simulated, video game-like environment. Interplay is developing more options for simulated learning in areas of solar installation safety, grounding, wire management and racking. The provider is also in talks about creating training simulation with leading solar manufacturers.
Solar Energy International: SEI’s Renewable Energy Education Program (REEP) includes hands-on workshops and online courses in solar PV, wind, micro-hydro and solar hot water. SEI is a non-profit educational organization seeking to empower people around the world through the education of sustainable practices. SEI offers certificate programs in subjects from battery-based PV to developing world applications, and solar certification for NABCEP, RISE (certified solar roofing professional), UL PV system installer and state licensing requirements.