About Our Solar Business Training
The economics of solar are changing swiftly. This course looks into the business side of solar where shifts in financing, leasing, utility rates, and equipment prices are aiding the market in rapid expansion.
This solar business training course is based on both the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Task Analysis, as well as ImagineSolar’s years of experience as solar industry practitioners and policy makers.
Tuition includes the following:
- Textbook: PV Technical Sales by Sean White
- One year of access to all course materials
- 60 hours of advanced training credit for the NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification Exam Application
Benefits of an online course:
- Immediately access the course upon registration.
- Work through the learning materials at your own pace.
- Ability to watch videos and review content as many times as you want.
The economics of solar are changing swiftly. This course looks into the business side of solar where shifts in financing, leasing, utility rates, and equipment prices are aiding the market in rapid expansion.
This solar business training course is based on both the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Task Analysis, as well as ImagineSolar’s years of experience as solar industry practitioners and policy makers.
- 60 Advanced Training Hours
- Immediately access the course upon registration.
- Work through the learning materials at your own pace.
- Enrollment duration is 12 months.
- Ability to watch videos and review content as many times as you want.
$695.00Add to cart
Wait List
If you are interested in a full semester classroom-plus-online version of this course (in Austin, TX), then please add your name to the wait list here.
Our Advanced Solar Business & Technical Sales course has two parts:
- Part 1: focuses on Solar PV Marketing and Technical Sales. Course participants learn several topics essential to the process of qualifying prospective customers, conducting customer site assessments, developing conceptual designs, calculating expected performance, calculating the non-financial benefits, and preparing customer proposals for solar photovoltaic systems. In addition, they will learn about the process of commissioning, monitoring, & turning-over the PV system to the customer.
- Part 2: focuses on Solar PV System Financial Analysis and Financing. Course participants learn several topics essential to the process of understanding utility rate structures, the new Value of Solar (VoS) tariffs, net metering, and incentives (rebates, PBIs, tax credits, etc.). Also, they learn how to do the cost breakdown analysis for an installed PV system and how to calculate the financial justification for solar customers. They will learn about the options for PV system financing including loans, leases, and power purchasing agreements. In addition, they will learn about the future of distributed generation using PV systems as new policies are being implemented throughout solar markets.
The course has 83 video lectures and includes over 500 questions in the exercises and the exams.
Recommended Prerequisite:
Our solar technologies course PV201e: Principles of Solar PV System Design and Installation (online) or other types of study on the solar resource and solar industry technologies.
Depending on your background, NABCEP may require you to have the PV Associate Credential to be eligible to take the PV Technical Sales Certification exam. You can read more about the PV Technical Sales Certification exam requirements and qualifications at nabcep.org. If you want to become a NABCEP PV Associate, check out our PV201e course.
Part 1
Lesson 1: Dynamics and Trends of the Solar PV Industry & the Solar Professional
Lesson 2: Qualifying the Customer
Lesson 3: Site Analysis/Site Assessment
Lesson 4: PV System Conceptual Design and Performance Analysis
Lesson 5: Non-Financial Benefit Analysis for Adopting Solar PV Technology
Lesson 6: Proposals, Commissioning, Monitoring, & Turning-Over the System to the Customer
Part 2
Lesson 7: Utility Rate Structures
Lesson 8: Incentive Programs for PV Systems
Lesson 9: PV Systems Cost
Lesson 10: Financial Analysis for PV Systems
Lesson 11: PV System Financing – Loans, Leases, Power Purchase Agreements
Lesson 12: The Future of Distributed Generation
NABCEP Technical Sales Certification Exam
(Ref: NABCEP Certification Handbook Updated January 2018)
7.2 Experience Requirements
7.2.1 Definitions
Verifiable Sales Experience “actively engaged in PV installation systems sales-
related activities, including the completion of the number of PV installation system
proposals required by the applicant’s Qualifying Category. (See Section 7.3 for
Categories.) Sales-related activities include engaging in the sale and/or design of PV
installation systems. This may include individuals employed as sales managers, site
analysts, system designers, technical support personnel, business development
representatives, business development managers, sales representatives, account
managers, sales engineers, and project finance analysts.
For each of the proposals completed for PV systems, the following requirements apply:
- At least half (1/2) of the installations must have resulted in completed sales AND
completed installations; - No more than one (1) proposal may be submitted to a relative or person residing
at the applicant’s address. This proposal must have resulted in a completed sales and
installation.
7.3 Qualifying for the Examination
The NABCEP Board of Directors and PV Technical Sales Professional Technical
Committee have established the following seven (7) Qualifying Categories for NABCEP
PV Technical Sales Professional Certification. Applicants must satisfy the requirements
of at least one (1) of the following categories to qualify for certification.
Category A
- At least sixty (60) hours of advanced training directly related to the NABCEP PV
Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis (PVTS JTA); AND - Verifiable sales experience, including the completion of at least four (4) PV installation
system sales proposals within the twelve (12) month period prior to applying for the
PVTS Certification; AND - Achieve a passing score on the NABCEP PV Associate Examination. (Note: The
Associate course taken for the Associate Exam may not count toward the 60 hours of
required training.) [Note from ImagineSolar: our course PV201e prepares you for the
NABCEP PV Associate Exam.]
Category B
- At least thirty-two (32) hours of advanced training directly related to the NABCEP PV
Technical Sales Professional Job Task Analysis; AND - Verifiable sales experience, including the completion of at least eight (8) PV
installation system sales proposals within the twenty-four (24) month period prior to
applying for the PVTS Certification; AND - Achieve a passing score on the NABCEP PV Associate Examination. (Note: The
Associate course taken for the Associate Exam may not count toward the 32 hours of
required training.) [Note from ImagineSolar: our course PV201e prepares you for the
NABCEP PV Associate Exam.]
Category C
- Associate degree from an accredited educational institution in renewable energy
technology or related field of study; AND - Verifiable sales experience, including the completion of at least four (4) PV installation
system sales proposals within the twelve (12) month period prior to applying for the
PVTS Certification; AND - Achieve a passing score on the NABCEP PV Associate Examination. [Note from
ImagineSolar: our course PV201e prepares you for the NABCEP PV Associate Exam.]
Category D
- Bachelorâ’s Degree from an accredited educational institution; AND
- Verifiable sales experience, including the completion of at least four (4) PV installation
system sales proposals within the twelve (12) month period prior to applying for the
PVTS Certification.
Category E
- Currently credentialed as a NABCEP PV Installation Professional in good standing; or,
- Currently recognized by NABCEP as a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
Emeritus.
Category F
- Currently licensed as an electrician in the State in which the Applicant performs his/her
occupational activities; AND - Achieve a passing score on the NABCEP PV Associate Examination. [Note from
ImagineSolar: our course PV201e prepares you for the NABCEP PV Associate Exam.]
Category G
- Verifiable sales experience, including the completion of at least twenty (20) PV
installation system sales proposals within the sixty (60) month period prior to applying
for the PVTS Certification;
AND - At least five (5) years of documented PV installation systems sales-related experience.
- Entrepreneurs, Technologists, and Investors
- Contractors and Builders
- Insurance and Real Estate Professionals
- Project Developers and Financiers
- Technical Sales & Marketing professionals
- Electricians and Inspectors
- Engineers and Architects
- Solar Company Employees
- Aspiring solar industry professionals
ImagineSolar has trained thousands of individuals who have gone on to be an integral part of the solar industry. Our course teaches best practices using the most current technologies and methods for the solar industry. Our course instruction is continuously updated with the latest developments as the solar industry evolves. Many of ImagineSolar’s consultants, instructors, and lecturers have obtained one or more NABCEP certifications. To view their credentials please click here.
ImagineSolar Online allows you 12-months access to the elearning campus to learn at your own pace, on your own schedule, and from anywhere – all with live instructor support. In addition to the great course content, videos, readings, and problem sets, students can communicate with ImagineSolar instructors via forums, email, and by phone.
- Visual learners will love from the various charts, videos, images, animations and graphics.
- Auditory learners will love the recorded lectures, narrative video and recitation.
- Tactile learners will love the worksheets and slideshows.
Our online courses use the Moodle learning platform. There are no download requirements to use Moodle. The following are the system requirements to access the ImagineSolar elearning campus and to interact with our online material.
Bandwidth:
High-speed broadband Internet access is recommended.
Hardware:
You access our online courses from a web browser on your PC/tablet/notepad. Windows and Apple devices are both supported.
Browser Settings and Plug-ins:
Minimum Browser for using Moodle:
- Firefox 4
- Internet Explorer 8
- Safari 5
- Google Chrome 11
- Opera 9
The operating system is not important.
Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or higher with the following settings:
- JavaScript Enabled
- Cookies Enabled
- Pop-Up blocking Disabled
Moodle uses a Flash Player for viewing videos that is compatible with all PC-based and Android devices.
For Apple computers, install “Adobe Player for Mac†or its equivalent to view the video lectures.
For Apple iPads, install Photon Flash Player for iPad or the Puffin Web Browser or the equivalent.
I appreciated the broad range of topics
“I appreciated the broad range of topics and the balance of content between sections. The lecturer was a good teacher also.”
Lots of Info
“Lots of info to help with quizzes, I like the online course it helps me do things at my own pace.”
Starting to Get Serious
“I’ve taken this course [Advanced Solar Business and Technical Sales] from ImagineSolar (in the classroom) and can highly recommend it for anyone starting to get serious about their passion for all the solar industry offers, and, of course, for anyone in the industry ready to increase their professional credentials.”
ImagineSolar Prepared Me
“ImagineSolar prepared me for the NABCEP installer and technical sales tests. I hold both certificates and highly recommend ImagineSolar.”