Solar 101’s Main Benefits

Course Diversity, Ease & Flexibility

The program is a collection of courses that are designed to meet the needs of today’s solar workforce. This includes a wide range of information on topics such as modern grid infrastructure, the most current technologies, policy developments, and market trends. Lessons are delivered in succinct 5–10-minute videos, maximizing comprehension and ease of learning.

SEIA CEO Abigail Ross Hopper emphasized the timeliness of this program given the nation’s workforce development needs: “The solar and storage workforce is not going to grow to one million Americans by 2030 on its own, so there was a clear need for SEIA to step up with tools to help companies address mounting workforce development challenges… Solar 101 will equip this generation of energy workers with the knowledge they need to grow the clean energy economy and capitalize on an unprecedented window of policy certainty.”

Solar 101 allows users to learn according to their specific needs, enabling them to skip topics they are already knowledgeable in if desired. Providing this non-linear learning structure makes the program a flexible resource for training solar professionals of all levels.

A complete list of Solar 101’s lessons can be found below:

● Introduction to SEIA’s Solar 101

● Terminology

● Electricity 101

● U.S. Electric Grid: Tech Specs and Historical Overview

● U.S. Electricity Market Design

● Evolving Policy/Technical Issues in Grid Design and Regulation

● The Solar Resource and Photovoltaic Effect

● Residential Market

● Commercial Market

● Community Solar Market

● Utility Scale Market

● General Trends

● The Solar Industry and Climate Goals

● Challenges and Opportunities

● Federal Government and Solar: Introduction

● Tax Policy: ITC & PTC Basics

● Tax Policy: ITC Requirements and Adders

● State Regulatory Overview: PUCs/PSCs

● RPS/RECs

● Environmental Justice

● Expanding Solar Access

● Codes and Standards

● Brief History of Solar and International Trade

● Overview of the U.S. Solar Supply Chain

● PV Recycling

● Overview of Existing Workforce and Future Needs

Scalability for Teams

SEIA has made it easy for companies of all sizes to afford and implement Solar 101 as part of their training program. Different pricing packages are available depending on team size and SEIA membership status. Individuals are also able to register for a relatively low fee.

Upon completion of the Solar 101 core courses, participants will receive a certificate as proof of their training. The certificate is personalized to provide an accurate record of the student, date, and associated company.