About this course

This free course includes one recorded presentation walking through ten annotated defect photos and what they cost, plus a downloadable one-page inspection cheat sheet and a short quiz.

Maybe this will save millions of dollars on your next utility-scale solar project. How's that for return-on-investment?

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the defect cost curve — the same defect at four prices ($2 at installation, $200 at QC inspection, $20K at commissioning, $2M in operation, roughly 10× at each stage) — and use it to frame every quality decision as a bet on which price gets paid.
  • Apply the three-question inspection read to any observation: What do I see? What's the mechanism by which this becomes failure? What does it trigger — is this one defect, or one of many?
  • Recognize that the most expensive defects are often documentation defects, not physical ones — the course deliberately shifts the participant's definition of "defect" from visible damage to records that don't match reality (the pivot around case #8).
  • Complete a spot-the-defect assessment using the downloadable 10-case dossier and quiz.

Course outline

2 modules
1 hour to complete
22 minutes of video lectures
Module 1 • 6 assignments
The Defect Files: 10 Solar Construction Defects Hiding in Plain Sight

Every one of these ten defects passed somebody's inspection. A pile with clean paperwork and a dishonest drive log. A connector that clicked — sort of. A bonding washer doing nothing at all, invisibly. A relay running test settings behind a signed settings sheet. In this free mini-course, you'll play inspector: for each case you get the photograph first and the answer second, the way the field actually works. Along the way, you'll learn the cost curve that governs every quality decision on a utility-scale site ($2 at installation, $2 million in year three), the trained-eye reads that catch each defect at its cheap moment, and why the most expensive defects on modern projects aren't in the steel at all — they're in the records. 

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Conclusion • 2 assignments
Feedback and Additional Resources

This is our last module but you still have access to the all of course materials so keep working and you'll be able to complete the course at your own pace. Enjoy the course and keep in touch!

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Instructor

Julie Stiglish

Managing Member, JS Renewable Energy Group

Julie Stiglish Owner & Managing Member, JS Renewable Energy Group LLC A 25-year electrical construction veteran, Julie Stiglish has spent the past 16 years in utility-scale solar — the side of the fence where quality is either built in or paid for later. She is the founder of JS Renewable Energy Group, a woman-owned consulting firm based in Arizona that provides...

Frequently asked questions

Full FAQ
How does this course work?
This is a free course. Enroll today and get access to all of the materials instantly. Pre-order courses are available on launch date. This course is self-paced and you can set your own schedule to complete the materials. You can begin the lecture videos and other course materials as soon as you enroll. During your year of access the instructor will be in the course answering questions on the discussion board.
How long do I have access to the materials?
For free courses there is no guarantee for how long the course materials will be available.
Will the instructor really answer my questions during this course?
Yes! This is an instructor-led online course. You can ask questions on the discussion board and get prompt answers from your instructor. It varies by instructor and by course but typically instructors check-in between daily and weekly to check quiz results or project work, review and respond to discussion board questions and read survey responses. Check the enrollment page for specific information about each instructor's check-in frequency.
Is there a certificate of completion?
Certificates of completion are only provided to HeatSpring Membership subscribers. This course has not been approved by any credentialing organizations (NABCEP, AIA, USGBC etc) for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). This course is for self education purposes only and completion does not indicate a level of professional expertise or credential.
Can I register multiple people?
Yes, this is a free course so you can share this page with other people from your team.

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