Frequently Asked Questions

How does this course work?

You can begin this online course instantly upon enrollment. This 6 module course is delivered entirely online. 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. After successfully completing the course, you will be able to generate a certificate of completion.

How long does this course take to complete

You get access to all of the course materials as soon as you enroll and can ask Sean questions on the discussion board for a full year.

You can move as fast or slow as you want through the course materials. Since the course includes 6 modules, we recommend a pace of working 5-10 hours per week for 6 weeks. Some students power through it all into one week, some take a whole year. You can always rewatch videos or skip ahead and come back.

Almost all of our students are working professionals in the industry so we try to make the course as flexible as possible so it can be completed alongside a full time job. We will send you weekly emails to help you push through the material but those emails are just informational and you can complete the course at your own pace.

After you complete all of the course materials and pass all of the quizzes, you can sign the honor code and request a certificate of completion. The certificate of completion will include CEU hours and can be used as documentation with NABCEP.

How long do I have access to the materials?

Students get unlimited access to the course materials as soon as they enroll and for one year (365 days) after enrollment. Rewatch videos and review assignments as many times as you want. View updates the instructor makes to the course as the industry advances. Return to your course anytime with online access from anywhere in the world. After the one year of access expires, access can be extended by joining as a HeatSpring member. A single membership extends access to course materials for all past enrollments.

Does this course qualify me for the NABCEP PV Design Specialist Certification or other NABCEP PV Certifications?

HeatSpring is an accredited provider with NABCEP and yes this course is pre-approved for Advanced PV Training hours required by NABCEP to sit for the PV Design Specialist Certification exam or any other NABCEP
PV Certification exam. It also counts for sub-categories of hours (NEC etc) but the number of hours varies for each NABCEP credential.

To see exactly how many hours this course counts for, please use our 3-step NABCEP Credential Course Finder .

Is the NABCEP certification exam based on the 2017 NEC or the new 2020 NEC code? Which code does this course cover?

All NABCEP certification exams are currently based on the 2017 NEC. Until this so changes our exam prep courses, including this course will continue to focus on the 2017 NEC.

Your instructor Sean White did add a new free course on the 2020 NEC here as well which you can access for free by enrolling here: Photovoltaics and the 2020 National Electric Code (NEC).

Is there a certificate of completion?

Yes, when you complete this course you are eligible for a certificate of completion from HeatSpring. You can download your certificate as soon as you have completed all of the course requirements. Students can easily share their verified certificates on their LinkedIn profiles using our LinkedIn integration.

Would you please help me to understand how your course may differ from other online options (i.e. Solaraigen, Everblue, etc)?

Here is what we can tell you about our course:

Our course is taught by expert instructor Dr. Sean White. You get access to all of the course materials as soon as you enroll and can ask Sean questions on the discussion board. Sean is one of our most highly rated and reviewed instructor and answers every question typically within one business day, usually in great detail. You can optionally read through all of the past questions and answers from other students.

The course materials are actually a lot more than 40 hours of content, but the course is approved by NABCEP for 40 Advanced PV Training hours towards the NABCEP PV Certification exams. The course includes over 50 hours of core content as well as an additional 38 hours of optional content.

Sean is an IREC Master Trainer and was named trainer of the year. He is also an author with several books on PV Installation one of which you will need for the course. He will connect with you on LinkedIn.

So the structure of this course connects you with an expert who can answer your questions, and also provides a large amount of high quality content related to both passing the NABCEP exam as well as instruction on advanced solar PV installation and design topics.

The course is intended for industry professionals so our online format is flexible and you can move as fast or slow as you want. You can see the (mostly) outstanding student feedback here for this course.

Does this course cover sections from NEC Chapter 2? If so, which sections?

We do cover Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection as it applies to Solar PV Systems, specifically Articles/Sections:

250 Grounding and Bonding

Sections:
250.50 Grounding Electrode Systems
250.52 Grounding Electrodes
250.53 Grounding Electrode System Installation
250.54 Auxiliary Grounding Electrodes
250.64 Grounding Electrode Conductor Installation
250.66 Size of ac GEC
250.120 EGC Installation
250.122 Size of EGCs
250.166 Size of dc GEC
240 Overcurrent Protection

Sections:
240.4 Protection of Conductors
240.5 (Will be in 2020 NEC updated material in January)
240.6 Standard Ampere Ratings
240.21 Location in Circuit (Feeder Taps)
Much of the details of overcurrent protection and wire sizing for Solar PV Systems is in Article 690. We do cover the specifics of wire sizing, which can be related to wire sizing of non-solar loads.

And a little bit of:

200 Use and Identification of Grounded Conductors

Sections:
200.6 Means of Identifying Grounded Conductors
230 Services

Sections:
230.2 Number of Services
230.82 Equipment Connected to Supply Side of Service

Much of the Chapter 2 material that we do cover is referenced when Article 690 Solar Photovoltaic Systems or Article 705 Interconnected Power Production Sources sends us to Chapter 2.

Can I register multiple people?

Yes please visit our HeatSpring for Teams page to get a group discount.

I am seeking to get NABCEP PVTS certified, I will need 32 hours or training. I am confused as this course appears to offer 40 hours of credits but at the bottom it says only 20 are applicable for PVTS certification, can you please clarify? I see another 20 for JTA, what is this for?

Yes this can be confusing. NABCEP has approved this course for Advanced Training Hours and CEU hours. The number of hours approved is different for some of the certifications and CEU subcategories, including the PV Technical Sales Certification (PVTS).

NABCEP only counts 20 hours for this course towards the PVTS certification because that's all the PVTS applicable content. If you take the course, you would be able to click through other content you don't need, or watch it if you want for your own education.

Yes the 20 JTA is 20 hours of Job Task Analysis CEUs for continuing education requirements. You would need that to recertify every 3 years. To sit for the exam you just need the Advanced Training hours.

For more information, visit the PV Technical Sales Certification detail page. The Megawatt Design and Comprehensive Solar Plus Storage courses offer more Advanced Training hours towards the PVTS. And the Photovoltaics and the 2020 National Electric Code (NEC)' course listed there is free and counts for 2 hours, so that would give you the 32 hours total you need.