About this course
As the demand for home electrification continues to rise—driven by electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar-plus-storage systems—one of the most common barriers for homeowners and contractors is the need for a main panel upgrade. These upgrades are often costly, time-consuming, and difficult to coordinate with utilities, often delaying or derailing projects.
These challenge has spurred significant innovation over the last decade where the evolution of NEC code, new best practices in power efficient design and development of new technologies combine to allow almost any project to be achieved without spending the money, time or the grid impact of a main panel upgrade!
These challenge has spurred significant innovation over the last decade where the evolution of NEC code, new best practices in power efficient design and development of new technologies combine to allow almost any project to be achieved without spending the money, time or the grid impact of a main panel upgrade!
This advanced course provides professionals with the critical skills and insights to design, plan, and implement residential electrification projects without requiring main panel upgrades. Drawing current NEC code pathways, collaboration with leading experts on power efficiency and emerging energy management technologies, learners will be equipped with the tools to deliver safer, faster, and more cost-effective electrification solutions.
Key Learning Outcomes:
✅ Understand the technical and financial implications of main panel and service upsizing, including service size, bus bar limitations, and space constraints.
✅ Apply NEC 220.83 (calculated load) and NEC 220.87 (measured load) methodologies to assess panel capacity with confidence.
✅ Create more physical space on existing panels through circuit re-wiring strategies, breaker optimization and sub-panel utilization.
✅ Identify opportunities to reduce peak loads through power-efficient appliances, circuit management and energy management systems.
✅ Develop a foundational understanding backfeed limitations and calculations associated with the NEC 705.12(b)(2)(3)(b) and the 120% rule.
✅ Expand the approaches for adding more solar and storage backfeed with main breaker derates, specialized panels, and the Hawaiian tie-in technique applying NEC 705.12(b)(2)(3)(c), the "sum of the breakers" rule.
✅ Explore 5 diferent applications Power Control Systems (PCS) for solar-only, solar + storage, export limiting, non-export systems along with the "silver bullet" which allows solar + storage to equal busbar capacity with "dynamic" Power Control Systems.
✅ Apply Energy Management Systems (EMS) to dynamically optimize power flow and protect against panel overloads, including the application of NEC 625.45 for EV Charging and NEC 2023 220.70 for whole home energy management systems.
✅ Discover the power and application of the meter collar / meter adapter solution for the addition of distributed energy systems, additional loads (like an EV charger) and for almost instantaneous whole home back-up.
✅ Apply NEC 220.83 (calculated load) and NEC 220.87 (measured load) methodologies to assess panel capacity with confidence.
✅ Create more physical space on existing panels through circuit re-wiring strategies, breaker optimization and sub-panel utilization.
✅ Identify opportunities to reduce peak loads through power-efficient appliances, circuit management and energy management systems.
✅ Develop a foundational understanding backfeed limitations and calculations associated with the NEC 705.12(b)(2)(3)(b) and the 120% rule.
✅ Expand the approaches for adding more solar and storage backfeed with main breaker derates, specialized panels, and the Hawaiian tie-in technique applying NEC 705.12(b)(2)(3)(c), the "sum of the breakers" rule.
✅ Explore 5 diferent applications Power Control Systems (PCS) for solar-only, solar + storage, export limiting, non-export systems along with the "silver bullet" which allows solar + storage to equal busbar capacity with "dynamic" Power Control Systems.
✅ Apply Energy Management Systems (EMS) to dynamically optimize power flow and protect against panel overloads, including the application of NEC 625.45 for EV Charging and NEC 2023 220.70 for whole home energy management systems.
✅ Discover the power and application of the meter collar / meter adapter solution for the addition of distributed energy systems, additional loads (like an EV charger) and for almost instantaneous whole home back-up.
Who Should Enroll:
- Energy consultants and electrification advisors
- Solar and storage system designers
- Residential electricians and contractors
- Residential architects and engineers
- Utility program implementers
- Building performance specialists
- NGO energy consultants and manager
- Policy and technical experts
By the end of this course, participants will have a deep technical understanding and practical framework to design for electrification without panel upgrades—maximizing client value, reducing time to impliment, increasing grid compatibility, and project feasibility at large.
Subjects covered
Solar
Energy Storage
Building Performance
Utilities
Design and Installation
Solar + Storage
Utility Interconnection
Microgrids
Electric Vehicles & VPP
Batteries and Storage
Electrification
Safety & Compliance
Electrical Distribution
ADMS
Learning Objectives
- Explain the technical, financial, and grid impacts of main panel upgrades and why they can delay electrification projects.
- Identify the components and capacity limits of a residential electrical system, including service size, bus bar rating, main breaker, and available breaker spaces.
- Apply National Electrical Code (NEC) load calculation methods—NEC 220.83 (calculated load) and NEC 220.87 (measured load)—to assess a home’s ability to support additional loads.
- Evaluate power-efficient appliances, smart panels, and load management devices to reduce peak demand and avoid unnecessary panel upgrades.
- Implement NEC 705.12 backfeed rules, including the 120% rule and alternative configurations, to increase solar and battery storage integration.
- Incorporate Power Control Systems (PCS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) to dynamically balance loads and maintain code compliance.
- Analyze real-world case studies where main panel upgrades were successfully avoided, resulting in significant cost and time savings.
- Design electrification projects that optimize existing infrastructure, enhance energy efficiency, and remain compliant with NEC requirements.
Course outline
14 modules
4 - 6 hours to complete
1.
Orientation Materials
1.
Orientation Materials
This course is self-paced, so you don’t need to be logged in at any specific time. You can get started immediately after you enroll and the course materials will remain in your account with minimum guaranteed access for 12 months (1 year) after enrollment.
2.
Introduction
2.
Introduction
3.
Problem Statement
3.
Problem Statement
4.
Fundamentals 1
4.
Fundamentals 1
5.
Fundamentals 2
5.
Fundamentals 2
6.
Fundamentals 3
6.
Fundamentals 3
7.
Load Calculations
7.
Load Calculations
8.
Panel Efficiency
8.
Panel Efficiency
9.
Backfeed 1 - What & Why
9.
Backfeed 1 - What & Why
10.
Backfeed 2 - The Rules & Tools
10.
Backfeed 2 - The Rules & Tools
11.
Power Control Systems
11.
Power Control Systems
12.
Energy Management Systems
12.
Energy Management Systems
13.
The Meter Collar
13.
The Meter Collar
14.
Feedback and Additional Resources
14.
Feedback and Additional Resources
This is our last module but you still have access to the all of course materials for 12 months (1 year), so keep working and you'll be able to complete the course at your own pace. After your year of access expires you can optionally extend access with a HeatSpring Membership. Enjoy the course and keep in touch!
Instructor
Spencer Rosen
Chief Energy Officer, Home Energy Academy
Frequently asked questions
Full FAQHow does this course work?
This course is delivered entirely online. Pre-order courses are available on launch date. This course is self-paced and you can set your own schedule to complete the materials. 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 do I have access to the materials?
Students can pre-order but will not be able to access the full course materials or earn a certificate of completion until the course is fully published. Once the course is published any students who have pre-ordered will then have access to the course materials for one year (365 days). 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.
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?
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.
Can I register multiple people?
Yes, please visit our For Teams page to get a group discount.
Can't find the answer you're looking for?
Send us a messageJoin Our Newsletter
Discover more similar courses and get industry updates and insights from HeatSpring Magazine.