Leadership in Utility-Scale Solar Construction [Career Bridge Program]
This is a bundle of these 4 courses
About this course
- Site Superintendant
- Project Manager
- VP of Construction
- VP of Operations
We recommend taking these courses in the prescribed order, and talk about what you’re learning with your on-the-job mentor. Here’s what we assume about you:
- You have experience working as a solar technician
- You have a mentor supporting you on the job
- You are self-motivated to make this leap in your career
You can finish the series as quickly as you like, or take up to three years to complete them. Just like graduate school can be completed full time, or part time in the evenings.
Ready To Sign Up Today? Click Here to Enroll
Bundle outline
4 courses • 15 modules
Course 1 •
2
modules
Career Path: Leadership in Utility-Scale Solar Construction
Module 1 • 6 assignments
Learn more about this career path
- Introduction to Leadership in Utility Scale Solar (20:28 minutes)
- Introduction to the Course (optional download) (.pdf)
- Explore the IREC Solar Career Map
- 2023 IREC Career Job Census
- How the Inflation Reduction Act will Supercharge Solar in the US
- Workers flock to renewable energy jobs
Module 2 • 8 assignments
Interviews and perspectives from people doing these jobs
- Project Manager - Dylan Reitenbach (06:42 minutes)
- Head of Business Development (Manufacturing) - Rebecca Guo (10:38 minutes)
- Construction Manager - Becky Sorenson (19:23 minutes)
- VP of Construction - Anna Bautista (18:25 minutes)
- Podcast - Solars Biggest Risk - Not Enough Workers!
- Podcast - Bringing Solar Jobs to the Midwest
- Podcast - The Future of Working in Renewable Energy
- Podcast - Managing Large Scale Solar for Success
Course 2 •
5
modules
Understanding Utility Scale Solar Construction Drawings
Welcome • 2 assignments
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.
- Set up email notifications and your student profile
- Introduce yourself on the discussion board
Module 1 • 3 assignments
Introduction to the Course
- Introduction to the Course (13:52 minutes) Preview
- Introduction to the Course (optional download) (.pdf)
- How the Inflation Reduction Act will Supercharge Solar in the US
Module 2 • 6 assignments
Basics of Solar PV
- Lesson 1 - Basics of Solar PV (35:06 minutes)
- Lesson 1 - Basics of Solar PV (optional download) (.pdf)
- Basics of Solar PV Quiz
- Key Components in a Utility Scale Solar Power Plant
- Additional Resources & Links
- A Guide for Developers and Investors (.pdf)
Module 3 • 6 assignments
Basics of Drawings
- Lesson 2 - Basics of Construction Drawings (27:06 minutes)
- Lesson 2 - Basics of Construction Drawings (optional download) (.pdf)
- Basics of Drawings Quiz
- Basics of Bluebeam Revu
- Basics of Adobe Acrobat
- Additional Resources & Links
Module 4 • 6 assignments
Details of Drawings
- Lesson 3 - Details of Construction Drawings (01:21:07 hours)
- Lesson 3 - Details of Construction Drawings (optional download) (.pdf)
- Details of Drawings Quiz
- Topography & Contour Lines
- Using an Architectural Scale on Construction Drawings
- Using Bluebeam's Calibrate Scale Feature
Module 5 • 2 assignments
Expanding Your Opportunities
- Lesson 4 - Expanding your Opportunities (12:08 minutes)
- Lesson 4 - Expanding your Opportunities (optional download) (.pdf)
Conclusion • 5 assignments
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!
- Share the course on LinkedIn and with your wider network!
- 1 Year of Access to Course Materials
- Feedback: 2-minute Exit Survey
- Consider Joining as a HeatSpring Member
- Certificate of Completion: Request a Certificate
Course 3 •
4
modules
Quality Management in Utility Scale Solar Construction
Welcome • 4 assignments
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.
- Set up email notifications and your student profile
- Introduce yourself on the discussion board
- Introduction to the Course (14:51 minutes)
- Introduction to the Course (optional download) (.pdf)
Module 1 • 5 assignments
Basics of Solar
A high level introduction of the basics of solar PV. Firstly we’re going to look at some real fundamentals of solar PV. We'll go through the real basics of electricity so that we’re all on the same page there – we'll review the theory behind voltage, current, power and energy– and make sure that our understanding of these concepts is on point. We’ll then look at the flow of electricity though a solar PV plant – and touch on some of the key components like combiner boxes, inverters and transformers, which we’ll come back to later in the section in more detail. Then from a high level, we’ll look at some of the key players who are involved in the development, engineering, installation and long term maintenance of a large scale solar power plant… and the flow of a project from initiation all the way through to completion.
- Basics of Solar (35:07 minutes)
- Basics of Solar (optional download) (.pdf)
- Engineering - Basics of Solar - Quiz
- Engineering - Electrical Flow - Quiz
- How the Inflation Reduction Act will Supercharge Solar in the US
Module 2 • 5 assignments
Quality Management Principles
In this section, we’re going to first lay the groundwork for quality management – explaining why it’s so important in all construction activities, but particularly utility scale solar… and detailing how quality is a topic that has an outsized effect on many other critical processes and systems on a project… and can affect safety, schedule, budget and client relationships. We’ll then look at some wider quality management principles – gaining a general understanding of concepts like customer focus, continual improvement, process based planning and using data to make good decisions. And finally, we’ll wrap up this section by diving into Quality Assurance and Quality Control – or QA/QC. These are two concepts that are often used in the same breath, and many people don’t actually understand the core differences between these two components of a quality management system – so I think it’s worthwhile spending some time discussing the differences and interactions between QA and QC.
- Quality Management Principles (18:35 minutes)
- Quality Management Principles (optional download) (.pdf)
- Quality Management Principles - Quiz
- Additional Resource (PVTech Article) (.pdf)
- Top Causes of Solar Performance Issues
Module 3 • 4 assignments
Ensuring Quality in Utility Scale Solar Construction
We’ll begin by reemphazing the importance of planning – and how critical it is to go into projects well prepared. We’ll talk in depth about best practices for quality management in solar construction, and dive deep into the various inspections that need to be undertaken at each step of the build. We’ll then spend some time talking about drawings, and making sure that we have a thorough understanding of why well detailed engineering drawings, solid revision control and good RFI processes are so critical for a high quality project. We’ll touch base on quality documentation, and best practices for designing and managing this paperwork. And then we’ll finish up by going through lessons learned procedures and how to ensure ongoing improvement is a part of your teams’ culture.
- Ensuring Quality in Utility Scale Solar Construction (26:13 minutes)
- Ensuring Quality in Utility Scale Solar Construction (optional download) (.pdf)
- Quality in Utility Scale Solar - Quiz
- Sample FAI and QC Checklist Templates (.xlsx)
Module 4 • 2 assignments
Expanding Your Opportunities
In this section, we’re going to zoom out a bit from the highly technical and site specific discussions that we’ve been having over the previous lectures – and discuss some broader concepts in regards to career planning, leadership skills, resume building, professional etiquette and a whole lot more. Our goal here is just to touch on some of these ideas and remind you of their broader importance – I’ve seen plenty of people held back from taking the next step in their career because although their technical expertise was solid, they weren’t perceived as ‘client facing’, or their resume was nowhere near up to scratch. I’ve always thought that these are relatively easy things to get right – but you might not know what you don’t know! Hopefully we can help change that and give some perspective of what employers are looking for and provide some tips and tricks to help you take the next step in your career – and truly expand your opportunities.
- Expanding Your Opportunities (12:08 minutes)
- Expanding Your Opportunities (optional download) (.pdf)
Conclusion • 5 assignments
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!
- 1 Year of Access to Course Materials
- Feedback: 2-minute Exit Survey
- Consider Joining as a HeatSpring Member
- Certificate of Completion: Request a Certificate
- Post about your positive experience with your network!
Course 4 •
4
modules
Utility Scale Solar Construction & Project Management
Welcome • 4 assignments
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.
- Introduction to the Course (17:01 minutes) Preview
- Introduction to the Course (.pdf)
- Set up email notifications and your student profile
- Introduce yourself on the discussion board
Module 1 • 15 assignments
Engineering and Procurement
- Engineering - Basics of Solar (14:27 minutes)
- Engineering - Basics of Solar - Quiz
- Engineering - Electrical Flow (07:32 minutes)
- Engineering - Electrical Flow - Quiz
- Engineering - Design (12:35 minutes)
- Engineering - Design - Quiz
- Design - Additional Resources & Links
- Procurement - Materials (08:35 minutes)
- Procurement - Materials - Quiz
- Materials - Additional Resources and Links
- Read the Additional Resources and Post a Question on the Discussion Board
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Basics (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Electrical Flow (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Design (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Materials (.pdf)
Module 2 • 8 assignments
Development & Owners Engineering
- Development - Early Stage (10:04 minutes)
- Development - Basics (08:43 minutes)
- A Guide for Developers and Investors (.pdf)
- Development - Pre-Execution (07:56 minutes)
- How the Inflation Reduction Act will Supercharge Solar in the US
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Early Stage (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Development (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Pre-Execution (.pdf)
Module 3 • 27 assignments
Construction
- Construction - Basics (20:24 minutes)
- Construction - Basics - Quiz
- Safety Practices
- Journey to Safety Excellence
- Construction - Mechanical (10:06 minutes)
- Construction - Mechanical - Quiz
- Mechanical - Additional Resources - Sunfolding
- Erthos - Solar, Simplified
- Construction - Electrical (06:47 minutes)
- Construction - Electrical - Quiz
- Construction - Tools & Equipment (03:36 minutes)
- Construction - Tools & Equipment - Quiz
- Construction - Quality (10:54 minutes)
- Construction - Quality - Quiz
- Quality - Additional Links and Resources
- Construction - Field Engineering (04:09 minutes)
- Construction - Field Engineering - Quiz
- Assignment - Racking Systems Analysis Template (.docx)
- Assignment - Racking Systems Analysis
- Optional - Job Hazard Analysis (.doc)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Basics (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Mechanical (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Electrical (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Tools & Equipment (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Quality (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video - Field Engineering (.pdf)
- Pre-Construction Checklist (.xlsx)
Module 4 • 7 assignments
Commissioning, Testing & Next Steps
- Commissioning & Testing (12:42 minutes)
- Commissioning - Quiz
- Expanding Your Opportunities (11:23 minutes)
- Additional Resources (youtube webinar)
- Additional Resource (PVTech Article) (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video (Expanding your Opportunities) (.pdf)
- Optional - Download the slides for the next video (Commissioning) (.pdf)
Conclusion • 6 assignments
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!
- Join the Exclusive LinkedIn Page for Additional Connections & Discussion
- Post about your positive experience with your network!
- 1 Year of Access to Course Materials
- Feedback: 2-minute Exit Survey
- Consider Joining as a HeatSpring Member
- Certificate of Completion: Request a Certificate
Instructor
-
Andy Nyce
Sr. Director of Project Management, Erthos Inc.I'm Andy Nyce - originally from New Zealand, but I've spent the last nine years in the United States in a range of engineering, construction, project management and quality control roles in the large scale renewables industry. I've been directly involved in over 2GW of execution at every level of installation, management and commissioning. I'm currently the Sr.... Learn more