Selling Projects that Survive Interconnection

About this course

Supporting Customers Through the DER Interconnection Process is a practical, end‑to‑end training designed to help solar and solar-plus-storage professionals understand, anticipate, and actively manage interconnection as a core part of the customer experience.

Rather than treating interconnection as a back‑office or utility‑controlled black box, this course situates interconnection within the full customer interconnection journey and introduces the fundamentals of common utility review processes to help solar sales professionals gain a working understanding of how technical screens, hosting capacity, queue data, and study outcomes influence project timelines and customer expectations.

The course places particular emphasis on creating an effective interconnection handoff between sales and customer service, equipping participants with the tools, language, and process awareness needed to set accurate customer expectations, strengthen customer trust, and leverage durable processes that weather interconnection disruptions. Through videos, interviews, podcasts, practical resources, and scenario‑based assessments, learners develop the ability to proactively identify interconnection risk, communicate clearly with customers and internal teams, and support projects as they move through utility review.

This course is designed for sales representatives, project developers, and other professionals involved in customer acquisition seeking to differentiate themselves by improving the customer experience and increasing the utility approval rate for projects they sell.

Subjects covered

Solar Utilities Utility Interconnection Business Growth

Learning Objectives

Describe the full customer interconnection journey and explain how sales, engineering, customer service, procurement, construction, and close‑out phases interact with the utility interconnection process.
Differentiate between utility interconnection review pathways (Simplified, Fast Track, and Detailed Study) and explain the key steps, decision points, and potential outcomes of each.
Evaluate interconnection risk during customer acquisition using hosting capacity maps, queue reports, and early technical indicators.
Execute effective sales‑to‑customer service interconnection handoffs, ensuring critical assumptions, risks, and pathway decisions are clearly documented and transferred.

Course outline

6 modules

6 - 10 hours to complete

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. The Customer Interconnection Journey

3. Detailed Steps in the Utility Interconnection Process

4. Interconnection and the Customer Acquisition Process

5. Managing the Interconnection Handoff between Sales & Customer Service

6. 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

Vaughan Woodruff

Principal, EquinoxDG

Vaughan Woodruff is the principal of EquinoxDG, a consulting firm that provides strategic support on DER interconnection reform for clean energy advocates, solar and energy storage companies, utilities, and regulators. His work includes developing comprehensive regulatory and legislative strategy, optimizing applicant and utility processes, building consensus among...

Frequently asked questions

Full FAQ

How does this course work?

You can begin this online course instantly upon enrollment. 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. 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 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.

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.

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