James Nagel

James Nagel, PE is a licensed electrical engineer with nearly two decades of applied experience that spans the PV and energy storage engineering value chain, including modeling, system and product design, project finance, technical due diligence, quality control and assurance, root cause analysis, technical advisory, and asset management. He specializes in the safety, reliability, and performance of power electronics devices and energy conversion components.

James has personally conducted 50+ PV-related failure root cause investigations related to PV modules, inverters, optimizers, RSDs, MLPE, and PV connectors. His field experience is not limited to troubled assets, however: throughout his career, James has inspected hundreds of PV systems at every stage of the project lifecycle.

As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of HelioVolta, an independent provider of technical services for renewable assets, James spearheads the development and advancement of HelioVolta’s field inspection and testing protocols. He is also co-founder and Chief Product Officer of SolarGrade, a field operations software provider affiliated with HelioVolta. James’ professional experience includes roles with Clean Energy Associates, EDF Renewables, and NASA. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Professional Engineer license with specialization in electrical power. He is also a NABCEP-certified PV system inspector.