Course Information

FSPV: Fundamentals of Solar PV Design and Installation

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Spring Session: March 16 – 20, 2026

Early Bird Price: $1,500

Regular Price: $1,725

Student Price: $350

The NABCEP PV Associate Exam fee is covered in the registration fee.

Length: 40 Course Hours / 5 Days

Payment plans are available. Registration fee includes lunch and parking each day of the course, a textbook, and a course notebook.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Course Description: This 5-day course is dedicated to the fundamental technical aspects of solar photovoltaic (PV) design and installation. This includes a study of system types, components, applications, design and best practices for installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The first four days are taught in a classroom format and focus on cumulative technical theory. On the fifth day, participants engage in a hands-on installation of a fully integrated grid-tied, residential PV system.

NABCEP PV Associate Exam: The course is based on NABCEP’s Learning Objectives for NABCEP PV Associate. After completing the FSPV course, participants are eligible to sit for the NABCEP PV Associate Exam. This training counts toward the entry-level educational requirement (if other requirements are met) on the journey to a NABCEP Board Certification. The NABCEP PV Associate Exam fee is covered in the registration fee.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

1. Identify photovoltaic system components and system types
2. Calculate electrical energy and power
3. Identify optimum sites for solar electric systems
4. Calculate electrical loads
5. Correctly size system components
6. Design series and parallel configurations for solar modules
7. Design a basic grid-tied PV system
8. Calculate PV system energy production
9. Understand PV system equipment specification sheets
10. Understand safety standards of installing PV systems
11. Identify your competency level regarding the tasks on the NABCEP PV Associate Job Task Analysis and gauge readiness to take the NABCEP PV Associate Exam based on NABCEP PV Associate Learning Objectives.

Click here to view a sample schedule of the course.

ASPV: Advanced Solar PV Design and Installation

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Spring Session: April 20 – 24, 2026

Early Bird Price: $1,875

Regular Price: $2,150

Student Price: $250

Length: 40 Course Hours / 5 Days

Payment plans are available. Registration fee includes lunch and campus parking each day of the course and the course notebook.

Prerequisites: Completion of NCCETC’s FSPV course or a comparable fundamentals course or working knowledge of solar PV (i.e. currently working in the solar industry) is highly recommended before registering for this course.

Course Description: This 5-day advanced photovoltaics course covers advanced topics on design and installation of residential and commercial PV systems and delves into the details of electrical standards and codes. The bulk of this weeklong course covers topics relating to the National Electrical Code® (NEC) requirements for PV systems and prepares the participant for proper code compliance, wire sizing, equipment specifications, permit processing, commissioning, and other necessary steps in the design and installation phases of residential and commercial systems. Activities in this course include designing a multiple inverter commercial PV system, from choosing equipment to processing forms, and a tours of multiple commercial rooftop PV systems.

NABCEP PV Certifications:ASPV counts for up to 40 approved advanced credit hours needed to sit for multiple NABCEP Certification Exams. Please visit the course listing on NABCEP’s website for complete information.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

1. Apply grid-tied PV system design and understand DC/AC ratio and inverter clipping.
2. Identify optimum sites for solar electric systems and accurately estimate power and energy production.
3. Navigate and interpret NEC Article 690 and Article 705.
4. Identify and interpret required disconnects, combiner specifications, and mechanical drawings.
5. Calculate inter-row shading and wire sizing.
6. Identify best practices for physical inspections, electrical testing, and commissioning.
7. Troubleshoot ground faults.
8. Design and draw a 3-line diagram for a multi-inverter commercial system.

Click here to view a sample schedule of the course.

Solar Storage

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Spring Session: March 30 – April 1, 2026

Early Bird Price: $1,000

Regular Price: $1,150

Student Price: $175

Length: 24 Course Hours / 3 Days

Payment plans are available. Registration fee includes lunch and parking each day of the course, and the course notebook.

Prerequisites: Completion of NCCETC’s FSPV course or a comparable fundamentals course orworking knowledge of solar PV (i.e. currently working in the solar industry) is highly recommended before registering for this course.

Course Description: This 3-day course covers fundamental principles of battery-based systems, including understanding customer needs and utility requirements; specifying and sizing a battery bank, inverters, and charge controllers for battery-based systems; defining system architecture and functionality; battery metering; and understanding the code implications of these systems. The various benefits and challenges of lithium chemistries and lead batteries are analyzed. The course will end with a tour of a commercial PV installation with a battery system.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

1. Perform a load analysis for sizing components of a PV system.
2. Specify and size inverters, charge controllers for a battery-based system.
3. Define system architecture options and functionality.
4. Stand-alone and grid connected battery systems are explored.
5. Understand construction drawings for battery systems.
6. Add battery backup to existing grid direct PV system.
7. Understand code implications of these systems.
8. Explore the latest offerings in Energy Storage Systems.

Click here to view a sample schedule of the course.

O&M: Operations and Maintenance of PV Systems

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Spring Session: June 9 – 10, 2026

Early Bird Price: $875

Regular Price: $1,000

Student Price: $150

Length:16 Course Hours / 2 Days

Payment plans are available. Registration fee includes lunch and parking each day of the course, and the course notebook.

Prerequisites: Completion of NCCETC’s FSPV course or a comparable fundamentals course or working knowledge of solar PV (i.e. currently working in the solar industry) is highly recommended before registering for this course.

Course Description: This 2-day course focuses on the operation and maintenance of grid connected photovoltaic systems. The first part of this course is taught in a classroom format and covers evaluating the performance of systems, including specific data collection and evaluation, as well as protocols for collection; arc flash requirements; finding ground faults; thermal imaging; IV curve tracing, and fuse servicing. The second part of the course involves various hands-on activities in which participants are able to practice and utilize the skills they have learned throughout the course.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

1. Take measurements to evaluate performance
2. Test insulation resistance and find ground faults
3. Interpret the fundamentals of IV curves
4. Find underperforming/faulty modules and inverters
5. Design an O&M work plan and protocol for safety

Click here to view a sample schedule of the course.

Agrivoltaics in Action: Enhancing Operations and Maintenance in Livestock-Integrated Solar Sites

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Date: June 8, 2026

Course Description: Unlock new efficiencies in solar site management and the potential of agrivoltaics by learning how to safely and effectively perform operations and maintenance on livestock-integrated solar sites. This one-day training equips solar professionals with essential skills for navigating grazed solar sites, including working with electric fencing, guardian animals, and sheep-based vegetation management. Through solution-based procedures and expert-led instruction, the training is designed to break down operational barriers, empower solar professionals to confidently manage day-to-day O&M on sites with grazing sheep, and build communication strategies and tools for seamless collaboration between solar operators and grazing professionals.

Topics Include:

• Fenced In: How to navigate the electric fencing maze preventing you from doing your job
• Negotiating Obstacles & Landmines: Gates, equipment, guard dogs, and what you’ll step in
• Mowers with Minds of Their Own: The imperfect perfection of vegetation management with sheep
• The Sheep Advantage: Understanding sheep production and the value they add on your site
• Electrifying Communications: Practical tools and strategies for reporting and supporting grazing operations

Learning Objectives: At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

1. Identify hazards and best practices for safely working around electric fencing, gates, guardian animals, and sheep.
2. Understand the function and significance of gate management, site security, and access considerations.
3. Evaluate the ecological and operational benefits of integrating sheep on a solar site for vegetation control.
4. Build communication strategies and tools to support collaboration between site owners, solar operations and maintenance professionals and grazing teams.

Continuing Education Credits:

• 6 PDHs for North Carolina Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, approved by the NC Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NCBELS) are PENDING
• 6 LU|HSWs for Registered Architects, approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) are PENDING
• 6.0 CEs are PENDING by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)
• This course is PENDING approval by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for initial exam application JTA credits and recertification credits.

Audience:

• Site Operations and Maintenance Teams
• Solar Developers
• Asset Managers
• Sustainability Teams
• Solar Company Employees
• Extension Agents
• Agricultural Educators
• Landowners

Course Instructors:

Dr. Andrew Weaver – Assistant Professor and Small Ruminant Extension Specialist – NC State University

Dr. Scott Bowdridge – Professor and Livestock Extension Specialist – West Virginia University

Dr. Camren Maierle – Director of producer education and research – American Lamb Board

Hands-on Solar PV Lab

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FallSession:September 19, 2025

Regular Price: $299

Student Price: $50

Registration Deadline: September 12, 2025

Length: 8 Course Hours / 1 Day

Payment plans are available. Registration fee includes lunch.

Prerequisites: Completion of NCCETC’s FSPV course or a comparable fundamentals course or working knowledge of solar PV (i.e. currently working in the solar industry) is highly recommended before registering for this course.

Course Description: This day-long lab is held at NCCETC’s Solar Yard in Raleigh, NC and is for those who have taken the 40-hour FSPV online course or simply wish to gain more hands-on experience. This hands-on day begins with an overview of safety, system components, system design, and solar fundamentals. During the course of the lab, participants will be filling out “balance-of-system” worksheets to ensure comprehension of sound PV system design practices. Participants will also install a live, grid-tied PV system, from mounting the modules, to wiring the inverter, and finally, to commissioning the system.

REPD: Renewable Energy Project Development

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Dates: June 1, 2026 – August 9, 2026

Early Bird Price (Register by April 30): $1000

Regular Price (After April 30): $1,125

Course Description:

The Renewable Energy Project Development (REPD) course is an online 10-week project-based training designed to teach you how renewable energy projects are developed, evaluated, and advanced in the real world.

This course goes beyond introducing individual topics. Instead, it focuses on how the pieces fit together. You will explore key components of project development, including site selection, stakeholder engagement, permitting, interconnection, policy, financing, and long-term operations, and learn how each one influences project success or failure.

Throughout the course, you will apply what you learn to a project of your own design. By the end of the course, you will have developed a comprehensive project proposal that reflects real-world development practices and demonstrates your ability to think critically about feasibility, risk, and stakeholder dynamics.

This is a survey-level course by design. You are not expected to become an expert in every topic. Instead, you will learn how to evaluate tradeoffs, identify constraints, and make informed decisions in the context of a complete project.

Whether you are new to the industry or looking to strengthen your existing experience, this course is designed to help you think like a renewable energy project developer.

This ten-week course includes live online and pre-recorded presentations, as well as virtual assignments. Participants must submit all course deliverables to receive a certificate of completion for the course.

What You’ll Walk Away With:

• A completed renewable energy project proposal you can use as a professional work sample
• A clear understanding of how projects move from concept to implementation
• The ability to identify risks, evaluate feasibility, and justify decisions
• Practical insightinto how developers, utilities, investors, policymakers, and communities interact
• Exposure to real-world financial modeling approaches, including partnership structures, key assumptions, and project economics
• Experience working through a financial model framework (instructor-led, Excel-based)to evaluate how project assumptions impact financial outcomes
• A stronger ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Evaluate the feasibility of a renewable energy projectby integrating technical, financial, regulatory, environmental, and social considerations
2. Develop a site-specific project conceptand justify key design decisions, including system sizing, location, and technology selection
3. Navigate the renewable energy development process, including stakeholder engagement, permitting, interconnection, and financing pathways
4. Identify and assess project risks, including regulatory, community, technical, financial, and interconnection-related uncertainties
5. Analyze how federal, state, and local policies influence project viability and development strategy
6. Develop stakeholder engagement strategiesthat anticipate concerns, build trust, and support project success
7. Interpret and apply key financial modeling concepts, including cost assumptions, revenue streams, and partnership structures, and incentives to assess project viability
8. Use a structured financial model to evaluateproject economics, including how changes in cost, production, and incentives influence financial performance and feasibility
9. Communicate a project proposal clearly and persuasivelyto diverse audiences, including investors, community members, and decision-makers
10. Make and defend a final project recommendation, including whether to proceed with development, based on a structured and evidence-based evaluation

Click here to view a sample schedule of the course.