Grow Solar delivers trainings that bear continuing education credits (CECs) to electrical and building inspectors, utility engineers, and sales/finance professionals across the Midwest. The MREA and Grow Solar will deliver customized training offerings that target stakeholder groups to facilitate system inspection, interconnection, and project finance.
Training & Resources for Inspectors
The MREA offers a number of courses for electrical inspectors:
- 2014 NEC Update for PV (4 hours, focused on code changes)
- NEC Requirements for PV Systems (6 hours, comprehensive, based on 2014 NEC)
- PV Training for Code Officials (6 hours, comprehensive, based on 2011 NEC)
- Inspecting PV Systems (2, 3, or 4-hour increments, based on 2011 NEC)
These courses will be offered throughout the Midwest, online, and are also available on a contract basis for municipalities or other organizations. Please visit the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s Courses Page or contact Julie Brazeau for more info.
Free Online Inspector Training
Nationally Accredited Professional Certificate Programs
The MREA is offering our ANSI-IREC accredited Photovoltaic (PV) Design and Sales and PV Site Assessment Certificates. The MREA PV Design & Sales Certificate Program trains individuals to provide site-specific residential PV system design and financial analysis to consumers interested in installing PV systems. The MREA Site Assessment Certificate Program trains individuals to provide site-specific renewable energy assessment and consumer education.
The MREA trains renewable energy site assessors in PV, Solar Thermal, and Small Wind. Individuals can become a Recognized Training Provider (RTP) for the Shared Certificate Programs. An RTP is an instructor who receives MREA training and becomes approved to teach the Certificate Program at another educational institution. Please visit the MREA Professional Certificate Program website for more info.
PV Sales & Finance
This course begins with having participants learn about PV system cost trends, net metering, and various federal, state, and utility programs and incentives offered to help finance PV systems. Participants also review basic financial concepts used to evaluate PV systems including cash flow analysis, return on investment, and present value of an investment. Participants then learn how to determine the costs and benefits of PV system projects by using a financial spreadsheet model to evaluate utility bill savings, cash flow, payback period, financing options, and available program incentives. The course concludes with a discussion of various sales techniques used to approach potential PV system customers.
Train the Trainer Courses
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association managed the Midwest Solar Training Network (MSTN) for the US Department of Energy’s Solar Instructor Training Network. The MREA has more than twenty-four years of experience in the solar training field and it is our goal to accelerate market adoption of solar technologies by ensuring that high-quality installations are standard and to create sustainable jobs within the solar installation industry.
Through the MSTN, MREA developed trainings for technical and community colleges, non-profit organizations, universities, and industry partners who are working together to build solar training capacity in the Midwest.
The MREA offers instructor training, professional development opportunities for instructors as well as customized training. If you would like more information on solar instructor training opportunities, please contact the MREA.
Continuing Education
MREA courses are aligned to industry-approved task analyses, and are designed to satisfy competencies for professional credentialing. Many of our courses are approved for continuing education credit hours with NABCEP, IAEI, and state licensing agencies throughout the Midwest.