Each course has a set schedule and timetable:

• The Solar 101 course is 3 full days
• The SuperSolarSchool course is 5 full days
• The PV Mounter course is 2 full days
• The Solar Power designer course is 3 full days
• The PV Sol Design School is 1 full day
• The Financing of PV Systems course is 1 full day
• The SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment is 1 full day and 1 half day
• The GREEN Online exam takes place over a weekend

For course dates please visit our courses page.

In the end this is up to you and your level of PV knowledge.

If you are a complete newcomer to solar PV, or you have a job in the solar industry but you are not technically-inclined, we recommend you begin with our Solar 101 course.

However, if you are technically-minded but new to the PV industry, or even if you have been practicing for a short while and need a refresher, GREEN recommends that you start by doing the SuperSolarSchool course. It will give you a strong foundation from which to grow as a PV installer and begins to prepare you for the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment.

If you need a refresher or more practical experience after the SSS, then we recommend that you do the PV Mounter course; it is shorter and focuses purely on practical installation. It is also a great refresher course to do before you sign up for the SAPVIA PV Assessment.

The two advanced courses, the Solar Power Designer course and the PV SOL Design School, are more focused on the design aspect of a PV system. These courses can only be done if you have prior experience as an installer or if you have completed the SuperSolarSchool course. In these courses you will be taught how to use the PV*SOL software and apply it to the design and sizing of a PV system. Choose these courses if you are more interested in the design aspect of PV systems.

The Financing of PV systems course is another 1-day advanced course suitable for people who have completed Solar 101 or the SuperSolarSchool and have a general interest in financing. Participants learn how to calculate the financial viability of PV systems by investigating the various financing options, tax advantages and cost savings for end clients in South Africa.

There are no prerequisites for attending the PV Mounter or Solar 101 courses. The main requirement is an understanding of the English language as it is the language we use to teach the course. For the intermediate SuperSolarSchool course, we recommend a NQ4 level 4 or maths skills on matric level (math literacy not sufficient) to be able to completely follow the course. If you are unsure whether this course is right for you, we recommend you complete our online self-evaluation.

If you want to brush up on your high school physics and remind yourself of some of the calculations, you can review our YouTube playlist of refresher videos.

Any prior experience in the PV industry is an advantage and we are currently working on an entry test to gauge your knowledge level so that we can best teach you during the course.

The advanced courses, Solar Power Designer and PV Sol Design School, require that you have a good amount of PV industry experience and we recommend that you do our SuperSolarSchool course beforehand.

Most of our courses are accredited with The South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE). Each course is awarded with a specific number of Continuous Professional Development points (CPD points). The points are awarded as follows:

• SuperSolarSchool: 5 CPD points
• Solar Power Designer: 3 CPD points

CPD points are an important part of keeping up-to-date in your profession and we recommend using our courses as a means to stay relevant in the PV industry.

Each of our courses award either a certificate of participation or a certificate of approval. The certificates awarded are as follows: The Solar 101, SuperSolarSchool, PV Mounter, Solar Power Designer and Financing of PV Solar Systems courses award a certificate of participation. The SAPVIA PV Assessment awards a certificate of approval.

After you have completed the SAPVIA PV Assessment and passed, you will be added to the PV GreenCard database and registered as a SAPVIA-accredited PV installer. This means you will be able to issue PV GreenCards for any PV system you have installed (with the approval of a qualified electrician). For more information about the PV GreenCard and being a SAPVIA-accredited installer please read our blog post on the subject.

GREEN Solar Academy has 10 academies in seven countries around Africa. We currently have five academies in South Africa in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Ballito, KZN and Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). We also have academies in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Ghana and Zimbabwe. For more information on our academies and their locations, please visit our locations page.

Due to the nature of the courses we do not accept walk-ins at the academy locations, as the staff are there on a needs basis. We are also not currently accepting walk-ins at our offices in Kelland. If you require more information on GREEN, please feel free to contact us by email.

To stay up to date with all our prices please visit our courses page and select your desired course. All prices displayed are excluding VAT.

Full payment is required prior to start of any training. Your event registration(s) is not confirmed until payment is received.

On registration, you will receive an invoice to make payment on. We work on a first come, first served basis. Neither the issuing of the invoice, nor the “payment due” date is a guarantee of your attendance on a course. Only payment in full guarantees your place on a course. We can accommodate a maximum of 18 participants at each of our academies . We encourage you to make payment the day you receive your invoice to be sure of your place on your chosen training, and to call our office during business hours prior to making payment on your invoice.

We currently offer three types of discounts. The first discount is the multi-booking discount. This discount is applicable for one person booking two courses or booking two people for the same course (you get 10% off the selected course), or if you book three or more courses, or book three or more people for the same course (you get 15% off the selected course).

The second discount is our alumni discount (10% off the selected course). This discount applies to participants who have completed any of our courses and have been added to the GREENetwork.

The third discount is the early bird discount (15% off the selected course). This discount applies to making payment for a course 8 or more weeks prior to the course start date. This discount only applies when you make payment for the course. If you register for the course when it is in early bird phase, but only make payment after the early bird period has expired, the discount will not be applied.

* These discounts are not cumulative and you will receive the best discount available to you when you book a course.

Contact us on info@solar-training.org for more information.

At this stage GREEN Solar Academy does not provide its own sponsorship for its course, or find sponsorships for its customers. However, you can source sponsorship from other businesses or individuals to do any of our courses.

The PV GreenCard was developed by the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) in conjunction with the German Solar Energy Society (DGS Berlin) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) to develop a national standardized report. This report is called the PV GreenCard and aims to promote a good standard of quality for Solar PV installations.

A PV GreenCard is not something you get; it is not like a driver’s license or a passport that identifies you as a qualified installer. Rather think of it as a document containing the details of a PV system from A to Z. The South African PV GreenCard is a safety certification that assures a standard of quality for PV (Photovoltaic) installations.

For more information about the PV GreenCard please read our blog post

No. The SAPVIA PV GreenCard assessment is not included in the SuperSolarSchool course. The SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment must be booked separately from the course and can be done on the assessments page of GREEN Solar Academy’s website.