Booking procedures and more information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do you have questions about the training on offer at GREEN? Great! We’re here to answer them! Below you’ll find answers to the questions we get asked most frequently, especially with regard to the right place to start your learning journey if you are looking to become an accredited solar installer:
General questions on courses
- Solar 101: 2 days
- PV Mounter: 2 days
- SuperSolarSchool: 5 days
- SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment: 2 days
- PV System Operation & Maintenance: 1 day
- Compliance for PV Systems: 1 day
- Commercial PV Design: 3 days
- Solar Sales Expert: 1 day
- Financing of PV Systems: 1 day
- Live webinars: approximately 90 minutes
For course dates please visit our courses page.
The best first course for YOU depends on your current experience and what you want to achieve:
I am completely new to solar
Start with Solar 101 or one of our eLearning courses to understand how PV systems work. Add PV Mounter when you are ready to build practical, on-site installation skills.
I want practical installation skills
Start with PV Mounter. It is a hands-on course for newcomers, installation teams and technically inclined people who want to learn how to mount, wire and commission a PV system.
I want to become a SAPVIA PV GreenCard Installer
Start with SuperSolarSchool if you need structured theoretical and practical preparation. You can then complete the separately-booked SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment.
SuperSolarSchool is fast-paced and requires suitable mathematics and technical readiness. Complete the online self-assessment before registering. Experienced installers with a strong electrical and practical PV background may be ready to book the assessment directly.
I already have the PV GreenCard or solid installation experience
Choose your next course according to the work you want to develop:
Commercial PV Design for larger commercial and industrial systems
Compliance for PV Systems for commissioning, testing and solar-specific CoC work
PV System Operation & Maintenance for maintenance services and ongoing client support
These pathways are recommendations, not fixed rules. You may enter at a different point or skip courses based on your knowledge and experience.
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, such as Commercial PV Design or Compliance for PV Systems, require that you have a good amount of PV industry experience and we recommend that you do our SuperSolarSchool course beforehand.
All courses are accredited by GREEN and the German Solar Energy Society (DGS e.V). Additionally, several courses are also 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
- Commercial PV Design: 3 CPD points
- PV Mounter: 2 CPD points
- Compliance for PV Systems: 1 CPD point
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.
GREEN courses include a Certificate of Participation, confirming that you have successfully attended and completed the training. Participants who pass the GREEN online exams are awarded Certificates of Achievement.
Participants who achieve success in the PV GreenCard Assessment are awarded a Certificate of Approval by SAPVIA. Once you have this certificate, you will be able to add your company to the PV GreenCard database as a Certified PV GreenCard Installation Company. This means you will be able to issue PV GreenCards for any PV system you have installed (with the approval of your qualified electrician). Scroll down to the PV GreenCard Assessment section for more answers to questions about the PV GreenCard.
Every person who trains through GREEN also becomes a member of the GREENetwork from day 1 of their course. The GREENetwork is Africa’s largest and most established network of solar companies large and small, distributors, manufacturers and policy makers in the solar industry. Click here to read more about the purpose and benefits of the GREENetwork and how it empowers your solar business.
GREEN Solar Academy has 14 academies in nine countries around Africa. We have five academies in South Africa in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban (Ballito) and Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). We also have academies in Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For more information on our academies and their locations, please visit our locations page.
We do not accept walk-ins at the academy locations, as staff are only on premises on a needs basis. If you are seeking training for your staff or for large groups, you are welcome to visit GREEN’s administrative headquarters in Randburg. Please reach out Tsakani Mashila and her team on email to set up an appointment.
Booking a course
When you click on the REGISTER button, you will need to provide all of your particulars in order to be issued with a pro-forma invoice to make payment on, or to be directed to the online instant payment gateway. Your attendance of any training or assessment is only confirmed on full payment of that invoice.
Yes, you can! Just be sure to enter the participants particulars on the first screen of the registration page and then to provide your personal or company details for billing purposes on the second screen.
Course costs, discounts and payment terms
Full payment is required prior to start of any training. Your event registration(s) is not confirmed until payment is received.
If you elect to pay by bank transfer, 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.
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 (12% 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.
PV GreenCard Assessment
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. It is an as-built report on a solar installation, 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.
No. The SAPVIA PV GreenCard assessment is not included in the SuperSolarSchool training. 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.
Certifications and Assessments
GREEN Solar Academy offers professional certifications that recognise competence in different areas of the solar PV industry. Each certification is designed to support a specific career path, from installation and system design to specialist technical fields.
Our current certifications include:
- GREEN PV Mounter Certification – for professionals who install solar PV systems.
- SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment – an independent, industry-recognised practical assessment for PV installers.
- GREEN C&I PV Designer Certification – for professionals who design commercial and industrial PV systems.
In addition, most GREEN training courses award a Certificate of Participation, confirming that you have successfully completed the course.
Not every career in the solar industry requires the same certification. Whether you want to become an installer, designer, consultant, salesperson or business owner, GREEN provides learning pathways and certifications to support your professional development.
Each measure different types of competence and serve different career goals.
GREEN Certifications validate your knowledge and skills in specific areas of the solar industry. Examples include the GREEN PV Mounter Certification and the GREEN C&I PV Designer Certification.
The SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment is an independent, practical assessment for PV installers. It evaluates whether a candidate can safely install PV systems to the required industry standard.
These credentials complement each other rather than replace one another.
In short:
- GREEN Online Exam: Online knowledge assessment following required training courses.
- SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment: Practical installer assessment conducted in person over 2 days.
No.
The solar industry offers many career paths beyond installation, including design, engineering, sales, compliance, operations & maintenance, project management and consulting.
The SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment is primarily intended for professionals involved in the installation of PV systems, while GREEN Certifications recognise competence across multiple specialist disciplines.
That depends on the type of business you want to build.
If your business will focus on installing PV systems, practical installation competence is essential. Many installation companies value the GREEN PV Mounter Certification, and some may also pursue the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Accreditation, depending on their business requirements.
If your business focuses on design, consulting, compliance, or other specialist services, the relevant GREEN Certification is often the most appropriate professional credential.
As your business grows, you may choose to add further certifications that support your area of expertise.
Choose the certification that matches your career path:
I want to become a professional PV installer.
Start with the GREEN PV Mounter Certification to develop and demonstrate practical installation skills.
If your career requires it, you can later complete the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment.
I want to design commercial and industrial PV systems.
The GREEN C&I PV Designer Certification is designed for professionals responsible for system design and engineering.
To earn the GREEN PV Mounter Certification, you must pass the GREEN PV Mounter Exam.
We prescribed learning path is:
- Solar 101 or Principles of PV Systems eLearning course (recommended for beginners)
- PV Mounter
- GREEN PV Mounter Exam (online)
To qualify as a SAPVIA PV GreenCard Installer, you must successfully pass the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment.
The recommended preparation pathway is:
- SuperSolarSchool
- PV Mounter (recommended to strengthen practical installation skills)
- SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment (2-day on-site assessment)
The recommended learning path is:
- SAPVIA PV GreenCard Installer (recommended foundation)
- Commercial PV Design
- GREEN C&I PV Designer Exam (online)
The GREEN C&I PV Designer Certification is intended for professionals who want to move beyond installation into the design and optimisation of commercial and industrial PV systems. It is an advanced specialist certification that builds on a solid understanding of PV systems and installation practices.
Can’t find an answer to your question here? Get in touch with us on info@solar-training.org or +27 (0) 10 312 6724