Upcoming Courses – Solar Installation Training in South Africa | Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban (Ballito), Port Elizabeth
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23Oct
Commercial PV Design
3 days, 08:00 AM - 04:00 PMMasterclass on design of roof-mounted PV systems in the range of 10 to 1000 kWp.- R7,200.00 excl. VAT
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12Nov
Solar Business Management
2 days, 08:00 AM - 04:00 PMThis course is a crash course on business management, especially for small and medium sized solar company owners.- R6,900.00 excl. VAT
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How to find the right solar course | Training guide for beginners & advanced
Content
Which course is right for me?
Start with SuperSolarSchool
Light Start: PV Mounter
Is the SuperSolarSchool for non-technical people?
Which course for experienced people?
Which course is right for me?
We tried to keep it simple. Entry-level courses are Solar 101 (3 Days) for non-technicals or SuperSolarSchool (5 Days) if you already have an installation or technical background, or are mathematically-inclined, as well as PV Mounter (2 days). Depending on how much time you have, what you want to invest (money and time-wise!) and what kind of skills you are looking for, you can choose one of them to get started. We’ve created a short self-assessment so that you can decide for yourself if you want to start with Solar 101 or SuperSolarSchool. PV Mounter is a 100% hands-on practical training so is suitable for people from all backgrounds.
On advanced level we offer three courses that focus on specific topics. The PV*SOL Design school is a one-day training to learn how to use the PV*SOL planning software, Solar Power Designer for Commercial Systems (3 Days) is for those looking to move from residential installations to larger PV plants, and Financing of PV Systems (1 Day Live Online) teaches participants how to calculate the financial viability of a PV system. You should already have solid knowledge of solar photovoltaic before you embark on any of these courses.
| Solar 101 | SuperSolarSchool* | PV Mounter | Commercial System Designer | Compliance for PV Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 5 days | 2 days | 3 days | 1 day |
| beginner | beginner to advanced | beginner | advanced | advanced |
| R6,900 excl. VAT | R13,500 excl. VAT | R4,900 excl. VAT | R7,200 excl. VAT | R3,950 excl. VAT |
| *PV GreenCard course |
Jump right in with SuperSolarSchool
The SuperSolarSchool is definitely the Mercedes under the beginner courses. It offers a whole lot of content on all relevant solar topics. During the first two days you are building on the foundation for comprehensive understanding: how does solar technology work, system types, components. Then you put the theory into practice and build your own solar system on the practical day. The last two days are already intermediate, if not advanced level, with calculations and exercises on planning and sizing of solar systems, legal questions and useful tips on project management. If this sounds tough to you, it definitely is! But no worries, we know how to structure a training in a way that you learn, not that your head explodes.
Starting light with PV Mounter
The PV Mounter is more easy going. It focuses on the essentials: how to put a solar system on a roof and connect it to the grid. 80% of the two course days are spent on the training roof and in front of the DB board. We tried to keep the time in the classroom as short as possible, only to give a basic introduction to the installation process and what to do and not to do. Perfect for anyone who learns better with the hands than from textbooks!
Is the SuperSolarSchool for non-technical people?
Yes, it is! Solar photovoltaic is technology, we can’t deny that. So the course is also a technical course. But that doesn’t mean one cannot learn about solar photovoltaic without a technical background. Our personal ambition is to explain all technical facts in a way that they are understandable.
Of course there are calculation exercises, hands-on work on an advanced electrical level and detailed considerations that may be more difficult to understand without any pre-knowledge or experience in the field. But before you give up, ask yourself the question: Do I really need to know this? In full detail? Probably not!
For photovoltaic installations, technical experts will always be needed but to manage a whole project, either as a project manager, building owner or financial provider, understanding the overall picture is just as important. So in the course, participants always have the choice not go into detail but to stick to the bigger picture instead. The trainers will provide a summary of the complicated topics so that you understand what the problem is, without having to go into technical detail. Take our word: There is so much to learn in the five days that you will have enough to think about even if you leave out some of the heavier bits!
What course for people with pre-knowledge?
The SuperSolarSchool! You are probably wondering now, how can it be that the SuperSolarSchool is a course for beginners and advanced? Wasn’t there a whole paragraph just now on how easy it is for non-technical people? Well, the secret is that the course is super interactive and has many elements where the level can be varied.
If you are advanced, you can engage much more in calculation exercises and sizing examples and bring in a lot of your experience. For you the trainer will be a guide that points you in the right direction and helps you explore your skills while for the beginners he rather needs to explain and teach. And since true learning is not just listening to facts but being able to use and apply knowledge, the questions and discussions with others during the training might be a real challenge for you!
From own experience and over ten years of continuous learning in the solar market, you can do a training like the SuperSolarSchool 5 times probably and discover a new aspect about solar energy every time. As a beginner you are busy with understanding the basics, later you can focus also on the links between the single topics and the understanding for the greater picture deepens.
I was there when the SuperSolarSchool was invented in 2014 and have seen it many times but I still find it interesting until today.
-Vivian Bluemel, Director of GREEN Solar Academy
After training over 2,000 participants, we can confidently say, we haven’t had anyone walking out of our classroom who didn’t learn something new. But of course, when you already installed a few Megawatts or are already well established in the business, this course gets to its limits. In that case, the Solar Power Designer for commercial system might be a better choice. But the easiest way to find out is to give us a call, then we can assess your pre-knowledge together and pick the right course for you.
