We tried to keep it simple. Solar training is a journey and the right starting point depends on your background and goals. If you are completely new to solar, Solar 101 (2 Days) provides an accessible introduction. If you prefer practical work, PV Mounter (2 Days) focuses on hands-on installation skills. If you already have a technical background, installation experience, or are comfortable with mathematics, SuperSolarSchool (5 Days) is the most direct route towards the SAPVIA PV GreenCard pathway.

On advanced level we offer several specialist courses that help installers grow beyond certification. Commercial PV Design (3 Days) is for those looking to move from residential installations to larger commercial and industrial PV plants. Compliance for PV Systems (1 Day) focuses on commissioning, testing and Certificates of Compliance. PV System Operation & Maintenance (1 Day) teaches the skills needed to maintain systems professionally and build recurring service revenue. Solar Sales Expert (1 Day) helps solar professionals win customers through value-based selling and financial proposals, while Financing of PV Systems teaches participants how to calculate the financial viability of PV projects.

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.

For many participants, SuperSolarSchool is the first major step towards becoming a certified PV installer. It prepares learners for the SAPVIA PV GreenCard Assessment, one of the most recognised installer qualifications in South Africa.

But remember: the PV GreenCard is not the end goal. It gets you into the market. Long-term success comes from continuing to build specialist skills as the industry evolves.

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!

For participants following the Beginner Path, PV Mounter can also lead to the GREEN Solar Mounter certification and provides a strong practical foundation for future installer training.

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, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of GREEN Solar Academy

After training over 10 000 participants – yes, you read that right! –  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’ve already installed a few megawatts, are already PV GreenCard certified, or are looking to move into higher-value work, specialist training may be the better option. Commercial PV Design, Compliance for PV Systems and PV System Operation & Maintenance are designed specifically for professionals who want to grow beyond installation and position themselves for the next stage of their career.