Solar Power Designer for Commercial PV Systems:
The next step for an installer going into the Commercial industry
Commercial size PV systems are based on the same principles as any other PV systems. Nevertheless, the larger a project becomes, the more aspects must be considered: Sizing, quoting, management, finance, all these become more complex. GREEN Solar Academy has developed this three-day course to cover these topics on a more advanced and professional level to share tips and tricks on how to streamline processes. The range of systems we are looking at are typical rooftop systems from 10 kWp to 1 MWp.
Last year we conducted interviews with two of our Alumni Andre Wagner and Willem van Schalkwyk, they attended the Solar Power Designer course with GREEN Solar Academy. They explained why the course is worthwhile.
Why is the course worthwhile?
This is what Andre, director of GPA Elite PTY LTD and member of the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) had to say:
“I have just recently joined the PV industry and I wanted to further the little knowledge I have on PV. The SuperSolarSchool with its focus on Basics and Installation gave me what I needed to have a great start in the industry and the more I go into PV and understood the installation as the complexity it is, and the more I learned the more I realized what I still have to learn.”
After the 5-day course the experienced electrician realized that 5 days are not enough, “I wanted to learn how to plan, design and implement commercial PV systems, not only that, but also to understand the design of the engineers I am working with. I don’t want to rely on other companies to do the design for me, especially, when I have not the knowledge to understand what they do and identify errors.”
“I don’t want to rely on other companies to do the design for me”.
Willem had a different reason as to why the Solar Power Designer course is worthwhile and why installers should consider attending it. He is the owner of Peak Power Solutions, a wholesale company for solar components and MyEcoFuture, a well-established installation company. He built up both companies himself and can look back to a long track record of business decisions and learnings. We asked him what he would recommend for installation companies to top up knowledge with an advanced course.
Why register for the Solar Power Designer course?
“The right time is when as an installer you start considering moving beyond the small single inverter hybrid installations and want to start enticing commercial entities. Suddenly there is more focus on the real financial benefit of the solution. The solution which is installing a solar system to drive down the electricity costs. In the residential space there is not much focus on what the demand is and what the ultimate saving will be. Most people are just looking to save money, whether the system is 90% or 30% efficient plays a minor role, they are not so focused on that. While on the commercial side of things the numbers are obviously bigger so the customer will want a better calculation on what is their return on investment.
When you reach a point when the customer asks questions that require a more sophisticated understanding of the yield, specific yield, annual changes, and daily changes, -that would be the best time to register for the course and gain more knowledge and understanding.”
The design and planning software

Part of the course is also to learn how to plan and design project more efficiently. After understanding the principles of design, installers can make use of the many software tools available out there without the risk of making serious design mistakes. One software that is introduced in the course is the Valentin PV*SOL premium software.
The software is Valentin PV*SOL premium. PV*SOL is a dynamic simulation programme with or without 3D visualization and detailed shading analysis of photovoltaic systems, optional with storage systems. With PV*SOL premium you can design a PV system in 15-30 minutes. Based on the design you can prepare your quote and you can attach the comprehensive PV*SOL report to your quote. The report includes all relevant information for your client incl. a 3D preview how the PV system will look like, information on what will be the annual electricity production, how shadows will influence the performance and much more.
This course gives you the right step when venturing into the commercial PV market. As Willem said, this course, helps you get your numbers and calculations correct. And you will also be able to answer your client’s most difficult and sophisticated questions. We have the best trainers on the course, people who have been in the PV industry for many years and they will be able to answer all your questions. You can meet Marius and Willem in the upcoming course to pick their brain in May at our Johannesburg Academy.
Solar Power Designer for Commercial PV systems,
12-14 May, Johannesburg
Trainer: Marius Geldenhuys and Willem van Schalkwyk
R7,200.00 excl. VAT, 10% discount for all GREEN and maxx alumni and SAPVIA members.
R6,480.00 excl. VAT Easter discount with promo code EASTER10
For more information, you can contact us on +27 (0) 10 312 6724 or +27 (0) 73 223 0521 and email us at info@solar-training.org