PV GreenCard solar training for groups

Effective solutions for training your staff

GREEN is working with an increasing number of HR professionals who have been tasked with organising professional, standardised group training and certification in solar energy for their staff.

The consolidation of the solar industry and the need for accreditation has created a problem for large companies: how to upskill their staff quickly but also get quality training and accreditation.

We understand the pressure of being tasked with engaging a training service provider, whether the goal is to fulfil certain quotas or facilitate skills development. So we’ve created a platform specifically for human resources and skills development officers, to answer your questions about who we are and what we do to get your teams up to pace as quickly as possible.

In this article: Who is GREEN? | How do you choose the right training for your staff? | Is GREEN an accredited training provider? | Where does the training take place? | Who conducts the training? | What sort of equipment do we use in our training? | How to book training for your staff

Some of the companies we’ve trained:

Who is GREEN?

GREEN has been training practitioners in South Africa on the full gamut solar energy since 2012. We have trained individuals and groups of all sizes from companies ranging from municipalities to energy suppliers and mining houses. We also offer the PV GreenCard Assessment on behalf of SAPVIA (the SA Photovoltaic Industry Association) at several of our venues.

We offer basic and advanced trainings for any purpose: a solar crash course for the sales team, practical installation training for your new technicians or PV GreenCard training and Assessment for your lead installers and engineers. And we work with your budget to suggest a course or series of courses that logically build upon each other and fit together, always keeping in mind the target group, background, goals and framework.

Outdoor practical area at our KZN academy

5 first-class academies around South Africa

Indoor practical area at our Johannesburg academy

How do you choose the right training for your staff?

We have created 4 paths to solar success based on the target group, their background, goals and framework. Have a look at the options below, and choose the description that best describes the people needing training to see which combination of courses we recommend:

Installation Teams

The courses below are best for people who will be working on site, and also want to learn to design and maintain PV Systems. This is also the recommended route for the wishing to become PV GreenCard Certified. For those whose jobs are comprised solely of providing physical labour on site, we recommend only the 2-day PV Mounter course, usually as a team.

Engineers

This learning path is aimed at technicians, engineers and architects with advanced knowledge of solar PV and anyone who needs to specialise in PV System design, specifically for C&I systems, rather than the practical installation.

Directors and Managers

This stream is suited to management who need to optimise their operations and professionals who need to put together financial proposals and negotiate with customers and banks for projects where “load shedding” is not the single argument anymore. A basic understanding of the workings of a PV system is required.

Admin & Sales Staff

Non-technical staff from your sales, admin, marketing departments and more will benefit from this combination of courses to bring them up to speed on PV basics and how to sell PV as a product.

What accreditation will your staff receive?

Participants will receive a certificate of participation accredited by GREEN and the German Solar Energy Society (DGS). Certain courses also accumulate CPD points validated by SAIEE (SA Institute of Electrical Engineers) as per ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) policy. These are SuperSolarSchool (5 CPD Points), PV Mounter (2 Points) Commercial PV System Design (3 CPD Points) and Compliance for PV Systems (1 CPD Point). GREEN is also a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider.

Our Trainers

We only engage trainers who have active experience in the field of solar energy. All own their own solar companies, and some are qualified electricians. They understand their subject matter inside out from a theoretical and practical point of view. However, knowing how to do something and teaching someone else to do it are not always the same thing, so we have regular Training of Trainer programmes for these industry professionals to teach them how to teach our syllabus. You can learn more about our trainers here.

What sort of equipment do we use in our training?

GREEN’s academies are equipped with the latest technology from global leading manufacturers and distributors. We have a variety of training systems set up and teach using components found in real-life applications, including hybrid inverters and high-voltage solar modules and lithium batteries. The companies who supply the components share our vision for a safer, more compliant and knowledgeable solar industry through professional training; we call these companies Technology Partners, and you can read more about each of them here.

How to book training for your staff

Tsakani Mashila heads up our sales team. You can contact her directly to arrange training for your staff, with preferential group pricing:

+27 (0)10 012 6554
+27 (0) 73 223 0521
info@solar-training.org

In addition to offering short courses for professionals, GREEN is a frequent collaborator in youth upskilling projects. We have developed solar training curriculums and training of trainer programmes at a variety of institutions all over Africa.