Technical Considerations for Realizing a Return on Your Investment at Solar Power International
Attending Solar Power International (SPI) is an exercise in prioritizing your goals. The sheer volume of potential activities presents a decision-making challenge for most attendees.
SPI, for most companies, also represents a significant investment of time and resources. Sourcing and utilizing training to contribute to revenue generation must be top on the list of ways to realize a return on that capital. Fortunately for SPI attendees, training comes in a wide variety of topics and formats. The challenge is to identify the type of training you need to propel your business into greater success.
Large and Utility Scale Solar Considerations
If you are involved with large and utility scale solar projects or are looking to bring that level of expertise to your region of the world, then a top consideration at SPI should be the “Large-scale PV: Design Considerations and Case Studies” workshop.
This all-day session on Sunday, September 10, 2017 is presented by Solar Energy International (SEI) and will be taught by PV industry veterans, Kyra Holt and Rebekah Hren. Attendees receive eight NABCEP advanced educational hours toward the certification exam. Note, there is an additional fee to register.
For over 25 years, SEI has been a leader in preparing solar professionals for a clean energy economy. With 55,000 alumni whose ranks grow weekly, SEI has raised the standards of solar industry training, accreditation and implementation worldwide.
Kyra Holt and Rebekah Hren’s expertise in the industry moves technical training into implementation tested success. Cumulatively, they have participated in the design of over 400 megawatts of large and utility scale solar photovoltaic projects. Both are key team members in the sister entities to SEI, SEI Professional Services (SEIPS) and SEI Engineering (SEIE). Within the structures of these companies, they overcome the challenges of PV project design that solar professionals wrestle with daily. The combination of their education and real world expertise represents training that SPI attendees can leverage to bolster their own solar project efficiency.
Benefits of Attending the “Large-scale PV: Design Considerations and Case Studies” Workshop
Along with the networking events, booth exhibits and meetings, SPI attendees can realize revenue specific solar energy project benefits by attending this SEI workshop.
Benefits of the large-scale solar PV workshop include:
Avoid large scale solar project design mistakes. The in-depth review of optimal PV project development and design with real-world examples will help attendees streamline their company’s design process and create revenue margins not impacted by avoidable mistakes.- Learn the importance of equipment selection. Equipment selection is key. This session highlights how equipment selection can influence design choices.
- Get an introduction to medium voltage systems. Most utility scale projects connect to the grid at distribution or sub-transmission voltages. This workshop will introduce you to the equipment needed to make this final connection.
- Utilize strong design principles as a strategy to streamline installation and ease O&M costs. Packing five modules of advanced solar PV design principles into one workshop is a challenge to the instructors and a real benefit for those attending. These field-tested principles are engineered to streamline solar installation, thus contributing to margin preservation and reducing long term operations and maintenance (O&M) costs.
- Learn from lessons learned. Real world case study examples always bring to light principles in a way no other teaching tool can deliver. Holt and Hren will walk attendees through representative examples as well as open the floor for valuable Q&A.
Content to Streamline Your Solar PV Project Design Process
This workshop is described by SPI as, “an in-depth presentation on the design process and considerations for grid-connected megawatt-scale PV systems. This class will cover pre-project planning and site analysis, system design and optimization, layout and racking choices, inverter and transformer selection, medium voltage design, interconnection, and 2017 NEC requirements. These topics will be further explored as we look at project case studies and highlight design considerations and choices for a variety of system configurations. Taught by instructors with real project experience in developing, designing, installing, and commissioning megawatt-scale PV systems, this course is ideal for PV system designers, developers, integrators, installers, and project owners.”
The five modules of the course include:
- Considerations for MW -Scale PV
- Inverters
- DC Collection Systems
- Medium Voltage Systems
- Megawatt Design Examples
Registration information for the workshop can be found here.
Meet the Instructors!
Kyra Moore Holt
Senior Technical Manager and PV System Designer – SEI Engineering
Kyra Holt brings extensive experience in PV project planning and design including full project plan-sets, project site analysis, production analysis utilizing PV SYST, layout design, system design, interconnection feasibility, and drafting support. Kyra is a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional™ and holds a B.A. in Mathematics from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and MS from Duke University, Durham, NC where she studied energy modeling.
Rebekah Hren
Senior Project Manager and Field Technician – SEI Professional Services
Rebekah Hren is a North Carolina licensed electrical contractor, NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional, NABCEP Board Member and member of Code-Making Panel 4 for NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code. She specializes in Code-compliant photovoltaic system design and maintenance. For the past decade she has provided independent contractor services including system design and PV system integration consulting to EPCs and project developers for large-scale solar farms. Rebekah writes for solar industry trade magazines, and has co-authored three books on renewable energy. Rebekah also works for Solar Energy International as an instructor and curriculum developer.
Can’t make the workshop? Talk with the team at the SEI booth.
If you are attending SPI, but can’t make the Sunday workshop, you can talk with Holt, Hren and other members of the SEI Professional Services and Engineering team, including business manager, Jeff Ruppert, at the SEI booth located in the Exhibit Hall, #4476. Find out how the SEI Professional Services and Engineering team can help you on your next project.
More Installer Training at SPI
At booth 4387, SEI instructors will offer additional topic sessions including 2017 NEC Updates, Configuring of PV Systems and Energy Storage, Introduction to Medium Voltage Systems, Inspecting PV Systems, Battery Safety and Maintenance and more! Check out the Solar Power International Expo Education for Installer training to access the full schedule.
Make an appointment at SPI with the SEI Professional Services team!
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Not going to SPI? Here’s a video introduction to SEI Professional Services