The one thing industry experts say you must do before growing your solar business

The solar industry is growing faster than ever. Maybe you own a solar business that has been booming, or you’re looking to expand into more local markets. We sat down with Will White, Solar Energy International (SEI) curriculum developer and instructor of PVOL206: Solar Training-Solar Business and Technical Sales, to get his expert insight on the most important things to consider before growing your solar business.

Know your market

It is crucial to do your research before entering a new market. Here are some of the most important considerations:

• What competition is out there?
• How big is the potential client base?
• Are there any utility, state, or local restrictions?
• What’s an average return on investment?
• What financing options are there?

Don’t sell systems for less than cost

It might be tempting to offer ultra-competitive pricing, but selling systems at negative margins to get more jobs could easily lead to running out of funds and going bankrupt.

Don’t just grow for growth’s sake

A note of caution, it may be tempting to move into a new area or market segment, but often it’s more profitable to stick to what you know. Many companies start out small with low overhead and grow to a point where the overhead becomes unsustainable and then the business fails. Be weary of growing for growth’s sake and use your discretion on how beneficial it will be to your business.

Remember to keep your focus on top-notch customer service and quality installs

Treating your customers right and providing quality installs will lead to better and more referrals. Referrals are the best leads because they close at much higher rates and they’re less expensive to obtain. Provide great customer service by communicating often and setting realistic expectations. For example, if it’s going to take 9 months from contract signing to install make sure the customer understands that timeline.

 

Train your team at SEI!  SEI offers discounts and contract trainings for businesses interested in having their employees complete SEI trainings. Learn more about SEI’s contract training offerings here: https://www.solarenergy.org/contract-training/

Learn more from Will in SEI’s PVOL206: Solar Training-Solar Business and Technical Sales.

Full class description:

There are many opportunities for different careers in the residential PV industry, including the business and sales side of it. Addressing the topics in the NABCEP PV Technical Sales job task analysis, PVOL206 focuses on technical details for sales professionals, financial analysis, and system financing. This course is geared toward students who are interested in, or who already are working in, the business or sales side of the residential PV industry and are looking to improve their knowledge and sales techniques or are working towards the NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification.

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5 strategies for improving your solar sales game

Are you looking for a job in solar sales, or simply trying to improve your everyday sales strategies? We asked Solar Energy International (SEI) Instructor and Curriculum Developer Will White to share some exclusive insight on the dos and don’ts of solar sales.

Know your client

Who are you selling to? Try to understand what their limitations are in going solar. Some potential limitations could be budget, space, or how much energy they wish to offset.

What is their motivation in going solar? Maybe they are in it for the environment, financial benefits, energy independence, or even a combination of all three. Knowing your clients limitations and motivations can help you best tailor a sales pitch to fit their needs.

Be an expert on your utility, state, incentive programs and parameters

It is imperative to know any limitations the utility might pose on photovoltaic (PV) systems or if there are any specific requirements in your local area that might impact the install (think building, zoning and permitting requirements). Additionally, how does the incentive program work for their utility, do they have net metering? Let your client know you aren’t just selling them solar, you’re also an expert resource on local policies and incentive programs.

Have the right tools to turn around a proposal and a preliminary design quickly

Whether it’s developed in-house or by a subscription service, a salesperson should be able to provide a proposal with a preliminary design for the client quickly. While talking to the customer would be best to give a proposal, but aim for within 24 hours at least if that is not possible.

Follow up!

While talking to the customer, set the expectation for when they will hear from you next. Be sure to return calls, messages, and emails quickly, the more responsive you are the higher the chance of closing the sale.

Know the details of a financial analysis

You should be prepared to compare the details of your financial analysis to a competitor’s. It is important to keep in mind that different companies use different factors in a financial analysis and you should be able to justify your choices and explain why they’re the most accurate.

Interested in learning more about solar business and technical sales? Take a deep dive into the field with Will as an instructor in SEI’s PV206: Solar Training- Solar Business and Technical Sales- Online. The next class session is filling up fast!

Full class description:

There are many opportunities for different careers in the residential PV industry, including the business and sales side of it. Addressing the topics in the NABCEP PV Technical Sales job task analysis, PVOL206 focuses on technical details for sales professionals, financial analysis, and system financing. This course is geared toward students who are interested in, or who already are working in, the business or sales side of the residential PV industry and are looking to improve their knowledge and sales techniques or are working towards the NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification.

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The SEI Solar Sisters String Band rocks out at Solar Battle of the Bands! And other Intersolar updates

In case you missed it… The SEI Solar Sisters String Band made their public debut performing at the 2018 Solar Battle of the Bands! This was a very historical moment for Solar Energy International (SEI). The Solar Sisters String Band proudly represented the SEI Team and our 60,000+ students and alumni from all over the world. What a night!

Check out this video of our SEI ladies warming up at sound check before the big show:

SEI Solar Sisters String Band Sound Check #4 – Solar Battle of the Bands 2018

Check out some video clips from the SEI Solar Sisters String Band sound check for Solar Battle of the Bands 2018! Stay tuned to SEI's Facebook page and eNewsletter to hear about future musical events!

Posted by Solar Energy International (SEI) on Thursday, July 12, 2018

We’re so proud of the solar sisters! Stay tuned for future performances.

Intersolar North America

SEI represented last week at Intersolar North America in San Francisco with a team of 12 at our booth and conducting trainings. Training topics included: PV Systems and the National Electric Code, Large-Scale PV: Considerations and Installation Case Studies, and Practicas Recomendadas por Expertos en la Industria y el NEC 2014. If you missed us at Intersolar, check out our online class schedule and enroll in an online training to start your solar education anywhere, self-paced.

 

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Solar Energy International (SEI) opens its first International Solar Training Center in Costa Rica

With this facility SEI seeks to accelerate and expand access to solar training to Spanish speakers throughout Latin America

CARTAGO, COSTA RICA- Solar Energy International (SEI), an industry leader in solar energy technical training, opened its first International Solar Training Center in Costa Rica through a partnership with CFIA (Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica) and CIEMI (College of Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineers).

This new training facility will accelerate and expand access to world-class solar training to Spanish speakers throughout Latin America, building a strong solar industry in the region with qualified workforce in line with SEI’s vision of a world powered by renewable energy. Since the beginning of SEI’s Spanish Program in 2013, SEI has trained over 9,000 Spanish speakers, empowering Latin Americans with solar education, which has increased energy access for their communities.

The Solar Training Center SEI-CFIA is located in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica, inside the facilities of CFIA’s Integral Training Center Uxarrací.

The center is fully equipped with the best tools to construct, commission and test solar electric arrays. It has 3 solar PV systems installed in compliance with the US National Electrical Code (NEC), which allows students to learn about the most up-to-date design and safety parameters. The systems are composed of leading technologies and popular products available internationally for students to build and wire photovoltaic arrays from the roof up.

As it is SEI’s commitment to bring the highest level of safety and training to Latin America, the center is constructed in compliance with OSHA regulations modeling the safest possible working environment for the students’ learning experience. Equipment to teach safest procedures such as harnesses, electric insulating gloves, helmets and protective glasses are available and required for all students.

Industry professionals hired as instructors take SEI’s leading curriculum and apply it for Latin American students to take a hands-on approach to system assembly, wiring and commissioning.  As photovoltaic arrays are modular, they are able to extrapolate the system to much larger sizes and capacities.

Marco Calvo, President of CIEMI Board of Directors said in regard the opening of the new center:
“By partnering with SEI, we are fulfilling the responsibility to offer our community the security that things are being done as they should, with high quality professional standards. From CIEMI we seek to offer solutions to the professionals of the solar industry so that they are able to build efficient, safe and reliable installations. The solar industry is growing in Costa Rica and in Latin America, and we want our workforce to be prepared to occupy the new jobs that the sector generates. We trust in the trajectory of SEI and the quality of its instructors to provide qualified education”.

Matthew Harris, LatAm Business Development Director, said:
“The Costa Rica campus is an invaluable opportunity for SEI to bring high quality PV education to a growing Latin American market. Over 26 years of time-tested and evolving techniques stand behind SEI’s academic and hands-on curriculum. It is SEI’s mission to bring solar electricity to people around the world empowering people, business and communities”

Enrollments to take SEI’s spanish courses in Costa Rica are now open. To learn more, contact the SEI Spanish Program Student Service team at programahispano@solarenergy.org or call +1-970-527-7657 xt. 8.

About Solar Energy International: SEI was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit educational organization with the mission to provide industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities and businesses worldwide. SEI envisions a world powered by renewable energy. To learn more about the Spanish Program visit www.solarenergy.org/es

About CFIA: The Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica ensures the excellence and decorum of its members, for the development of an efficient, responsible and interdisciplinary professional exercise of engineering and architecture, to contribute to the security and sustainable progress of Costa Rica.

About CIEMI: The College of Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineers (CIEMI) is one of the five colleges that make up the Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica. The role of the CIEMI is to regulate the professional practice of all those professional areas of engineering that are attached to this school in Costa Rica and that currently correspond to 28 specialties.

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Tales from the road: Solar Forward explores the San Luis Valley

In our efforts to power rural communities forward with solar energy initiatives, SEI’s Solar Forward Program Manager hit the road again this week to meet with community groups throughout Colorado in order to truly understand and explore the needs of these communities, and how Solar Forward can help.

Read her recap below:

As we are well aware from our experience at our home base in Paonia, Colorado, dirt roads tend to lead to the best places. In the case of Crestone, Colorado, in the heart of the San Luis Valley, this was no different. As I drove through Baca into the town of Crestone, a colorful hub nestled between high desert and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, dry shrubbery turned into lush grass, trees and gardens as I approached the local diner where I would be meeting the driving force behind kickstarting a solar market in the region.

Smiles and excited conversation about resiliency ensued as nearly two hours flew by during our meeting about a potential partnership. I am always energized by the the genuine excitement and light in the eyes of partners as I explain the premise of our program: As an industry leader in solar energy training since 1991, SEI seeks to offer free technical advising to rural communities looking to foster a thriving solar market.

Resiliency is an overarching theme at nearly every meeting I attend. At SEI, we recognize that rural communities can benefit from a solar market the most. Instead of sending millions of dollars out of communities to pay utility bills, let’s keep that money in the economies of the communities who need it the most.

The group was most excited about our Solar in Schools program, taking our curriculum and teaching it to local high school classes as a trade training opportunity for the solar workforce. In communities which lack accessibility, bringing industry-recognized training as a pathway into the fast-growing renewable energy workforce is special opportunity for students.

The meeting ended how many do, a tour around town to the places where personality shines through the most: breweries painted with colorful murals depicting cherished local symbols and values, pointing out hidden oddities and art along allies and neighborhood nooks. I love seeing the personality of a community through the lens of the people who love it so much that they are striving to improve local opportunities through solar.

Climbing up a nearby mountain lined with centers of worship for spiritual gathering, I was full of gratitude and excitement. SEI is so thankful for what rural communities offer the Solar Forward Program: an avenue to empower the growth of solar and a relationship to share our mission of a world powered by renewable energy.

Are you interested in getting your community involved? Visit solarenergy.org/solar-forward or email mary@solarenergy.org for more information.

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SEI Instructor Highlight: Meet Eissa Ali

From enrolling in Solar Energy International (SEI)’s RE100: Introduction to Renewable Energy to supervising the transition of more than 522 mobile network stations from conventional power supply to Off-Grid and Hybrid solar systems in Sudan, Mali, Ethiopia and Egypt, SEI Instructor Eissa Ali credits SEI’s solar energy training for his success in the solar industry.  Now, he’s SEI’s newest instructor leading courses in the Middle East.

Eissa graduated with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Omdurman Islamic University in 2003, and later went on to receive an MBA from Sudan Academy of Science. In 2016, less than week after taking SEI’s RE100, Eissa first met the SEI team at a Dubai Solar Show Exhibition.

Eissa explained that he was so excited when he saw SEI represented at the Exhibition. He explained, “While exploring booths at the exhibition, I saw SEI. The first one I saw standing in booth was Rebekah Hren, I introduced myself and she briefed me about SEI. After that Kristopher Sutton joined in following his public presentation. They sparked a passion for solar in me that day.”

Eissa explained that following that meeting, he immediately started PVOL101 and was so enticed by the course content that he finished the course in less than four days.  He followed that course with PVOL202, kept taking classes, and went on to achieve his NABCEP Associate certification.

“Nothing compares to the experience of taking SEI classes,” Eissa said. “I finished PVOL101, PVOL202 & PVOL203 in less than six weeks. I was inspired by perfect presentations and supportive instructors and administrators.”

After Eissa completed PVOL203, he joined one of the leading solar integrator companies in UAE (Alsa Solar Systems) as an intern. Now Eissa is leading the technical sales team. “The main reason behind this fast promotion is the knowledge I keep getting from SEI classes,” Eissa explained.

Eissa taught his first class for SEI in April of this year, a PV101 in the GCC region. Now he’s teaching classes as a part of SEI’s Middle East Program,bringing his professional experience in the GCC market to give real-life examples to students who will work in the region . “My last class at The Sustainable City- Dubai was amazing because we had wonderful students and supportive co-instructor. ”

Follow in Eissa’s footsteps at SEI’s next PV101 offered in Oman! The next SEI solar PV technical training in the MENA region is coming soon: SEI, In partnership with Shams Global Solutions, will be leading their third PV101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct) course in Muscat, Oman. the PV101 course will run from July 8th -12th, 2018 at the German University of Technology (GUtech) in Muscat. PV101 is the first and currently only solar photovoltaic training course officially certified by Oman’s Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP) and supports applications to become a DCRP approved Solar Professional! PV101 builds solid understanding of various components, system architectures, and applications for PV systems and is ideal for professionals looking to get their start in the solar industry including designers, installers, engineers and educators.

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Solar Energy International and Shams Global Solutions Leaders of Solar Training in Oman

Solar Energy International (SEI) and Shams Global Solutions (SGS), a local Omani company, have partnered to launch Oman’s first and only certified solar photovoltaic training course! The course, PV101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct) is officially certified by Oman’s Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP) and supports applications to become a DCRP approved Solar Professional. This DCRP certification is required for individuals looking to work as a consultant or contractor for grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Oman’s quickly growing solar industry. SGS co-founder Michael Tsang said of the rapidly expanding industry, “Oman has a tremendous opportunity to train a new generation of internationally qualified specialists in renewable energy, and we are fortunate enough to help see that potential come to reality.”

In support of that objective, representatives of Oman’s Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER) and DCRP addressed the participants of the inaugural PV101 course in March of this year, explaining the certification process and how to submit course credentials. Since that first class, 52 students from the energy industry, electrical utilities and academia have completed the PV101 coursework which introduces the core concepts of the design and installation of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, including solar site analyses, PV system components, mounting structures, system wiring, interface protection and safety, among others.

The PV101 course is one of four courses that make up the Shams Oman training program. The program develops technical competency for PV Designers and Installers using SEI’s industry-leading curriculum which has been further localised by SGS for Oman’s regulations and connection guidelines. The three additional Shams Oman courses include hands-on, field-based courses for the installation and advanced operations and maintenance for grid-tied PV systems in addition to an advanced PV system design course. The hands-on courses will take place at SGS’s PV training center containing 9 kWp of grid-tied PV systems. The training center is located outside of Muscat at the German Technical University of Oman (GUTech) and is sponsored by BP Oman.

Kristopher Sutton, Director of SEI’s Middle East Program, explained, “the Shams Oman training program was designed to be a mix of the theory and the practical knowledge that makes anyone, whether you are an installer, designer, or project manager, competent to work in the solar industry. A great designer needs to know how to install a system and a great installer needs to know the reason for a design. This type of cross training builds high quality companies that are the foundation of a successful solar industry.”

More information about the program at www.shamsoman.com

About Solar Energy International:

Since 1991 Solar Energy International (SEI)  has provided industry-leading technical training and expertise through in-person and online solar PV training. Named the 2015 IREC Accredited Clean Energy Training Provider of the Year and with 55,000 alumni worldwide, SEI is the leader in renewable energy education. Visit www.solarenergy.org

About Shams Global Solutions:

Shams Global Solutions (SGS) is a private company based and registered wholly in Oman, with headquarters in the capital of Muscat. SGS focuses on creating and delivering educational and training services for sustainability. Particularly, our mission is providing the education, skills and practical experience required for the new generation of employment in Oman centered around renewable energy, sustainability and low-carbon technologies. SGS is proud to have provided solar photovoltaic training to students in Oman and the Gulf Region from organizations such as PDO, NAMA Group Members, Oman Solar Systems, GUtech, Bahwan Engineering Company, and United Engineering Project Co., among others.

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