The world is currently navigating through some pretty uncertain times. As COVID-19 continues to dismantle the economy and force many companies to lay off or furlough employees, supporting those in the solar industry is more important than ever. We are seeing unprecedented changes within our industry that, while temporary, are taking a toll on the day to day lives of industry professionals and on getting projects to the finish line.
Energy Toolbase understands that many have come under hardships during this time, but continuing education hasn’t stopped and still remains a priority. We’ve partnered with Community.Solar to help provide a scholarship for developers and anyone looking for NABCEP certification or recertification. The scholarship sponsor will help up to 100 installers get their NABCEP certification or recertification, by providing a 50% discount to the courses. Community.Solar’s platform provides NABCEP accredited courses to maintain certification but has been a leader in solar education for years. Aside from the discounted training Energy Toolbase is going to provide to students the chance to interact with our team during courses. We will be available to answer questions and provide demos of our tool. Community.Solar has always had a hands-on approach to its courses, providing a real-time, on-demand environment for students. During a time where most people have transitioned to a work from home environment and conferences and events are being canceled due to COVID-19, this also allows for networking opportunities between students/trainees.
John Cromer is the founder and lead instructor at Community.Solar where he teaches classes to a variety of students from solar developers, engineers to architects and construction managers. His NABCEP program started out as a one-day crash course for architects and engineers across the country but it soon evolved into an online classroom, adding content on batteries and code to help both NABCEP installers and project managers. Like Community.Solar, we believe that cost should not be a reason to avoid seeking industry certification and continuing education. The classroom is based in the popular channel Discord, that way participants can talk real-time discussion while having an at-your-own pace program. While continuing education can be a mandatory training process, it adds significant value to seeking new, future project opportunities.
While everyone’s schedule is disrupted now, on-demand education and training is keeping the calendar full. Using this time for certificate requirements is wise, even without a pandemic. “It has always been a safe bet to become as proficient as possible in all aspects of solar possible because solar is the future,” says Cromer. “We believe quality training can and will uplift the entire community.”
The sponsorship scholarship is available to anyone looking to get their NABCEP certification or recertification. You can visit the Community.Solar website to sign up and learn more.
