Solar Success! Pro-Business Track
Sales, Marketing and System Finance Topics

In-depth description and agenda

• Day One details
• Day Two details
• Read about instructor, Andy Black

Dates

Monday, May 17 – Tuesday, May 18, followed by Solar Success Fast Track sessions on Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20

Training Time

Two days of exclusive content plus two days of 5-6 concurrent business/product training tracks

Training Partner

Andy Black, OnGrid Solar

Target Audience

This program is designed for experienced solar business owners, sales personnel, project developers and project finance managers seeking to advance their skills. Particularly suited to those who are presently working in the grid-tie and battery-based residential markets and intend to enter the small-commercial (10kW-1Mw) market, This program is also suited to commercial-only electrical contracting businesses interested in operating in the commercial solar market.

Topics Covered

State and federal tax rules, incentives and rebates, creating compelling economic analysis, financial sales strategy, net metering, time of use, system performance factors, production estimates, maximizing solar energy investment, financing tools, leases, power purchase agreements.

Certification

Conergy certificate of completion; Thiscourse is designed in accordance with the NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification Program job task analysis, which is currently under development

Additional Benefits

10% SEI training discount
Receive a 10% discount off of any non-branded SEI 2010 in-person workshop or online course, from when you register for the conference until June 30, 2010. Only one discount per person. Conergy will provide all registered participant’s with a discount code as part of their confirmation information. Just go to www.solarenergy.org to register. Available for Solar Success! Training Event participants only. This is non-transferable and not redeemable for cash or equivalent.

Day One

Economics of Solar: Making the Financial Case

Most customers know solar electricity is a sound environmental choice, but few are aware it can also be a remarkably sound investment. This rigorous interactive workshop is designed to help dealers, installers, and salespeople understand and make the most accurate and compelling financial case possible for the value of PV systems. The class is focused on residential systems, tax rules, incentives, and best practices. Examples cover many states, and will be tailored to the demographics of registered attendees. View sample presentation material (PDF) from past training events. All Pro-business track attendees will receive a demo copy of the OnGrid Tool (license agreement required).

This class includes how to make a strong economic selling case by doing a thorough economic analysis for your projects using:

• Simple payback
  
• Total lifecycle payback
  
• Internal rate of return (IRR)
  
• Cash flow analysis
  
• Appraisal resale value

Understand the variables that go into the economic analysis, including:

• Tiered and time-of-use (TOU) net metering electric rates
  
• System performance factors including shading, tilt and orientation, and effects on TOU performance
  
• Incentives and the investment tax credit, and how to maximize incentive benefits for customers

Overview of tools available for financial analysis:
Interactive use of the OnGrid Tool for examples during and at the end of the day. This is NOT a training session or sales pitch for the Tool, however, usage questions are entertained in the end-of-day session.

Day Two

Commercial Solar Economics & Financing

This rigorous interactive workshop is designed to help commercial systems integrators (dealers, installers, and salespeople) understand and make the financial case for commercial PV systems in PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E utilities (depending on location), then understand how to finance them with PPAs and leases.

This class includes:

• Economics of commercial & municipal systems, including the additional incentives (tax credits, RECs, PBIs, depreciation), and utility tariff options (including TOU and demand charge rate choices)
  
• PPAs: Understanding the basics, subtleties, complexities, risks, and opportunities
  
• Leases: Understanding the 4 major types, how and when they are used
  
• A short list of financing providers who specialize in solar

View sample presentation material (PDF) from past training events. All Pro-business track attendees will receive a demo copy of the OnGrid Tool (license agreement required).

Instructor Biography

Andy Black: OnGridÕs principal, Andy Black, has 13 years of experience with solar electric systems. Originally a technical expert on solar electric systems, with a master's degree in electrical engineering, he has transformed his technical expertise into customer education on the financial benefits of solar electric systems. Highlights of AndyÕs formal education include an MS in electrical engineering, NABCEP Solar Installer Certification and a graduate certificate in marketing. He has become widely recognized as an expert in solar financial analysis and a leading thinker and innovator in demonstrating the payback for solar systems. He has developed a unique financial analysis tool that is reported to be the most complete, accurate, and reasonably conservative financial analysis tool in the solar electric industry. He is currently in the process of making it available to the public.