Resource Hub

Renewable Energy Resources You Can Put to Work

Practical tools, courses, industry references, and real-world challenges to help renewable energy professionals make better decisions and do their work more effectively.

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Engineers reviewing printed project documents and a calculator at a shared desk

Practical resources

Tools & Templates

Use practical resources to make better decisions, work more efficiently, and apply what you learn.

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Featured Resources

Explore practical guides, tools and interactive resources from The Energy Academy.

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Guide
Finance

How to Use a Solar Financial Model to Evaluate Project Returns

A plain-English walkthrough of a solar financial model — project costs, energy production, revenue, operating expenses, financing and incentives — and how to test each assumption in The Energy Academy's free interactive model.

Guide
Engineering

How to Use PVWatts to Estimate Solar Energy Production

A step-by-step guide to NREL's PVWatts Calculator: what to enter, which assumptions matter, how to read annual production and capacity factor, and the mistakes that skew early estimates.

Guide
Development

Solar Interconnection Process: An Interactive Project Roadmap

The eight stages of commercial solar interconnection, from early feasibility review through permission to operate, plus the risks and questions that shape project schedule and cost.

Guide
Finance

Solar Project Finance Basics: How Costs Become Returns

How construction cost, energy production, contract revenue, operating expenses, incentives and financing combine into solar project cash flow — and what investors and lenders look for in a financeable project.

Reference
Operations

Annual Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Solar

The Energy Academy

The recurring annual maintenance cycle for a solar system, from array walks, torque sampling and thermal scans to inverter service, AC equipment, sensors and vegetation.

Reference
Operations

Commissioning Checklist for Commercial Solar

The Energy Academy

Around 60 checks for commissioning a commercial solar system, from documentation readiness and mechanical, DC and AC testing through energization and the turnover package.

Reference
Energy Markets

Utility Rate Structure Review Checklist

The Energy Academy

About 60 checks for judging whether a utility rate structure favors solar, from confirming the right tariff and time-of-use fit to reducible demand, export terms and rate-change risk.

Reference
Origination

Letter of Intent Checklist for Commercial Solar

The Energy Academy

The terms to cover in a commercial solar letter of intent, organized by section, including which provisions are typically binding and which are not. Educational, not legal advice.

Reference
Origination

Solar Lead Qualification Checklist

The Energy Academy

Close to 70 checks for qualifying a solar lead, grouped by site, load and tariff, decision process, timeline and credit, plus the early disqualifiers that save weeks.

Reference
Legal

Closing Document Checklist for a Solar Project

The Energy Academy

The documents and deliverables assembled to close financing or the sale of a solar project, from entity and real estate records to insurance, opinions and the post-closing tail.

Reference
Legal

Contract Review Checklist for Solar Project Documents

The Energy Academy

A structured review of the core solar project documents, lease, PPA, EPC, interconnection and operations agreements, plus the consistency checks that catch conflicts between them.

Reference
Finance

Investor Diligence Checklist for a Solar Project

The Energy Academy

Close to 60 items an investor or buyer checks before committing to a solar project, grouped by site, permits, interconnection, contracts, production, construction, credit and tax.

Coming soon. We’re adding new resources to this category regularly — check back shortly, or browse the other categories above.

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Many of these resources are supported by free Energy Academy courses and lessons that explain the concepts behind them.

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Vendor Directory

Find renewable energy companies by service, technology and market, from early development and financing through construction and operations.

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Across the
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Browse by service

Jump straight to a service area. Each card opens the directory filtered to that service.

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Courses & Learning

Explore free courses and lessons that explain how renewable energy projects move from origination and development through finance, construction, and operations.

Build practical knowledge at your own pace. Every course is free. You’ll need a free Academy account to open one.

DevelopmentSolar Development 101Learn how a project moves from raw land to notice to proceed, covering site qualification, site control, permitting, interconnection and construction readiness.Create a free account to view this course

Solar developer and landowners reviewing a parcel map at a farm gate

DevelopmentSite ControlUnderstand leases, easements and option agreements, plus the title work and property rights that decide whether a site can actually be built.Create a free account to view this course

Engineer marking up a printed solar array layout drawing

EngineeringSolar Engineering 101Work through the engineering decisions behind a solar plant, from array layout and equipment selection to electrical design and constructability review.Create a free account to view this course

EngineeringPVSystBuild and interpret energy-yield simulations, from site and weather inputs through system losses to a bankable production estimate.Create a free account to view this course

Solar system components on a workbench: module, connectors, clamp and inverter

EngineeringSystem ComponentsLearn how modules, inverters, racking and balance-of-system equipment work together, and what drives the selection of each.Create a free account to view this course

Installation crew mounting solar modules onto a tracker row

ConstructionSolar Construction 101See how a solar project gets built, from mobilization and civil work through racking, module installation, electrical work, and commissioning.Create a free account to view this course

Superintendent leading a morning planning huddle with a solar construction crew

ConstructionConstruction Planning and Field ExecutionPlan the work and run the site: schedules, crews, submittals, inspections, and the field decisions that keep a build on time.Create a free account to view this course

Owner representative and EPC project manager walking a laydown yard of solar modules

ConstructionEngineering Procurement & Construction Agreement (EPC)Break down the contract that governs construction, including scope, milestones, liquidated damages, warranties, and how risk is allocated.Create a free account to view this course

Project finance analyst reviewing printed cash flow charts at a desk

FinanceSolar Project Finance 101Understand how solar projects get funded, covering capital structure, tax equity, debt sizing, and what lenders and investors look for.Create a free account to view this course

Financial analyst reviewing a printed model output with a highlighter

FinanceFinancial AnalystFollow the analyst’s role in solar finance, from building project models and testing assumptions to supporting investment decisions.Create a free account to view this course

Energy buyer and solar developer reviewing a printed power purchase agreement

FinancePower Purchase Agreements (PPAs)See how the PPA sets project revenue: pricing structures, term, settlement and the risks lenders and investors examine.Create a free account to view this course

Attorney reviewing an easement plat map on a conference table

LegalSolar Legal 101Get oriented in the contracts and legal structures behind a renewable project, and learn where deals most often run into trouble.Create a free account to view this course

OriginationOrigination 101Learn how deals are sourced and shaped, from identifying offtakers and sites to qualifying the opportunities worth real development spend.Create a free account to view this course

OriginationSolar and Commercial Real EstateExplore rooftop and land deals with property owners, including lease economics, tenant considerations, and what makes a site attractive.Create a free account to view this course

Analyst working in a grid operations and markets control room

Energy MarketsEnergy Markets 101Understand how electricity is bought, sold and dispatched, and how market design shapes the value a renewable project can capture.Create a free account to view this course

Energy MarketsRenewable Energy FundamentalsCover the technologies, policy drivers and economics behind the energy transition, and how renewables fit into the wider power system.Create a free account to view this course

Asset ManagementAsset Management 101Learn what it takes to run an operating portfolio, covering performance, contracts, compliance and reporting across the asset lifecycle.Create a free account to view this course

O&M technician and asset manager reviewing a checklist at a solar farm

Asset ManagementO&M AgreementUnderstand the agreement governing ongoing operations and maintenance, including scope, service levels, performance standards, reporting, pricing, warranties and risk allocation.Create a free account to view this course

Industry Resources

Curated guides, databases, calculators, reports, podcasts, books, and reference materials from trusted organizations across the renewable energy industry.

Find the right resource for the question in front of you.

Featured Podcast · Development

The Solar Maverick Podcast

Benoy Thanjan, founder of Reneu Energy, talks with developers, financiers and founders about where the solar and energy markets meet entrepreneurship. 300+ episodes and counting.

Listen now More about the show →

Organization
Policy

Advanced Energy United

A national business association that advocates for advanced energy in state houses, at commissions and with grid operators.

Organization
Policy

Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)

CESA

A bipartisan coalition of state energy agencies that shares clean energy and storage program designs.

Organization
Policy

National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

NARUC

The national association of the state public service commissioners who regulate U.S. utility services.

Report
Policy

The 50 States Reports (N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center)

N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center

Quarterly roundups of state solar, grid modernization and EV policy actions, from the team behind DSIRE.

Reference
Engineering

IEEE 1547: Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources

IEEE Standards Association

The standard for connecting distributed energy resources such as solar and storage to the utility grid.

Reference
Engineering

NFPA 855: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems

NFPA

The fire safety standard for installing stationary energy storage systems, now in its 2026 edition.

Put it into practice

Challenges

Test your judgment with short, real-world renewable energy scenarios.

Current challenge

Beat the Deadline

Can you get a solar project to substantial completion before year-end? Ten decisions, one deadline, and a $100,000 recovery reserve.

Solar Construction
About 10 minutes
$100 + YETI prize

Entries close October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT

Take the challenge Read the decision guide

Rows of solar panels on a large commercial rooftop

10 decisions • 1 deadline

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