Emerging Leaders Program

This session introduces the solar value chain and clarifies where asset management sits within it, from development through operations and optimization. It provides a concise overview of electricity markets, covering the fundamentals of supply, demand, and pricing. Participants will also examine how evolving market dynamics directly influence asset management priorities and decision-making.

This session demystifies technical, financial, and contractual due diligence for PV and BESS projects, highlighting the most common red flags investors and asset owners should watch for. Participants will explore how due diligence outcomes directly influence long-term asset management and value-creation strategies. The session concludes with a hands-on mini-exercise, guiding attendees through a simplified due diligence checklist to translate theory into practice.

Build a strong foundation in the core concepts every PV O&M professional needs. This lesson introduces O&M approaches, contracts, plans, strategies, and the critical role of data acquisition systems (DAS) and preventative maintenance (PM). It also covers the key factors that influence PV system performance, including soiling, power tolerance, system age, inverter efficiency, voltage drop, temperature, and irradiance.

Learn what to look for in the field through a highly visual, photo-rich lesson designed to sharpen your eye. This module highlights the importance of visual inspections and preventive maintenance within any O&M plan, covering common issues across electrical equipment, electronic power converters, balance-of-system components, data acquisition systems, PV modules, and racking. You’ll gain practical insight into identifying conditions that support safe, reliable, and high-performing systems.

Safety comes first—and this lesson shows you how to apply it in real-world PV environments. You’ll learn how to create electrically safe work conditions, understand the purpose and importance of LOTO procedures, and review employer responsibilities, essential LOTO equipment, and NFPA 70E lockout/tagout steps. The lesson also builds awareness around de-energization, isolation, equipment segmentation, and the critical reality that hazardous voltages may still be present even when disconnects are open.

Expand your toolkit by exploring additional testing methods and technologies used in modern PV maintenance. This lesson introduces insulation resistance testing (IRT), thermal imaging, data acquisition systems (DAS), analytics, and I-V curve tracing, and explains how each supports system assessment and performance evaluation. You’ll develop practical awareness that strengthens your technical versatility and helps you work more effectively with specialized third-party providers.

This session explains how hybrid PV and BESS systems are structured and operated, with a focus on the practical implications for asset managers. It addresses key technical and operational challenges, including warranties, degradation, safety, dispatch strategies, and additional commercial considerations such as merchant risk, revenue stacking, and compliance. Through real-world case study demonstrations, participants will gain practical insights into effectively overseeing and optimizing hybrid portfolios.