Solar Academy
Learn to go solar — for free
No sales pitch, no signup. Two free tracks: a quick, jargon-free path for homeowners weighing solar, and a deeper one that teaches you to actually design a system — with hands-on walkthroughs in our simulator.
These courses help you understand, evaluate, and design solar and talk to installers as an equal — they’re not a substitute for licensed installation, professional design, or tax advice.
Homeowner 101
New to solar? Start here — no jargon.
- Module 1: Is solar right for my home?Roof, shading, your bill, and your goals — a quick gut-check before you go further.
- Module 2: How solar saves money in TexasBill offset, buyback, and the incentives that are left in 2026.
- Module 3: Sizing solar to your usageWhy you size to your kWh, not your roof — and how to get an accurate estimate.
- Module 4: Reading a quote without getting burnedCash vs. loan vs. lease, red flags, and the questions every quote should answer.
- Module 5: Permits, HOA & connecting to the gridWhat has to happen before your system switches on — and who handles it.
System Design
Want to design it yourself? Go hands-on.
- Module 1: How a solar system is wiredThe mental model: modules → strings → MPPTs → inverter → your home (and where the battery sits).
- Module 2: Reading the three spec sheetsDecode the module, inverter, and battery datasheets — the numbers that drive every design choice.
- Module 3: Panel groups & orientationsWhy you group panels by roof plane, tilt, azimuth, and shading — and what happens when you don’t.
- Module 4: Strings & voltage (series)Sizing modules per string to the MPPT window across temperature.
- Module 5: MPPTs & parallel stringsWhat an MPPT does and how to allocate groups to inputs.
- Module 6: Inverter sizing & DC/AC ratioOversizing, clipping, and string vs. hybrid inverters.
- Module 7: Batteries: sizing & couplingCapacity vs. power, parallel units, AC vs. DC coupling, backup.
- Module 8: Put it together & simulateRead PR, losses, and P50/P90 — then iterate the design.
- Module 9: From design to realityPermits, interconnection, inspection, PTO — and the licensed-pro boundary.
Learn by doing — open the simulator alongside the lessons. Start a design