Career changers
Build a serious foundation before stepping into solar sales, design, installation, or operations.
What Watts Up Academy Offers
College-level solar education without college tuition.
This course is built for learners who want more than scattered videos and memorized vocabulary. It explains the practical pieces of PV systems, how they connect, and how those ideas show up in certification-focused learning.
The course currently includes recorded lectures and slide decks, with module quizzes, flashcards, study questions, and assessments planned into the learning path.
Included or planned
- Approximately 30 hours of recorded lecture content
- Slide decks and structured module lessons
- Flashcards and study questions
- Quizzes at the end of each module
- Hands-on lab concepts and commissioning practice
- Career and certification pathway guidance
Who It Is For
Built for practical learners entering or growing in solar.
Apprentices and tradespeople
Connect electrical, construction, and field experience to PV-specific concepts and language.
Office and project staff
Understand the equipment, workflow, safety issues, and decisions behind solar projects.
Certification-focused learners
Prepare for the NABCEP PV Associate body of knowledge with structure and context.
Curious builders
Learn what makes PV systems work before trying to evaluate equipment or advice.
Your Instructor
Abe Fouhy teaches solar from the shop floor, the classroom, and the real world.
Abe Fouhy is a renewable energy instructor, program developer, and hands-on technical educator with 29 years of experience in renewable energy and 15 years of college-level teaching experience. He has taught and mentored roughly 2,000 students across renewable energy, solar fundamentals, alternative fuels, hydrogen, wind, manufacturing, drafting, troubleshooting, and workforce training programs.
Before launching Watts Up Academy, Abe served as full-time faculty, program developer, and program lead at Clackamas Community College, where he built hands-on renewable energy coursework, supported industry-connected workforce programs, and helped students prepare for renewable energy careers, internships, credentials, and technical advancement.
Abe passed the NABCEP Photovoltaic Entry Level Exam in 2012 and has taught more than 60 public and industry courses on renewable hydrogen and alternative fuels. His teaching style is practical and field-connected: students learn not just the theory, but how systems are designed, installed, tested, commissioned, and understood in the real world.
Course Outline
Ten modules from PV fundamentals to commissioning and career growth.
The curriculum is designed to move from basic concepts into practical system understanding, safety, testing, and professional readiness.
Introduction to PV and Certification Standards
PV market overview, jobs and pathways, system types, and solar component overview.
Solar Resource and Site Assessment
Solar geometry, shading tools, site evaluation, and roof structural considerations.
System Components and Selection
PV modules, inverters, batteries, balance-of-system equipment, efficiency, performance, and warranties.
Electrical Design Fundamentals
String sizing, voltage and current limits, cable sizing, overcurrent protection, grounding, and bonding.
Mechanical and Mounting Systems
Pitched roofs, flat roofs, ground mounts, structural loading, anchoring, waterproofing, and racking examples.
Installation Procedures
Installation sequence, DC and AC wiring, conduit, labeling, commissioning checklists, and documentation.
Safety and Regulations
PPE, fall protection, electrical hazards, OSHA and RAMS context, and real-world safety scenarios.
Testing, Commissioning, and Handover
Insulation resistance, polarity, IV curve testing, grid compliance, customer education, and O&M basics.
Business, Quality, and Consumer Protection
Permitting, contracts, warranties, consumer rights, NABCEP ethics, and quality expectations.
Emerging Technologies and Careers
Batteries, EV integration, microgrids, monitoring, NABCEP pathways, MCS context, and continuing development.
Student Feedback
Past students remember the clarity and practical teaching.
"The best part of my experience at CCC was having you as a teacher, Abe. Your passion was so apparent. Thanks man!"
Nick L.
"Your mastery of the subject matter is obvious, and you're able to communicate complex concepts in a very digestible way."
Brandon M.
"I will always be grateful for how you have brought the love for renewables into my life."
Josephe V.
"All my favorite classes were with you as my teacher. I use a lot of what I learned in your classes through my career."
Jesse N.
Founding Student Path
Choose the path that matches your readiness.
After you decide whether you want to pursue the founding student seat, the form captures the same useful lead information either way.
Ready to become one of our founding students?
Choose one option before submitting the form.
Apply or Join the Waitlist
Tell us where you are starting from.
If you choose the founding student path, your information will be submitted to Twenty CRM and then you will be sent to the founding student page. If you choose the waitlist path, your information will be submitted and you will see a thank-you message here.
Payment note
Payment and enrollment are not handled on this page. MoodleCloud will handle account creation, payment through Stripe or PayPal, course enrollment, and course access.
FAQ
Common questions
Is this course officially endorsed by NABCEP?
No. NABCEP is a registered organization name. This course is independent training and exam preparation unless and until official approval or endorsement is obtained.
Does completing the course guarantee certification or employment?
No. The course is designed to help you prepare and build practical understanding, but it does not guarantee certification, licensure, employment, exam results, or income.
Where does enrollment happen?
Enrollment, student accounts, payment, and course access will happen inside MoodleCloud. This landing page only collects lead information and directs interested students to the next step.
What is the refund policy?
Refund eligibility is limited. In general, once any portion of the digital course has been accessed, the purchase becomes non-refundable. Read the full Refund & Cancellation Policy.