New Students

Getting Started

A great place to start in the solar industry is the NABCEP PV Associate Program. This is an entry-level credential that qualifies an individual to design, sell, install, or maintain systems in a supervised capacity.

MREA has three core courses that are required to become eligible to sit for the NABCEP PV Associate exam. These three courses are also prerequisites for many of our advanced courses.

Accredited Training Provider

MREA courses are accredited by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), and meet the educational requirements for credentialing by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

MREA Core Courses

BASIC PHOTOVOLTAICS (PV 101)

This eight-hour course addresses the basics of solar electricity.

PV SITE ASSESSMENT (PV 201)

This eight-hour course uses presentations, exercises, activities, and class discussion to demonstrate how to perform a residential PV site assessment, using a template created by the MREA.

PV SYSTEM DESIGN (PV 202)

This 16-hour course teaches the step-by-step process of designing a PV system.

Other courses available without prerequisites:
G 110: Navigating the NEC
W 101: Intro to Wind
G 108: Working with Electricity
PV 620: Fire Code Regulations for PV Systems

Testimonial

The courses are easily accessible, and well prepared.
I found it a great way to learn about solar energy and prepare for the NABCEP PV Associate exam.

– Brian Bischoff, MREA Alumni –

Training Formats

Online Training

Our online training includes narrated presentations, tutorial videos, exercises, and quizzes. We have two options available:

Instructor-Led: A course page becomes available on a certain date, and there is an assigned due date to finish all work. Student progress is regularly monitored, and instructors hold live review sessions, office hours, or webinars. Feedback is provided as you go.

Independent Study: These courses have no scheduled start dates, due dates, or live instructor meetings. Student progress is regularly monitored, and you receive a Letter of Completion when all work is done. You are granted access to the course page when your registration is processed by MREA staff.

In-Person Training

We offer in-person training at our headquarters in Custer, WI. We also hold Solar Training Academies in several locations throughout the Midwest each year.

In-person training can be lecture classes, lab courses, or a combination of the two: Lecture and lab courses require full attendance and participation. You will be given a Letter of Completion at the end of the scheduled day(s), at the discretion of your instructor.