Why Choose Us

1.  We Are Canada’s First ISPQ-Accredited Solar Training School

Ontario Solar Academy (OSA) is Canada’s only photovoltaic training program to receive accreditation from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, and the only one currently based in Canada.

Built around an international framework of standards, Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) accreditation confers legitimacy in renewable energy education, certifying that a program has the requisite faculty, facilities, and resources to prepare graduates for today’s green workforce.  ISPQ accreditation is currently the highest international recognition in solar training.

2.  We Are Authorized by NABCEP to Offer Its PV Entry Level Exam, and the Fee is Included in Our Price

Students who complete our solar courses are also eligible to sit for the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam and we offer this exam on the final day of our GTA trainings, usually at the end of each month.  Although training alone does not qualify one to sit for the more intensive NABCEP Certified Solar Installer Exam, attendance at an ISPQ-accredited program counts towards the “Board Recognized Training” requirement for installer recognition.

The fee for the exam is included in our price. Other schools charge up to $150 for this benefit.

3.  We Will Match the Price of Any Comparable Solar PV Course in the GTA

We remain committed to offering the highest quality and greatest value training through each one of our 5-day solar PV courses.  If you ever find a comparable 5-day solar training program that uses NABCEP-certified instructors in the Greater Toronto Area, we will match that program’s price.  In addition, if you have already signed up for training elsewhere and that course was prematurely canceled, we can help you transfer the registration fee, allowing you to take our 5-day solar training instead.  To learn more about our Price Match offer*, click here.

*Note that our price includes the fee for the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam, a $150 value (see below) as well as the classic, 464 page, textbook, Photovoltaic Systems (2nd Edition), by Jim Dunlop, a $100+ value (for Amazon.ca price, click here). The price also includes our own Ontario Solar Academy Manual, especially designed, and continuously updated, for the Ontario solar industry, a $50 value (though not available except to students enrolled in our course).  So, when comparing prices, check if your other options include this combined $300 value in their price. For those who do not need the NABCEP exam or Photovoltaic Systems textbook at this time, we are can reduce the price accordingly.

Add to this the $199 value of one year’s Ontario Solar Network Basic Membership, and this is a $499 value difference!

4.  Our Faculty Literally Wrote the Book on Canadian Solar

Professor Eric Smiley is a leading expert on photovoltaics and regulatory safety guidelines in Canada.  A former board member of the Canadian Solar Industries Association and an Honorary Director of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, Professor Smiley served on the Exam Committee for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and the Section 50 sub-committee of the Canadian Electrical Code.  Consequently, we are up to date on the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and the PV Bulletins from the OESC.

5.  Our Faculty Is the Most Experienced and Credentialed

Professor Eric Smiley, who is also our Advanced Level Instructor, formerly sat on the NABCEP Exam Committee.

6.  Our Guest Lecturers Are Leading Industry Experts

Our 5-day solar PV courses feature guest speakers from key government agencies, regulatory bodies, and/or commercial solar companies.
Over the past year, we have hosted speakers from over 20 different companies and three of the top PV officials from the ESA.
This exposure to key decision-makers and industry experts constitutes an important component of our solar training.  At OSA, we stress both the theoretical applications of solar PV technology as well as the real-world experience and practice our graduates need to thrive in today’s expanding green market.
And we are constantly learning from what our loyal graduates report back to us from the field.

7.  Our Focus on Domestic Content, FIT, & MicroFIT

Professional success in Ontario’s expanding solar economy is not just dependent on students’ mastering the technical and safety aspects of photovoltaic installation – they must also understand the regulatory and legal factors driving the industry.  As such, we’ve made domestic content, the feed-in-tariff, and micro feed-in-tariff core pillars of our solar training program.

This focus is one of the primary reasons why students opt for our 5-day solar PV training.  Not only do we present the most up-to-date information on regulatory issues, but we also train all of our students using domestic content materials, including Ontario-manufactured panels, inverters, racking, rooftop systems, and flashing.  In fact, quite often, the very manufacturers behind these products come to our courses to offer special training seminars.

In addition, as a founding member of Ontario Solar Network, we have direct access to those industry leaders and key decision-makers who help shape the policies that drive Ontario’s solar industry. The Academy’s Director, Jacob Travis, serves as the President of the Network.

8.  We Are the Preferred Launch Pad for Professional Solar Growth

The intensive solar PV training we provide to our students helps position them to secure new green careers, expand existing ones, and in some cases, even launch new businesses altogether.  We chalk this success both to the quality of our instruction and to the relevancy of our carefully crafted curriculum.  However, two additional factors help to explain why Ontario Solar Academy continues to be the preferred launch pad for those developing solar careers.

Reason #1: We administer the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam and offer numerous preparation courses leading up to the test.  By completing our courses and successfully passing the exam thereafter, our graduates have little difficulty demonstrating to employers or potential clients that they possess the technical, regulatory, and safety know-how needed to get the job done right.

Reason #2: We are a Founding Member of Ontario Solar Network – a fast-growing non-profit association dedicated to advancing business development for its members in Ontario’s solar PV market.  In fact, the Network began as the Academy’s alumni association!

Because graduates of our 5-day solar PV training receive automatic Basic Membership in Ontario Solar Network (a $199 value), they have instant access to essential industry information and events, as well as the ability to forge business relationships with hundreds of member companies, including solar manufacturers, distributors, developers, engineers, installers, lenders, investors, tax advisors, law firms, insurance brokers, and consultants.  The moment their training ends, our graduates instantly plug into Ontario’s fastest growing professional solar community, with access to industry events, networking functions, and solar PV educational programs.