Useful Links

A working engineer's collection of the tools, references, and resources I actually reach for when designing solar and battery storage systems. I'll keep adding to this as I find things worth sharing.

Software

  • PVsyst — The industry standard for detailed PV performance simulation and energy yield modeling. This is what most bankable production estimates are built on.
  • PVcase — AutoCAD-based design software for ground-mount PV, covering terrain, layout, and electrical design inside a familiar CAD environment.
  • PVFARM — Web-based, AI-assisted layout platform aimed at utility-scale solar. Generates layouts, single-line diagrams, and bills of quantities, and exports shade files for PVsyst, pulling civil, electrical, and energy into one model.
  • ETAP (Help Center) — Documentation and support portal for ETAP, the power system analysis suite used for load flow, short circuit, arc flash, and more.
  • WinIGS – AP Concepts — Grounding system design and analysis software, including ground grid, lightning, and electromagnetic interference studies.
  • Eaton Power Cable Ampacity Software — Calculates power cable ampacity for project-specific installation and thermal conditions.

Online Tools & Reference

  • PVWatts – NREL — NREL's free calculator for quick PV energy production and rough cost estimates from a location and a handful of system parameters. Great for early feasibility.
  • ASCE 7 Hazard Tool — Look up code-based environmental design loads (wind, seismic, snow, ice, rain, flood, tornado) by site coordinates, per ASCE 7.
  • Southwire Conduit Fill Calculator — Fast conduit fill checks against NEC allowable fill percentages.
  • Southwire Voltage Drop Calculator — Quick voltage-drop estimates for conductor runs.
  • Mike Holt Forums — Active community of electricians and engineers working through NEC interpretation and real-world code application. A good place to sanity-check a tricky code question.

Research & Papers

  • NEI Electric Power Engineering – Knowledge Hub — Technical papers and articles from a power systems engineering firm, spanning renewables, substations, inverter-based resource modeling, and grid modernization.
  • Pure Power Engineering Blog — A deep archive of practical solar and storage engineering articles — value engineering, NEC and code, conductor sizing, inverter design, BESS, and interconnection — written by working PEs.

Trainings

  • NABCEP — The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, the leading certification body for solar and renewable energy professionals. Offers credentials like PV Installation Professional, PV Design Specialist, and PV Technical Sales, along with continuing-education resources.
  • PVcase Academy — Structured courses and tutorials for building up PVcase design workflows.

Codes & Regulations

  • NFPA LiNK — NFPA's digital platform for accessing the NEC (NFPA 70) and related standards.
  • IEEE NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) — The NESC (IEEE C2) governs safe installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply and communication utility systems — the utility-side counterpart to the NEC.
  • NETA Standards — InterNational Electrical Testing Association standards for acceptance (ATS) and maintenance (MTS) testing of electrical power equipment.
  • ICEA — Insulated Cable Engineers Association publications and standards for wire and cable design, construction, and testing.
  • IEEE Xplore — IEEE's digital library of standards, technical papers, and conference proceedings — home to key standards like IEEE 1547 (interconnection) and 1584 (arc flash). Mostly subscription-based, though abstracts are free.