Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
11/14/2026
Start Date
12 months
Duration
1500
Total Hours
12 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
$6260
The Master’s in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Storage from ICTESS is built to train specialists in the design, sizing, and operation of solar installations with energy storage systems. The program runs from solar resource assessment all the way to BESS battery integration, covering every type of PV installation: grid-tied, behind-the-meter, and off-grid systems.
You will learn the engineering calculations used on real projects: shading analysis in PVsyst, string and inverter configuration under MPPT criteria, storage system sizing, DC/AC protection design to the NEC (NFPA 70), performance ratio analysis, and financial evaluation through CAPEX, OPEX, and PPAs. The master’s includes a Capstone Project in which you develop a complete photovoltaic plant with storage.
The Master’s in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Storage answers the growing demand for technical specialists able to design solar installations with integrated storage. Solar is now the fastest moving segment of the energy transition, and the industry needs professionals who command the engineering calculations, the IEEE 1547 interconnection requirements, and the financial feasibility analysis of battery-backed projects.
The purpose of the program is to train professionals capable of leading complete photovoltaic projects, from solar resource assessment through commissioning and operation. You will learn to size installations under combined technical and economic criteria, configure battery storage systems, design electrical protections to the NEC Articles 690 and 706, run performance ratio studies, and manage operations using advanced diagnostic techniques.
The training includes hands-on work with professional engineering software such as PVsyst for production simulation and loss analysis, and closes with a Capstone Project in which you develop a full photovoltaic plant with storage, applying every competency built across the technical modules.
The Master’s in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Storage qualifies you for specialized technical roles at solar engineering firms, specialized installers, project developers, EPC contractors, and corporate energy departments. You will be ready to work as a photovoltaic project engineer, technical lead for solar installations, behind-the-meter solar consultant, or operations and maintenance technician for solar plants.
The program prepares you to manage complete projects from feasibility through operation: running solar resource studies with TMY data, sizing installations to IEEE 1547 and utility interconnection requirements, producing technical reports and permitting documentation, configuring battery storage systems, supervising construction, and optimizing output through performance ratio analysis and diagnostic techniques.
You will also gain the skills to design net metering and non-export systems, develop off-grid and hybrid projects, carry out technical audits using thermography and IV curve tracing, and build financial models around PPA structures. The practical focus lets you apply what you learn to live projects right away.
Study from anywhere with no commuting, fitting your technical specialization around the life you already have.
Organize your study around your own availability. Move through the modules when it suits you and go back over whatever you need to reinforce.
Learn PVsyst through real case studies, the reference tool for photovoltaic sizing and production modeling.
Technical video lessons, updated downloadable materials, forums with specialized instructors, and practical exercises.
With ICTESS you get specialized technical training built around professional practice, designed so you master the competencies the photovoltaic and energy storage sector is actually hiring for. Learn with an up-to-date methodology and real engineering tools.
What you'll achieve
Assess the solar resource using TMY data, analyze shading in PVsyst, and calculate system losses to estimate the annual energy production of photovoltaic installations.
Size the electrical configuration of PV plants: string design, inverter selection under MPPT criteria, and integration of BESS storage systems according to technical requirements.
Design DC/AC protections, SPD devices, and disconnection systems to the NEC (NFPA 70), guaranteeing electrical safety in both grid-tied and off-grid installations.
Develop net metering and non-export projects, as well as off-grid and hybrid systems with generators and batteries for residential and industrial applications.
Perform complete financial analyses using CAPEX, OPEX, and PPA structures, evaluating the viability of photovoltaic projects with integrated energy storage.
The photovoltaic sector is expanding rapidly, driven by decarbonization targets and the sheer cost competitiveness of solar technology. Utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar keep adding capacity year after year, and that pipeline generates constant demand for technical professionals specialized in design and storage.
Critical shortage of storage specialists: The labor market faces a real gap in engineers able to integrate BESS battery systems into photovoltaic installations. Companies report difficulty filling roles that require command of solar technology and energy storage at the same time, a combination that grows more valuable as managing generation intermittency becomes central.
Behind-the-meter solar as a growth engine: Federal and state incentives and rising utility rates have driven residential and commercial installations sharply upward, creating a market that needs professionals able to design net metering, non-export, and battery-backed systems. Specializing in these project types opens doors in a segment with intense commercial and technical activity.
Competitive advantage in the job market: Specialized training in photovoltaics with storage separates you clearly from generalist profiles. Mastering PVsyst, performance ratio calculations, BESS configuration, and PPA based financial analysis positions you as a priority candidate at leading solar companies.
Access to specialized technical roles: You can move into positions such as photovoltaic project engineer, technical lead for solar installations, behind-the-meter solar consultant, or O&M technician, all in high demand. Specializing in battery storage widens your opportunities considerably in a field where that skill set remains scarce.
Command of professional tools: Hands-on proficiency with PVsyst for production simulation, shading analysis, and loss calculation sets you apart in hiring processes. It is the industry standard in photovoltaics, and practical command of it is a routine requirement at specialized engineering firms and project developers.
Ability to lead complete projects: You will build the competencies to manage every phase of a photovoltaic project with storage, from solar resource assessment through operation and maintenance, letting you take on higher-level technical responsibility and participate in large-scale RFPs.
Recognized professional certificate: The ICTESS professional certificate documents your technical specialization in photovoltaic solar energy and storage, strengthening your position in the job market and validating your competencies with employers across the solar industry.
This master’s is designed for professionals and graduates seeking technical specialization in the design, sizing, and management of photovoltaic projects with storage systems. Recommended profiles include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culminating stage of the program and represents the practical integration of every technical competency developed along the way. It consists of the complete development of a photovoltaic plant with storage, from solar resource analysis through the proposed operation and maintenance plan, applying the professional methodologies and calculation tools used in the industry.
The project includes the solar resource study with TMY data, shading and loss analysis in PVsyst, and the sizing of the electrical configuration with strings, inverters, and the BESS system. You will design the mounting structure accounting for wind and snow loads per ASCE 7, calculate DC/AC protections with SPDs and disconnection devices, produce the complete one-line diagram, and define the grid interconnection requirements under IEEE 1547 and the applicable utility standards.
The work also covers expected performance ratio analysis, the operation and maintenance strategy with thermography and IV curve protocols, and a full financial analysis using CAPEX, OPEX, and PPA structure modeling. The final documentation must be delivered at the technical level and professional format expected of a permit submittal package, demonstrating your ability to produce rigorous technical documentation suitable for authorities having jurisdiction or industry clients.
The Master’s in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Storage from ICTESS includes hands-on training with PVsyst, the global reference tool for the design and simulation of photovoltaic installations. You will learn to import TMY meteorological data, model the site with 3D shading analysis, configure the electrical system with strings and inverters, calculate temperature, wiring and mismatch losses, and generate professional annual production reports. Command of PVsyst is a routine requirement in hiring processes at specialized engineering firms and solar developers, since it is the tool they rely on to build feasibility studies, technical reports, and due diligence for photovoltaic installations.
An engineering degree is not strictly required, though advanced technical training in electricity, electronics, energy, or construction is recommended. The program is built for industrial, electrical, electronics, and energy engineers, but it is also accessible to construction managers, building science graduates, and science professionals with a technical foundation. Photovoltaic installation technicians with demonstrable field experience can also enroll if they already have a solid foundation in electrical systems and technical software. The content reaches an advanced level with electrical engineering calculations, battery sizing, and financial analysis, so it is essential to be comfortable reading one-line diagrams and working with simulation tools.
The ICTESS Professional Certificate documents your technical specialization in photovoltaic solar energy and storage, and is recognized by companies in the sector as high-level professional development. While it is not an accredited academic degree, the certificate evidences specific technical competencies that are in strong demand: PVsyst sizing, BESS battery system design, electrical protection calculations, performance ratio analysis, and PPA based financial evaluation. Engineering firms, specialized installers, and solar developers value this practical technical training as a complement to an underlying degree, since it shows current knowledge of the NEC and IEEE 1547, command of real industry tools, and experience developing complete photovoltaic projects.
This Master’s in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Storage stands out for its integrated approach that includes BESS storage systems and for the depth of its engineering calculations. Where many courses stay at a general level, this program works through every installation type in detail, grid-tied, behind-the-meter, off-grid, and hybrid, and treats battery sizing as a core competency rather than an add-on. The content covers real technical calculations: string configuration under MPPT criteria, DC/AC protection design to the NEC, performance ratio analysis, diagnostic techniques with thermography and IV curves, and financial evaluation through CAPEX, OPEX, and PPAs. Practical work in PVsyst on real cases, plus the development of a complete plant with storage, delivers experience you can apply directly on the job.
