OpenSolar launches online platform for Australian solar installers

OpenSolar has partnered with fellow Sydney-based company Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES) to launch the OpenSolar Academy, an online platform that integrates GSES’ existing accreditation and professional development courses within the OpenSolar platform.

OpenSolar said the Academy delivers not only cutting edge software tools but also the knowledge necessary for solar professionals to grow their businesses and excel at what they do.

OpenSolar co-founder and chief executive officer Andrew Birch said the collaboration with GSES creates a seamless experience between designing and selling solar systems to customers, and participating in a wide variety of training courses such as solar PV and batteries design and installation and Australian standards.

Birch said the platform would be useful not only to keep accreditations up to date for a solar business, but it opens the door to more knowledge for more of a solar company’s employees in the native software environment that they use daily.

“Since the election it’s very clear to us that Australia intends to double down on its leadership in rooftop solar,” he said. “Experienced Australian installers and new people that will undoubtedly now enter the solar workforce will benefit from the leading solar design and sales platform now combined with the leading solar knowledge platform.”

GSES founder and managing director Geoff Stapleton said the platform would build on the company’s existing renewable energy engineering, accreditation, training and consultancy offerings.

“The next logical step for us is to integrate our online, self-paced training with a toolset that Australian installers are using every day to design, sell and install for their customers,” he said. “The partnership is well positioned to support Australia’s growing renewable energy workforce.”