OnGrid Solar Energy Systems

OnGrid's Qualifications, Training and Experience

OnGrid’s principal, Andy Black, has 10 years experience with solar electric systems.
Originally a technical expert on solar electric systems, with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he has transformed his technical expertise into customer education on the financial benefits of solar electric systems.

Andy’s formal and solar electric education & credential includes:

B.S. Electrical Engineering, Penn State University
M.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California
PV Design and Installation, Solar Energy International
Advanced Photovoltaics, Solar Energy International
NABCEP Certified Solar Installer
California Registered Professional Engineer In Training
Marketing Certificate, University of California, Santa Cruz
Plus more than a dozen specialty courses in solar electric and related fields

He has become widely recognized as an expert in solar financial analysis and a leading thinker and innovator in demonstrating the payback for solar systems. He has developed a unique financial analysis tool that is reported to be the most complete, accurate, and reasonably conservative financial analysis tool in the solar electric industry. He is currently in the process of making it available to the public.

He has been widely published (for a list, see www.ongrid.net/papers) and had 6 papers accepted in the peer review publication process. He has presented at several national conferences, with more coming. Click for past and upcoming presentations.

He has been an invited presenter at PG&E’s Pacific Energy Center and at the Solar Power 2004 Conference on Solar Financial Analysis. He’s also been a requested speaker at Solar Energy International, by several municipal utilities, corporations, and at other forums. He was recently on National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate KUSP Click here for the audio track (10.3MB MP3 file). He also recorded a 20 minute cable TV segment on the payback analysis for solar, which will soon be posted on this website (see www.ongrid.net/papers shortly).

In total, he has made more than 50 presentations on Solar Electricity and Solar Financial Payback to an audience of over 3,000 (plus the radio & cable TV audience).

Andy is a NABCEP Certified Solar Installer (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners), signifying his technical competence, experience, and adherence to the NABCEP code of ethics.

He is an advocate for the solar industry, serving on the Boards of Directors for the American Solar Energy Society and the NorCal Solar Energy Association. He has hosted numerous Solar Home Tours around the Silicon Valley, and contributed to NorCal’s Solar Energy Resource Guide for the last 5 years. He is an active member of CalSEIA, ASES, ISES, and NorCal Solar Association.

Andy has been an instructor for the Solar Living Institute 10 times over the last 4 years. He teaches “Find Your Dream Job in Solar” to a variety of audiences, with the goal of helping others enjoy the same success in their life’s work as he. Click for the resource list for this "Dream Job" class. He also teaches numerous other classes geared toward customer and industry education.

Andy is also the groundskeeper and servant for a cat at his home in San Jose, California.

Solar Financial Analysis & Purchasing Consultation
www.ongrid.net	.	OnGrid Solar	.	4175 Renaissance Dr #4, San Jose, CA 95134	.	(408) 428-0808	.	andy@ongrid.net
©Copyright 2006 OnGrid Solar Energy Systems