Learn how to use SAM a free techno-economic model.
Developed by NREL, this tool facilitates decision-making for people in the renewable energy industry.
Course Description
(PV 430) Intro to System Advisor Model (SAM)
This five-hour course introduces participants to the System Advisor Model (SAM). SAM is a free software for techno-economic modeling of renewable energy projects provided by the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is used by project developers, system designers, researchers, and others involved in making technical and financial decisions about renewable energy projects.
Participants will work through examples of a residential/commercial rooftop PV system and cover assumptions for system design, retail electricity rates, and building loads, and analyze model results such as performance ratio, net present value (NPV), and payback period.
Instructor: Paul Gilman
Online: Independent Study
Course Details
Continuing Education
This course is approved by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for the following credentials, certifications, categories, and hours:
- 4 PV Installation Professional Exam (JTA)
- 4 PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist Exam (JTA)
- 4 PV Technical Sales Professional Exam (JTA)
- 4 PVIP Recertification (JTA & RE Elective)
- 4 PVDS Recertification (RE Elective)
- 4 PVIS Recertification (RE Elective)
- 4 PVCMS Recertification (JTA & RE Elective)
- 4 PVTS Recertification (JTA & RE Elective)
- 4 SHI Recertification (RE Elective)
- 4 PV Associate Renewal
More System Advisor Model Resources
Check out Paul’s guest blog post, “Solar PV Modeling with SAM: A Guide,” where he provides an in-depth look at using the System Advisor Model (SAM) for designing and analyzing solar systems. Paul explains how SAM can help model system performance, calculate energy production, and evaluate financials for both residential and commercial solar projects.
Gain valuable insights into optimizing your solar designs and decision-making with SAM’s powerful capabilities.
Download SAM for Free
SAM is free, and it gives you full control over the data you use for your analysis. It also offers extensive help documentation, though it can be overwhelming at first due to the number of features.
