Course Syllabus
Course Syllabus (printable PDF)
2025 Spring Syllabus Developing Community Solar Instructor-led.pdf
Course Information
Course Name: Developing Community Solar Learning Lab
Course Overview
Housing Sustainability Advisors and the Center for Impact Finance at the Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire, would like to welcome you to the Community Solar Development Learning Lab course.
Eight partner organizations from across the country have played a critical role in shaping the content of the course by sharing their expertise, materials, and leadership. Throughout the course you will learn about the work of these organizations and explore how your organization, too, can help to bring solar energy to low-income and underserved communities and further environmental and social justice.
The Community Solar Development Learning Lab is an intensive, instructor-led, 7-module course featuring guest lecturers, materials from experienced organizations, and weekly virtual classes. This course will deliver practical information to guide community-based, mission-driven, and low-income-focused organizations in how to develop community solar projects that serve low-income communities and further environmental and social justice. This course is ideal for organizations that show the potential to develop multiple mission-driven solar projects serving low-income and underserved communities. We kindly request that the individual representing an organization be someone who is directly involved in the development of the solar project(s) and is prepared for rigorous and academically challenging work.
Our expectations of you upon acceptance into the course are that you:
- Be prepared for class by carefully reviewing course materials and readings, and completing assignments in advance, taking an estimated 8-10 hours each week.
- Complete the course Final Project as described in the syllabus
- Attend all eight required 90-minute zoom sessions (note there is an optional additional zoom session in Module 5, Financial Modeling)
- Engage in the learning content and encourage and support your peers in the Learning Lab
- To build our learning community, we require that you please keep your cameras on during the Zoom sessions, unless extenuating circumstances make that impossible
The University of New Hampshire is able to provide a Certificate to participants who have satisfied all course expectations as a Community Solar Development Professional.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course graduates will be able to:
- Determine the appropriate role for their organization on the development team based on market need, partnership opportunities, and organizational capacity and appetite.
- Assemble a development team capable of sponsoring, financing, developing, and managing a community solar project.
- Package a viable community solar project.
- Structure a creditworthy community solar project and pitch it for financing.
Course Structure
myCourses is the learning management tool we use for this course. The course is online and asynchronous and organized by modules for ease of navigation.
Course Schedule
|
Module |
Dates |
Topic and Total Weekly Hours (estimated) |
Learning Assessments/Assignments |
|
Welcome |
4/25-4/30 |
Course Welcome on Canvas and Virtual Class (3-4 hours) |
|
|
Module 1 |
5/2-5/7 |
Regulatory and Market Context for Community Solar (8-10 hours) |
|
|
Module 2 |
5/9-5/14 |
Community Solar Site Selection (8-10 hours) |
|
|
Module 3 |
5/16-5/21 |
Community Engagement for Community Solar (8-10 hours) |
|
|
Module 4 |
5/23-5/28 |
Community Solar Development Process and Contracts (8-10 hours) |
|
| Module 5a | 5/30-6/4 | Community Solar Financial Modeling (4-5 hours) |
|
| Module 5b |
6/6-6/11 |
Community Solar Financial Modeling (4-5 hours) |
|
|
Module 6 |
6/13-6/18 |
Community Solar Asset Management and Operations (8-10 hours) |
|
|
Module 7 |
6/20-6/25 |
Put Your Knowledge into Action: Community Solar Business Development (8-10 hours) |
|
Grades and Course Certificate
Assignments will be graded as complete/incomplete or with a point value. Quizzes with point values are there to assist you in assessing your own knowledge of the materials.
Course completion/certification is based on satisfactory completion of all module activities and the Final Project.
Canvas and Course Support
UNH Center for Impact Finance: CIF.Trainings@unh.edu
Funding for this Course
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Agreement Number 36483 and Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.
Click "Next" to finish the Welcome Module.