Powering Self-Reliant Communities

Training and tools for clean energy independence.

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Our Mission

We empower communities with micro-grid tools, renewable energy training, and certifications to build lasting local power solutions.

Our Vision

A world where energy access is decentralized, reliable, and accessible to everyone—from off-grid homesteads to interconnected community resilience hubs.

Powering Self-Reliant Communities from the Ground Up

GridBuilders.org provides hands-on solar and wind training, workforce certifications, and free microgrid sizing software to help you design independent energy systems with confidence.

Our Services

Micro-grid design tools empower communities to build their own energy solutions.

Wind and solar training programs prepare locals for clean energy jobs.

Workforce certifications open doors to sustainable employment opportunities.

NABCEP PV Associate Exam Prep Course

Master the fundamental principles of solar PV system design, NEC compliance, and safety with comprehensive training tailored for the NABCEP Photovoltaic Associate (PVA) credential. Gain practical expertise across system topologies, site assessment, electrical sizing, and smart inverter standards to build a competitive edge in the clean energy industry.

While this course covers 100% of the exam requirements, please note its current approval status based on your pathway:

Course Pathway: We are currently in the formal approval process. At this time, this course does not yet count toward the official “NABCEP-approved course” requirement.

Experience Pathway: If you are qualifying for the exam using on-the-job experience, this course provides everything you need.

NABCEP • PV Associate Exam Prep Course (Beta)

NABCEP • PV Associate Exam Prep Course (Beta)

By completing this curriculum, you will be prepared to:

Original price was: $525.00.Current price is: $0.00.
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Master Course Syllabus: Solar Energy & Battery Storage System Engineering

This 35-lesson curriculum is tailored specifically for battery-integrated PV systems — off-grid, grid-interactive/hybrid, and microgrid architectures. It covers battery chemistry and thermal dynamics (lead-acid and lithium), Battery Management System (BMS) engineering, NEC compliance (Articles 690 and 706) and UL safety listings (UL 1973 / 9540 / 9540A), electrical balance-of-system and load-profiling design, Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) economic modeling, and charger/generator/inverter commissioning.

Solar Energy & Battery Storage System Engineering

Solar Energy & Battery Storage System Engineering

Original price was: $300.00.Current price is: $0.00.
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NABCEP PV Associate Exam Prep Course

Master Course Syllabus: Photovoltaic Grid-Direct Systems Engineering

This 35-lesson curriculum is tailored specifically for utility-interactive PV systems without battery storage. It covers solar resource physics, PV string design, utility interconnection physics, grid-support mechanics (IEEE 1547 / UL 1741 SB), NEC compliance, financial modeling, and system commissioning.

Photovoltaic Grid-Direct Systems Engineering

Photovoltaic Grid-Direct Systems Engineering

Original price was: $300.00.Current price is: $0.00.
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Precision System Design—100% Free

Designing an off-grid or hybrid microgrid shouldn’t require thousands of dollars in proprietary software. The GridBuilders engine walks you step-by-step through load profiling, battery bank setup, array sizing, charge controller configuration, and utility impact analysis. Whether you are sizing a single cabin or coordinating a portfolio of community microgrid sites, our tools provide the clear hardware requirements and generation profiles you need to build safely and efficiently.

Create an energy system or grid.

Open Energy System Builder

Key Platform Features

Our free design platform converts site data and energy needs into an actionable hardware manifest and operational blueprint. Built for engineers, students, and DIY community builders alike, the platform eliminates guesswork from off-grid and hybrid energy planning.

Multi-Source Hybrid Modeling: Combine Solar PV, Wind Energy, Standby Generators, and Grid Tie with custom percentage dispatch targets and dispatch priority sequencing.

Granular Sizing Engines:

Charge Controllers & Inverters: Automatically evaluate string power limits, amperage caps, and multi-controller split configurations.

Solar & Wind: Size arrays based on annual average Peak Sun Hours (PSH) or design against “Worst Month” solar availability to eliminate winter deficits.

Battery Storage: Account for chemistry-specific Depth of Discharge (DoD) limits (e.g., LiFePO4 vs. Lead-Acid) and physical parallel busbar constraints.

Seasonal Shortfall Analytics: Interactive visual charts comparing monthly generation vs. real consumption profiles to immediately identify seasonal energy gaps.

Financial & Net-Meter Engine: Model dual grid import/export pricing to calculate net utility impact, export income, and estimated overall hardware expenditure.

Community Microgrid Portfolios: Group multiple independent projects (e.g., individual houses, community buildings, or agricultural facilities) into unified Microgrid Rollups for aggregate capacity, shared rate schedules, and total hardware reporting.

Custom Equipment Presets: Utilize verified global hardware databases or import custom panel, battery, inverter, generator, and turbine specifications.

Open Source & Self-Hosting

Our source code is publicly available under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. If you’d like to self-host the software on your own infrastructure for personal, educational, or non-commercial community projects, you are completely free to do so!