Mayfield Renewables Education Summit is Oct. 2-3 (here’s discount code for registration)

What is the Mayfield Renewables Education Summit?

Mayfield Renewables, an engineering consultancy that provides engineering, feasibility studies, consulting and educational programs is launching its first, in-person education conference, Oct. 2-3, at the University of Texas Austin. The full day of training sessions — 3 educational tracks with 5 sessions in each — will be bookended by networking opportunities the night before the Summit. The pros at Mayfield are also frequent contributors to Solar Builder.

On this quick edition of The Buzz, we chatted with founder Ryan Mayfield and GM Laurel Hamilton to learn more.

Why did Mayfield Renewables want to launch this conference?

Mayfield: Mayfield Renewables has been involved in education since the company’s inception. Providing high-quality education for the industry has been an important and fulfilling aspect of my work. As we’ve developed more classes and worked directly with clients, the need for more accessible education has been clear. Laurel on my team has been advocating for us to provide more education in a variety of venues, and this was her brilliant idea to facilitate the summit. This will allow us to reach a broader audience and allow folks to meet in person to make the most of the classes and network with other professionals. 

Hamilton:  The need. The industry is at an inflection point. Scaling quickly and safely is essential to meeting targets for a resilient and reliable energy future. As we move into more C&I, utility-scale, energy storage, and microgrids, the need for clear technical education is really dire. How are all these people going to quickly gain the knowledge to sell, install, and maintain complex systems when the long-time experts are few? 

Also, as the industry grows, there are more gatherings and conferences than ever before. They serve a purpose but often have a heavy sales or policy component. I wanted to create a different space wholly dedicated to adding value for attendees committed to quality PV+ESS systems.

The location on a college campus is interesting. What else will be different about the Mayfield Renewables Education Summit compared to other solar industry conferences?

Hamilton: The Summit is technically a not-for-profit endeavor, so the focus is heavily on education and bringing people together.  All of the sessions’ content will be developed by Mayfield to our high standards, so you can expect quality, professional workshops. We are collaborating with a few guest trainers to ensure the sessions are targeting current industry questions and needs. I’m also super excited to have Angel Zayas leading Spanish versions of Ryan Mayfield’s ESS fire and NEC requirements courses.  

What are the hot topics you’re covering in the training sessions?

Mayfield: The main aspect of all the sessions is they are as current as it gets since they are being developed now and leading up to the event. So, any NEC code topic will discuss 2023 updates to 2020 code cycles. A session on energy management with power control systems (PCS) is going to discuss some aspects that are shifting in battery systems that will really change how it has been done in the past. We will have a great explainer on UL3741 to help demystify recent confusion around rapid shutdown compliance for PV rooftop systems. Our own expert engineering team will give a great panel presentation on key design considerations for ESS. Microgrid feasibility, UL9540A battery testing, and insulation resistance for proper O&M testing are all on deck popular topics too.

I see Austin City Limits is right after the conference. Did you plan that on purpose?

Hamilton: I didn’t! But it is a pretty cool bonus for anyone traveling for the Summit who wants to stick around for a huge music festival following a full day of filling their brains with industry knowledge!

Tags: Mayfield Renewables