Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 10-15 minutes before start time.


Thursday, April 30, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm CDT


Agenda:

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Introduction
Presented by Paul Westbrook, LEED AP

  • System Components
  • Sizing a PV System
  • Optimizing a PV System
  • Financial Considerations
  • Energy Storage
  • Case Study

Solar PV: Surveying the Economic and Policy Landscape
Presented by Matthew Oliver, Ph.D.

  • Solar economics means more than simple cost competitiveness
  • Economic and policy drivers of (and impediments to) solar adoption
  • Impacts of solar adoption on residential electricity consumption patterns
  • Implications for electricity system operations and markets
  • Frontiers of current economic and policy research on solar PV

Emerging Materials, Technologies, and System Integration
Presented by Heather Holdridge, EIT

  • Recent developments in PV panels and building-integrated materials
  • Optimizing system performance at the building level
  • Energy modeling and monitoring software for design and performance analysis
  • Balance-of-system considerations for integrated residential and small commercial PV systems
  • Strategies for seamless integration of new technologies into sustainable building design

Solar PV Integration with Building Electrical Systems: NEC Compliance and Best Practices
Presented by Chad Kurdi

  • Overview of NEC requirements specific to solar PV systems
  • Best practices for connecting PV systems to residential and small commercial electrical panels
  • Safety considerations for installers and building occupants
  • Coordination between PV system components and building electrical systems
  • Common challenges and solutions in system design and integration
  • Practical lessons from real-world projects, including multi-family, commercial, and mixed-use buildings

 

Webinar Instructions 
 
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited. 

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher. 

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email. 

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Web Browser:  
Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions) 
Microsoft Edge (most recent 3 versions) 

Internet connection: 1 Mbps or better 

Hardware:  2GB of RAM (minimum), 4GB or more of RAM (recommended) 

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Credits

Engineers
6.0 PDHs

Architects
6.0 HSW CE Hours

AIA - American Institute of Architects
6.0 HSW LUs

ICC - International Code Council
0.6 CEUs (Energy)

 

Continuing Education Information

This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.0 PDHs for professional engineers and 6.0 HSW continuing education hours for licensed architects in all states that allow this learning method. Please refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.

HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida (Provider License No: CEA362), Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, and New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00049300). HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved continuing education sponsor for New York engineers and architects via its registration with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (Regulations of the Commissioner §68.14(i)(2) and §69.6(i)(2)). Other states do not preapprove continuing education providers or courses.

The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 6.0 HSW LUs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES.

The International Code Council has approved this event for .6 CEUs in the specialty area of Energy (Preferred Provider No. 1232).

Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).

*On-Demand Credits*

The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate. The following pre-approvals may be available for the on-demand format upon request:

6.0 HSW LUs (AIA)

Speakers

Heather Holdridge, EIT

Associate AIA LEED Fellow, Associate Partner, Sustainability Director

Ms. Holdridge, LEED Fellow, EIT, Associate AIA is the Sustainability Director at Lake|Flato Architects. Leveraging her background in mechanical engineering, she directs all Lake|Flato teams in establishing sustainability goals. Ms. Holdridge devises strategies and systems to realize those goals under programs such as LEED, the 2030 Challenge, and the Living Building Challenge. She works closely with teams to evaluate passive systems and performs energy modeling throughout the design process. Ms. Holdridge received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio.

 

Chad Kurdi

Electrical Engineering Discipline Lead, Partner at BKV Group

Mr. Kurdi has been serving the electrical industry for over 30 years as an engineer, electrician and trainer. Mr. Kurdi has engineered (designed, specified and analyzed) government buildings (police stations, sheriff’s offices, fire stations, city halls, court houses, libraries, and jails), housing buildings (affordable, senior, assistant, memory care, adaptable use and student), hospitals, data centers, sport arenas, commercial office buildings, water/wastewater treatment plants and electric utility distribution and substations. Mr. Kurdi’s experience as an electrician includes estimating, laying out, wiring, installing and maintaining electrical systems for residential and commercial buildings. He has served as an engineer on construction projects in numerous locations in Texas, including San Antonio, Arlington, Bryan and Manor. He has developed and taught thousands of seminar hours over the years at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minnesota Electrical Association, IEEE and others. The seminars include NEC Code, electrician’s exam, MV system, electrical wiring, apprenticeship, estimation, electrical design, Revit MEP, and project management. Mr. Kurdi holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Adult Education. He is a registered electrical engineer (PE) in 37 states, including Minnesota and Texas. He holds a Class A master electrician license from the State of Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Kurdi is a senior electrical engineer and department head at BKV Group (A&E Firm with offices in Chicago, Dallas, DC & Minneapolis). Mr. Kurdi served as NCEL Board Member (Jan 2021 – present), IAEI MN Chapter president (Jan 2018 – Jan 2023), chair of IEEE Twin Cities PES/IAS (Aug 2019 – Jan 2023), Minnesota State Board of Electricity member (Jan 2018 – Jan 2020).

LinkedIn

Matthew Oliver, PhD

Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Oliver hails from Memphis, TN. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Memphis in 2008, and his PhD in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 2013. His primary fields of expertise are energy economics, environmental and natural resource economics, and industrial organization and regulation. Dr. Oliver’s research interests focus primarily on the regulation of energy resources and energy infrastructure. Much of his past work has dealt with natural gas markets and interstate pipelines. More recently, his research has focused on the market effects of rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies (e.g., wind and solar photovoltaics). Additionally, he has published (and ongoing) research on other topics such as the links between energy resource development, environment, and economic growth, and the economics of climate change. Since joining Georgia Tech in 2013, Dr. Oliver has taught various courses in energy and environmental economics, microeconomics, and macroeconomics.

Paul Westbrook, LEED AP

RE:source Design, LLC

Mr. Westbrook designed his own solar home in north Texas in 1996, which won the Energy Value Housing Award for Innovative Design. It still ranks as one of the most efficient homes in Texas. While serving as Sustainable Development Manager at Texas Instruments International Facilities, Mr. Westbrook was the LEED AP for the 1.1 million square foot Texas Instruments factory, which was the first LEED Gold semiconductor factory in the world. He led the effort to improve the energy and water efficiency of TI’s 20 million square feet of existing global facilities. They were able to double the company energy and water efficiency in less than 10 years. In 2012, Mr. Westbrook was named a Senior Fellow for the US State Department’s Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas program. He visited Honduras, Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru where he worked with governments, universities, and industry on efficiency and renewable energy. Mr. Westbrook received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1982.

LinkedIn

AIA Info

AIA Provider Statement: 

HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3). 

This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. 

AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request. 

Course Title:  Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems Update for Residential and Small Commercial Systems

Delivery Method: Live Online 

Course Description: This six-hour course covers the latest advancements in solar energy technology, storage, and regulations. The course will explore economic factors of solar systems, including updated costs and available incentives, as well as developments in materials, components, and storage technologies. The course includes updates to relevant building and energy codes, and examines future trends in solar energy at both the residential and commercial scales.

Learning Objectives: 

Learning Objective 1: Learners will be able to analyze the economics of residential and small commercial solar photovoltaic systems by considering the cost of components, lifecycle costs, incentives and payback.

Learning Objective 2: Learners will be able to explore advancements in solar materials and components, including new developments in panels, films, inverters, optimizers, racking and mounting systems.

Learning Objective 3: Learners will be able to discuss and apply updates in codes and regulations to solar photovoltaic system design and installation, including the International Building Code, National Electrical Code, and the International Energy Conservation Code.

Learning Objective 4: Learners will be able to assess trends in solar energy storage technologies, from residential battery storage to the future of utility-scale systems.

LUs: 6.0

LU Type: LU|HSWs 

Prerequisites: Familiarity with solar energy technology

Advance Preparation: None 

Program Level: Intermediate 

Course Expiration Date:  10/22/2027

Complaint Resolution Policy: 

Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to fchapman@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.