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honen.com/learn/solar-tech-pre-apprenticeship

Solar fundamentals

2 min read278 words

Before you touch a panel on a job site, you need to understand why the system works, not just how to wire it.

How photovoltaic cells convert sunlight

A solar cell is a semiconductor junction. When photons strike the silicon, they knock electrons loose and push them through the circuit. That flow of electrons is direct current. The inverter on every residential and commercial install converts it to alternating current so it can feed the grid or the building's load.

Understanding this matters because it tells you what goes wrong. A shaded cell, a cracked panel, or a loose connection all interrupt that electron flow in ways you can trace if you know the physics behind it.

DC versus AC on a real system

Everything from the panels to the inverter is DC. Everything after is AC. The disconnect between those two sides is where most commissioning mistakes happen and where most safety protocols focus.

As a pre-apprentice, you will work on both sides under supervision before you touch either independently. Your IREC credential requires you to demonstrate safe working procedures on both. Know which side you are on before you pick up a meter.

System components you will encounter

A standard residential install includes modules, a racking system, a combiner box, an inverter, a production meter, and an AC disconnect. Utility-scale sites add string inverters or central inverters, monitoring equipment, and often battery storage.

Your first week on a crew will be spent recognizing components and understanding their function before you help with installation. Ask questions during that week. It is the fastest way to build the mental model that makes everything else easier.

As part of our Accelerate the Workforce initiative, we’re collaborating with NVIDIA to bring professional AI training to students and professionals alike.

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honen.com/learn/introduction-to-photosynthesis

Introduction to Photosynthesis

3 min read458 words

What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the biological process by which green plants, algae, and certain bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose. It is one of the most important biochemical processes on Earth.

Fun Fact

Photosynthesis produces approximately 300 billion tons of sugar each year - enough to fuel virtually all life on the planet.

The Two Stages

Photosynthesis occurs in two main stages:

  1. •Light-Dependent Reactions - Occur in the thylakoid membranes
  2. •Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle) - Occur in the stroma

A diagram showing the two stages of photosynthesis: light reactions in the thylakoid membrane producing ATP and NADPH, and the Calvin Cycle in the stroma using those products to fix CO2 into glucose.

A diagram showing the two stages of photosynthesis: light reactions in the thylakoid membrane producing ATP and NADPH, and the Calvin Cycle in the stroma using those products to fix CO2 into glucose.
A diagram showing the two stages of photosynthesis: light reactions in the thylakoid membrane producing ATP and NADPH, and the Calvin Cycle in the stroma using those products to fix CO2 into glucose.

The Chemical Equation

The overall equation for photosynthesis can be written as:

6CO2+6H2O+light energy→C6H12O6+6O26CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{light energy} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2

This tells us that carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of light, produce glucose and oxygen.

Chlorophyll

The green pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy (primarily red and blue wavelengths) and reflects green light, giving plants their characteristic color.

Light-Dependent Reactions

These reactions take place in the thylakoid membranes and require direct sunlight:

  • •Photosystem II (PSII) absorbs light at 680 nm
  • •Water molecules are split (photolysis): 2H2O→4H++4e−+O22H_2O \rightarrow 4H^+ + 4e^- + O_2
  • •Photosystem I (PSI) absorbs light at 700 nm
  • •NADP⁺ is reduced to NADPH

Key Insight

The oxygen we breathe is actually a byproduct of photosynthesis - it comes from the splitting of water molecules, not from CO₂.

The Calvin Cycle

The Calvin Cycle uses the ATP and NADPH from the light reactions to fix carbon dioxide into organic molecules:

Plain Text
Step 1: Carbon Fixation
  CO₂ + RuBP → 2 molecules of 3-PGA
  (Catalyzed by RuBisCO)

Step 2: Reduction
  3-PGA → G3P (using ATP and NADPH)

Step 3: Regeneration
  G3P → RuBP (using ATP)

For every 3 molecules of CO₂ that enter the cycle, 1 molecule of G3P is produced. It takes 2 G3P molecules to make one glucose.

Common Misconception

The Calvin Cycle is sometimes called the "dark reactions," but this is misleading. While it doesn't directly require light, it depends on ATP and NADPH from the light reactions and typically occurs during the day.

Why Photosynthesis Matters

"Photosynthesis is the most important chemical reaction on Earth - it provides the food and oxygen that sustain nearly all life."

  • •Neil Campbell, Biology

Photosynthesis is foundational because it:

  1. •Produces oxygen for aerobic organisms
  2. •Fixes carbon from the atmosphere into organic molecules
  3. •Provides energy that flows through food chains
  4. •Regulates climate by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere
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Frequently Asked Questions

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No. Honen is built to supplement registered apprenticeship and union training programs, not replace them. It clears the bottlenecks that stall learners before and during a sponsor program, basic math and reading fluency, code theory, OSHA fundamentals, and certification exam prep, so apprentices show up ready and pass on the first attempt. Sponsors keep their existing curriculum, instructors, and accreditation; Honen adds the personalized practice and tutoring layer underneath.

Personalized AI tutors run the entire lifecycle from pre-apprentice through journeyman. Pre-apprentice candidates work on the foundational skills they need before a sponsor will take them. Active apprentices use Honen for related-technical instruction hours, code review, and milestone prep. Journey-level workers use it for continuing-education credits and cross-trade upskilling. One platform across the full pipeline, scoped to each learner's stage.

Honen plugs into the fabric that already exists in your community, local schools, community colleges, training trusts, and trade locals, so investment stays inside the community footprint from day one. Program leads pick the partners, the cohorts, and the funding model; Honen provides the platform, the content engine, and the outcome reporting. Rollouts typically start with a single pilot cohort and expand as outcomes prove out.

Outcome checkpoints built into each course align to the five WIOA Title I measures: credential attainment, employment at second quarter, employment at fourth quarter, median earnings, and second-quarter retention. Data exports are pre-formatted for PIRL submission to your state workforce agency. Program officers can filter results by cohort, program year, or funding stream without manual data cleanup.

Courses can be structured to reflect registered apprenticeship related-technical instruction hours and competency milestones. The course-editor agent builds from your apprenticeship standards, occupational frameworks, and sponsor SOPs. Credential attainment and hour-tracking records export in a format your apprenticeship coordinator can submit to your state apprenticeship agency or the DOL's RAPIDS system.

Each cohort runs in its own workspace with its own roster, outcome targets, and funder attribution. A program administrator view aggregates across all cohorts, filterable by sector, funder, employer-partner, or program year. At-risk participant flags, placement pace, wage uplift, and credential attainment surface at the cohort and cross-program level so sector partnership leads and state agency contacts see current data without waiting for a quarterly roll-up.

Each funder gets a shared read-only dashboard scoped to their funded cohorts, showing placement rate, credential attainment, median wage at placement, and second-quarter retention against program targets. Dashboards update in real time as participants complete milestones. Export templates are available per funder for grant reporting, board presentations, and state agency audits, all without giving funders access to the broader workspace.

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