Distributed Energy Resources Fundamentals (DER 101)
As the energy landscape continues to shift, DERs are becoming foundational to how utilities, governments, businesses, and communities plan for the future. To support our network in staying ahead of this transition, SGIN is offering three upcoming sessions of our DER 101 Fundamentals – an online course offering in October, and November, 2026. As well, an in-person, one-day course offered in September at the Atlantic Indigenous-Led Energy Symposium.
Whether you're working in utilities, government, engineering, technology, or community energy, this course is designed to help you build practical, actionable understanding of DER technologies, markets, policy trends, and integration challenges.
Who Should Attend?
Upcoming Dates
A big advantage for new SGIN members
If you’ve been considering joining the SGIN community, now is the perfect time. New SGIN members receive their first seat in the course free!
Membership not only unlocks free or discounted training, but also includes:
Access to member-only resources and events.
Priority invitations to trade & learning missions.
Networking with utilities, solution providers, researchers, and policymakers.
Discounts on future courses and programs.
If you would like information on becoming a member or starting the process, please reach out to info@sgin.ca.
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Participants walk away with:
A clear, structured understanding of the DER ecosystem.
Practical insights you can apply immediately in your role.
A stronger foundation for grid modernization projects and decision-making.
The ability to communicate DER concepts confidently across technical and non-technical teams.
Exposure to real-world use cases and evolving industry standards.
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Day 1:
Module 1: Introduction to Distributed Energy Resources
Module 2: Renewable Energy Sources (Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass, etc.)
Module 3: Energy Storage Systems (Battery, Thermal, Pumped Hydro, etc.)
Module 4: Energy Services and Energy Management
Module 5: Microgrids, DER Management Systems (DERMS), and Virtual Power Plants
Day 2:
Module 6: Policy, Regulation, and Market Integration
Module 7: Recognizing a DER-Ready Market
Module 8: Challenges to DER Adoption and Scaling
Module 9: Enabling the Sites
Module 10: Case Studies in Canada and Global Markets
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This course takes place virtually via MS Teams. The course is scheduled over two days which includes 4hr sessions with Q&A (does not apply to the September session — which is one-day only and in-person).
Upcoming course date offerings:
September 22nd, 2026
October 13th - 14th, 2026
November 24th-25th, 2026
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Cost: $950+tx CDN per seat.
Group Rates & Custom course program for your organization: Available upon request – contact us for details.
New SGIN members receive their first seat free, and 25% off their second seat.
Current SGIN members receive 25% off their first seat, and 50% off their second seat.
“As the Canadian Climate Institute began to weigh in to topics like demand-side management and distributed energy resources, we commissioned a training from SGIN to help us navigate the intricacies of the related technical and policy issues, and to answer our questions. The SGIN team’s knowledge and insights were invaluable and have allowed us to increase the sophistication of our work on this and related topics. The team’s passion for and knowledge of the topics they work on were clearly evident, and we were grateful to benefit from it!”
Support Us
We encourage the support of our national energy initiatives by joining SGIN and becoming a member. Together, we can unlock the full potential of energy data and a clean energy transition — for Canada and beyond.