Thursday, March 20, 2025

WECA is excited to announce an update to our original WECA-developed virtual reality (VR) app for apprenticeship: BESS 2.0, the second iteration of WECA’s VR gaming app focused on Commercial Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)!

Fourth-year Commercial Electrical apprentices studying Commercial BESS have been practicing hands-on skills on a real-world project complete with interactive jobsite simulations in VR since the app’s introduction in our curriculum in Fall 2023.

During gameplay in the BESS VR app, apprentices reference plans; see the actual scale and layout of BESS containers; and explore and interact with PV inverters, transformers, and switchboards. Apprentices also use maps and checklists to walk through the jobsite and inspect equipment, connections, signage and more—everything needed for pre-commissioning approval. Along the way, they're quizzed with questions related to Code articles and site-specific requirements, and presented with problems and opportunities to fix them to pass inspection.

BESS 2.0 adds solar panels, enhanced accuracy in replicating real-world jobsites to prepare apprentices for the evolving demands of the industry, an expanded range of learner interactions such as new tools and tasks that help apprentices verify that clearances meet code requirements and reinforce critical safety and compliance standards, and advanced assessment and feedback features that offer detailed performance insights to help apprentices improve their skills.

“Our newly enhanced in-house BESS VR simulation offers a cutting-edge training experience with a streamlined inspection process, allowing users to efficiently navigate job site evaluation for pre-commissioning,” says Maris Kaplan, WECA’s Curriculum Development Manager. “These enhancements were driven by extensive testing conducted by our curriculum team, who observed apprentices in real training sessions and gathered instructor feedback. This iterative process revealed opportunities to improve engagement and clarity, leading to key upgrades such as the introduction of Ollie, our virtual site supervisor. Ollie provides real-time guidance and hints, ensuring a smoother learning curve. Additionally, we condensed the original three-part inspection into one, prioritizing key takeaways and increasing immersion.”

BESS 2.0 is already rolling out in a fourth-year WECA commercial apprenticeship classroom near you. We’re pleased to continue our apprentices’ journey of immersive discovery and for WECA to continue to pave the way for implementing state-of-the-art learning technologies in industry-leading apprenticeship curriculum.