This is the basic course for a career in the solar industry. It all starts with the fundamentals, and a solid understanding of various components, system architectures, and applications for PV systems.  Other topics include site analysis, system sizing, array configuration, and performance estimation; electrical design characteristics such as wiring, overcurrent protection, and grounding; a detailed look at module and inverter specifications and characteristics; mounting methods for various roof structures and ground-mounts.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

• Describe global and regional PV demand and growth trends
• Examine solar industry employment trends and options
• Identify and describe basic functions of different components of PV systems
• Introduce the features and applications of the following PV system configurations: PV-direct, stand-alone, grid-direct, multimode
• Design, Size up a solar system for any use.
• Install a solar panel
• Diagram systems to understand component interaction and power flow
• Define the two types of electrical current (AC and DC) and explain their differences
• Understand site safety requirements, safety equipment, accessories, PPEs and applications.
• Explain the relationship between: volts, amps, amp-hours, watts, watt-hours, and kilowatt-hours; perform power and energy calculations
• Describe typical electrical service voltages and equipment
• Examine power, energy, and demand / production curves
• Define utility bill terminology
• Describe PV metering options
• Compare incentive mechanisms for renewable energy installations
• Describe the differences among various PV cell technologies
• Identify key components of a PV module and choose important criteria from module specification sheets
• Locate important points on the I-V curve
• Apply different temperature and irradiance measurements to voltage and current values
• Explain the purpose and basic functioning of bypass diodes
• Identify meters used with PV systems and key points of meter use and safety
• List common functions of digital multimeters (DMM) and clamp-on ammeters
• Describe basic procedures for testing an operating PV system
• Define and list characteristics of series and parallel circuits, and review the application of these connections to ensure system compatibility
• Determine azimuth and altitude angle of the sun using a sun chart
• Define factors that impact the amount of peak sun hours reaching the array
• Apply shading losses to estimated AC energy production
• Identify tilt angle and orientation that provides maximum energy production
• Pre-qualify a customer
• Explain how remote site assessment tools are used
• Identify factors limiting system size
• Identify data required to size and design a grid-direct PV system
• Identify common PV mounting options; list advantages and disadvantages of different mounting options
• Assess PV array layout options
• Identify and define the function of the following on a three-line diagram of a grid-direct PV system: equipment grounding & conductors, ungrounded conductors, functionally grounded conductors, grounding electrode, grounding electrode conductor, electrical system grounding
• Define the primary function of an inverter, and identify the important information used to specify a grid-direct inverter
• Identify the different types of inverter technologies and list their advantages and disadvantages
• Describe some installation tips and techniques for the different types of power electronics
• Calculate PV array size using the online PVWatts tool
• Apply appropriate system loss factors
• Create charts for your location to aid in sizing estimates
• Describe why temperature is an important system design consideration
• Describe DC-to-AC power ratio and how it applies to system design; when to use a higher or lower power ratio
• Describe criteria for different power electronics options in PV systems
• Determine the correct wiring configuration of PV modules and power electronics for a given application
• Identify and describe characteristics of conductor materials and insulations
• Determine color coding of conductors based on wire type and circuit characteristics
• Identify terminology for the various circuits in PV systems
• Determine maximum current for PV system circuits
• Identify and describe considerations for selecting conductors to meet ampacity and voltage drop requirements
• Explain the purpose and correct placement of disconnects and overcurrent protection
• Perform basic overcurrent device sizing for DC and AC PV system circuits
• Identify potential jobsite hazards and opportunities for additional safety training
• Determine proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for PV installation and commissioning tasks
• Describe lockout / tagout procedures
• List 5 basic commissioning tests to be completed after a system is installed