Green Building Pre-Apprenticeship Program/Solar PV Installation and Design Principles   

Modules: Introduction - Green Building - Energy - Retrofits and Energy Efficiency - Water Efficiency - Solar Hot Water - Photovoltaic

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Contents 1 Objectives 2 Goals 2.1 Concepts 2.2 Vocabulary and units 2.3 Calculations 2.4 How to 3 Field trips

[edit] Objectives

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will understand:

1. PV module, solar and electricity basics
2. PV markets and applications
3. PV safety, sizing, system design, maintenance, analysis and trouble shooting
4. what it is really like on the job site

[edit] Goals

The following are some of the main goals for the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module.

[edit] Concepts

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will understand the following concepts (among others):

• Max power versus daily energy
• Series versus parallel configuration
• Cells, modules and arrays
• Solar window and shading effects
• Grid intertie
• Solar rebates, credits and feed in tariffs

[edit] Vocabulary and units

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will be able to confidently use the following vocabulary and/or units (among others):

• PV, cell, module, array, DC, AC, Maximum Power Point, Open Circuit, Short Circuit, Grid intertie, Stand alone, Inverter, Charge controller, Disconnect, Nominal, Insolation, Full sun
• kWh/(m²*day), W/m², V_oc, I_sc, I_mp, V_mp, Amps, Volts

[edit] Calculations

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will be able to do the following calculations (among others):

• Instantaneous power
• Daily and Yearly energy

[edit] How to

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will be comfortable doing the following (among others):

• Use photovoltaic test equipment
• Use volt and amp meters
• Properly size system
• Install panels & all equipment to grid intertie

[edit] Field trips

By the end of the Solar PV Installation and Design Principles module, students will be have gone on the following field trips (possibly among others):

• Residential PV installation
• University PV installation or testing station (e.g. HEIF music building PV system or Sci-D at HSU)
• Commercial installation (e.g. Kokatat)