Description

PV101 starts with 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; and an introduction to safely and effectively commissioning gri-direct PV systems. This course focuses on grid-direct PV systems, the largest and fastest growing segment of the PV industry, but covers material critical to understanding all types of PV systems.

• Solar photovoltaic power system components and configuration
• Basics of electricity
• Demand, photovoltaic production, energy balance and incentives
• Photovoltaic modules
• Meter testing
• Series and parallel configurations of photovoltaic panels and influence on voltage and current
• Solar resource and power capacity relationship
• Solar site analysis including permitting, obstructions, shading, etc.
• Mounting of photovoltaic systems on rooftops and ground (mounts)
• Grounding of electrical components
• Inverter specifications and sizing for photovoltaic systems
• Photovoltaic power system sizing
• Wiring of the photovoltaic system
• Overcurrent protection and disconnects
• Health, safety and environmental aspects of the work site
• Commissioning, testing and operation of the photovoltaic system