Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA
Photovoltaic Installer's Course - Spring 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
6pm to 8:50pm
Welcome and Introductions-Instructors and Participants-who you are and what your
interest is in taking this class.
Teresa Jones, Greenfield Community College, Sustainable Energy Program Coordinator
(413) 775-1462 (1472 voice) Jones@gcc.mass.edu
Richard Gottlieb & Carol Levin, Sunnyside Solar, Inc - Guilford, VT
802-254-4670 or 802-254-1643 richard@sunnysidesolar.com
Text- ____________________
Renewable Energy Design Guide and Catalogue - most of you already have this catalog
from the Introduction course. If not, see Carol.
Quizzes and tests - required for credit students, optional ,but suggested, for non credit
students.
NABCEP - North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners to be given at
Greenfield Community college - ____________________
Cell Phones and Pagers - please turn audio signals and ringers OFF.
Note:- the flow of the program might vary according to the needs of the class and the
weather, but all would be covered. Questions? Please ask.
Slide shows - An .Introduction to Residential PV B. Intro to PV C. PV in NYC
DVD - Lifestyles of the Solar Famous - Clearwater Edition
Video - Konarka PV inkjet printed solar cells - Lowell, MA
A quick review of intro to PV 101
Solar Energy, the resource
History of Photovoltaics
Electricity Basics
Producing Electricity - production losses - fossil fuels vs. renewable energy resources
Energy Use Issues - appropriate uses, phantom loads, how to calculate, multi-fuel appliances
PV Cell and its characteristics
Types of Photovoltaic technologies
The PV panel and its characteristics
Types of Photovoltaic Systems -direct, stand-alone, grid tie, bimodal, BIPV
Balance of System (BOS) Equipment - mounting, wire, disconnects, controllers, batteries, inverters, load
centers, lightning protection,
The Photovoltaic Systems
Direct Drive Systems - fans and pumps
Independent/Remote/Stand-alone DC System - residential, communications, signage
DC system with AC inverter - residential
Grid Tie System – no batteries - residential, commercial
Grid Tie System – with batteries (bimodal system) - residential, commercial
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday, April 10, 2008
6pm to 8:50pm
Components of a complete Photovoltaic System
PV panels or modules
DRAFT in process
A review of technologies & manufacturers (Photon International: February 2006)
Single Crystal - Shell (Siemens, Arco), BP Solar, Sharp, Sanyo, Isophoton, etc.
Multi Crystal – PB Solar (Solarex), Kyocera, Schott (Mobile, ASE Americas, Schott Applied Power),
Evergreen
Amorphous – Unisolar (Sovonics), Iowa Thin Film, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Multi-layered panels - Unisolar, Sanyo
Balance of System (BOS) - everything except PV panels
Mounting Systems -roof mount ground mount, pole mount, tracking, adjustable to seasons
Wiring – including wire size calculations, wire loss chart is in the binder
Charge Controllers - keep batteries from over charging
Controllers with MPPT - maximize output of the panels under any sun or light
Conduit - metallic, non metallic, sunlight resistant
Batteries – construction of deep cycle, vs. shallow cycle, 2V cells, 6V batteries, 8V and 12V batteries,
Ampere hour rating, available energy from batteries, Wiring batteries (series and parallel), battery
interconnect cables, Safety and ventilation requirements from the closed container, hydrogen built-up, Care
and maintenance of flooded batteries, Flooded vs. sealed, vs. gel, vs. nicad, Discharge characteristic, state
of charge vs. voltage, Lifetime of the different kind of batteries, and catastrophic fuses
DC load center – for DC loads. DC light above the power board (at least)
Inverters – square wave, quasi-square wave (or quasi sine wave), and sine wave battery based inverters,
inverters with battery charging, and used with other sources of production than PV
Wire sizes from batteries to inverter and from inverter to load center
Grid Tie Inverters– Sinewave grid tie inverters, sizes, how they work, cost ranges, features, monitoring.
Grid-tie bimodal inverter – features, ability to switch back and forth between battery based, grid integrated,
programming the Xantrex, AC input is connected to a breaker in the main load center, via a by-pass switch
The bypass switch – why it’s needed
AC Load Center for regular loads and critical loads
AC disconnects Main load center where it reverse feeds a 120V or 240V circuit breakers
Metering – in the inverter, or external, remotely read
Grounding - copper rod and clamp, copper wire, lay-in lugs, WEEB
Lightening protection
Back up power systems - AC generators - Power Line/Grid - Wind - Hydro
Safety – The National Electric Code 2005/Article 690 and OSHA
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Saturday, April 12, 2008
9am - 5pm ( bring lunch)
Quiz #1 - Name and date, take quiz and hand in, and review the questions and answers
Activities - Weather Dependent
Use the Pathfinder - assess the site for the GCC system from the deck where
panels are to be installed.
Use the ASSET tool - to define the site solar accessibility and limitations,
convert information to computer for report.
Using the Radiation meter to establish insolation on this date
Review and examine - all the equipment for the outdoor system installation -
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Examine and test for OCV and SSC on each of the seven Evergreen
12V EV51 PV modules
Interconnect wire and transmission wire
Framing (UniRac) for Evergreen glass modules
Grounding -WEEBs and ground rod/wire
DC disconnect
Transmission line - one end will fit the DC disconnect box - the other
end will fit into the MX 60 MPPT controller.
g.
Build the frame for the panels on the deck
Add modules to the frame
Wire up all the modules
Bring to D/C disconnect and transition to transmission line
Bring in the transmission line through the wall
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday , April 17, 2008 - 6pm to 8:50pm
SAFETY
National Electrical Code- section 690 Photovoltaic Electrical Power Systems - section 690 from NEC 2008
John Wiles "Photovoltaic Power Systems and the 2005 National
Electrical Code: Suggested Practices"
Photovoltaic Electrical Power Systems: Inspector/Installer Checklist
Reference: 2008 NEC Code Book and NEC Handbook
OSHA - Working (Safely) with Photovoltaics
DRAFT in process
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday , April 24, 2008 6pm to 8:50pm
Quiz #2 - Name and date, take quiz and hand in, and review the questions and answers
Sizing and Economics
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Saturday, April 26, 2008
9am - 5pm ( bring lunch)
Activities - not so weather dependent
Review and examine - all the equipment for the indoor system installation a. Examine MX 60 Controller- check wiring diagram and installation
manual in the binder
b. Four Sunsaver sealed 12V 100AH batteries, baking soda, gloves,
glasses/goggles
c. Battery box with ventilation
d. Outback 3524 VFX Bimodal Inverter - look at installation manual in the binder
h. Cables - battery, inverter, MC connectors for the panels
i. Balance of control board disconnects, load centers, and boxes
Crimping exercise using the crimping tools
****finish this section
Make battery cables - 2 series and 2 parallel - length to be determined
Make two inverter cables - positive and negative for the DC side
Make inverter cable for the AC side
And wire into the control board
Wire control board with the inverter (Outback GVFX 3524 bimodal inverter)
Wire sealed 12V batteries into the system.
Greenfield Community College
DRAFT in process
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday , May 1st , 2008 6pm to 8:50pm
NABCEP
North American Board of Energy Practitioners
Entry Level Certification - Photovoltaics
Full Certification - Photovoltaics - Candidate Information Handbook
Solar Thermal Installer Certification
Small Wind Energy Systems
Sample Test for Full Certification in preparation for the Entry Level Exam
to be given at Greenfield Community College on - ____________
Registration Form for Entry Level Exam
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Saturday, May 10, 2008
9am - 5pm ( bring lunch)
Activities - somewhat weather dependent
Site Visit - evaluation at Louis Hale - address:_____________________
Site Visit - evaluation at Verne Richardson - address ________________
Site visit - evaluation at _______(from electrician's class) - address_____
Get information on electric needs, and all information about the site:
Using Pathfinder and ASSET tool
Back at the classroom: The class together will 1. design a system for Louis Hale
2. design a system for Verne Richardson
3. design a system for _____________(from electrician's class)
including rationale for system chosen, type of system, voltage requirements,
permits required, list of all the pieces, one line drawing, and price
quote/retail for materials and labor.
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday , May 8st , 2008 6pm to 8:50pm
DRAFT in process
Greenfield Community College
Photovoltaic Installer's Course
Thursday , May 13 , 2008 6pm to 8:50pm
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Final Test