Inspecting Solar Systems: A Seminar for Code
Officials, Electric Utilities and Contractors
Dave Click, Florida Solar Energy Center (Cocoa, FL)
January 26, 2009
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Acknowledgments,
Contact Information
 GRU
 Jerry Ventre & Jim Dunlop, NJATC
 John Wiles, NMSU
 http://www.nmsu.edu/~tdi/Photovoltaics/PVEnergy.html
Dave Click, Research Engineer
Florida Solar Energy Center
321.638.1408, daveclick [at] fsec [dot] ucf [dot] edu
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Afternoon Agenda
 Photovoltaic Systems and Applications
 Photovoltaic Components and System
Configurations
 Permitting and Inspection of Photovoltaic
Systems
 Inspector Guidelines for PV Systems
 Inspection Checklist
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Photovoltaic Systems and
Applications
4
Principal Elements of a
Photovoltaic (PV) System
use
energ
y
sourc
e
inversion (AC) &
conditioning
distribution
conversion (DC)
storag
e
electric
utility
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Types of PV Systems
Utility-interactive (or grid-connected, or gridtied) PV systems
Stand-alone PV systems
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A Simple Grid-Tied
Photovoltaic System
Inverter
PV Array
Loads in Home
Service
Panel
Distribution
System 7
Solar Electric, Thermal
and Energy Efficiency
 An effective and
highly
marketable
combination
 Both electric and
thermal power
produced on site
 A giant step
toward the zero
energy home
Side-by-Side Tests
Finding the efficiency limits
Standard vs. Best Available
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The Potential of PV and
Building Technologies
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Net Energy Use
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Integrating PV Systems
and Buildings
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Manufactured Housing
 Stronger roof
for high wind
loads
 Double trusses
to support roof
components
and cladding
(i.e., PV array
attachments)
53 kW Façade and Roof Glazing
Library, Mataro, Spain
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NIST’s Rooftop
Photovoltaic System
Size – 35 kW DC (Standard Rating Conditions)
Total Installed Cost - $239,945 or $6.86 per DC Watt
Installation Date – September 11-14, 2001
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NIST’s Rooftop
Photovoltaic System
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ASE 18 kW Flat Roof Rack Mount Array
Ballasted Roof Jack Foundation
Ell Student Center, Northeastern Univ.
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340 kW BP Solar Offset Mount Array,
Georgia Tech Olympic Natatorium
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AC Modules
GIT Aquatic Center Canopy
GIT Aquatic Center Canopy
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PV and Conventional
Fuels
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PV and New Fuels
Stuart
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Ford Motor Company
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Highway Signs
Directional Messages
Warning Signs
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Traffic Control
School Warning Signs
Arrow and Message Boards
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Area Lighting
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
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Telecommunications
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Water Pumping
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Navigational Aids
Channel Markers
Marine Data
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Cathodic Protection and
Vaccine Refrigeration
Vaccine Refrigeration
Cathodic Protection
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Recreational Applications
Sail Boats
Recreational Vehicles
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Utility Applications
SMUD
Austin Energy
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The Old and New Frontier
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Photovoltaic Systems
Overview
Commercially
Available
Size Range
Yes
Fuel
Sunlight
Efficiency
5 – 23%
Cost Installed
$6,000 - $20,000/kW
Environmental
No Emissions
Commercial Status
Commercially deployed, advanced
photovoltaic films under development
Less than 1 kW – multi-megawatts
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Installed Costs for 100 PV
Systems in Florida
Average Cost per Watt (FL Bldg Program)
$12.00
$10.00
Total Costs
$$/Watt
$8.00
Equipment Costs
$6.00
$4.00
$2.00
Labor Costs
$0.00
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Year
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PV System Strengths and
Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
Free fuel (sunlight); energy
independence
High capital costs
Minimal maintenance and long
lifetime
Significant seasonal variation in
available sunlight at some locations
Environmentally friendly (quiet and
no emissions)
Reduced array output during bad
weather
Reliable, modular and expandable
No array output at night
Work well in remote locations
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Myth that Solar Energy Uses
too Much Space
Lake Mead formed by Hoover Dam
has an area of 640 km2. The dam
has a capacity of 2,080 MW. If the
same area was covered with 15%
efficient solar modules, the peak
solar output at noon could be at
least 60,000 MW!
This includes a large margin for DC-AC
inverter loss and the spacing between PV
array rows
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PV Module Manufacturers

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


Atlantis Energy Systems
BP Solar
DayStar Technologies, Inc.
Energy Photovoltaics, Inc.
Evergreen Solar
First Solar
GE Energy
Kyocera
Motech
Mitsubishi Electric

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Q-Cells
Schott Solar
Sanyo
Sharp Solar
Solar Energy Corporation
Solar Integrated Tech.
Solar World (formerly
Shell Solar)
 SunPower
 Suntech
 Uni-Solar
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Florida PV Progress
Residential:
 $4/W incentive (up to $20,000), if money still available
 Solar systems exempted from property tax
 Net Metering
Commercial:
 $4/W incentive (up to $100,000), if money still available
 Net Metering (up to 2MW)
 State buildings to incorporate solar in renovations/new
construction
http://www.dsireusa.org/ - up to date listing of incentives
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