Photovoltaic Tutorial:

For NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional Given a potential site for a solar PV system installation, and given basic instructions, major components, schematics, and drawings, the PV installation professional will: specify, adapt, implement, configure, install, inspect, and maintain any type of photovoltaic system, including grid.
. Do not install the system in a location within 0.3 miles from the ocean or any salt water. Do not install in corrosive locations classified C5 by ISO. The SRS mounting system and modules are UL listed to standard 1703. The UL 1703 test is performed at 1.5 times the design load of 30 lbs per square foot, or 45 PSF.

Minimally specify an area of 50 square feet in order to operate the smallest grid-tied solar PV inverters on the market. As a point of reference, the average size of a grid-tied PV residential system installation in the United States has increased to just over 5.0 kilowatts. PV Installation Guide June 2001 Page 2 PREFACE The California Energy Commission is providing this guide as an information resource to those installing photovoltaic (PV) systems under the Emerging Renewables Buydown Program. This is the first published draft of this guide and represents the current state-of-the-art in PV system installation.

Step-By-Step Guide to Going Solar

The purchase and installation of a solar electric system starts with plenty of research and planning. Even if you hire a solar company or certified installer to do the work, your informed participation will insure that quality products get installed at a competitive price, with the right system size chosen and placed at an optimum orientation to the sun. Whether you're a homeowner, photovoltaics student, contractor or installer, this guide will walk you through the site survey, energy audit, design phase, system sizing, installation and other steps involved. Be sure to read the general Tutorial first .

NREL

Photovoltaics Design And Installation Manual Pdf Free Download

While this tutorial focusses on a residential grid-tied system with no battery backup, much of the information also applies to an off-grid or grid-tied-with-battery-backup scenario. For each step, you'll find brief instructions, diagrams and graphics, math calculations, occasional videos and links to other online resources.

Don't forget to download our free sizing worksheets, if you have the MS Excel program on your computer. If you're a homeowner and would like an independent appraisal of your home's potential, check out our solar assessment service. If you're a small contractor or thinking about starting a solar business, please visit our business support page.

Photovoltaic Design And Installation

Step 1: Rule out any potential showstoppers

There are a few restrictions that preclude the purchase and installation of a solar electric system. Many of these obstacles you can work around, however, so here's a heads up:

If you're a tenant or lease property from someone else, you can't install a system without the owner's permission. Be sure to explain that he or she will most likely be eligible for several tax credits, loan programs and other incentives, and should eventually turn a profit on the decision to go solar.

If you plan to move in the next five to seven years, you may not be able to recoup your investment. It usually takes that amount of time, and sometimes longer, to achieve payback. Of course, if you decide to move, you can add the system cost to the listing price of the home. Studies to date prove that homes with solar arrays attract more interest from potential buyers and those without.

If you live in a place where trees, tall buildings or other significant shade obstacles are perched to the south, or your city lies at a high northern latitude, a PV array may not see enough sunlight each day to produce sufficient kilowatt hours. However, keep in mind that deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall, and many trees can be pruned. A solar installer will perform a site survey and let you know how much irradiance and kilowatt production you can expect.

If you live in an area subject to violent storms on a regular basis, the frequent maintenance and repair of an array may make it more trouble than it's worth. Fortunately, most solar modules and racking are designed to withstand hail up to 1 inch in diameter at speeds of up to 50 mph, and a wind load of 100-130 mph. That means that most areas of the country are good to go when it comes to solar installations.

If you have an old or deteriorating roof, or its underlying structure is weak, then you won't be able to install PV modules until those problems are addressed first. Oftentimes, a weak structure is an easy fix for your solar company and should not cost a lot of extra money. If your roof surface is more than 10-years-old, you should have it replaced before going solar. Some of this work may also be eligible for the 30% IRS tax credit.

If you have neither the money nor the credit rating to get approved for a loan, lease, power purchasing agreement (PPA), or mortgage, then you may not be able to go solar. So do your homework, because there are many more options for financing a PV system than in the past - tax credits, rebates, energy efficiency loans, free installations provided by nonprofits, etc. You can start by asking a local solar company or your utility provider what you're eligible for.

If you pay little or no income tax, you won't be able to take advantage of the 30 percent federal tax credit on a new system purchase. You can, however, carry over any credit surplus to subsequent tax years, at least until 2/31/16, when this credit is set to expire. (Hopefully, the U.S. Congress will extend it several more years.)

Utility companies generally require proof of insurance for your PV system before approving an interconnection agreement. In most cases, your home But if your insurer intends to raise your premium substantially, you may want to consider buying a new policy from someone else.

Photovoltaic Installation Training

If your utility company fo

Photovoltaics Design And Installation Manual Free Download