PV 301: Basic Photovoltaics and Site Assessment for Installers

This course is intended to introduce a potential PV installer to the important aspects of selecting a good site for a PV system and the basics of PV system components. We have designed this course to be the first class in a series that will establish a solid informed foundation on which you as a system installer can build. This class will touch on both battery based (stand alone) systems and utility-interactive (grid tied) systems. Although it is primarily a lecture class, there are several labs that offer the opportunity to use equipment. By the end of this class you should feel comfortable conducting a site evaluation; understand how to make component selections; understand how to size the major components of a PV system: PV array, battery bank, inverter and charge controller. This class is ISP Accredited and counts toward the NABCEP educational requirement. More information about NABCEP certification can be found on the NABCEP website. The PV Design and Installation Manual is included in the price of tuition. If you plan to install your own system or install as a profession, start here and plan to take PV 302: Intermediate PV Design next.

• Markets and applications for different types of PV systems
• Electricity basics
• Conducting a site assessment
• The important role of energy efficiency
• Characteristics of PV system components and component selection
• Basic component sizing: an introduction to system design
• Working safely with photovoltaics
• Economics of PV