Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems

Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems
A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers

Publisher: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
January 2008, 396 pp.
8 1/3" x 11 7/8"
Spiral Bound: 978-1-84407-442-6
Edition: Second Edition

Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems is the bestselling guide that has become the essential tool for any installer, engineer and architect, offering guidance and detailing every subject necessary for successful project implementation, from the technical design to the legal and market issues of PV installation. Beginning with resource assessment and an outline of the core components, this guide comprehensively covers system design, economic analysis, installation, operation and maintenance of PV systems.

The second edition has been fully updated to reflect the state-of-the-art in technology and concepts and includes: a new chapter on marketing and the history of PV; new information on the photovoltaic market; new material on lightning protection; a new section on building integrated systems; and new graphics, data and photos.

Foreword

1) Photovoltaic Basics: PV Array Systems and PV Applications; Solar Radiation; The Photovoltaic Effect and How Solar Cells Work; Solar Cells Types; Electrical Properties of Solar Cells;

2) PV Modules and Other Components of Grid-Connected Systems: PV Modules; PV Array Combiner/Junction Boxes, String Diodes and Fuses; Grid-Connected Inverters; Cabling, Wiring and Connection Systems; Direct Current Load Switch (DC Man Switch);

3) Site Surveys and Shading Analysis: On-Site Visit and Site Survey; Consulting with the Customer; Shadow Types; Shading Analysis; Shade Analysis Tools Using Software; Shading, PV-array Configuration and System Concept; Shading with Free-Standing/Rack-Mounted PV Arrays; Checklists for Building Survey;

4) Planning and Sizing Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems: System Size and Module Choice; System Concepts; Inverter Installation Site; Sizing the Inverter; Selecting and Sizing Cables for Grid-Tied PV Systems; Selection and Sizing of the PV Array Combiner/Junction Box and the DC Main Disconnect/isolator Switch; Lightning Protection, Earthing/Grounding and Surge Protection; Yield Forecast;

5) System Sizing, Design and Simulation Software: Use of Sizing, Design and Simulation Programs; Checking the Simulation Results; Simulation of Shading; Market Overview and Classification; Programme Descriptions;

6) Mounting Systems and Building Integration: Introduction; Roof Basics; Sloping Roofs, Flat Roofs; Façade Basics; Photovoltaic Facades; Glass Roofs; Solar Protection Devices; Mounting Systems for Free-Standing Installations;

7) Installing, Commissioning and Operating Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems: General Installation Notes; Example Installation of a Grid-Connected PV System; Guarantee; Breakdowns, Typical Faults and Maintenance for PV Systems; Troubleshooting; Monitoring Operating Data and Presentation; Long-Term Experience and Quality;

8) Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems; Introduction; Modules in Stand-Alone PV Systems; Batteries in Stand-Alone PV Systems; Charge Controllers; Stand-Alone Inverters; Planning and Designing Stand-Alone Systems; Measuring Electricity Consumption; Sizing the PV array; Sizing of the Cable Cross Sections; Battery Sizing; Use of an Inverter; Photovoltaics in Decentral Electricity Grids/Mini-Grids;

9) Economics and Environmental Issues: Cost Trends; Technological Trends; Economic Assessment; Environmental Impact;

10) Marketing and Promotion: Marketing PV: The Basics; Greater Success Through Systematic Marketing; A Good Sales Talk is Fun; Bibliography; Index.