Solar PV Boot Camp 5-Day in NC - Charlotte

Available Dates

This five day Solar Thermal Boot Camp course includes: Fundamentals of design & installation of solar water heating systems A blended learning approach incorporating Instructor-led lectures and hands-on labs (about a 60/40 class time ratio), Sales and Marketing for Solar Thermal Systems, and Site-assessment tools for solar systems design

Syllabus

INTRO TO PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS

Introduction to Solar Energy and PV Systems
Overview of Solar Industry
PV Systems Grid-Tie and Off-grid
Electricity Basics
Power, Energy and Electricity
Hands-on Lab: Measuring AC power
Electricity Arithmetic
PV System Components and Configurations
Solar panels, inverters, mounting, BOS
Solar Energy Fundamentals
Sun - earth relationship, sun path
Hands-on Lab: Orientation and tilt
Hands-on Lab: The power of the sun, in Watts

SYSTEM DESIGN

Solar Site Survey
The elements of site survey
Hands-on Lab: Site analysis. Roof measurement and Site Worksheet
PV System Sizing
Grid-Tie Systems
Site factors affect performance
Sizing the PV System, using manual and online tools
Economic Analysis
System Cost
Payback/ROI

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION

Electrical Integration
Safety of DC and AC Power
The main electrical components
Hands-on Lab: Assemble Balance of System (BOS)
Wire sizing, specifications and rating DC and AC
Utility Integration
Breaker sizing and the 120% Rule
Utility and code regulations
Next day objectives, homework

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A PV SYSTEM

PV cells, modules and arrays
All about solar cells and modules
Modules specifications: Watts, Voc, Isc, Vnominal
IV curves, Series and parallel array circuits
Hands-on Lab: Open circuit and IV curves
Inverters
Operation and Efficiency
Model and size, Specifications
Online sizing and performance tools
Mechanical Integration
Mounting Systems Options for Roof and Ground
Roof loading Performance issues
Hands-on Lab: Roof mount

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Commissioning, Maintenance, Troubleshooting
Commissioning - Starting it up
Maintenance, service, Trouble shooting common situations
Performance Monitoring
Permitting
Jurisdiction and authority
National Electrical Code NEC
Safety (again)
Live Installation
Lab: Connect PV array to BOS and utility power

OFF-GRID SYSTEMS

Off-grid and remote power applications
Batteries and charge controllers
Back-up, Hybrid and Bimodal systems

THE BUSINESS OF SOLAR

Energy and the Economy
The Solar Industry
Project Financials: Rebates, Tax Credits, Financing
Know the Market for PV
Your Business
Sales
The Sales Process
Closing the Sale
Tracking Leads and Customers
Estimates, Contracts and Proposals
Marketing
Define and reach your customers
Marketing strategies
Next steps
Evaluation

Course Materials Include

Your tuition fee includes instruction, materials, text book, examination fee, labs and daily catered lunch on all 6 days. All students receive a course completion certificate on the last day. Students who pass the certification exam on the last day are also awarded the CleanEdison Certified Solar PV Professional certification.

Credits

This course meets the education criteria for NABCEP certification.

Testimonials

The Solar Boot Camp was extremely well-planned and executed, equipping its students with the tools to implement technical skills in this industry. The teachers applied the topics in a practical manner related to their combined real-life experiences lending creditability to the course. Hands-on lab work with top of the line components provided an extremely realistic learning environment. Paul H.