Racking courses delivered Online

Helpful tools and products used in the solar industry Residential installation tips Commercial solar installation examples Transformerless inverter installations Grid-tie with battery backup design and installation Off-grid design considerations Load side taps Grounding Ballasted roof top system design Ground mount design Custom racking Wiring methods New technologies Battery box construction

What to wear? What to say? When to follow-up? The process of interviewing for a position can be nerve racking to say the least. This course takes you through a typical interview process and prepares you for the what you may encounter. Through application exercises and a rich multimedia process, you will learn top skills to ease your nerves and prepare you for any interview.

This training includes four (4) three-hour lessons, for a total of 12 contact training hours. Each lesson will include presentations, videos, interactive exercises, and a quiz. 1- Ladder and Lift Safety: In this lesson, we learn about different ladder options and how to choose the appropriate ladder(s) for a PV installation, based on the specific job site and task (accessing different roof surfaces, running conduit, etc.). We discuss how to properly inspect, set up and use ladders, and through interactive exercises we evaluate different installation sites to determine the best location to set up an extension ladder to access the PV array. In the second part of this lesson, we identify equipment and methods for safely lifting PV modules (and other materials) to the roof, including ladder lifts, boom lifts, reach forklifts, scaffolding, and cranes. 2- Fall Protection: Here, we review OSHA fall protection requirements and present different equipment options for working safely AND efficiently on a PV job site. We discuss the differences between fall restraint, positioning, and fall arrest systems; look at different anchor options for roof surfaces commonly seen on PV installations; and via interactive exercises determine where to place those anchors on the roof. 3- PV Mounting Safety: In this lesson, we identify job site hazards specific to PV mounting work, from array layout through securing modules to the racking system. We go step-by-step through a roof-mounted PV installation and call out ways to eliminate and/or control hazards through safe work practices, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Through interactive exercises and videos, we show best practice methods to safely handle PV equipment and manage small parts on a sloped roof. 4- Solar Electric Safety: In the final lesson of this series, we take an in-depth look at electrical hazards specific to PV installation and maintenance work, and discuss the requirements of OSHA, the NEC, and NFPA 70E to assure safe working conditions. We discuss shock and arc flash hazards and identify protective measures (including PPE and lockout / tagout). We dive even further into lockout / tagout and safe electrical testing methods in our interactive exercises and videos.

Students who complete PV202 will be able to: Define the purpose of the National Electrical Code (NEC®) and NEC® terminology for PV equipment Determine procedures for proper installation of equipment and conductors, including minimum requirements for working space Examine methods for PV wire management and determine where expansion fittings are required Describe and identify electrical services, including split-phase and three-phase Wye (Y) and Delta (∆) Evaluate electrical service details to collect and record during solar site evaluation Identify options for NEC®-compliant PV system interconnection to the utility grid and determine whether a supply side, load side, or additional service connection is appropriate Identify code-compliant methods for connecting an inverter to an existing AC feeder Calculate PV module voltage based on temperature to ensure compatibility with system components and NEC® Section 690.7, and explore other options for maximum PV system DC voltage calculations Identify NEC® requirements and sizing of disconnects and overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) in grid-direct PV systems Define inverter grounding configurations Evaluate inverter choices and system configurations, including string inverters, central inverters, and module level power electronics (MLPE) Identify requirements for equipment grounding, equipment grounding conductors (EGC), and grounding electrode conductors (GEC), and size the conductors according to the NEC® Identify common causes of ground-faults and arc-faults Describe ground-fault and arc-fault protection devices Describe benefits and appropriate locations of surge protection devices (SPD) Demonstrate the use of sun charts and perform calculations to determine row spacing and minimize inter-row shading Identify how Codes detailing access for first responders impact PV array roof layout Examine fire classifications that affect racking and module selection Detail NEC rapid shutdown requirements and options for implementation Identify load and structural considerations for low- and steep-slope roof-mounted PV systems Calculate wind uplift force and select appropriate lag bolts Review issues related to planning, design, and installation of ground-mount PV arrays Review PV system circuit terminology, definitions, and conductor types Calculate minimum overcurrent protection device (OCPD) size and conductor ampacity using appropriate adjustment and correction factors Calculate voltage drop and verify system operation within acceptable limits Examine requirements for PV system labeling Calculate the maximum and minimum number of modules per PV source circuit, and number of PV source circuits per inverter Determine size of residential grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations including the number and wiring layout of modules, conductor and OCPD sizes, and the AC interconnections Determine the size of a large, multiple inverter, grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations, including the quantity and layout of modules and inverters and the AC interconnection Define large-scale PV and review associated NEC® allowances and requirements Describe importance of Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Identify common DAS equipment and hardware Review DAS design, installation, and commissioning processes and common problems associated with DAS Show how reports can be generated and utilized to remotely assess health of system

Students who complete PVOL202 will be able to: Define the purpose of the National Electrical Code (NEC®) and NEC® terminology for PV equipment Determine procedures for proper installation of equipment and conductors, including minimum requirements for working space Examine methods for PV wire management and determine where expansion fittings are required Describe and identify electrical services, including split-phase and three-phase Wye (Y) and Delta (∆) Evaluate electrical service details to collect and record during solar site evaluation Identify options for NEC®-compliant PV system interconnection to the utility grid and determine whether a supply side, load side, or additional service connection is appropriate Identify code-compliant methods for connecting an inverter to an existing AC feeder Calculate PV module voltage based on temperature to ensure compatibility with system components and NEC® Section 690.7, and explore other options for maximum PV system DC voltage calculations Identify NEC® requirements and sizing of disconnects and overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) in grid-direct PV systems Define inverter grounding configurations Evaluate inverter choices and system configurations, including string inverters, central inverters, and module level power electronics (MLPE) Identify requirements for equipment grounding, equipment grounding conductors (EGC), and grounding electrode conductors (GEC), and size the conductors according to the NEC® Identify common causes of ground-faults and arc-faults Describe ground-fault and arc-fault protection devices Describe benefits and appropriate locations of surge protection devices (SPD) Demonstrate the use of sun charts and perform calculations to determine row spacing and minimize inter-row shading Identify how Codes detailing access for first responders impact PV array roof layout Examine fire classifications that affect racking and module selection Detail NEC rapid shutdown requirements and options for implementation Identify load and structural considerations for low- and steep-slope roof-mounted PV systems Calculate wind uplift force and select appropriate lag bolts Review issues related to planning, design, and installation of ground-mount PV arrays Review PV system circuit terminology, definitions, and conductor types Calculate minimum overcurrent protection device (OCPD) size and conductor ampacity using appropriate adjustment and correction factors Calculate voltage drop and verify system operation within acceptable limits Examine requirements for PV system labeling Calculate the maximum and minimum number of modules per PV source circuit, and number of PV source circuits per inverter Determine size of residential grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations including the number and wiring layout of modules, conductor and OCPD sizes, and the AC interconnections Determine the size of a large, multiple inverter, grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations, including the quantity and layout of modules and inverters and the AC interconnection Define large-scale PV and review associated NEC® allowances and requirements Describe importance of Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Identify common DAS equipment and hardware Review DAS design, installation, and commissioning processes and common problems associated with DAS Show how reports can be generated and utilized to remotely assess health of system

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