Photovoltaic Laboratory : Safety, Code-Compliance, and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Equipment

This textbook is ideal preparation for those seeking a career in the photovoltaic (PV) industry. It is the only textbook that offers students the opportunity to design, build, test, and troubleshoot practical PV systems based on commercially available equipment. Complete with electrical schematics, layouts, and step-by-step installation instructions, this hands-on laboratory manual provides in-depth, project-driven instruction on safety, trade math, circuit measurement, site survey, mechanical and electrical integration, characterization of PV modules, and the design, installation, and testing of different off-grid and grid-tied PV systems.

Photovoltaic Laboratory: Safety, Code-Compliance, and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Equipment is the only textbook that offers students the opportunity to design, build, test, and troubleshoot practical PV systems based on commercially available equipment. Complete with electrical schematics, layouts, and step-by-step installation instructions, this hands-on laboratory manual:

• Promotes "safety first" by covering working in extreme weather conditions, personal protective equipment, working at heights, electrical safety, and power tool safety
• Includes chapters on trade math, DC/AC electrical circuits, and assessing a property for a photovoltaic system (e.g., surveying the available space, shading, and solar harvest)
• Discusses aspects of mechanical and electric integration specific to different roof types, and characterizing a PV module under different levels of irradiation and ambient temperature
• Addresses the design, installation, and testing of off-grid PV systems with DC-only loads and with DC and AC loads, as well as 2.4 kw DC grid-tied PV systems with microinverters and string inverters
• Trains students on exactly the sort of equipment that they will encounter in the field, so they gain valuable experience and skills that translate directly to real-world applications

Photovoltaic Laboratory: Safety, Code-Compliance, and Commercial Off-the-Shelf provides in-depth, project-driven instruction on everything from attaching brackets and flashing to modeling PV cells, modules, and arrays. This textbook is ideal preparation for those seeking a career in the PV industry—from system installers and designers to quality assurance and sales/marketing personnel.