Class Description

40 HOUR ADVANCED SOLAR ELECTRIC TRAINING COURSE – UEETS NABCEP NEW 2012 EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

ONTILITY presents Advanced Solar Electric Training, a professional PV installer training course designed to help you qualify to take the NABCEP PV Installer Certification Exam and prepare you to enter the Solar Energy workforce and become a member of the rapidly growing Solar Energy Industry, one of the fastest growing industries in America. Advanced Solar Electric Training is built on and follows the recently updated NABCEP Solar PV Installer Job Task Analysis. Completing the course will give you the 40 hours of advanced PV education needed to qualify for the NABCEP PV Certification Exam under the newly proposed NABCEP eligibility rules for 2012. ONTILITY's highly qualified professional solar instructors are NABCEP Certified Installers, field experienced solar designers and consultants and ISPQ Certified Solar Instructors. The course will cover a wide range of topics and present industry standard PV system design and installation best practices during this very intensive five day class. As a motivated participant you will have the opportunity to gain valuable industry knowledge. 

Prerequisites

For those with significant solar industry or electrical experience there is no prerequisite coursework. If you are new to solar, you will be required to complete ONTILITY S105, Solar Electric Training Online, and achieve a passing score on the final exam for that course. Completion of coursework from other training providers or a passing score on the NABCEP Entry Level PV Exam may be substituted for S105.

Course Objectives

Upon Completion of this course, the student will have the ability to:

• Describe photovoltaic system components and configurations and how various systems will meet clients needs and expectations
• Describe battery, generator and other types of backup systems and how they are integrated into a grid-interactive solar system
• Describe practices and procedures for utility company buy-back of power produced by distributed systems
• Describe the features, functions, and specifications of inverters used in grid-interactive systems
• Identify and configure electrical balance of system components
• Analyze load demands and calculate system requirements
• Conduct a site survey and specify system components and design
• Calculate array and inverter size for grid-interactive solar systems, both with and without backup components
• Determine structural integrity and suitability for installation of various PV systems
• Describe various mounting systems and perform mounting procedures of PV modules and electrical components
• Perform commissioning, maintenance, and troubleshooting procedures for installed systems
• Demonstrate proper and safe use of required tools and measurement instruments necessary to conduct a thorough site survey and system installation
• Describe inspection, permitting and documentation requirements for grid-interactive solar systems
• Describe project workflows including roles and responsibilities for all sub-contractors
• Describe system inspection procedures
• Given a set of system specifications and operational circumstances, demonstrate troubleshooting procedures
• Describe maintenance procedures
• Describe the risks and safety issues and OSHA regulations to consider when working with PV technologies

Student Evaluation

Student performance is evaluated on the basis of:

• Class participation
• Lab participation
• Completion of assignments
• Attendance - 40 hours is required

Attendance Policy

It is expected that students will attend scheduled classes regularly and on time. If an absence occurs, it is the responsibility of the student to make up all missed work. Students, who must withdraw from a class, will receive credit for work completed and may complete the course at a later date with instructor approval. Attendance will be tracked and maintained for various reporting purposes.

Accreditation and Evaluation

The curriculum for this course is based on the NABCEP Solar PV Installer Job Task Analysis. In keeping with industry standards for training accreditation, students are encouraged to provide informal feedback throughout the course. A survey is distributed to students on the last day of class whereby students are asked to evaluate the class and the instructor. This feedback is used to create an on-going professional development plan for instructors and to inform course improvements.

Students with Disabilities

This institution complies with Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations must make their requests knows when registering for a course or workshop. If a disability is identified after class has begun, a non-retroactive accommodation plan will be developed.