Solar PV Safety on Rooftops. AC vs. DC
Solar PV Safety on Rooftops. AC vs. DC Solar PV Associate Technician course bundle, PV201 and PV202 info@solairgen.com (800) 262-7560 Two very important safety concerns with electricity are open-arcs and short-circuits. An open-arc is when a conductor (electrical wire) is cut, but the voltage is able to jump across the gap to complete the circuit and create a very high temperature arc; this is a fire hazard. A short-circuit is […]
A Better Name for Distributed Generation
For an introduction to solar electric energy systems see our PV201 online course. Words and names are important and powerful, especially for solar technical terms such as Distributed Generation. The term “distributed generation” in the solar industry means an energy generation system located and generating energy where the energy is also consumed. However, the term […]
Are jobs in the solar industry challenging and rewarding?
I have worked in the solar industry for 30 years and I have enjoyed almost ever occupation it has to offer. I started out as an electrical contractor offering solar as an electrical service; my occupations were sales, design, installation and maintenance. It was more fun than I’ve ever had working in any other field. […]
Why does solar energy face opposition?
It is the most abundant continuous energy source on earth and it is free. It does take some work and investment to harness the energy and convert it to a usable form; however, it is getting easier and cheaper to do every year. It is now cheaper than most other energy sources and will be […]
Green Hydrogen may be the Best Energy Future
Green Hydrogen may be the Best Energy Future Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and about 11% by volume of water on earth. It is easy to isolate the hydrogen atom from water through electrolysis; this is the process of applying electrical current through water to separate oxygen from hydrogen. This occurs […]
Good Solar Production is about Current Flow
Good Solar Production is about Current Flow Believe it or not, the easy part is converting sunlight into electrical current; the hard part is making sure the current flow is unimpeded. Once we have achieved sunlight to electric energy conversion, there are many ways in which current can be restricted, diminished or interrupted. This article […]
Non-export Inverters are the Best
When we say non-export, we are referring to energy flowing in reverse at the utility meter. These inverters can function as stand-alone off-grid, stand-alone grid-backup and self-consumption. In self-consumption mode, the inverter receives solar production and home energy consumption data on a continuous basis from CT meters. The inverter is programmed to reduce or stop […]
Maximize PV System Return on Investment (ROI) without a Utility Interconnection Agreement
PV system owners only need a utility interconnection agreement if they sell power across the meter into the utility grid. When a PV system has energy storage, it is possible to consume all of the power produced on-site That reduces the electrical kWh energy otherwise purchased from the utility; consumption is reduced at the retail […]
Solar PV Maintenance and Troubleshooting
We have reworked and expanded this course to provide solar technicians with a better understanding of PV system maintenance, failure probabilities and methods of recognizing and testing failure conditions. PV223 PV Maintenance and Troubleshooting is a 9-hour course covering the following topics. General PV System and Inverter Failure modes Conductor Circuit Failure Causes PV Module […]
Solar Careers in a Solar System Near You
There is no telling how many solar jobs there are in this galaxy given the probable billions of solar systems within it, but we do know that there are quite a few in this small sector. If you are thinking that you would like to build a career in the solar industry, it is an […]