Photovoltaic design & installation for dummies / by Ryan Mayfield.

Includes index.

Introduction -- About this book -- Conventions used in this book -- What you're not to read -- Foolish assumptions -- How this book is organized -- Part 1: Here comes the sun: shedding some light on PV systems -- Part 2: Digging into complete systems details -- Part 3: Sizing a PV system -- Part 4: installing a PV system -- Part 5: Part of tens -- Icons used in this book -- Where to go from here -- Part 1: Here Comes The Sun: Shedding Some Light On PV Systems -- Chapter 1: Photovoltaic revolution -- Peeking into the past, present, and future of PV installations -- Acquainting yourself with typical PV applications -- Checking out PV pros and cons -- Looking into the future of PV -- Introducing PV components and systems -- Knowing your electricity A-B-Cs -- Solar resource 101 -- Surveying a PV system site -- Delving into PV system details -- PV modules -- Batteries -- Charge controllers -- Inverters -- Wiring and safety devices -- Sizing a PV system -- Grid-direct systems -- Battery-based systems -- Conductors and safety devices -- Bringing a PV system to life -- Permitting -- Staying safe -- Putting together the mechanical parts -- Adding the electrical parts -- Commissioning, inspecting, and maintaining a system -- Introducing the sections of code you need to know -- Chapter 2: Checking Out Common Components And Systems -- Introducing the components that make up PV systems -- PV modules and racking -- Battery bank -- Charge controller -- Inverter -- Loads -- Load centers -- Disconnects and over current protection -- Utility interconnection -- Differentiating between PV system types -- Grid-direct systems -- Battery-based systems -- Figuring out the right system type for any situation -- Customer is connected to the grid -- Customer isn't connected to the grid -- Chapter 3: Powering through electricity basics -- Going with the flow: current -- Understanding amps -- Distinguishing between direct current and alternating current -- Measuring current with a meter -- May the (electromotive) force be with you: voltage -- Grasping the concept of voltage -- Getting a grip on nominal voltage and operating voltage -- Measuring voltage -- Making a stop: resistance -- Introducing ohms -- Measuring resistance -- Connecting current, voltage, and resistance with ohm's law -- Pondering power and energy -- Recognizing the differences between power and energy -- Relating power to current, voltage, and resistance with the power equation -- Calculating energy in terms of watt-hours -- Introducing amp-hours, a companion to watt-hours -- Wrapping together current, voltage, resistance, power and energy -- Another electricity concept: circuit configurations -- Series -- Parallel -- Series-parallel -- Chapter 4: Warming up to the solar resource -- High (or low) energy: solar radiation -- Distinguishing between direct radiation and diffuse radiation -- Determining the intensity of solar radiation: irradiance -- Calculating solar radiation energy: irradiation -- Just for a day: peak sun hours -- Examining the effects of the sun's path on the earth -- Getting a grip on seasonal effects -- Understanding the sun's relationship to your location: altitude and azimuth -- Ticking off solar time -- Interpreting sun charts -- Opening up to the solar window -- Positioning PV modules to make the most of the solar resource -- Introducing tilt angle -- Orienting your array to the azimuth -- Chapter 5: Properly selecting a site for PV system -- Setting the stage for a site survey -- Putting aside enough time -- Creating a standard site-survey form -- Toting a site-survey bag -- Picture this: documenting your entire site survey with digital photos -- Collecting basic information during a site survey -- General site information -- Structural and mechanical information -- Electrical information -- Measuring information in degrees -- Understanding magnetic declination -- Calculating the array's tilt angle and azimuth -- Exploring shading-analysis tools -- Interpreting the data and bringing it all together -- Analyzing reports from you shading-analysis tool -- Considering the total solar resource factor -- Using other collected information to plan out the design and installation -- Part 2: Digging Into Complete System Details -- Chapter 6: PV modules: from sand to electricity -- Creating solar electricity: it all starts with a cell -- Getting a grip on cell construction and manufacturing -- Connecting cell construction to the photovoltaic effect --Reviewing common types of PV modules -- Checking out crystalline modules -- Looking at thin film modules -- Pointing out electrical specifications on PV modules -- Current specifications -- Voltage specifications -- Maximum power point -- Voltage temperature coefficient -- Power tolerance -- Series fuse rating -- Surveying test conditions for PV modules -- Standard test conditions -- Environmental effects on standard test conditions -- Relating current and voltage in IV curves -- IV curve with varying temperature -- IV curve with varying irradiance -- Chapter 7: Basics of batteries -- Fundamentals of battery anatomy and operation -- Constructing a battery, from cell to bank -- Discovering how batteries charge and discharge -- Comparing different types of batteries -- Lead-acid batteries -- Lead-calcium batteries -- Nickel-cadmium batteries -- Comprehending battery capacity -- Considering the C rate for capacity -- Recognizing factors that affect capacity -- Specifying batteries -- Specifying the type of battery to use -- Specifying the battery bank size -- Chapter 8: Keeping current and voltage in check: charge controllers -- Essentials of charge controllers -- Seeing how a charge controller works in stages -- Surveying special effects provided by some charge controllers -- Maximum power point tracking technology -- How MPPT works -- Pros and cons of MPPT controllers -- Pulse-width modulation technology -- How PWM works -- Pros and cons of PWM controllers -- Specifying a charge controller -- Chapter 9: Inverters: AC (from) DC -- Getting the good on grid-direct inverters -- Basic operation -- Standard features -- Power output sizes -- Importance of transformers -- Investigating battery-based inverters -- Utility-interactive inverter operation -- Stand-alone inverter operation -- Standard features for all battery-based inverters -- Sizes of battery-based inverters -- Low-frequency transformer technology -- Specifying any inverter -- Grid-direct -- Battery-based -- Chapter 10: Staying secure: wiring and safety components -- Defining the circuits in a PV system -- Checking out types of conductors -- USE-2 -- PV wire -- Building wiring -- Battery wiring -- Ground wiring -- Considering kinds of conduit -- Metallic conduit -- Nonmetallic conduit -- Delving into disconnects -- Perusing over current protection devices -- Circuit breakers -- Fuses -- Focusing on ground fault protection -- Looking at the basics of labels --

Part 3: Sizing A PV System -- Chapter 11: Sizing a grid-direct system -- First things first: evaluating the budget and the available array area -- Estimating the site's annual energy production -- Sizing the array to meet your client's energy consumption -- Determining annual energy consumption -- Looking at contract options with the utility -- Using consumption and contract options to select an array's needed power value -- Getting ready to match an inverter to an array -- Matching power values for an array and an inverter -- Coming up with the right voltage values for your array and inverter -- Establishing the inverter's AC voltage -- Defining the inverter's DC voltage window -- Calculating the modules' maximum DC voltage contribution -- Figuring out the modules' minimum DC voltage contribution -- Bringing it all together: combining your power and voltage information -- One last check: the inverter's maximum current input -- Chapter 12: Sizing a battery-based system -- Get loaded: looking at loads in a battery-based system -- Evaluating the loads that the battery bank must serve -- Calculating the energy required during an outage for utility-interactive systems -- Determining the average daily energy consumption for stand-alone systems -- Sizing the battery bank -- Inverter efficiency -- Days of autonomy -- Temperature used for battery operation -- Depth of discharge -- Nominal voltages -- Figuring out the battery capacity you need -- Strung along: wiring the battery bank -- Sizing the PV array -- Sizing the array in a utility-interactive system -- Sizing the array in a stand-alone system -- Sizing the charge controller -- Voltage specifications -- Power or amperage specifications -- Check before you move on: comparing the size to the battery capacity -- Sizing the inverter -- Viewing voltage output -- Calculating the power draw -- Staying in charge -- Looking at surge ratings -- Evaluating inverter and array power output -- Incorporating a generator -- Generator features -- Generator sizing -- Chapter 13: Sizing conductors, conduit, and safety components -- Conductor sizing 101 -- Defining the PV circuits' maximum and continuous current -- Calculating non-PV circuits' maximum current -- Considering conditions of use with some handy tables -- Putting together the details to determine conductor sizing -- Accounting for voltage drop after you size your conductors -- Sizing conduit -- Sizing over current protection devices and disconnects -- Beginning with a few basics -- Placing protection PV circuits -- Protecting inverter circuits -- Part 4: Installing A PV System -- Chapter 14: Permitting process -- Obtaining permits before you install a PV system -- In the beginning: having the right licenses and certifications -- Home grown: permitting for residential systems -- Big business: permitting for commercial systems -- Not just pretty pictures: creating drawing sets -- Calling out components clearly -- Depicting equipment locations -- Showing conductor-sizing calculations -- Jotting down job notes -- Chapter 15: Staying safe anytime you work on a PV system -- Getting a grip on general construction site safety -- Identifying job-site obstacles and putting on protective gear right away -- Safely working alone and with others -- Taking in tips for tool safety -- Limiting your exposure to the elements -- Stowing a first-aid kit on the job site -- Looking at ladder safety -- Selecting your stash of ladders -- Properly setting up any ladder -- Raising the issue of rooftop safety -- Restraining yourself with fall protection -- Storing you tools -- Maintaining safe walkways -- Examining electrical safety -- Staying aware of general shock hazards -- Working with circuits -- Charging ahead with battery safety -- Chapter 16: Assembling the mechanical parts -- Surveying PV array mounting methods --Roof mounting -- Ground mounting -- Top-of -pole mounting -- Building -integrated mounting -- Considering loading when you mount an array on a roof -- Following building codes -- Accounting for additional dead load -- Looking at live loads -- Properly attaching an array to a roof -- Making attachments with lag screws -- Sealing roof penetrations with flashing -- Supporting ground and top-of-pole mounting -- Chapter 17: Integrating the electrical elements -- Location is everything: knowing where to place electrical equipment -- Manufacturer's requirements for equipment locations -- Locations for disconnecting means -- Combiner boxes and junction boxes and wiring, oh my! -- Working on wiring -- Seeing red (and green and white): color-coding -- Managing wires on PV modules -- Protecting wires with conduit -- Bonding yourself to grounding -- Equipment grounding -- System grounding -- Connecting to the utility -- Determining the utility's requirements -- Making a load side or line side connection -- Chapter 18: Commissioning, inspecting, and maintaining a PV system -- Making a list and checking it twice: preparing for commissioning -- Mechanical elements? Check! -- Electrical elements? Check! -- Start 'er up: the commissioning process -- Putting safety first -- Gathering the gear you need -- Commissioning different types of systems -- Verifying that the system is working -- Arming yourself for inspection issues -- Not having "a neat and workmanlike manner" -- Forgetting about aesthetics -- Failing to manage conductors on the array -- Neglecting to label the system -- Surveying system maintenance -- Mechanical maintenance -- Electrical maintenance -- Maintenance on a higher level: taking care of battery banks -- Part 5: Parts Of Tens -- Chapter 19: Ten ways to avoid common code mistakes -- Providing proper working clearance -- Supplying the right structural support -- Keeping water out of buildings with flashing -- Ensuring all conductors have the necessary ratings -- Managing the conductors on modules -- Selecting the correct conduit -- Locating the disconnects -- Grounding the equipment -- Grounding the system -- Labeling the system properly -- Chapter 20: Ten ways to maximize energy production for your clients -- Select the right site -- Orient the array correctly -- Configure the array properly -- Work within the limits of the utility voltage -- Choose the correct inverter -- Size conductors appropriately -- Keep the components cool -- Advise clients to monitor their system -- Clean the array periodically -- Inspect the array annually -- Index.

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