Small and Large-Scale Solar photovoltaic systems:

Theory, design, components Selection, Installation, Commissioning & Maintenance

Learn small & large-scale solar PV systems design, installation, operation & maintenance. Practical training for professionals in renewable energy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

Mechanism of generation
The direction of current inside the PV cell
Various types of PV cell
Photovoltaic (PV) Hierarchy
External cell parameters
Types and Conversion Efficiency of Solar Cell
- Single-crystal or Mono-crystalline Silicon
- Polycrystalline or Multi-crystalline Silicon
Current-Voltage ( I-V) Curve
Estimating obtained power by I - V curve
I / V curve vs Insolation intensity
Effects of Temperature
Temperature and efficiency
Effects of Shading/Low Insolation
Shading on Modules
Maximum power point tracking
Exercises

PV System Components
- Solar charge controller
- Inverter,
- Battery bank,
- Loads (appliances).
- circuit breakers, and
- a mounting structure
Photovoltaic units
- PV cells
- Solar module
- PV modules
- Solar panel
- Solar array
Calculating the correct panel size
- Calculating total watt-hours needed from the panels each day
- Estimating the energy output from a solar panel
- Fudge factor
- Panel Generation Factor
- Adjusting the generation factor for different climates
- Finding the number of panels needed
Batteries
- Battery Basics
- Battery Capacity
- Batteries in Series and Parallel
- Battery Basic terms
- Rate of Charge or Discharge – Battery C-rate
- Battery classification
- Types of batteries commonly used in PV systems
- BATTERY Sizing and selection
- Grid-Tied System (With Batteries)
Charge Controllers
- Controller Basics
- PWM charge controller
- MPPT charge controller
- Additional Controller Features

Inverters
- Inverter Basics
- Single-phase full-bridge inverter
- Three-phase full-bridge inverter
- Pulse-width modulation
- Specifying an Inverter
- Brands of inverters in South Africa
- Micro-inverter
- Synchroinverters
PV Wiring and installation requirements
- Tools
- Series Connections
- Parallel Connections
- Cables and Connectors
- Cable Sizing
- Safety Equipment
- Overcurrent Protection
- Grounding
SANS10142-1 compliance requirements
- DC conductors and battery protection methods
- additional requirements for PV off-grid or on-grid installations
- Additional requirements for PV installations as an alternative to the main supply
Solar Site & Mounting
- Altitude and Azimuth
- Solar Pathfinder
- Site Selection – Tilt Angle
- Solar Access
- General Considerations
- Mounting structure
- Basic Mounting Options
- Pole Mount Considerations
- Tracking Considerations
- Passive Vs. Active
- Roof Mount Considerations
Categories of PV systems
- Autonomous / Off-Grid system
- hybrid and
- grid-connected / Grid-Tied system
Installation example
Exercises