Photovoltaic Laboratory

Safety, Code-Compliance, and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Equipment

Peter T. Parrish

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781498782517
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Energy

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.

Chapter 1

Safety1

1.1 Introduction

This laboratory will cover the aspects of working outdoors with emphasis on extreme weather conditions, personal protective equipment (PPE), power tool safety, working at heights, electrical safety, carrying and lifting, and some other general safety guidelines. This chapter is NOT a substitute for an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 construction safety course, and students are strongly advised to take an OSHA 10 course as well as a first aid and CPR course offered by qualified providers. Students are encouraged to download and review the OSHA safety publications cited at the end of this chapter.

1.2 Student Learning Objectives

At the end of this lab the student will be able to

• Appraise a job situation and take appropriate measures to mitigate adverse safety conditions related to heat stress, including dressing appropriately for different outdoor environments
• Recognize symptoms of heat stress and respond appropriately
• Appraise working conditions at heights
• Demonstrate proper use of extension ladders
• Implement fall prevention and fall protection procedures employing appropriate equipment
• Identify and understand electrical hazards and how to mitigate them
• Identify and properly use appropriate personal protective equipment

1.3 Working in Extreme Weather Conditions

In California, we have the full gamut of extreme weather with the exception of tropical storms. The tallest peak is Mt. Whitney, at 4,421 m (14,505 ft.), and the lowest point is Badwater Basin in Death Valley at –82 m (–282 ft.). Furthermore, Furnace Creek in Death Valley holds the record for the highest recorded temperature on the face of the Earth at 56.7°C (134°F). I personally find it remarkable that Mt. Whitney and Badwater Basin are only 210 km (131 mi.) apart.

More germane to the topic of extreme weather is the fact that some of the best sites for photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States are in the Mojave Desert and neighboring “high desert” areas. The annual insolation for the high desert is approximately 7.6 kWh/m2/day. The average high temperature for Barstow, California in July is 41°C (105°F), while average daytime low temperature is 3°C (37°F). In addition to these temperature extremes, the high desert also has very low humidity and can experience wind gusts to 70 km/h (43 mi./h) during summer afternoons. To prepare for temperature extremes, low humidity, and occasional high winds is a significant safety challenge.

The first step in addressing this challenge is to employ appropriate clothing for the climate and time of year. The second step is to understand the hazards associated with extreme heat and cold, and to mitigate them to a point where the hazards are manageable. The third step is to recognize heat stress symptoms and take appropriate acti...

Table of contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• How to Use This Textbook
• The Author
• Chapter 1 - Safety
• Chapter 2 - Trade Math for PV—Measurements, Units, and Calculations
• Chapter 3 - Measurements of DC and AC Electrical Circuits
• Chapter 4 - The Site Survey
• Chapter 5 - Racking Systems—General Considerations
• Chapter 6 - Characterization of a PV Module
• Chapter 7 - Modeling the PV Cell, Module, and Array
• Chapter 8 - Lead-Acid Absorbent Glass Mat Batteries
• Chapter 9 - Off-Grid PV System with DC-Only Loads
• Chapter 10 - Off-Grid PV System with DC and AC Loads
• Chapter 11 - 2.4 kW DC Grid-Tied PV System with Microinverters
• Chapter 12 - 2.4 kW DC Grid-Tied PV System with String Inverter
• Appendix I: Small Mock Roofs
• Appendix II: Roll-Around Walls
• Appendix III: 21 ft. by 18 ft. Roof