Free Epub Photovoltaic Design and Installation For Dummies

Photovoltaic Design and Installation For Dummies

Author: Ryan Mayfield | Language: English | ISBN: 047059893X | Format: PDF

Photovoltaic Design and Installation For Dummies Description

The fun and easy way to get a grip on photovoltaic design and installation

Designing and installing solar panel systems is a trend that continues to grow. With 'green collar' jobs on the rise and homeowners looking for earth-friendly ways to stretch their dollars and lesson their carbon imprint, understanding photovoltaic design and installation is on the rise.

Photovoltaic Design & Installation For Dummies gives you a comprehensive overview of the history, physics, design, installation, and operation of home-scale solar-panel systems. You'll also get an introduction to the foundational mathematic and electrical concepts you need to understand and work with photovoltaic systems.

Covers all aspects of home-scale solar-power systems
Viable resource for professionals, students, and technical laymen
Can be used to study for the NABCEP exam

Whether you're a building professional looking to expand your business and skills to meet the growing demand for solar power installation or are seeking a career in this rapidly expanding field, Photovoltaic Design & Installation For Dummies has you covered!

Product Details
Table of Contents
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Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 047059893X
ISBN-13: 978-0470598931
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Introduction.

Part I: Here Comes the Sun: Shedding Some Light on PV Systems.

Chapter 1: The Photovoltaic Revolution.

Chapter 2: Checking Out Common Components and Systems.

Chapter 3: Powering through Electricity Basics.

Chapter 4: Warming Up to the Solar Resource.

Chapter 5: Properly Selecting a Site for a PV System.

Part II: Digging into Complete System Details.

Chapter 6: PV Modules: From Sand to Electricity.

Chapter 7: The Basics of Batteries.

Chapter 8: Keeping Current and Voltage in Check: Charge Controllers.

Chapter 9: Inverters: AC (From) DC.

Chapter 10: Staying Secure: Wiring and Safety Components.

Part III: Sizing a PV System.

Chapter 11: Sizing a Grid-Direct System.

Chapter 12: Sizing a Battery-Based System.

Chapter 13: Sizing Conductors, Conduit, and Safety Components.

Part IV: Installing a PV System.

Chapter 14: The Permitting Process.

Chapter 15: Staying Safe Anytime You Work on a PV System.

Chapter 16: Assembling the Mechanical Parts.

Chapter 17: Integrating the Electrical Elements.

Chapter 18: Commissioning, Inspecting, and Maintaining a PV System.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Avoid Common Code Mistakes.

Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Maximize Energy Production for Your Clients.

Index.

I'm coming at this as a homeowner and generally handy person who's up for a bit of a challenge, wanting to install my own PV system on the roof of my Southern California home. There seem to be a lot of books on solar power that are just kind of informational and theoretical and don't really to tell you how to actually plan & install a system in a hands-on practical way. This is one of the few that actually aims to do that.

Looking at a finished PV system sitting on someone's roof, it is kind of deceptively simple. And the nuts and bolts of installation are not that hard, if you can do electrical work, it's not that different from any other kind of electrical equipment installation. BUT. The planning and understanding the components is really quite a challenge. The equipment has very unique properties. You have to analyze your electrical needs, survey the site and it's solar potential, understand the impact of the daily and seasonal workings of the sun and weather, figure out if you want batteries and how much battery power you need, and understand the main components, the solar panels themselves, the charge controller, the inverter, and the circuits and safety provisions. Sizing all the components. Permitting and nuts and bolts hardware installation. The book covers all of this, for the most part, in an organized, disciplined, and reasonably thorough manner.

In fact, the book seems to have even higher goals than mine, which is just to plan, install, and manage my own home system. This book is also overtly aimed at those interested in becoming a professional PV installer. You'd be pretty well grounded in that goal having thoroughly absorbed this book, along with some experience actually installing some systems, I think.

Is it perfect? No.

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