Producing electricity from the sun using photovoltaic (PV) systems has become a major industry worldwide. But designing, installing and maintaining such systems requires knowledge and training, and there have been few easily accessible, comprehensive guides to the subject. Now, with Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual, a world-class solar energy training and education provider—Solar Energy International
Producing electricity from the sun using photovoltaic (PV) systems has become a major industry worldwide. But designing, installing and maintaining such systems requires knowledge and training, and there have been few easily accessible, comprehensive guides to the subject.
Now, with Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual, a world-class solar energy training and education provider—Solar Energy International (SEI)—has made available the critical information to successfully design, install and maintain PV systems. The book contains an overview of photovoltaic electricity and a detailed description of PV system components, including PV modules, batteries, controllers and inverters. It also includes chapters on sizing photovoltaic systems, analyzing sites and installing PV systems, as well as detailed appendices on PV system maintenance, troubleshooting and solar insolation data for over 300 sites around the world. Used worldwide as the textbook in SEI’s PV Design & Installation workshops, topics covered include:
The basics of solar electricity
PV applications and system components
Solar site analysis and mounting
Stand-alone and PV/generator hybrid system sizing
Utility-interactive PV systems
Component specification, system costs and economics
Case studies and safety issues
Photovoltaics guarantees that those wanting to learn the skills of tapping the sun’s energy can do so with confidence.
Solar Energy International (SEI) has the nonprofit mission to respond to the need for renewable energy education. Based in Carbondale, Colorado, and active around the world, SEI is a link between people and renewable energy resources, providing information, education and training to people who want to shape a sustainable future. SEI is recognized by the National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as dedicated independent provider of PV training programs that may be used toward attaining PV certification. Also, SEI is recognized as an Accredited Institution to offer PV training by the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP).
){kind=link}
Lite in content and heavy in tables. I am interested in designing and installing a DIY solar panel system for our home, so I purchased this book hoping that it would be packed with useful information for realizing such a project. Unfortunately I found it to be rather “lite” (if you have done any type of electrical wiring beforehand) and not quite up to date. 80 whole pages are wasted with “insolation” tables and “sun charts” covering sample locations around the world .. from Alabama to Afghanistan .. an immense waste of space and trees.Otherwise, it is a well organized basic textbook with many worksheets, examples and diagrams.To improve the value of this textbook I recommend that the publisher1) simply includes a link to the “insolation” tables available elsewhere on the Web,2) incldues additional and current data on the available component alternatives and a means for evaluating these alternatives in the design process, and3) raises the assumed level of the…
Great Reference After the first few pages I knew that this was a good reference. Being a DIY person I found that this book did an excellent job expaining the theory and gave examples of practical application. Things were explained in laymans terms and all aspects of materials to use and the installation process were covered. At the end of every chapter there are questions to test your understanding of the material. These questions can be easily adopted to designing your own system. If you are considering installing a system yourself make this the first book you buy.