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PV Training

19 Sep 09 | Training

Training and proficiency is the key to installing safe, workable systems, especially where voltages of 500 VDC and greater are concerned.  Every three years the NFPA issues a new version of the National Electrical Code with updates.  These updates are based findings and recommendations from the field.  In other words, somewhere, something went wrong and caused a problem.  The incident was investigated and the NFPA incorporated fixes in the latest issue of the electrical code.  That is why it is particularly important to follow the code.

To that end, there are several advanced PV training courses available from providers like SEI, local community colleges, etc.  In order for a installer to maintain proficiency and keep abreast of changes,  reviewing the code changes as they occur is important.  Taking refresher or advanced courses is a good way to accomplish this goal as well.

In addition to this, NABCEP certification requirements have a minimum formal course requirements.

Solar energy, especially photovoltaics, is an evolving field.  The industry knows a lot more about safe solar installations than even a few years ago.  In order to maintain top notch installations, continued education is a must

Tags: code, PV, Training

Can plastic piping be used in a solar hot water system?

12 May 09 | Solar Hot Water, Training, solar thermal

Short answer: Don’t do it.

Plastic piping such as PEX, PEX AL PEX, PVC, ABS, etc. can be safely used with hot water systems, radiant floor heating and so forth.  It is much cheaper and usually easier to work with than copper or stainless steel.  That being said, it is not appropriate for use in any solar thermal application.

Solar thermal systems have much less control over high temperatures than conventional fossil fuel based systems.  Summer time collector stagnation temperatures can easily reach 300° F.  At these temperatures any plastic piping will melt.  This will cause the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) to leak creating a big mess and likely an insurance claim.  The only type if piping that should be used in a collector loop is copper or stainless steel.

Even copper fittings with rubber gaskets (AKA Pro-Press or Viega fittings) are only rated for 250° F.  They should not be used in a solar loop either.

It is worth the extra time, effort and expense to solder copper piping and or purchase stainless steel tubing for use in the solar loop.  This will ensure that the system works well for years to come with no leaks and no call backs.

Tags: installation tip, piping, SDHW

Solar Hot Water System components

27 Mar 09 | Solar Hot Water, Training

Solar Domestic Hot Water systems are a great way to save money, cut down on the use of fossil fuels and do a big favor for the environment.  We have install many of these systems over the last two years and they work very well, even in the middle of winter.

I decided to install drain back systems because I like their simplicity and their easy maintenance.  The average home owner can very easily keep track of the water in the sight glass and add water if needed.  They perform well and when properly installed are pretty much bullet proof.  I like that.

This is an 80 square foot 80 gallon storage tank system.  Enough to provide 80% annually of the hot water for an average family of four.

The system components consist of Flat Plate collectors:

These are Alternative Energy Technology AE-40 collectors.  They are elevated slightly from the roof pitch to facilitate snow removal and better drain back performance.  They are also tilted to the left so that the water drains out of the bottom of the collectors when the pump is off.  This is a very important detail to avoid freeze damage.

The piping is 3/4 L copper tubing insulated with closed cell (AKA Rubatex or Insultube) R-5 foam insulation.  Where ever possible, the insulation is slid over the ends of the pipe instead of cut lengthwise and placed over the pipe.  The ends and any slit pieces are glued together with special glue called R-420.  The exterior runs are covered with PVC jacket to protect the insulation from UV damage and improve the system appearance.

The drain back tank is mounted on a shelf attached to the basement wall.  This is a 10 gallon stainless steel drain back tank with an internal heat exchanger.  It has a sight glass which is marked with the proper fluid levels for when the system is running and when it is off.

The solar loop pump is a TACO 009BF5.  I use bronze pumps in the solar loop of a drain back system because the water gets sloshed around quite a bit and becomes oxygenated.  A cast iron pump will rust and foul the site glass.  It also keeps the solar loop a “potable water system” and thus avoids and questions about the single wall heat exchanger in the drain back tank.  The pump is mounted below the lowest fluid level in the drain back tank.  At the very bottom of the solar loop is the drain valve.

The storage tank loop is a TACO 006B4.  This is a larger pump that normal because the storage tank is located about 15 feet away in another room.  This configuration is slightly unusual, however, it was the only way to fit the solar system in a crowded basement.

In the storage tank loop there is an air vent at the highest point in the loop to bleed out any air that may become trapped in that loop.  Trapped air can cause pump cavitation and or reduce the flow in the loop storage tank loop.  For maximum efficiency, the loop needs to move about 4-6 gallons per minute from the bottom of the storage tank through the heat exchanger and back to the top of the storage tank.

The storage tank is an 80 gallon off the shelf unit with a 12 year tank warranty.  It has electric back up elements which are not connected because the home owner has an indirect oil fired tank connected to their home heating system.

The system controller is a DTC-2 (AKA Eagle 2) by IMC.  I really like these controllers because they have temperature reading for the storage tank and the collectors.  They also have variable set points for the high limit and temperature on differential.

Finally, the output to the backup heating tank has a Watts 1170 tempering valve.  This is very important because the solar storage tank temperatures can get very high durring the summer months.  With out a tempering valve scalding water can be sent to the showers and sinks in the house.

Every time I commision one of these systems, I think to myself  “There is less oil.”

Tags: SDHW, Solar Hot Water, solar thermal, system components

Photovoltaics or Gas Generators, what is the best backup power?

16 Dec 08 | Solar Electric, Training

Based on my experience during the Northeast Ice Storm of 2008, I thought I would do a comparison of a Photovoltaic system with battery back up vs. gas powered generators.  To be sure, a portable gas powered generator is the fastest least expensive way to get the power back on in an emergency.  They can also be dangerous, as several people have died of Carbon Monoxide poisoning over the last couple of days.

An installed system that automatically restores power can save time and money in the long run.  For that there are two basic options, a gas or diesel powered generator or a PV system with battery backup.

Here is a chart for comparison:

System category	Photovoltaic system w/battery backup	Portable gasoline generator	Installed generator with auto transfer switch
Design	Design intensive	No Design	Design moderate
Installation cost	Initial cost high, approximately $20-27K	Initial cost low, about $1-2K	Initial cost moderate to high, about $10-20K depending on generator type/size
Installation labor	Installation intensive	No installation	Installation intensive
Running cost	Negative cost to run	Cost to run high	Cost to run moderate
Maintenance cost	No maintenance	High Maintenance	High Maintenance
Environmental	Non-polluting	High polluting	Moderate polluting
Fuel	Non-fuel dependent	Fuel availability dependent	Fuel availability dependent
Load size	Partial load sizing	Partial load sizing	Full load sizing
Operation	Silent running	Loud running	Moderate noise running
Hazards	Some batteries can produce Hydrogen if improperly charged	Carbon monoxide hazard, fueling hazard, fire hazard	No carbon monoxide hazard if properly installed
Other	In use full time, can be configured to sell power back to grid when batteries are charged, reduces electric bill	Standby use only, must be moved into position and use extension cords, does not reduce electric bill	Standby use only, does not reduce electric bill

Notes:
1. PV design includes identifying critical electrical loads and doing a load analysis. Also includes local weather considerations, solar resources, sub panels, battery placement, etc.
2. Cost to run includes fuel and maintenance costs. Since PV systems can be configured to sell excess power to the utility grid thus reducing utility bills, it can make money, therefore have a negative cost to run.
3. Maintenance refers to mechanical maintenance, e.g. oil changes, belts hoses, etc. PV systems usually require no maintenance, properly charged batteries require no maintenance and will easily last 10 years if not discharge too deeply.
4. Load sizing refers to the house electrical load.  A PV system will usually be sizing to run critical systems, a generator can run the entire house.  This is a consideration for those that have electric houses (e.g. electric stoves, electric hot water, electric heat, etc)

To that end, I have put together a standard PV with battery backup package that will run most critical household loads during a prolonged power outage.  These include:

1. Non-electric furnace or boiler and circulator pumps
2. 1 HP well pump
3. 1/2 HP sump pump
4. Standard 20-23 CF refrigerator/freezer
5. 1200 watt microwave oven (10 minutes per day)
6. 20 inch TV and DVD player (5 hours per day)
7. Table top or clock radio
8. DSL or cable modem and network switch
9. Battery charger for laptop computer
10. 5 13 watt CFL lights (6 hours per day)

This system will have 3-4 days autonomy (no sunshine to recharge batteries).  A small wind generator can be added to create a hybrid solar/wind system.  These work well because usually when the sun is not shining, the wind is blowing and vice-versa.

Contact us to learn more about these systems.

Tags: backup power, emergency power, Solar Electric

Day four "Successful Solar Business" course

28 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

Yesterday was the final day of the SEI Successful Solar Business course given at Sandy Hook National Seashore in Seabright, NJ. I can say I got quite a bit out of the course as many of the things discussed there were unique to the solar business. Overall, I would grade the course as very good and a good experience.

There was also quite a bit of content that I would call “general business administration” which you would receive from any small business course such as the one I took in college.

Yesterday we went over more sales stuff and business plans. Then we met with Mona Rotkopf from SunWize, a photovoltiac distributor. It was very interesting to hear her presentation on what products they offer and how they structure there rates for dealer/distributors.

Some of the things I liked:

1. The information on marketing. There is nothing better than a seasoned professional to tell you what has worked and what has not worked in the past. That does not mean that you may not try a few of the “has not worked” marketing strategies because maybe you have a new wrinkle, just beware.
2. The information on sales, particularly on how not to waist a lot of time. If you are in business for yourself, this is key. The sales prequalification information was not something I would have thought of and was worth the price of the course alone.
3. Meeting with industry reps and professionals. Meeting with Brian from Seabright Solar and Mona from Sunwize was also good.

Some of the things that I did not like:

1. The accounting classes were a little boring. Not that they are not needed, if you have no business background, this stuff is critical. I have dealt with it before, so it was not edge of the chair material
2. I could have put up with less stories from students. This is a hard one for the instructors to control sometimes. I think some people like to hear themselves talk and some of the things that were said were marginally relevant at best. Not to say that they all were and there were a lot of genuine good questions asked, but a few of the students had the tendency to prattle on about this or that and I would think to myself “What does this have to do with me?”

I would also like to say that the setting was great. The beach at the National Park was wonderful, and the history of the Fort Hancock historical area was great too. I enjoyed walking around after class and taking in all of the various things. I am sure that had it been in the middle of summer, the place would have been overrun with people, but in mid to late September, it was ideal.

Tags: Training

Day Three "Sucessful Solar Business" course

26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

This morning started out with accounting and business practices. Things like filing taxes, incorporations, payroll, and the very exciting world of worker compensation insurance. This is all needed information if you are going to start and run a business to be sure. It is also information you can get from almost any college business 101 course, or even by doing research on line. The gist of what I got out of this information is “Have a good accountant,” and “hire a payroll company.” Good record keeping is also a must. Pretty much common sense all.

This afternoon we talked about sales and how to prequalify potential customers, how to conduct a site survey and what tools to use. This was very good specific information on the solar business. This information is vital to any successful solar business, as sales is the driving force. Without sales, there will be no installations and thus no income. Anyone in that situation will be out of business in short order.

Good sales requires being prepared, knowledgeable and knowing when to speak up and when to keep quite. Having certain sales tools such as a presentation book is helpful. Other tools such as a solar pathfinder are great for qualifying the site as a good or bad solar site. A tape measure can help with material estimation. These are common sense things for anyone who has been in the contractor business, which is what the solar installation business should be seen as.

The one thing that was covered extensively was return on investment or ROI. This is a major selling point of renewable energy systems because all of the cost of the system is up front with little or no operating or maintenance costs. Traditional power providers such as the electric company are pay over time (for what you use) systems. If you can show that the return on investment is better than a CD (certificate of deposit) then the system makes better financial sense to the prospective buyer.

There are many, many more things that were covered, but once again, I don’t want to give away the store and have SEI get mad at me.

Tags: Training

Day two "Successful Solar Business"

26 Sep 07 | General Business, Training

A lot of ground was covered on day two. I am not sure how much information I want to reveal here because I don’t want to get in trouble with SEI with proprietary information. Suffice to say, the instructor, Chuck, has a lot of experience in the field (been in business since 1979) and is willing to share many aspects of the business, so long as we don’t move to New Mexico.

The main subject of the day was marketing and who to establish a company name. One thing that was talked about, but not extensively was an internet presence. I whole heartedly agree that an internet presence is necessary for an progressive business in the renewable energy field. I thought I would expand a little on that subject, since it is something that I understand a little about.

There are many types of websites, from a company information website, to an online store, and so on. So what makes a website good? I was looking around at some of the solar websites last night and made note of the ones that I would do business with. First of all, layout and color have a lot to do with a readers perception. Seabright Solar has a good installation company website, although I don’t like the flash program that loads before you see anything. It takes you to the several examples of the finished product straight away. It also has good coloring and good local information. Local information is key if you want to get local inquiries. After all, it does you little good if somebody from California calls you when you are based in Maryland.

A good wholesale distributor website is AEE Solar. Again, good color combinations, good use of the space above the fold and some example products right on the front page. I would do business with this company. Sunwize, located a few miles up the road from me also has a good distributor website. Since both of these companies are wholesale distributors, they do not sell to the general public.

The Alternative Energy Store has a good online store website. On this website you will find basic tutorials on solar thermal, photovoltiacs, wind, micro hydro. This is not in depth information, but should be enough for the layman to figure out what technology will work for him. They also have a design service. This is a retail sales website designed for do it yourselfers.

Those are just a few of the websites that are out there. As I get closer to launching this business, I will make a home page for sun-volt that will hopefully look as good as one of those. Of course, once you have a website, then it needs to be promoted. Joining local business lists, such as the list for the town I live in, and other lists for solar professional such as Find Solar, submitting to Home power magazine, et cetera are all good ways to promote your website and thus your business.

Of course, simply having a website is not enough marketing effort, other avenues are needed. For that information, you will have to take the class.

Tags: Training

Day one of "Successful Solar Business" course

25 Sep 07 | General Business, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water, Training

I am taking the SEI Successful Solar Business course at the Sandy Hook National Park educational center in Sandy Hook, NJ. First of all, this is a great place to have a class. The Sandy Hook National Park is right across the bay from Manhattan, however, it is a different world out here. The educational center is on an old army base called Fort Hancock, which is also pretty cool. This is a great time of year because there are no crowds anywhere and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed.

I am staying that the Fairbanks Motel and Marina in Seabright, NJ, which is right outside of the gate to the park. The motel itself is a little run down and worn around the edges. Don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles but the rooms are clean, and the staff is nice and the rate are very reasonable. Bring your own shampoo as there is none in the room. If you are taking any classes at Sandy Hook, I recommend this motel. Their number is (732) 842-8450. All of this is right across from the beach, which is where I ate breakfast this morning.

The first day was very interesting. The instructor, Chuck Marken gave a brief overview of the course then jumped right in. We learned some of the global view on solar energy from Jim O’Hern of PV1. His presentation was basically on how governments are structuring rebates and clean energy credits to make Photovoltaics more competitive with conventional energy supplies.

Then we had and overview of business administration and a question and answer session. Today we will be learning about Marketing. As it turns out, I am staying at the same motel as the instruction. After class, we were sitting by the pool enjoying a Corona and I asked him what the single most important thing is for a start up business. He thought about it for a second and said “Marketing. You have to have a marketing plan, otherwise no one will know you are there.” I suppose this is true of any business. The minimum marketing a startup business should be doing is:

1. Yellow pages add. Old school but still effective.
2. Web page, great way to connect to the tech savy crowd, and the point of this website
3. Product catalog with basic diagrams and information on systems being sold
4. Attend fairs and home shows
5. Logo on the company trucks
6. Small “real estate” sized sign in front of work sites

Of course the best and most sought after marketing is word of mouth from satisfied customers. There are many many more topics of discussion, such a pre qualifying potential customers, dealing with distributors, and so on. Here are a few pictures of Sandy Hook, Fort Hancock and the Motel. More tomorrow.

This is the Fort Hancock Educational Center on Sandy Hook. It is an old brick building across from the Coast Guard base.

These are the former officer housing on Fort Hancock. These were built in 1898 when the fort was first established to defend NY harbor. It is really pretty cool to see, most of these are in a run down condition, but it looks like they still could be fixed up if needed. They face out toward the sound (west)

Tags: Training

Homepower Magazine

22 Sep 07 | Commentary, General, Training

I received my first issue of Homepower Magazine in the mail last Saturday. I am not disappointed. This issue had lots of good information on photovoltaics and renewable energy installations in the Northeast.

Many people feel that since the Northeast is not in the sun belt, solar power will be a poor investment. They could not be more wrong. Our cost for electricity is around 14.9 cents per kWh. This is one of the more expensive rates in the US. Even though we typically get less insolation than areas in the south and southwest, the fact that our electricity rates are much higher than most makes solar a good investment.

There is also a great article on how photovoltiacs are made and what is being done to make them more efficient and less expensive. If, for example, renewable energy received the same subsidies that oil or coal received, the prices would be about half of what they are today. Make you wonder, doesn’t it. Also, the fact that more and more renewable energy manufacturing is coming on line, will drive prices down eventually anyway.

I am very pleased with Homepower Magazine and recommend it to anyone interested in renewable energy.

Here is a list of all the articles in this issue:

1. Affordable Solar
2. Efficiency Details
3. Cashing in
4. Sunshine states
5. plug-in hybrids
6. PV parts
7. Buyers guide
8. Pump primer
9. REview
10. Solar savings
11. System monitoring

The there are the regular departments such as:

1. From us to You
2. Ask the Experts
3. Mailbox
4. Code Corner
5. Independent Power Providers
6. Power Politics
7. Word power
8. Home and heart
9. RE happenings
10. Marketplace
11. Installers directory
12. Advertisers index
13. RE people

Overall a very good trade publication for anyone in the RE business, whether just getting started or a veteran of many years.

Tags: home power magazine, industry, photovoltaics, Solar Hot Water

Certified Solar Installer

13 Sep 07 | Solar Electric, Training

New York State has several excellent solar PV incentives that greatly lower the price of any installed PV system. The only catch is the installation must be installed by a NABCEP certified installer.

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) has several certifications available for photovoltiacs, solar thermal, and small wind system. The NABCEP requires several years experience installing the various systems in order to become certified. This requirement is logical, after all, you wouldn’t want to hire a certified installer only to find that this was their first installation. But it does present a bit of a problem.

From their website:

To be eligible for NABCEP solar PV installer certification, candidates must first meet these basic requirements:

1. Be at least 18 years of age
2. Meet prerequisites of related experience and/or education
3. Complete an application form documenting requirements
4. Sign a code of ethics
5. Pay applicable fees (PV Candidate Information Handbook, Sec. 2.6)
6. Pass a written exam (PV Candidate Information Handbook, Sec. 8 )

Prerequisites or Educational Requirements:

The NABCEP Board and PV Technical Committee identified seven different entry tracks for solar PV installer certification.

The first entry path is based upon four years of installing PV systems as the responsible person. As is indicated below, various levels of training and education can be substituted for some years of experience; however, there is a prerequisite for at least one year of actual installation experience in all seven categories. This is based on the core principal that all NABCEP certified installers should have actual experience on the job performing an installation. Candidates will need to show that they meet the prerequisites for any ONE of these combinations:

a) Four (4) years of experience installing PV; OR
b) Two (2) years of experience installing PV systems in addition to completion of a board-recognized training program; OR
c) Be an existing licensed contractor in good standing in solar or electrical-construction related areas with one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
d) Four (4) years of electrical-construction related experience working for a licensed contractor, including one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR e) Three (3) years experience in a U.S. Dept. of Labor approved electrical-construction trade apprentice program, including one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
f) Two-year electrical-construction related, or electrical engineering technology, or renewable energy technology/technician degree from an educational institution plus one (1) year of experience installing PV systems; OR
g) Four-year construction related or engineering degree from an educational institution, including one (1) year experience installing PV systems. For definitions of experience and acceptable training, please refer to the PV Candidate Information Handbook.

I meet most of the educational requirements. By their list, I need at least one year’s experience before I can sit for the exam. The definition from page 3 of the PV candidate Information Handbook:

For purposes of this process, experience installing PV systems requires being in a responsible role in decision-making on the job. This includes the foreman, supervisor, site manager responsible for the quality of the installation, or experienced person performing the trade without supervision. There may be several workers that do not carry responsible charge on the jobsite who are aspiring to this role. In these cases, the supervisor may be called upon to make a judgment as to the role of the worker in the process of
documenting their experience. Definition: one (1) year of experience = one year in a responsible role on the job installing PV systems, in the role of foreman, supervisor, site manager, or experienced worker performing PV installation work without direct supervision. This year must include installation of at least two PV systems totaling 1KW. At least one installation each year must be a system with an inverter and subject to a complete electrical permitting and inspection process by a permitting authority OR in the absence of such, an appropriate underwriter authorized to provide an inspection certificate. In regions where neither of these inspection options exists, the Application Review Committee will judge experience based on supplied documentation.

So it looks like I need to install two PV systems so that I can get certified. I can install one on my house, that is easy. Next I need to find somebody else that needs a system. Bueller? Bueller? Anybody?

Tags: certifications, Training

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