Solar Energy International (SEI)
PV202: Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) Training
Take a deep dive into National Electrical Code (NEC® 2020) standards as well as other best practices that pertain to designing safe and efficient grid-direct PV systems. PV202 focuses on residential and commercial-scale systems, but the Code requirements, design parameters, and best practices are applicable to all types and sizes of PV installations, including utility-scale. Detailed lessons address requirements for disconnects, overcurrent protection, and wire sizing; interconnection requirements and calculations; grounding, ground-faults, and surge protection; calculations and examples for system sizing, inverter selection, and electrical configuration; ground and roof mount details; and labeling and data acquisition systems.
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What you will learn
Students who complete PV202 will be able to:
- Define the purpose of the National Electrical Code (NEC®) and NEC® terminology for PV equipment
- Determine procedures for proper installation of equipment and conductors, including minimum requirements for working space
- Examine methods for PV wire management and determine where expansion fittings are required
- Describe and identify electrical services, including split-phase and three-phase Wye (Y) and Delta (?)
- Evaluate electrical service details to collect and record during solar site evaluation
- Identify options for NEC®-compliant PV system interconnection to the utility grid and determine whether a supply side, load side, or additional service connection is appropriate
- Identify code-compliant methods for connecting an inverter to an existing AC feeder
- Calculate PV module voltage based on temperature to ensure compatibility with system components and NEC® Section 690.7, and explore other options for maximum PV system DC voltage calculations
- Identify NEC® requirements and sizing of disconnects and overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) in grid-direct PV systems
- Define inverter grounding configurations
- Evaluate inverter choices and system configurations, including string inverters, central inverters, and module level power electronics (MLPE)
- Identify requirements for equipment grounding, equipment grounding conductors (EGC), and grounding electrode conductors (GEC), and size the conductors according to the NEC®
- Identify common causes of ground-faults and arc-faults
- Describe ground-fault and arc-fault protection devices
- Describe benefits and appropriate locations of surge protection devices (SPD)
- Demonstrate the use of sun charts and perform calculations to determine row spacing and minimize inter-row shading
- Identify how Codes detailing access for first responders impact PV array roof layout
- Examine fire classifications that affect racking and module selection
- Detail NEC rapid shutdown requirements and options for implementation
- Identify load and structural considerations for low- and steep-slope roof-mounted PV systems
- Calculate wind uplift force and select appropriate lag bolts
- Review issues related to planning, design, and installation of ground-mount PV arrays
- Review PV system circuit terminology, definitions, and conductor types
- Calculate minimum overcurrent protection device (OCPD) size and conductor ampacity using appropriate adjustment and correction factors
- Calculate voltage drop and verify system operation within acceptable limits
- Examine requirements for PV system labeling
- Calculate the maximum and minimum number of modules per PV source circuit, and number of PV source circuits per inverter
- Determine size of residential grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations including the number and wiring layout of modules, conductor and OCPD sizes, and the AC interconnections
- Determine the size of a large, multiple inverter, grid-direct PV system based on site and customer-specific considerations, including the quantity and layout of modules and inverters and the AC interconnection
- Define large-scale PV and review associated NEC® allowances and requirements
- Describe importance of Data Acquisition Systems (DAS)
- Identify common DAS equipment and hardware
- Review DAS design, installation, and commissioning processes and common
problems associated with DAS - Show how reports can be generated and utilized to remotely assess health of
system