SOLAR STUDY REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What Is The Mounting System That Will Generally Provide The Best Solar Harvest Performance, Not Considering The Additional Cost? - ANS Dual Axis Tracking What Is The Biggest Advantage Of A Self-Ballasted PV Module Mounting System? - ANS No Roof Penetrations According To OSHA, What Is Perfect Ratio For Tilt Of A Ladder? - ANS 4:1 What Is The Most Common Form Of Module Mounting System, Especially For Homes? - ANS Stand Off And Rack Mounted What Device Measures Solar Radiation? - ANS Pyrheliometer What Is The Most Widely Accepted Standard That Must Be Followed In Most Jurisdictions In The Electrical Design And Installation Of Photovoltaic Systems? - ANS NEC Article 690 Of The NEC Addresses What Requirements? - ANS Solar Photovoltaic Maximum PV, DC Circuit Voltage, Per The NEC, Cannot Be Greater Than ________ For One And Two-Family Homes? - ANS 600 Volts What Correction Factor(s) MUST Be Used When Calculating The Maximum PV Circuit Voltage, Per The NEC? - ANS Low Temperature Correction Factor What NEC Required Correction Factor Must Be Applied When Determining The Maximum PV Circuit Currents? - ANS 125% (1.25) Electrical Conductor (Wire) Sizes In Most Installation Are Given In What System? - ANS American Wire Gauge (AWG) What Would Be The Most Important Design Consideration In The Installation Of PV Modules? - ANS Passive Cooling What Type(s) Of Structural Load(s) Does Roof Structure And Mounting System Need To Accommodate? - ANS 1. Dead Loads 2. Live Loads 3. Wind Loads 4. Vibration Loads 5. Snow Loads For Battery Systems, The Maximum Inverter Input Current Can Exceed Nominal Ratings Under What Condition? - ANS The Battery Voltage Has Fallen To The Minimum Inverter Operating Voltage And The Inverter Is At Peak Power Output. What Is The Definition Of Ampacity, In Regards To Conductors? - ANS The Current That The Conductor Can Carry Continuously Under Conditions Of Use Without Exceeding Its Temperature Rating. What Is The Term For Adjusting Conductor Ampacity For Conditions Of Use, Such As Ambient Temperature? - ANS Derating As The Ambient Temperature Increases, How Is Conductor Ampacity Affected? - ANS The Ampacity Decreases What Loads Does Not Get Considered When Doing Load Calculations? - ANS Live Loads What Device Measures Solar Irradiance? - ANS Pyranometer What Must We Do If More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors Are Installed In A Conduit? - ANS Apply The Appropriate NEC Derating Factor For Ampacity. If We Install Metal Conduit In Sunlight On Or Above Rooftops, What Must Be Done? - ANS Apply The Appropriate NEC Derating Factor For Ampacity. Conductor Insulation Type Classifications Are Dependent On What Properties? - ANS Material, Temperature Rating And Special Properties Such A Suitability For Direct Burial In Earth. Why Is Minimizing Voltage Drop Important Photovoltaic System Design? - ANS Reduce The Energy Lost In The Conductors. What Type Of Conductor Is Acceptable For Battery Connections, Per The NEC? - ANS Finely-Stranded Building Wiring Conductor Such A USE, RHW Or THW. What Is The Acceptable Color Code For Equipment Grounding Conductors? - ANS Solid Green, Green With Yellow Stripes Or Bare (Uninsulated) Wire. All Current-Carrying Wiring Connections In Photovoltaic Systems Must Be Made Within Junction Boxes Or Equipment Enclosures Except For What Special Connections? - ANS Special Connectors Typically Supplied With Panel Modules. What Must PV System Conductors Be Contained In Metallic Conduit? - ANS When Run Inside A Building. What Is A Combiner Box As Used In A Photovoltaic Systems? - ANS Combines 2 Or More PV Series Sources Into A Parallel Connection Point. What Is An Acceptable Method Of Grounding The PV Module Frames? - ANS The Ground Wire Is Attached To Plated Copper Ground Lugs Which Are Secured To The Frames With Stainless Steel Hardware. What Would Be An Acceptable Voltage Drop For The Conductors From PV Modules To The Inverter? - ANS 3% Fuses And Circuit Breakers Are Classified As? - ANS Overcurrent Protection Devices. A Disconnect In A PV System Can Be Accomplished With: - ANS A Disconnect Switch Or Circuit Breaker. When The PV Source Disconnect In A Utility-Interactive System Is Opened What Should You Be Aware Of? - ANS The Inverter Shuts Down, But The System Otherwise Can Have Energized Conductors. How Long Can A Feeder Be Before You Have To Consider Derating The Wire Inside The Conduit? - ANS 24 Inches And Shorter Overcurrent Protection Devices Are Sized? - ANS At 125% Of The Derated Conductor Size. Grounding Is Typically Necessary In A PV System For The Following Reasons? - ANS 1. Provide A Path For Fault Currents. 2. Protect People From Hazards. 3. Protect Equipment From Damage. 4. Dissipate Surges. What Is A Definition Of Ground Fault? - ANS A Condition That Occurs When Undesirable Current Flows Through The Ground Conductor. Photovoltaic Systems May Have Ungrounded Current Carrying Conductors Under What Conditions? - ANS Under Certain Conditions As Specified In The NEC. Ungrounded PV Systems Are Mostly The Standard In What Part Of The World? - ANS In Europe. Battery System Requirements For PV Systems In The NEC Are In What Article? - ANS Covered In Article 690. What Parts Of Photovoltaic System Are Typically Grounded? - ANS 1. The AC And DC Parts Of The System. 2. The Equipment, Such As Module Frames And Junction Box Cases. What Is An Overcurrent Protection Device Used For? - ANS It Protects Conductors From Unacceptably High Currents. What Do Interactive And Bi-Modal PV Systems Have In Common? - ANS They Are Both Connected To The Grid. What Other Safety And Protection Devices May Be Installed With Photovoltaic Systems? - ANS Lightning Protection, Surge Arrestors. Utility Interconnection Codes And Standards Are Set By The Following? - ANS IEEE, UL And The NFPA What Device Is Used To Protect PV Arrays From Ground Fault Currents? - ANS A GFDI Device. In Regards To An Inverter And PV System With Utility Interconnection, What Is An Undesirable Condition? - ANS Islanding What Are Acceptable Points Of Connection From The PV System To The Utility? - ANS On The Load Side Of The Main AC Service. On The Supply Side Of The Main AC Service. Which Photovoltaic System Metering Method Is Generally The Most Advantageous To The Customer? - ANS A Net Metering System. The Utility And/Or AHJ May Require Some Of The Photovoltaic System Equipment Be Outside The Building And Accessible By Utility Personnel And Others Such As Firefighter. What Equipment Could This Apply To? - ANS The DC Disconnect And Possibly Other Disconnects. PV System Installation Labeling Should Show What? - ANS Must Clearly Identify The Disconnects And Point Of Interconnection Locations. Who Enforces Local Building Codes And Regulations? - ANS The AHJ What Electrical Model Building Code Is Generally Adopted By The Local Authority? - ANS NEC Who Can Install A PV System To Ensure Code Compliance And AHJ Acceptance? - ANS A Qualified Person, Per The NEC Typical Permit Applications For A PV System Usually Include: - ANS 1. Site Drawings 2. Electrical Diagrams 3. Equipment Specifications 4. Array Mounting Information To Calculate Minimum Voltage For An Array, You Must Use This Info From The Data sheet? - ANS VMP Net Metering Policies Are Set By What Agencies? - ANS State And Sometimes By Utility What Is Commissioning In Regards Yo Photovoltaic System? - ANS The Starting And Operation Of The System For The First Time? What Items Should Absolutely Be Checked When Doing A Regular Inspection Of Installed And Functioning Photovoltaic Modules? - ANS 1. Ensure No Physical Damage To The Modules And Wiring 2. Check The Array Frame Ground Conductors And Connections In Good Condition. 3. Make Sure Shading Issues Have Occurred; Such A Tree Growth 4. Make Sure The Modules Have Been Cleaned And Debris Removed. What Component Of A PV System Requires The Most Maintenance? - ANS Batteries What Is The Primary Maintenance Task Involved With Battery Banks? - ANS Watering If Battery Problems Are Suspected Or As Part Of Periodic Maintenance, What Measurement Can Be Checked To Determine The Health Of Open-Vent Batteries? - ANS Electrolyte Specific Gravity With A Hydrometer. A System Where Small Power Generating Units Like Photovoltaic Installation Create Electricity Near The Point Of Consumption Is Called What? - ANS Distributed Generation In The Photovoltaic Business, What Is An Integrator? - ANS A Company That Designs, Builds And Installs The Equipment For A Complete System. What Is The Number Of Hours Required For A Total Day Of Solar Radiation To Accumulate At Peak Sun Condition? - ANS Peak Sun Hours What Are The Two Orientations We Must Set For Maximum Solar Collection With A Fixed Array? - ANS Array Azimuth And Array Tilt Angles. What Is One Of The Simple Online Photovoltaic Sizing Calculators Available To Consumers? - ANS PV Watts How Must I Adjust My Solar Pathfinder To Get An Accurate Reading? - ANS Use A Local Magnetic Declination What Is One Definition Of Accessibility As Given In The NEC? - ANS For Equipment, That It Can Be Closely Approached And Is Not Protected By Locked Doors Or Fences And Is Not Out Of Reach By Elevation, etc. For Wiring That The Conductors Can Be Removed Or Exposed Without Damage To The Building Structure Or Finish. What Are The Charging Modes For A Battery? - ANS 1. Bulk 2. Absorption 3. Float (Trickle) What Factor Affecting Conductors Ampacity? - ANS 1. Temperature 2. Current 3. AWG What Device Can Help Reduce Maintenance Of Flooded Type Batteries? - ANS Catalytic Recombination Cap. The Organization That Certifies Solar Professionals Is ? - ANS NEBCEP What Device Is Sometimes Used In PV Circuit To Prevent Conditions Such As Batteries Discharging Through The PV Modules? - ANS Blocking Diode What Device Must Be Used To Connect The PV Equipment Frames And Chassis To The Earth? - ANS Grounding Electrode What DOD In A Photovoltaic System? - ANS Depth Of Discharge What Would You Do If Your AHJ Electrical inspector Did Not Approve An Installation Due To An Obsolete Version Of The NEC That He Was Required To Use? - ANS 1. Just Correct The Installation To His/Her Requirement, If It Is Not A Safety Concern. 2. Petition Him/Her And AHJ, Citing The Newer Version Of Code And Why It Would Be Advisable To Conform To The Newest NEC. What Is The Process Where Two Dissimilar Metals React, Causing A Chemical Process That Can Result In Poot Metal To Metal Contact And A Failure Of An Electrical Connection? - ANS Galvanic Corrosion To Calculate Panel Wattage, You Must Use This Info From The Datasheet? - ANS VMP And IMP