Building on basic concepts of conservation and efficiency, solar industry dynamics and fundamentals of electricity,  the course proceeds to cover composition of PV cells, system components, factors that impact performance, design and installation; safety is emphasized throughout. The course provides a solid foundation on which to build a career in the PV industry.

Course Features

• Continuous enrollments, register and start today.
• Fifteen interactive, scenario-based eLearning modules with practice activities, integrative exercises and assessments.
• Take eight (8) weeks to complete the course on your own schedule; apply for additional extensions if you need more time.
• Access the course for review and reference for 12 months at no additional charge.
• “Ask the Expert;” get your questions answered quickly by expert instructors through email and webinars.
• Apply your learning in a challenging state-of-the-art PV Simulation.
• Other features include: discussion forums, chat room, peer networking, PV installation videos, topical webinars, electronic notepad and useful reference resources.

Objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Explain how conservation of energy benefits homeowners and renters, businesses, and PV professionals
• State the advantages and disadvantages of the PV market
• Understand and define the fundamentals of electricity
• List the components of a PV module array and the factors that determine PV module performance
• Identify all components necessary for the balance of a system
• Define various terminologies related to site evaluation
• Design both Grid-Tied and Off-Grid PV systems
• Learn how to install a PV system, maintain it, and troubleshoot potential problems
• Know all safety measures necessary during installation

Topics Include

• Conservation & Efficiency
• PV Market, Applications, and Advantages
• Fundamentals of Electricity
• PV Modules
• Safety
• Balance of System
• Factors Effecting PV Performance
• Grid-Tied PV System
• Off-Grid PV System
• PV Installation
• Maintenance and Troubleshooting of PV Systems

Prerequisites

There are no requirements for this course.

Computer Requirements

Browser Internet Explorer 6,7,8, FireFox 3.0, Chrome 2.0 or Safari 3.1
Flash Player
Screen Resolution 1024 X 768 pixels
LAN Speed 10 Mbps
Internet Connection Speed 256 Kbps
CPU/Processor Pentium III/IV and above (works with Mac OS-X but is not supported due to use of Flash animation)
Operating System Windows 2000/XP
RAM 256 MB
Hard Disk Space 1 GB
Sound Card Required, 16-bit
Color Depth 32-bit (highest)
Java Runtime Environment JRE 1.4.2_08

Registration Instructions

For pre-registration questions, call toll-free (866) 423-6475 or email Solar Living Institute's Online Course Support.

Because students will receive individual confirmations and log in information to the online program, the person registering must provide an email address for each attendee being registered.

After Registration Technical Support 

Please email sli.helpdesk@sifycorp.com or call (210) 254-1027.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds, less a $40 processing fee, can be requested for up to (3) days following purchase assuming modules have been reviewed but not completed.

Optional Hands-On Solar Training

We are offering a 2-day hands-on Installation Practicum for students who have completed our Online PV Design & Installation course, now offered in Ukiah, California. For dates these workshops are offered see PV 201 in our solar training calendar.

Once you complete the course and receive your Certificate Of Completion, you may register for the nation-wide NABCEP PV entry-level exam computer-based testing or you may register for the paper and pencil test held at the Solar Living Institute given approximately 3 times per year.