Solar Power 101 Not Just An Introduction To Solar Power

A introduction to solar power, solar equipment and financing from a seasoned professional and expert in the field.

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4

- Acquire a foundation and understanding of solar power
- Understand the key components to solar power systems
- Understand how solar systems are generally sized

What you'll learn

Acquire a foundation and understanding of solar power

Understand the key components to solar power systems

Understand how solar systems are generally sized

Understand how utilities typically credit you for solar production

Understand the differences between Tier 1

Tier 2

and Tier 3 solar module manufacturers

Understand the difference between string

micro

and central inverters

Learn the basics of how to make smart solar decisions and how to protect yourself from making poor decisions regarding purchasing solar

Understand the key points to why solar makes sense

* Requirements

* A desire to understand how solar works
* A desire to understand how solar power systems interact with your utility
* A desire to know the difference between module types and manufacturers
* A desire to better understand options related to choosing proper solar modules
* inverters
* and racking for your application
* A desire to better understand financing options that may be available for solar power systems
* A desire to learn more than what you can typically find from a solar contractor's website

Description

This course will walk you through how solar power works, the different types of systems and equipment currently available in the market today (2017), and different purchasing and finance options.

This course is structured in a logical fashion as follows:

The basics of solar power
How solar power systems interact with the utilities
How solar systems are sized (generally)
Overview of solar equipment and differences between them and the manufacturers
What financing options may be available and generally how they work
Simple ways to protect yourself if entering the solar market as a consumer or for a career

There's a lot of information generally available on the internet and very little is centralized and almost always geared towards selling you something. This course is a fairly objective overview of the topics mentioned above and designed to educate and empower those wanting to know more than what an average "introduction" to solar power provides.

This course is about 45 minutes total, although some sections may need to be reviewed more than once to get the full value from this course.

This course is designed to be cut-straight-to-the-point providing homeowners, business owners, new solar contractors and those looking for a career in solar enough information to provide a solid foundation in the area of solar power.

By the time this course is complete, you should feel ‘armed’ with enough information to:

Speak intelligently about solar equipment and manufacturers
Choose the right equipment for your application, or at least help guide the process
Know your options for solar financing
Be comfortable finding a solar contractor and
Understand how to choose a good solar company to work for

Who this course is for:

students
homeowners
business owners
job seekers
new solar contractors

Course content

9 sections • 37 lectures

Introduction 3 lectures

Summary of Course Contents Preview 02:11

This introduction will provide you with an overview of the course contents. This will give you a good idea of what information you can expect to find within the course as well as provide a good outline for the flow of the course.

Why Solar? Preview 01:54

There are many reasons to consider 'going solar.' In California, most do it for an financial reason (because solar, with incentives is typically less than buying power from the local utility over the next 20 years). Other reasons reviewed include to be "green," and to provide a sense of sustainability and independence.

Terminology Preview 01:44

This section is pretty self explainatory, but will provide an over view of commonly used terms throughout this course.

How Solar Works and is Generally Sized 4 lectures

Grid-Tied Solar Example Preview 01:56

This section will provide the basics of how a solar system works, as well as provide a step-by-step example of the overall equipment in Grid-Tied solar system. This section will provide an illustration of the flow of power in a solar system as well as provide an example of where solar power systems interconnect with your house and utility on typical residential installations.

Typical Daily Production Pattern Preview 01:09

This section describes in graphical format the typical energy production pattern of a solar power system. The system provided for the example is in San Diego.

Typical Consumption Pattern Preview 01:58

This section will help you better understand generally how solar power systems are sized as well as how the utilities interact with your solar system. You'll learn that solar systems are sized to the average of your last 12 months of consumption and that the utilities typically use a system of debits and credits called "Net Metering" when interacting with your solar power system.

Net Metering Preview 01:13

This lecture reviews the three basic scenarios in which solar power systems interact (or don't interact) with the utility in a grid-tie only or hybrid solar power system. This will explain how the utility interacts with you when you

consume more energy than you produce
produce more energy than you consume and
when you're consuming exactly the same amount of energy your solar power system is producing

Hybrid & Off-Grid Systems 4 lectures

Off-Grid and Hybrid Introduction Preview 00:27

This is a quick intro to the off-grid and hybrid solar power system lectures. These types of systems are not typical and many contractors will not attempt to install these types of systems because of their complexity.

Hybrid Systems Preview 01:42

This lecture covers hybrid solar power systems. These types of systems are designed to provide power should the utility 'grid' go down, but not to be lived on without the grid. This lecture will describe these systems in more detail as well as show an example of the level of complexity these systems can reach.

Off-Grid Systems Preview 00:56

This lecture covers off-grid solar power systems. This will explain how off-grid solar power systems are stand-alone systems from the grid, although they are used for more than just a residential home without power.

"Intermediate" Options Preview 00:32

This lecture briefly touches on two other options in relation to hybrid systems that have just recently become available in the last year or so (2014). Both of these types of systems can be compatbile with grid-tie only solar power systems, depending on your utiltiy requirements.

Major System Components - Solar Modules 7 lectures

Major System Component Overview - Modules Preview 00:36

This lecture is a brief introduction to the equipment section of the course. It covers the three main components of a grid-tie solar power system:

Solar modules
Inverter (or inverters)
Racking

Solar Module Types Preview 01:12

This lecture covers the major commercial types of solar modules typically used in most solar installations today. Specifically we review the difference between polycrystalline solar modules and monocrystalline solar modules as well as their basic differences.

Other Module Types Preview 01:16

This lecture covers the other less prevalent, but commercially available, type of solar modules. This section is primarily focused on Building Integrated Photovoltaics, or BIPV. The term BIPV refers to solar modules that tend to integrate into buildings either aesthetically or completely replacing other building materials such as rooftops, roofing, windows, and shade structures.

What's the difference? Tier 1 Solar Modules Preview 01:47

This lecture reviews the basics of Tier 1 Solar Module manufactures. This section and next two sections are extremely important in helping you choose and understand the difference between solar modules if presented with multiple options from a supplier or contractor. Surprisingly enough, many solar installers and contractors don't even know the difference between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 solar modules.

What's the difference? Tier 2 Solar Modules Preview 00:41

This section is a continuation of Solar Module Types and reviews Tier 2 solar module manufacturers and what to look for in terms of how the solar modules are manufactuered as opposed to Tier 1 solar modules.

What's the difference? Tier 3 Solar Modules Preview 00:30

This lecture describes how to identify Tier 3 module manufacturers. Generally these are not prevalent, but are the last 'Tier' recognized by the solar module industry. Generally these are hand-made solar modules.

Does the Manufacturer Really Matter? (yes, obviously) Preview 01:40

This lecture reviews the reasons why choosing the right solar module manufacturer matters. Specifically we review some module manufacturers that have gone out of business or have withdrawn their product line from the solar industry as well as briefly touch on Solyndra, and how it really has nothing to do with the functional solar industry.

Major System Components - Solar Inverters & Converters 5 lectures

Major System Components - Inverters Preview 00:23

This lecture briefly introduces the different types of solar inverters that will be covered in the next few lectures.

String Inverters Preview 01:26

This lecture covers string inverters. String inverters are the most prevalent types of solar inverters and have been around the longest as compared to other types of grid-tied inverters. String inverters can be the most efficient and least expensive options although can come with some limitations depending on your specific application. An example of a string inverter company is provided in the external resources section.

Microinverters Preview 02:19

This lecture covers microinverters which are gaining widespread popularity in the solar market because of their ease of design and installation. While more expensive than string inverters, microinverters do provide some benefits over string inverters such as exceptional tolerance to shade on arrays and module level monitoring. An example of a microinverter company is provided in the external resources section.

Central Inverters Preview 00:22

This lecture briefly describes central inverters which are used for commercial applications. Generally, even in small commercial applications a decentralized approch (i.e. multiple string inverters) tends to be used, so these are typically found in much larger solar power systems on an industrial or utilty scale. An example of a central inverter company is provided in the external resources section.

DC to DC Converters or "Optimizers" Preview 01:07

This lecture covers DC to DC optimizers which optimize the DC power coming out of the solar module before entering a string inverter. These function very similar to microinverters but have less electronics in them and thus theoretically make them less prone to fail. An example of a dc to dc optimizer company is provided in the external resources section.

Major System Components - Solar Racking 5 lectures

Major System Components - Racking Preview 00:24

This lecture briefly introduces the major different types of solar racking.

Roof Mounted Racking Preview 01:11

This lecture covers on a very high level basic types of roof-mounted systems. It provides a simple overview of key points to consider when choosing the appropriate racking solution for your application. A link to PV Quickmount is provided in the external resources section which provides a great in-depth understanding of mounting types and proper flashing and sealing techniques for roof-mounted solar systems.

Ground-Mounted Racking Preview 00:38

This lecture covers on a very high level basic types of ground-mounted systems. It provides a simple overview of key points to consider when choosing the appropriate racking solution for your application. A link to the most popular ground-mounting hardware has been provided in the external resources section.

Structure Mounted Racking and Other Preview 00:40

This lecture covers on a very high level basic types of structure-mounted systems. It provides a simple overview of key points to consider when choosing the appropriate solution for your application as well as provides some visual examples of what may be available for structure-mounted racking systems. Some links have been provided for examples of structure-mounted solar power arrays.

Other Types of Racking Preview 00:21

This lecture briefly touches on other types of racking not otherwise mentioned in the previous lectures.

Performance Measuring and Monitoring 1 lectures

Examples and Demonstration Preview 01:19

This lecture reviews the basics of solar monitoring systems as well as provides a fundamental understanding of why solar power monitoring systems are important for ensuring solar power systems are performing properly and optimally. Additionally a video is provided showing how a Enphase microinverter solar power monitoring system works.

Financing Options 5 lectures

Financing Introduction Preview 00:20

This introduction briefly reviews the different types of solar financing that may be available in your area including:

Unsecured/Secured Debt
Leases & PPA's
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

Solar Lease Preview 01:57

This lecture briefly reviews the basics of a solar lease, currently the most popular form of solar financing. This type of financing offers no out-of-pocket cost for the homeowner and typically lower power prices for 20-years. Both up-sides and down-sides are reviewed in this lecture.

Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) Preview 00:41

This lecture reviews the basics of a Power Purchase Agreement (or PPA) as a method of solar financing. While not as common in the residential market, PPAs are mostly found in large commercial/utility scale projects where a third party owns the solar power system then sells the energy to an 'off-taker,' (the person who buys and usually consumes the energy).

Secure & Unsecured Financing Preview 01:36

This lecture covers the basics of unsecured and secured financing available for solar power systems. These can be some of the best options for those looking to own their own solar power system -- espeically with interest rates at an all time low, and some credit unions offering terms as long as 15-20 years.

Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) Preview 01:59

This lecture covers Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) with a brief overview of how it works. Additionally this lecture includes a video created by a PACE provider that serves much of Southern California.

Class Summary & Final Reccomendations 3 lectures

Advantages to Solar Preview 00:44

This lecture is a closing note for the course, including a recap on the major advantages to installing solar.

How to Protect Yourself and your Business Preview 01:05

This lecture reviews the basics of choosing the right contractor, whether you're in the market for solar or looking to join a reputable solar company. Microinverters can make solar installations easier, which means that there are a lot of non-technically inclined contractors out there installing solar. I recommend doing your due diligence and this lectre will provide a good foundation for how to review and compare companies.