This is a
7-hour course that introduces basic electrical concepts for those
who wish to obtain a basic understanding of electricity before
taking more advanced courses in designing and installing
photovoltaic systems. The course covers DC and AC electrical theory
with an emphasis on the concepts that are most useful in
understanding how to use the sun to make electricity and how to
harness this energy source in a code-compliant manner. The course
has also been designed for 6 credits of continuing education through
the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
Course Objectives:
·
Upon
completion of the course, the student should be familiar with
·
The
concepts of electrical charge, current, voltage and power
·
Basic DC
electrical laws and concepts
·
How
electricity is produced by shining sunlight on photovoltaic cells
·
Basic AC
electrical laws and concepts, including single phase and 3-phase
systems, current and voltage, phase relationships, power and power
factor, distribution systems and an understanding of harmonics
·
Basic
electrical components used in PV systems, including wire,
overcurrent protection, disconnects, safety devices, transformers,
grounding and surge protection.
Roger Messenger
is Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Florida
Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He received his
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and
is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Electrical
Contractor, who enjoys working on a field installation as much as he
enjoys teaching a class or working on the design of a system or
contemplating the theory of operation of a system. His
research work has ranged from electrical noise in gas discharge
tubes to deep impurities in silicon to energy conservation. He
worked on the development and promulgation of the original Code for
Energy Efficiency in Building Construction in Florida and has
conducted extensive field studies of energy consumption and
conservation in buildings and swimming pools. He and
Jerry Ventre have published Photovoltaic Systems Engineering
(CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL) and the 2nd Edition of this engineering
textbook (2004). He has also contributed chapters on
Photovoltaics (PV) to 4 handbooks and has designed and supervised
the installation of 4 utility interactive PV systems with battery
backup.
He
has developed and taught a senior elective course on PV Power
Systems yearly since 1997. Recently he has been actively
involved with the Florida Solar Energy Center in the development of
courses, exams and study guides for voluntary certification of PV
installers worldwide and has been a consultant on battery backup
grid-connected PV systems to Sun Electronics, Miami, FL.
Register for these classes with the MDC Community Education
Department
