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Solar Energy and Electrical System Design
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 17 hours
  • Course by University at Buffalo
  • Offered by

About

This course supplies learners with the insights necessary for properly planning, and therefore successfully installing, a photovoltaic (PV) system per design specifications. It directs learners through the important steps of initial site inspection and evaluating appropriate locations for PV systems, and features unique elements of residential, small, industrial and utility-scale solar applications. The course probes key design concerns – including load, efficiency, and mechanical and electrical design – as well as aesthetics and tools for planning. Learners experiment with calculations needed to design a PV system, exercising newly gained knowledge about site selection, layout, code compliance, system components, and wire sizing. This course is targeted for engineers who have interest in entering the solar power sectors. It is also appropriate for HVAC installers, architects and building code inspectors. Learners should have a basic grasp of electrical engineering, physics and mathematical concepts. Those who are unfamiliar with how PV works, the elements of a PV system, and/or solar power ROI should take the first course of the specialization, Solar Energy Systems Overview. Material includes online lectures, videos, demos, hands-on exercises, project work, readings and discussions. This is the second course in the Solar PV for Engineers, Architects and Code Inspectors specialization. To learn more about the specialization, check out a video overview at https://youtu.be/XjkKzbXqA6s.

Modules

Acknowledgements

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Acknoweldgements

Initial Site Inspection

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Initial Site Inspection

Shade Calculations

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Shade Calculations

1 Readings

  • Shade Calculation Tools (Optional)

Roof Assessments

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Roof Assessments

1 Readings

  • Guide to Structural Consideration (Optional)

Solar Panel Location and Spacing

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Solar Panel Location and Spacing

1 Readings

  • Sun Path Chart Program (Optional)

PV Design Basics Practice Quiz 1

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • PV Design Basics- Practice Quiz 1

Floodplains

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Floodplains

1 Readings

  • U.S. Floodplain Data (Optional)

Power Line and Battery Locations

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Power Line and Battery Locations

Circuit Boxes

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Circuit Boxes

Pros and Cons of Rooftop Systems

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Pros and Cons of Rooftop Systems

1 Readings

  • Ground Mount vs Rooftop Mounted Systems (Optional)

Ground Mounts and Building Integrated PV

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Ground Mounts and Building Integrated PV

2 Readings

  • Ground Mounts and Off-Grid Systems (Optional)
  • Building-Integrated PV (Optional)

Large Commercial, Community, and Utility-Scale Solar

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Large Commercial, Community, and Utility-Scale Solar

1 Readings

  • Land Requirements for Solar PV Systems

Site Visit Summary

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Site Visit Summary

PV Design Basics Practice Quiz 2

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • PV Design Basics Practice Quiz 2

PV Design Basics Graded Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • PV Design Basics

Load

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Load

2 Readings

  • System Sizing Calculation
  • Full Sun Hours Chart

Efficiency

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Efficiency

1 Readings

  • Efficiency Calculation

Wind Loading

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Wind Loading

2 Readings

  • Wind Map and ASCE 7 (Optional)
  • Wind Loading Calculation Formulas and Examples (Optional)

Lag Bolt Calculations

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Lag Bolt Calculations

1 Readings

  • Wood Handbook

Weight Loading

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Weight Loading

Measuring Excess Capacity

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Measuring Excess Capacity

Ballast System

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Ballast System

PV Design Considerations Practice Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • PV Design Considerations Practice Quiz

PV Design Considerations Graded Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • PV Design Considerations

Load and Size

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Load and Size

1 Readings

  • Evaluating Loads (Optional)

Inverters and Solar Panels

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Inverters and Solar Panels

1 Readings

  • Types of Inverters (Optional)

Code

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Code

1 Readings

  • U.S. National Electric Code

String Size, Pathways, and Module Curves

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • String Size, Pathways, and Module Curves

1 Readings

  • Trina Spec Sheet (Optional)

Temperature Coefficient

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Temperature Coefficient

1 Readings

  • Temperature Coefficient Calculations (Optional)

Electrical System Design Practice Quiz 1

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Electrical System Design Practice Quiz 1

Inverter Capacity

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Inverter Capacity

1 Readings

  • SMA Inverter Capacity Spec Sheet (Optional)

System Design Calculation

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • System Design Calculation

1 Readings

  • Calculating Voltage Change (Optional)

Voltage Drop Overview

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Voltage Drop Overview

1 Readings

  • Voltage Drop Calculation - Part I (Optional)

Wire Run and Voltage Drop

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Wire Run and Voltage Drop

1 Readings

  • Voltage Drop Calculation - Part II

Ampacity

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Ampacity

1 Readings

  • Ampacity Table 310.15(B)(16) (Optional)

Conduits in Different Scenarios

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Conduits in Different Scenarios

2 Readings

  • De-Rating Calculations (Optional)
  • Ambient Temperature Adjustments (Optional)

Managing Current

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Managing Current

1 Readings

  • Ampacity Calculation

Shut Off

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Shut Off

1 Readings

  • Micro-Inverter Spec Sheet

Conclusion

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Conclusion

Electrical System Design Practice Quiz 2

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Electrical System Design Practice Quiz 2

Electrical System Design Graded Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Electrical System Design

PV Aesthetics

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • PV Aesthetics

2 Readings

  • Solar Shingles, Tiles, and Solar Roofs (Optional)
  • PV Aesthetics (Optional)

PV Codes, Clean Energy Goals and Costs

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Codes, Clean Energy Goals, and Costs

2 Readings

  • Codes (Optional)
  • Solar PV Costs (Optional)

Design Considerations

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Design Considerations

1 Readings

  • Design Considerations (Optional)

PV Planning

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • PV Planning

2 Readings

  • Planning Calculations (Optional)
  • Planning Tools (Optional)

Recommendation Options Practice Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Recommendation Options Practice Quiz

Recommendation Options Graded Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Recommendation Options

System Design Project: Theory to Practice

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Final Graded System Design Project

1 Readings

  • Final Graded System Design Project Specs

Auto Summary

Discover the essentials of photovoltaic (PV) system design with the "Solar Energy and Electrical System Design" course, tailored for engineers, HVAC installers, architects, and building code inspectors. Led by Coursera, this professional-level course covers site inspection, design concerns, and system components through engaging lectures, videos, hands-on exercises, and project work. Perfect for those with a background in electrical engineering, physics, or math, this course is part of the Solar PV specialization. Available with Starter and Professional subscription options, the course spans 1020 minutes of comprehensive content.

Gay E Canough
Instructor

Gay E Canough