Archive for the Category ◊ Solar PV Training ◊

Solar PV Training or Photovoltaic training is all about learning more when it comes to solar power and how to effectively create, design, install and maintain solar power systems. The level of PV training that you are going to need will depend on the depth that you want to get involved with the research and development or the installation of photovoltaic power systems. No matter how deeply you want to get involved in the creation of solar energy, if you have ever considered even the home based, do it yourself solar projects, you should have at least a basic education and some experience with PV Training.

If you are working on a Do It Yourself solar project, you may think that you can get everything that you need from the internet without any type of formal training and for some people with enough natural ability to look at plans and see what will and what will not work, this may be true. Still, as with any field of study, there are certain things that only experience can teach you. One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of solar energy that is covered in basic Solar PV installer training is the seemingly simple process of handling the Photovoltaic cells. Most of the PV receptors are extremely sensitive and touching them with a bare hand can actually destroy them or at the very least, greatly decrease their efficiency and their ability to produce usable quantities of solar powered electric.

Another commonly overlooked issue with home based do it yourself solar projects is the maintenance of your solar panels. Again, this is a topic that is covered in Basic PV training courses. You cannot just slap your solar panels up on the rooftop and forget about them. To do so would see you quickly moving into the dark … in a very literal manner. Solar panels do have to be maintained. If you leave them exposed to the weather during extreme periods of climate change or storms, your solar panels may be damaged, costing you much more than any basic PV training ever would. If you live in an area where even light debris such as leaves, dust or other natural material may gather on your solar panels, again you are going to have to know how to properly clean and maintain your solar panels.

Even regular electrical systems need maintenance. I would be willing to bet you nickels to dollars that you have probably not had your breaker panel tightened down even though any electrical contractor can tell you that it must be done on a regular basis. Yet many people gladly pay the additional costs on their electrical bills due to lost power simply because they do not know that it has to be maintained, much less how to maintain a buss panel. Basic PV training will teach you all of the rudimentary aspects of PV power production and solar energy technology as it is today. If you decide that you do want to learn more, additional courses in PV training are always available from accredited and licensed solar energy training facilities.

Solar Electricians are the backbone of the solar power industry. After all, photovoltaic solar cells convert sunlight into electricity, and that electricity then must be distributed throughout a building. Attending a solar school to get solar panel installation training rather than a regular vocational school, however, to get an Electrical Engineering degree specializing in solar power will provide you with a strong advantage in getting hired as an electrician in the solar power industry.

Why? The answer is because wiring a building to run off of solar power requires very different technologies and skill sets than wiring a building to run off of the local electrical power grid.

Using local grid power, regular home construction electricians are used to accessing a constant, regulated, steady flow of electricity from the local power grid. All they have to do is distribute that constant flow of electricity throughout the building via the standard residential electrical wiring network.

Solar power, however, is much more complex. Under solar power systems, electricity comes not from the local power grid, but from the sun. Solar panels in the roof convert sunlight to electricity. Consequently, the flow of electricity is neither regulated nor constant. To overcome this problem, electricity generated by the solar panels is stored in battery banks. The batteries, in turn, provide a regulated, steady flow of electricity to the building. If the batteries are depleted, the home electrical network needs to be able to switch seamlessly back over to the local power grid.

All this, obviously, adds an extra layer of complexity to wiring a building’s electrical network. Any electrician specialized in dealing with it will be in high demand in the solar power industry.iStock_000003896824Large

How will I use my Solar Power Training Certification–What Does a Solar Electrician Do?

In addition to wiring a home or building with the usual electrical network, a solar electricians must also set up the solar energy battery banks. This is not as easy as it sounds. The solar electrician must know what type of batteries to use, and how many will be needed. If there is more than one battery (as with all but the most basic solar power system there will be), the solar electrician will need to set up load-balancing equipment to charge and deplete the multiple batteries evenly. The electricity will also need to be converted from DC power to the 120-volt AC power used in the building’s wall outlets.

Solar electricians also need to be also to install instrumentation to measure the charge in the battery banks, and control mechanisms to switch over to local grid power when the battery banks are almost drained. Today, very few homes are capable of being powered entirely by solar energy. Most use a combination of solar and grid power, using the solar power produced merely to reduce their monthly power bill.

How Do I Become a Solar Electrician?

At least an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field would be the required to qualify as a Solar Electrician. Obviously, a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree you be preferable. If possible, attend a solar school rather than a community college or a vocational school program to get solar panel installation training. Not only will a solar school train you in the specializations needed to work with solar power systems, but you’ll learn more about solar power in general. Both of these will make your degree more attractive for a solar power company, and increase your chances of being hired.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable Energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Installation Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Solar energy is becoming one of the fastest growing industries. There are many careers in this industry but one of the most popular is solar panel installation.  There are several parts to the solar energy system that you will learn to install. The main components are the solar energy panels themselves.   Some systems have batteries that the currents go to for storage but others require the energy be used right away. Solar panel installation training with teach you the difference and about the variety of systems available.

Most all systems that are installed today will have batteries to store solar power. This allows users to not only get power during the hours the sun is not up but on cloudy days as well. Solar energy systems are increasing in popularity. They are extremely efficient in saving energy as well as better for the environment then other energy sources. Here are some basic solar energy facts:

  • Solar energy is one of the best energy sources for our environment
  • It can be used to produce electricity through the photovoltaic solar panels to heat water, power heating & air conditioning units and any other electrical needs
  • As the used of solar energy panels increases the demand all over the world increases
  • Solar energy power is measured with 1 kilowatt equaling 1000 watts
  • A 100 watt light bulb utilizes 1 kilowatt per hour
  • In 1999 it was estimated that the average American household will use about 866-kilowatt hours per month in 1999 costing them $70.68 with this number being much higher now
  • 30% of this usage being to simply heat their homes

There are a variety of solar panel installation courses and training programs available throughout the country.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Thermal Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.


One of the biggest issues that individuals have when they are looking into solar school programs is the reputation of the program and finding a program that is going to give them the certification that they need, a price they can afford and that the certification is going to be worth something to them. There are a few things to look for when picking out a solar installation program to use for your certification.

One thing to consider is the reputation of the solar school.

  • How long as the school been open and what type of certification do they offer?
  • What is included in that certification?
  • Who is the program recommended by or accredited by?

These are all questions that should be asked prior to signing up for any program.

Most of the time you will find that solar school certification programs travel and many of them are given as conferences. This allows many solar school programs to travel around and help to meet the demand that is growing in the market today. The industry has an amazing demand for qualified technicians and a limited supply. This is why many of the schools have chosen to go this route. It allows for maximum exposure and means that if an area does not yet have a program available but has a demand for certificated solar energy technicians the demand can be met within that area. This saves time and money allowing the industry to expand without stagnating.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Thermal Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Solar energy is one of the first things that come to mind when you think of renewable energy. Going green is something that has been all over the news, the TV and the internet. Schools and programs are expanding, growing and starting because of the increased demand for qualified workers in the solar energy field.

Solar school can provide you with the training you need to start a new career or simply expand an old one. There are a number of aspects to solar energy that needs to be considered. First there is knowledge of the technology.

Technology has changed over the years. Solar panels have evolved over the years and come in a variety of different systems. It is an engineer’s job for example, to determine how many pv solar panels, how large the panels should be and which type of panel should be installed. However, depending on the job description these types of engineers may or may not be installation technicians as well.

Another aspect of solar school is the actual physical installation of the equipment. There are many things to consider when installing solar panels such as the location of the panels. Many homes are not situated in a location that allows for maximum exposure from stationary panels. However, new technology allows flexible solar panels to move with the sun to allow for maximum exposure. These pv solar panels however require yard space, which increases the likelihood of shade. It is these questions that solar school helps train you to answer.

Boots on the Roof is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV training boot camp. To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

request_infoTraining in solar energy can consist of attending a university to get degrees in areas like electrical engineering. These people are the ones responsible for designing the photovoltaic cells and the systems that utilize them for manufacture. For those not interested in the more theoretical areas of solar energy, it is possible to get training that is more geared toward those with a mechanical aptitude.

Experts report that the vast majority of renewable energy technologies are powered by the sun. Although the greatest number of solar projects and electricity production is on a large-scale basis, renewable energy technologies are quite suitable for small off-grid applications, especially in the rural and remote areas where some sort of energy power is often crucial in the majority of human endeavors.

To meet this need, solar PV installation courses are currently being offered by the organization known as Boots on the Roof. This solar training provides both online courses for distance learners and in-person hands-on workshops in photovoltaic and solar home design. This training provides the springboard for an entry level position with a dealer or installer or other company in the photovoltaic industry. Students learn the criteria necessary for practical system design, guidelines for installation, safety issues, maintenance, and legal issues surrounding solar systems.

This training in solar energy is especially important in light of the California Solar Initiative (CSI). The initiative provides for rebates and incentives paid to Californians to install solar photovoltaic systems that will be attached to the power grid so the utilities can buy back the excess wattage generated for use by those without solar systems. There is a shortage of qualified technicians to fill the growing demand both among utilities and private corporations, and this shortage is expected to increase as more people go solar. Experts estimate that a career in solar energy and photovoltaic technologies will be one of the most secure in times to come.

Boots on the Roof is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV training boot camp. To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

request_infoThe amount of solar power products available to individual homeowners and business owners can be very confusing for someone not entirely informed on what is necessary to set up a solar system for the property’s needs. Most customers are interested in solar panel installation as a part of a solar energy generation system designed to reduce costs. There are additional systems available which can also provide heating to the structure or hot water as needed by the homeowner.

Generally speaking, the solar power products needed for a solar power generation system include solar collector panels, a generator that converts sunlight to electrical current, and a net metering system that will connect the structure to the local utility grid. Systems that will heat a structure or will be utilized in a more traditional tank hot water system will need solar PV panels that can heat water as it runs beneath them and channel it into insulated tanks, or through specialized plumbing that runs into the house to help heat the structure. The installation of this latter type of system generally works better in a new build, rather than trying to retrofit it into an older structure.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has an extensive database surrounding solar energy and what is likely to be needed for different uses. In addition, there are links to other organizations which can help offer answers to your solar needs. A couple of the resources listed can even recommend a number of qualified contractors and technicians that can do solar panel installation and solar power systems for you.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Energy Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

request_infoAlthough a slightly more expensive proposition in the beginning, installing solar PV panels can prove to be a good option for homeowners in the long run. Environmentally-conscious consumers looking to decrease and/or offset their carbon footprint (the amount of CO2 emissions any activity like power generation produces per person) have shown appreciation for the availability of solar generation technology.

Installing solar panels to generate electricity using a small solar energy system dovetails nicely into the financial means and beliefs of some house and small-business owners. Despite the fact that it takes time and money to research solar panel prices, buy, and maintain a solar generation system, a huge advantage that many people enjoy is the independence they gain and the knowledge that their actions are helping the environment.

This energy system can supply most or all electricity needs. Some people, like those living in remote areas, use the electricity generated by their systems instead of electricity supplied by electric utilities. This kind of generation system is called a stand-alone or off-grid system. Others connect their generation systems to the utility’s grid and use them to reduce the amount of conventional power needed from the grid. A grid-connected system lets the consumer sell any excess electrical power produced back to power utility helping to offset initial solar panels cost.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

VP Biden visits Willard & Kelsey Solar Group in Perrysburg, Ohio to discuss green jobs and the future.

Boots on the Roof is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar Thermal training boot camp. To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

request_infoFlexible solar PV panels are an example of some of the newest technology that is proving to be a boon to those looking to find a green answer to the use of modern electronics considered to be essential to modern living.

Flexible solar panels have recently come into play in the form of portable solar systems that can be folded or rolled up to provide voltage from the sun for devices in areas that are too remote from or do not have access to electricity for allowing the use of electrically-dependant devices like emergency telephones, hair dryers, or radios. All of these things can easily be run from flexible solar panels using sunlight if the panel is opened out in the daylight. Some of these even have the capability of running more than one appliance at a time or come with the ability of storing power for use when there is no sunlight available to power anything.

Like the flexible solar panels, solar power cells have been put to good use of late, especially in the area of providing solar-based rechargers for electronic devices like laptop computers, MP3 players, and cell phones. Many of these solar power cells are coming in the form of wearable items like backpacks, briefcases or even jogging clothes. By wearing these items out or exposing them to sunlight, the solar power cells are able to provide a full charge to whatever device is hooked up to them. Some even come equipped with USB-type adapters to allow the recharging of some devices like the MP3 players or PDAs, which are normally recharged through connection to a computer’s USB port.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.