Cooperative Community Energy
Thursday, 04-Dec-2008 12:27:58 PST


Call toll free:
877-228-8700

Workshop covered start-to-finish PV system design and installation

June 2002 - Cooperative Community Energy of San Rafael, CA, Muir Commons CoHousing of Davis, CA, and Sine Electric of Santa Rosa, CA gave a hands-on, photovoltaic solar panel design and installation workshop in Davis. In addition to imparting information and resources, the workshop included specific skills development and practical application: workshop attendees participated in an actual installation of a 96 panel, 10kW solar photovoltaic electric system at Muir Commons, a 26-residence CoHousing community in Davis.

Beyond the distinction of being the first CoHousing facility in the U.S. developed from the ground up, the newly installed 10kW PV system has made Muir Commons the largest residential producer of solar energy in the
City of Davis.

The installation workshop's 15 participants acquired in-depth knowledge and practical skills about solar power theory, system design and installation practice through five days of both classroom instruction and hands-on experience. The cost of the workshop included binders with complete instructional materials for participants to keep, including course content, illustrations, equipment specifications, and resource handouts from energy agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy. Designed for both homeowners and contractors, the workshop included content and materials applicable to both residential and small commercial installations anywhere within the United States. Professional contractors who attended the full workshop also received accreditation as authorized Kyocera Solar dealers, one of CCEnergy's main PV panel suppliers. Workshop attendees came from Canada, Florida, Colorado, Utah, and Southern California.

Breaking it down

Topics covered during the week-long workshop began with general topics and drilled down to the specifics within each area:

Overview of steps to going solar
How to perform an energy audit (using plug-in kWh meters)
How to read utility bills, disaggregate energy uses, determine greatest energy users
Energy efficient alternatives and costs for appliances, lighting, PV systems
Site inspection, using the Solar Pathfinder
PV systems
Design criteria: equipment Selection, system sizing, estimating system performance panel layout (designing the solar array)
PV system types: Stand alone and grid tied, building-integrated PV, system selection
PV system components: PV modules, inverters, batteries, disconnect switch, breakers, conduit, ground wires, lightning arrestor
Financial and permit issues
Assembling and evaluating bids, hiring a contractor, working with the trades
Arranging financing, tax implications, reserves fund implications
CEC Buydown Request, PG&E contract
Warranty
Permit package
Electricity
Basics: AC/DC voltage, current, series/parallel, power, energy, wire sizing/losses, conduit, grounding issues, lightning, interconnections
Roof Wiring: Conduit layout, pulling wires through conduit, details of series connections
Electrical measurements: Open circuit voltage, short circuit current, watts delivered to load
Practicalities: Quick-connect and test modules (on the ground)
Installation Practicalities
Safety issues - Ladders, Tools, Heavy Objects, Wires & Sparks
Step-by-step
  • Mounting Techniques
  • More module testing
  • Begin loading modules to roof and mounting
  • Module installation
  • Battery technologies and requirements
  • Mounting inverters, switches
  • Inverter design and function
  • Install wiring to inverters, disconnect switches, breakers
  • Install monitoring equipment
  • Demonstration of software interface
  • System testing
  • Monitoring system performance
  • Troubleshooting and Maintenance
  • Building department inspection

Workshop leaders

Erin McMahon, an energy systems designer and field representative with CCEnergy with more than 20 years of experience and education in renewable energy, energy conservation, efficiency, and policy. McMahon has supervised or participated in more than 50 conservation or renewable energy generation projects. She has worked on Title 24 compliance with engineering firms including Energy Outreach Center, Solar Engineering Services, Ecotope, Cunningham & Associates, Victor Associated Proven Alternatives and Quantum Consulting. Credentials: University of Washington BS Mechanical Engineering 1986. The Evergreen State College BA 1986 Emphasis: Energy systems, Energy Conservation and Policy, Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal Engineering and Architecture. Certifications and memberships: E.I.T Status since 1986. CABEC.

Don Barch, energy systems designer, installer, and field representative with CCEnergy, whose career history spanned Bell Labs, International Cybernetics, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, the Intelligent Mechanisms group at NASA Ames Research Center where he installed the first remote field station solar panel-based power system at Lake Hoare in the Dry Valleys region of Antarctica. Barch went on to dedicate himself to sustainable energy and electric vehicles. He is the owner of an electric '75 MGB which he converted using custom and off-the-shelf parts. Barch is also a partner in the Reusable Lumber Company which does building demolition and markets wood from the "urban forest." Credentials: Westminster College dual program with Penn State University, BS Physics and BSEE 1978. Stanford University, MS Applied Physics 1986.

Stephen Lyons, owner of Sine Electric, a 25 year veteran of consulting, design, integration, and installation services for solar electric power systems. Lyons founded Sine Electric in 1990 to meet the specialized needs of solar electric power systems. Sine Electric is a factory-authorized dealer of Astro Power, Trace Engineering and B.P. Solar Products. Lyons' past experience also includes workeing for San Francisco State University as Chief Engineer. Certifications and memberships: American Solar Energy Society, International Solar Energy Society, National Fire Protection Association - National Electric Code Chapter.

Charles Ehrlich was as a Principal Research Associate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the Building Technologies Department where he developed lighting simulation software, researched the properties of new glazing materials, and managed the technology transfer activities of the lighting simulation software called Radiance. Prior to LBNL, "Chas" was a Building Science Specialist at the PG&E Energy Center where he hosted and presented workshops on lighting design and software related issues. He currently works as a Project Manager at the Heschong Mahone Group where he is researching multifamily energy efficiency issues, productivity and daylighting issues, and improving the stateís residential codes and standards. He is a member of the Muir Commons CoHousing community and host of the workshop. Education: B.A. Architecture, University of California, Berkeley.

Scott Ragsdale, co-founder, CFO, and Secretary of CCEnergy, handling the company's financial planning, operations, and co-op sales and marketing efforts. Ragsdale has worked as a business planning and marketing manager for large companies and start-ups since 1985. Credentials: B.A. Fine Arts, B.S. Biology 1985, M.B.A. 1998.