NABCEP PVA Exam Flashcards

From Estrella's Handwritten Flash Card Handout, with a few edits. Thanks, Estrella!

1
Q

Start Up Voltage

A

The lowest voltage at which a DC inverter will turn on (close the circuit and send power)

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2
Q

SOC

A

State Of Charge: How much energy remains in a battery

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3
Q

DOD

A

Depth Of Discharge

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4
Q

TOU

A

Time Of Use

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5
Q

TOD

A

Time Of Day

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6
Q

REC

A

Renewable Energy Certificates: The value of renewable energy equal to 1MWh = 1000 kWh = 1 REC

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7
Q

PPA

A

Power Purchase Agreement: Agreement between solar owner and purchaser to purchase power for a period of time, usually about 20 years.

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8
Q

RPS

A

Renewable Portfolio Standard: A government standard that a utility company must meet for how much renewable energy must be provided by the utility

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9
Q

FIT

A

Feed-In Tariff: Money paid by utility to solar provider by kWh

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10
Q

Distributed Generation

A

When electricity is produced in numerous locations as opposed to one power plant.

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11
Q

AHJ

A

Authority Having Jurisdiction: An organization that has (governmental) authority over a solar installation. City/County Inspectors, Fire Dept., etc, all have jurisdiction over different parts of the system.

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12
Q

NEM

A

Net Energy Metering: A billing method that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. (Gross production minus usage equals net usage)

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13
Q

PBI

A

Performance Based Incentive: The money paid to an energy producer or solar array owner based on kWh produced.

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14
Q

OSHA

A

Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Organization responsible for worker safety.

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15
Q

OCPD

A

Over-Current Protection Device: circuit breakers or fuses to stop too many amps.

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16
Q

LVD

A

Low Voltage Disconnect: A system that turn off power coming from a battery when its voltage is too low.

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17
Q

SI

A

International System of Units aka the Metric system of measurement

Giga = 1,000,000,000 or one billion
Mega = 1,000,000 or one million
Kilo = 1,000 or one thousand
Mille = 0.001 or one thousandth
Micro = 0.0000001 or one millionth
Nano = .0000000001 or one billionth

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18
Q

GEC

A

Grounding Electric Conductor: The green or bare copper conductor connecting all of the metal system components

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19
Q

GE

A

Grounding Electrode: Direct connection to ground, i.e., the rod or plate buried in the ground where the GEC is connected

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20
Q

FLA

A

Flooded Lead Acid Batteries: Batteries that require maintenance such as topping off with water.

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21
Q

DOA

A

Days Of Autonomy: how many days the batteries or storage system will power a building.

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22
Q

ROI

A

Return On Investment:

A measure of the profitability of an investment.

A simple equation to determine whether something will provide a good enough return to at least pay for itself, maybe more.

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23
Q

STC

A

Standard Test Conditions are the conditions under which all solar panels are tested;

1000 Watts per square meter, or 1000/Wm2

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24
Q

SIP

A

Structurally Insulated Panel:

A composite (2+ materials) building material with insulated foam sandwiched between two panels of wood or other material.

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25
Q

VRLA

A

Valve Regulated Lead Acid (Battery): A lead acid battery that has a one way valve to allow gas to escape, so that it doesn’t need service and can be installed in different orientations such as sideways, upside down, etc.

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26
Q

Polarity Check

A

Checking polarity to verify that positive and negative wires are correct before turning on an inverter.

Done during commissioning

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27
Q

Ungrounded System

A

A system where the negative wires/conductors are not connected to ground; no white wires, only black and red

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28
Q

Downstream Solar Business

A

A business that is closer to sales than manufacturing..????

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29
Q

Duty Cycle

A

The percentage of time that an appliance or device is operating.

A refrigerator has ~50% duty cycle, therefore it runs about 12 hours per per day.

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30
Q

Energy

A

Energy is a rate over time, like speed. It is equal to the power in Watts that is consumed or produced over the period of one hour.

E=P/W

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31
Q

Demand Charge

A

The measure of Power (kW) that represents the greatest amount used within a 15 minute period, checked constantly.

32
Q

Ampacity

A

The amount of current (Amps) a conductor or wire can carry within the conditions of use without exceeding its temperature rating.

33
Q

Array to Inverter Power Ratio

A

A ratio used to evaluate the size of the inverter in relation to the size of the array.

It is equal to the STC rating of the array divided by the continuous power output of the inverter.

For a 6kw array connected to a 5kW inverter, the ratio is 1.2

6/5=1.2

34
Q

PV-Specific Rate Schedule

A

Utility schedules that stipulate what the utility company pays for excess energy production from a PV system.

This relates to Net Zero, which is when a home uses the same amount of energy that it produces. Beyond that rate, the utility pays a particular rate (usually much lower)

35
Q

Shallow Cycle Battery

A

A battery used for low energy uses and goes to a Depth Of Discharge of 5-10%, also expressed as State Of Charge of 90%.

36
Q

Polycrystalline

A

PV cell made of crushed silicon crystals.

Less expensive, less efficient.

Better ROI but takes up more space to achieve the same output as a smaller array of more efficient modules.

37
Q

Monocrystalline

A

PV cell cut from a single silicon crystal.

More expensive and more efficient.

Makes more energy with the space it takes up, but costs more.

38
Q

Pitched Roof Array

A

A PV array attached to a pitched (angled) roof.

39
Q

Passive Solar Design

A

A method of building design that uses natural heating and/or cooling and doesn’t rely on moving parts; fans, AC condensers, heating elements or pumps

40
Q

Phantom Loads

A

Electrical loads from appliances or devices that draw a small amount of power even when they are off.

Examples include phone chargers, microwave clocks, a TV on standby.

41
Q

Passive Tracker

A

A solar tracking system that requires no motors

42
Q

Magnetic Declination

A

Difference between the magnetic north pole and true north pole

43
Q

Net Zero

A

When a building produces the same amount of energy that it uses.

44
Q

Load Shedding

A

A method to turn off loads when the power draw is too high, such as during peak demand surge periods or when more power is drawn than an inverter can provide.

45
Q

Load Side Connection

A

When a PV system’s AC connection is made with a breaker in the MSP (Main Service Panel)

46
Q

Line Side Connection

A

When a PV system AC connection is made between the meter and the main breaker in the MSP (Main Service Panel)

47
Q

Interconnection Agreement

A

Agreement between a solar producer to connect their system to the utility grid, required by all homeowners.

48
Q

Grounded Conductor

A

The current-carrying conductor (usually the neutral-white wire) that is connected to ground at the MSP.

Could also be the negative conductor of a PV system but the wires must be white)

49
Q

Grid Direct

A

A PV system connected to the grid without any form of storage or batteries.

Also called Grid-Interactive

50
Q

Grid Parity

A

The point at which Renewable Energy sources cost equal or less than the cost of fossil fuels or (traditional) Grid power costs.

51
Q

DC Input Voltage

A

The nominal (named) voltage that an inverter or any DC device will operate at; typically 12V, 24V or 48V

Exact operating voltages will vary depending on multiple factors.

52
Q

Deep Cycle Battery

A

A type of lead acid battery commonly used in off-grid systems and marine applications.

In contrast to bursts of power for short periods as with a shallow cycle battery, it’s benefit is to provide power over a long period of time and go down to just 20% SOC (State Of Charge) or an 80$ DOD (Depth of Discharge) rate.

53
Q

Solar Noon

A

When the sun is at the highest point in the sky, or the highest altitude angle. It aligns perfectly with True South

54
Q

True South

A

Geographic South, which is different from magnetic south. Also the highest altitude of the sun aligned 180 degrees from True North.

55
Q

Solar Window

A

The timeframe within the day when a solar system should be free from shade. Generally, 9am-3pm from winter solstice to summer solstice sun altitude

56
Q

Pyranometer

A

Measures global solar radiation, a total of all of the radiation

57
Q

Pyrheliometer

A

Measures direct solar radiation: excludes albedo, diffused, and reflected radiation

58
Q

Albedo Radiation

A

Sunlight other than direct, usually reflected

59
Q

Conditions of Use

A

The environmental conditions affecting the equipment or conductors which includes ambient temps, roof temps, temps in conduit and in wet locations.

60
Q

Vertical Integration

A
61
Q

Continuous Use

A

Any conductor carrying current for more than 3 hours at a time.

NEC Code requirement that applies to PV systems.

62
Q

Vertical Integration

A

When one company owns numerous parts of a value chain; Module manufacturing, distribution and installation.

63
Q

Voltage Potential

A

Measured difference between two given points. Also called EMF (Electro Motive Force)

64
Q

Volts (V) x Amps (A) =

A

Watts (W)

65
Q

Power (W)/Amps (A) =

A

Volts (V)

66
Q

Power (W)/Volts (V) =

A

Amps (A)

67
Q

Volts (V) x Amp Hours (Ah) =

A

Watt hours (Wh)

Used for batteries

68
Q
A
69
Q
A
70
Q
A
71
Q
A
72
Q
A
73
Q
A
74
Q
A
75
Q

Solar Window

A
76
Q
A