NABCEP test disclosure [RE-wrenches]

[Jeff Yago]

"Thank you all for proving my point to the exam committee
that trigonometry is beyond the scope, and maybe the ability, of a
competent
PV installer."

No, I don't think a pv system installer needs to memorize 3
dimensional trig functions. However, I do think it is reasonable to
expect an installer to know how to calculate array spacing, rear array
support leg lengths for a sloping roof, and potential shadow lengths
from nearby objects using basic everyday trig.   All solar system
designers and installers must understand the basic path of the sun,
and how time of day, latitude, and day of year impacts this path.

In the late 70's there was a major solar hot water project that
involved a large number of plumbing contractors retrofitting simple
solar hot water heaters on hundreds of homes in the same residential
development.   I am sure there were no leaks(they were all licensed
plumbers), but when you viewed their work from an airplane, each solar
array faced a different direction, including due north, and many were
in the shade.

I have worked with many licensed electricians hired to help with pv
installations, and although their wiring work would pass code, most
had no understanding of how to locate an array, its relationship to
the sun's path, or why a nearby chimney could be a problem.  In
addition, most did not want to know either.

Jeff Yago

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