An Introduction to Solar Energy System Fundamentals

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI

Course Outline

1.  INTRODUCTION
2.  SOLAR ENERGY APPLICATIONS
3.  BASIC MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS.
4.  COLLECTOR SUB-SYSTEM
5. STORAGE SUB-SYSTEM
6. TRANSPORT SUB-SYSTEM
7. CONTROL SUB-SYSTEM
8. SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
9. SUMMARY

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

Upon completion of this course you will:

• Learn about the four basic functions performed by a typical solar system;
• Learn the components of the collector sub-system which intercepts incident solar radiation and transfers it as thermal energy to a working fluid;
• Learn about the elements of the storage sub-system which retains collected thermal energy for later use by the process load;
• Learn how the transport sub-system delivers energy from the collectors to storage;
• Learn how the control sub-system determines when enough energy is available for collection, and activates and controls the entire system to collect this energy until it is no longer available as a net energy gain;
• Learn about heating domestic hot water and low-temperature process water, which will normally be the most thermally efficient means of using solar energy;
• Learn the basic material considerations in solar energy systems; and
• Learn about flat-plate solar collectors, which are the most common type used.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for mechanical engineers and other infrastructure design and construction professionals who want an introduction to the fundamentals of solar water heating systems for buildings and related facilities.

Benefit for Attendee

This course will give mechanical and electrical engineers and other design and construction professionals an introduction to Solar Energy System Fundamentals.

Course Introduction

This course will introduce you to basic fundamentals of solar water heating system.

About Course Author

Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure.  For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues.  He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

An Introduction to Solar Energy System Fundamentals

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

Upon completion of this course you will have an understanding of the systems, components and materials for solar water heating systems.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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