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Building Integrated Photovoltaics

Steven G. Liescheidt, P.E., CCS, CCPR


Course Outline

This four hour online course presents several design briefs that illustrate how building integrated photovoltaics products can be integrated successfully into a number of structures. It also contains some basic information about building integrated photovoltaics and related product development in the United States, descriptions of some of the major software design tools, an overview of international activities related to building integrated photovoltaics and a bibliography of pertinent literature.

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


Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will learn about building integrated photovoltaics topics including:


Intended Audience

This course is intended for mechanical engineers.


Benefit for Attendee

Attendee of this course will be able more fully understand the applications and opportunities to apply building integrated photovoltaics in building designs.

Course Introduction

It is generally expected that in the next century, photovoltaics will be able to contribute substantially to the mainstream power production, even though photovoltaics now is up to five times more expensive than grid power.  This course shows several existing applications using photovoltaics and discusses the practical and theoretical considerations of photovoltaics.  

Course Content

This course is primarily based on Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Designs for Commercial and Institutional Structures - A Sourcebook for Architects:

Building Integrated Photovoltaics

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

The primary intent of this course is to provide architects and designers with useful information on building integrated photovoltaics systems in the enclosed design briefs. Each brief provides specific technical data about the building integrated photovoltaics system used, including the system’s size, weight, and efficiency as well as number of inverters required for it. This is followed by photographs and drawings of the systems along with general system descriptions, special design considerations, and mounting attachment details. In addition, there is discussion about the technical and theoretical basics of building integrated photovoltaics including discussions of current and future products related to these systems.


Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

United States Green Building Council – www.usgbc.com
US Department of Energy – www.doe.gov
National Renewable Energy Laboratory – www.nrel.gov


Quiz

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

Take a Quiz

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.