2.2 PV Lab Tools and Equipment

Rather than presenting information on components of photovoltaic systems, this subsection provides information on the tools and equipment necessary to work with them in a PV laboratory (see table below). Included are site evaluation and survey equipment, electrical test equipment, meteorological and solar test instruments, personal protective equipment (PPE), electrician’s hand tools, and other equipment and hand tools. As with the PV system components, importance ratings have been assigned for the items listed based on information collected from other PV training facilities.

Note: Use of all equipment listed in this document should be consistent with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NEC requirements, as well as with the installation and operation instructions provided by the product suppliers. In addition, system manuals should be requested for all packaged PV systems that are purchased as part of the laboratory development process. These manuals should include instructions, safety information, parts lists, electrical and mechanical drawings, manuals and specification sheets for all major components (modules, inverters, and racking systems), maintenance requirements, troubleshooting procedures, and warranty information.