Hudson Valley CC Offers Course on NEC Code Changes & Fire Safety Issues for PV Systems
By Nick Buono
Hudson Valley Community College
Earlier this summer, Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), a northeast Regional Training Provider in the Solar Instructor Training Network, offered a three-day comprehensive course on the 2014 National Electric Code and fire safety issues for PV systems.
Held at TEC-SMART, a state-of the-art training facility in Malta, NY, the course was designed to enable instructors of Northeast regional partnering institutions to increase their competency and ability to instruct students in this technology. Eight students from four states in the Northeast attended (Maine, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts). Michael P. Stangl, IREC certified Master Trainer and adjunct faculty with HVCC, taught the class.
The topics for the three-day training included changes to the 2014 National Electric Code, specifically those changes that affect PV system design. Issues concerning fire safety were also covered. Stangl provided a thorough review of the California State Fire Marshal’s PV Installation Guide.
The course was conducted in sections to facilitate a practical approach to establishing a baseline for each successive topic. The sessions are interactive and are intended to promote discussion between participants and the instructor.
