Troy, New York
Installation Certificate Program
Photovoltaic
Description
Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) offers a Photovoltaic Installation Certificate Program that trains students for entry into the expanding PV industry. In partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), HVCC developed a five-course certificate program to meet an expected high demand for rooftop PV systems and corresponding need for qualified PV installers. The 19 semester credit-hour certificate program consists of both required and elective courses offered as part of the two-year Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree program in Electrical Construction and Maintenance.
(Note: The duration of the academic semester at Hudson Valley Community College is 15 weeks, and each semester credit-hour (SCH) of purely classroom instruction translates into 15 instructional hours. Laboratory and hands-on sessions require additional contact hours. One semester credit hour of laboratory instruction requires two to three contact hours of instruction. Because of the large amount of hands-on laboratory work, the number of instructional hours shown below is considerably greater than SCH multiplied by 15.)
Distinguishing Attributes
Special features of this program include:
- A solid foundation in DC and AC electrical theory
- Significant hands-on training and practice in residential and commercial wiring
- On-site practice and experience with actual PV system installations
- Approximately 420 hours of highly focused instruction, with an excellent balance of theory and applications
- Highly transferrable skills to a variety of electrical construction occupations
