How to become a Solar Photovoltaic Installer 2024

Solar Photovoltaic Installer Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks.

Solar Photovoltaic Installer is Also Know as

In different settings, Solar Photovoltaic Installer is titled as

Installer
Photovoltaic Installer (PV Installer)
PV Design Technician (Photovoltaic Design Technician)
Solar Designer
Solar Installer
Solar Installer Technician
Solar Photovoltaic Installer (Solar PV Installer)
Solar Technician

Education and Training of Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Solar Photovoltaic Installer is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Solar Photovoltaic Installer

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Training Required for Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Solar Photovoltaic Installer in different industries are

What Do Solar Photovoltaic Installer do?

Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.
Install active solar systems, including solar collectors, concentrators, pumps, or fans.
Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
Perform routine photovoltaic (PV) system maintenance on modules, arrays, batteries, power conditioning equipment, safety systems, structural systems, weather sealing, or balance of systems equipment.
Activate photovoltaic (PV) systems to verify system functionality and conformity to performance expectations.
Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms.
Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
Determine appropriate sizes, ratings, and locations for all system overcurrent devices, disconnect devices, grounding equipment, and surge suppression equipment.
Determine connection interfaces for additional subpanels or for connecting photovoltaic (PV) systems with utility services or other power generation sources.
Determine photovoltaic (PV) system designs or configurations based on factors such as customer needs, expectations, and site conditions.
Diagram layouts and locations for photovoltaic (PV) arrays and equipment, including existing building or site features.
Examine designs to determine current requirements for all parts of the photovoltaic (PV) system electrical circuit.
Identify and resolve any deficiencies in photovoltaic (PV) system installation or materials.
Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations.
Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
Identify methods for laying out, orienting, and mounting modules or arrays to ensure efficient installation, electrical configuration, or system maintenance.
Install module array interconnect wiring, implementing measures to disable arrays during installation.
Install required labels on solar system components and hardware.
Measure and analyze system performance and operating parameters to assess operating condition of systems or equipment.
Program, adjust, or configure inverters and controls for desired set points and operating modes.
Select mechanical designs, installation equipment, or installation plans that conform to environmental, architectural, structural, site, and code requirements.
Test operating voltages to ensure operation within acceptable limits for power conditioning equipment, such as inverters and controllers.
Visually inspect and test photovoltaic (PV) modules or systems.
Compile or maintain records of system operation, performance, and maintenance.
Demonstrate system functionality and performance, including start-up, shut-down, normal operation, and emergency or bypass operations.
Determine materials, equipment, and installation sequences necessary to maximize installation efficiency.

Qualities of Good Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Tools Used by Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Acetylene torches
Adjustable hand wrenches
Builders' levels
Caulking equipment
Channel lock pliers
Claw hammers
Cordless drills
Crimping lugs
Desktop computers
Digital multimeters
Directional compasses
Dirt shovels
Extension ladders
Fall arrest harnesses
Filter masks
Forklifts
Framing squares
Global positioning system GPS receivers
Handheld calculators
Hex wrenches
Impact drills
Inclinometers
Laptop computers
Large pipe wrenches
Laser line levels
Mallets
Medium pipe wrenches
Pair of dykes
Personal computers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Pipe cutters
Post hole augers
Protective gloves
Putty knives
Rat tail files
Ratchet sets
Reciprocating saws
Safety glasses
Sledgehammers
Solar analysis systems
Solarimeters
Steel measuring tapes
Straight screwdrivers
Tin snips
Torpedo levels
Trenchers
Utility knives
Utility work machines
Video probe systems
Volt-ohm meters VOM
Wheelbarrows
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Work vans

Technology Skills required for Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Computer aided design CAD software
Cost estimating software
Extensible markup language XML
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
Project management software
Salesforce software
Work scheduling software

US Universities

How to become Solar Photovoltaic Installer in 2024