Aim

To upgrade the skills and knowledge of persons in the Renewable Energy Industry to SEI Certification Level.

To provide the required level of knowledge to persons entering the Renewable Energy Industry without Certification.

Objectives

The programme will provide an extensive insight into Solar Water Heating Systmes and will prepare candidates for end of programme examinations leading to recommendation to FETAC for certification and subsequent Registration with Sustainable Energy Ireland as a Qualified Installer.

Areas Covered

• Power & Energy
• Understanding of Joules, Watts, kWh,
• Heat source sizing,
• Class calculations to determine the heat and time required to heat a body of water.
• Economic / Environmental Benefits.
• Customer payback periods,
• CO2 savings,
• Conversion of energy saved to oil and gas equivalents.
• Solar radiation physics
• Influence of weather on the solar radiation spectrum.
• Expected radiation, diffuse and direct over the year.
• Comparison of panel outputs on a month by month basis on various roof orientations
• Types of Solar Panels
• Flat Plates - Selective, Non-Selective, Serpentine, parallel tube.
• Open / unglazed collectors
• Vacuum tube panels - single walled and Sydney tube
• Advantages / Disadvantages of each type.
• Suitable Applications for each type
• Plumbing arrangements
• Direct,
• Indirect
• Pressurised and un-pressurised,
• Drain back systems,
• External thermosyphon,
• External plate heat exchangers,
• Thermosyphons
• Mounting arrangements
• On-Roof,
• In-Roof,
• Flat roof
• Wall mounting.
• Advantages/ disadvantages of each system with both flat plates and vacuum tube systems.
• Roof entries.
• Rule of Thumb design
• Design of typical family system
• Cylinders
• Vented and Unvented plumbing and safety requirements.
• Minimum insulation thicknesses,
• Anti-scald valve,
• Double pole thermostats.
• Flow rates & pipe sizes
• Pressure drop,
• Pipe sizing tables,
• Pump curves,
• KVS curves
• Controllers
• Differential control.
• Frost,
• Overheat,
• Heat dumping,
• Pump speed control,
• Types of sensors,
• Wire resistance and expected errors.
• Expansion Vessel Calculations
• Boyles law,
• Calculation of fill volume at different pressures.
• Changing Pressure & Boiling Point
• Triple point of water,
• Latent & sensible heat of water and steam.
• Calculations of volume of superheated water flashing to steam.
• Legionella
• Requirements under UK and Irish law,
• Safety Aspects
• Identification of specific hazards for solar installations,
• Complete risk assessment .
• Fill system
• Identification of pipe run,
• Sensor placement etc.
• Filling of system to correct pressure.

Duration:

• 3 Days

Course Fee: €450

Certification: Each successful candidate will receive a Certificate, acceptable to SEI for Installer Registration.