Solar energy is a significant factor in today’s electrical energy market. NETA Certified Technicians need to understand how solar panels function and become familiar with best practices for installation, testing, and maintenance.
1. What type of energy do solar panels convert into electricity?
a. Chemical
b. Nuclear
c. Radiant
d. Gravitational
2. What type of electricity is generated within solar photovoltaic panels?
a. Alternating current
b. Three-phase
c. Static
d. Direct current
3. How is the electricity generated from solar panels used?
a. Locally
b. Generated to the power grid
c. Stored in batteries
d. All of the above
4. How long should residential solar panels last?
a. 30 years
b. 15 years
c. 50 years
d. 100-plus years
5. What is one main yearly maintenance recommendation to keep solar panels healthy?
a. Maintaining insulation resistance
b. Cleaning
c. Monitoring contact resistance
d. Rotating the panels
6. When PV solar panels are placed in direct sunlight, which measurement can be recorded with a multimeter to give a general idea of PV solar panel performance?
a. Current
b. Resistance
c. Voltage
d. Capacitance
7. Which diagnostic test can be performed to measure the operational functionality of each PV solar panel installed in direct sunlight?
a. I-V curve
b. I-R curve
c. I-Z curve
d. L-C curve
Morgan Gieni, CET, PSE, is the Technical Support Lead — Technical Field Services (TFS) at Magna IV Engineering. He is a Certified Engineering Technologist through ASET — The Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta and a Power System Electrician. Gieni has extensive knowledge and experience regarding the commissioning, repair, and maintenance of electrical power systems equipment. He has spent the past few years of his career building technical training programs, providing technical support, and mentoring field service employees. Gieni holds NETA Level IV Senior Technician Certification and is on NETA’s Technical Resource Committee.