MODULE II - Solar energy technology Page 47

MODULE II Solar energy technology Page 47

10. Solar energy technology training objectives for service technicians

In general, and also with the help of these materials, the service technicians should acquire the following knowledge in regard to the use of solar energy technology:

Know the causes of the green house effect.
Understand that the use of solar energy helps to reduce the CO2 emission.
Know how the fossil energy raw materials coal, oil and gas can be saved
Understand that entering the solar energy age represents a solution for the otherwise very likely happening global environment catastrophe.
Solar energy has the highest energy producing potential of all the different renewable energies.
The use of solar energy technology is possible in all of Germany.
Understand how a solar energy system is working.
Understand that the use of solar energy technology is possible in old and new buildings as well as in single-family houses and in multifamily houses.
Understand that absorber collectors are especially used for the heating of swimming pool water and that the swimming pool water that has to be heated is directly flowing through the absorber collectors.
Understand that flat plate collectors are sufficient for the heating of drinking water if enough roof installation space is available.
Understand that vacuum tube collectors can also be used in the transition seasons (autumn and winter) for the support of the main heating system and that they furthermore can even be used during the winter for the heating of drinking water.
Be able to clarify the possibilities of use and the advantages of storage collectors.
Be able to explain the function of thermo s-trap or u-trap installations.
Be able to collect information about technical improvements and new collector developments that are introduced to the market.
Know the "transparent heat insulation" principle and compare it with conventional kinds of glass collector covers or glazings.
Be able to explain the energy flow in a collector.
Know the solar energy yields of the individual collectors and compare them with their costs.
Be able to determine the application range of the individual collectors according to their efficiency (swimming pool, heating of drinking water or main heating system support)
Understand that it is possible to produce a solar energy surplus in the summer which could be used for heating purposes in the winter and that for this reason it is necessary to have long term storage system.
Be able to collect the project data of an existing installation and be able to design and dimension an solar energy installation for the heating of drinking water for a corresponding number of people.
Be able to compare manufacturer data about different systems and devices.
Be able to distinguish the relations between sunshine duration and global radiation as a function of the season and time of day.
Be able to advice customers and make them the main economical and ecological aspects of new technologies clear.
Know the public financial support programmes for the use of solar energy technology.

Some test questions in this regard one should be able to answer:

Which are the necessary conditions in order to be able to optimally use solar energy technology in a household ?
For what purpose solar energy is intended to be used ?
Which collectors should be selected for the customer needs and why is a selection being made ?
Are the collectors installed on the roof or are they integrated into the roof ?
How do the pipes have to be installed ?
How does the dimensioning of the pipes have to be made and which pumps are used for which purpose ?
Which ecological aspects will have to be taken into consideration in regard to the customer order ?
Which advantages does solar energy technology have ?
Which collectors are best be used for the heating of drinking water and which ones are best be used for the support of the main heating system ?
How much warm water does a family with four members consume on average ?
Which effects does it have on the collector size if the location of the roof deviates from the ideal southward orientation ?
Where do sensing elements, security valves and ventilation valves have to be installed ?
How do the pipes have to be insulated ?
With which heat carrying liquid do the systems and devices have to be filled and up to how many degrees below 0°C the systems are protected against freezing up ?
Where does the security valve have to be installed and where does the ventilation pipe end ?