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Fundamentals

System Components

A visual guide to the equipment that makes up a solar energy system.

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A free Academy account is required. 21 lessons.

About System Components

Every solar system is built from the same families of equipment. This course introduces modules, inverters, combiners and disconnects, monitoring and SCADA, metering and the racking used on roofs, carports and ground-mount projects.

What You'll Learn

Know the modules

Compare crystalline and thin-film solar modules.

Understand inverters

Compare micro, string, central inverters and optimizers.

Follow the electrical path

Learn about combiners, disconnects, connectors and switchgear.

See how systems are mounted

Compare roof racks, carports, fixed-tilt mounts and trackers.

Explore the Course Topics

21 lessons, grouped by topic. Open a topic to see its lessons.

01Inverters and electrical equipment6 lessons
  1. Micro Inverters
  2. Optimizers and String Inverters
  3. Fused Combiner Box
  4. DC Disconnects
  5. Module Connectors
  6. AC Combiner – AC Circuit Breaker Panels – AC Switchgear
02Modules, monitoring and disconnects4 lessons
  1. Crystalline Solar Modules
  2. AC Disconnect
  3. Thin Film Solar Modules
  4. DAS – Data Acquisition System
03Roof racking, SCADA and metering5 lessons
  1. Ballasted Roof Racks
  2. SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
  3. Attached Roof Rack
  4. Revenue Grade Meters
  5. Standing Seam Metal Roof Racks
04Ground mounts, trackers and inverters6 lessons
  1. Carports and Canopies
  2. Fix Tilt Ground Mounts
  3. Single Axis Tracker
  4. Ballasted Ground Mounts
  5. Central Inverter
  6. String Inverter