What you will be able to do
- Calculate household and school energy needs
- size a small solar system
- assemble and test 12 V solar kits
- read an energy meter
- understand safe practice and maintenance
Syllabus
- 1 Electricity basics and safety
- 2 Solar panels, controllers, batteries and inverters
- 3 Load calculation
- 4 System sizing
- 5 Wiring a 12 V system on a training board
- 6 Testing and fault finding
- 7 Energy efficiency and monitoring with sensors
- 8 Business models for solar (pay-as-you-go, maintenance)
- 9 Site survey practice
- 10 Capstone: design and build a small solar system for a real need
Hands-on practical activities
- Energy audit of a home or school
- build and test a 12 V lighting and phone-charging board
- use a multimeter and clamp meter
- clean and inspect panels
- present a quotation
Resources and equipment
- Training boards with 50–100 W panel, charge controller, 12 V battery, DC loads
- multimeters
- clamp meter
- insulated tools
- PPE (gloves, glasses)
- site survey forms
🔋 No power? Off-grid option
Course is itself solar-powered; practical sessions use the Tier S or Tier M system as a live example
Career direction
Solar installer assistant, energy technician, energy entrepreneur, sales and survey officer; pathway to licensed installer training
Why it matters in the market
Solar adoption across households, schools, clinics and farms is driving demand for installers, maintainers and energy advisers
Assessment
Practical assessment of wiring and testing, design and quotation
Age and learner-group versions
The same core course is also offered in these adapted versions.
Solar PV Basics and Maintenance TR8
Outcomes. Survey a site and size a small system; assemble and test DC systems; inspect and maintain panels, batteries and controllers; quote and sell safely
Practicals. Site survey of a real home or clinic; build and test a 12 V and a small 24 V training system; fault-finding challenge; panel cleaning and inspection round; prepare a quotation
Progression
From DS6; leads to MH3 Solar-Powered IoT and Energy Systems and MK5