The 450-page book, “Photovoltaic Systems,” was published in March by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC).  Dunlop is currently on leave from FSEC, serving as a curriculum specialist with NJATC.

The book is intended to be a textbook for the more than 300 IBEW/NECA (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association) apprenticeship programs across North America.

Dunlop explained that “the tremendous growth of the PV industry means that the workforce needs to be substantially increased in the coming years.  There is huge potential here for all kinds of jobs, ranging from system designers to contractors to installers, and this book will help people learn about these opportunities and better understand what the field has to offer.”

The book covers all system components and configurations in detail, with chapters on principles of solar energy, batteries, utility interconnection, economic analysis and related topics.  Included with the book is a CD-ROM containing video clips, solar radiation data, and worksheets and checklists for class use.

For more information, contact American Technical Publishers at www.go2atp.com/.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of CentralFlorida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country.  Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas.  For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call  the FSEC Public Affairs Office at (321) 638-1015.