NECA

Foundation Research To Shine Light On PV Market, Resolve Turf Wars

At its recent mid-year meeting in Chicago, the Electrical Contracting Foundation voted to fund a half-dozen new research projects, including an investigation of the emerging photovoltaic market. Not only will the study estimate the size of the market and recommend strategies for electrical contractors; it should also help settle some turf wars.

PV (also called solar energy) systems have been used for years, primarily to supply small loads in locations where it’s infeasible to connect them to the utility grid. But a new generation of photosensitive roofing and glazing materials promises to transform and expand the use of PV by, in effect, turning whole buildings into electrical generators. This will not only reduce peak demand on electric utility grids, but also feed power back into those grids under certain circumstances.

The research project will be led by Professor Thomas Glavinich, D.E., P.E., of the University of Kansas. NECA plans to draw on the results to develop a National Electrical Installation Standard® on photovoltaic systems. The in-creasing use of photosensitive roofing and window materials is sparking turf wars among various building trades, so setting forth PV installation procedures should help re-solve the ‘who installs’ issue and define the role of electrical contractors in the process. For the full story, visit http://necanet.org/whats_new/report.cfm?ID=2485