About this module
This module trains you to understand small solar systems and to help a licensed installer put them up and look after them. You learn by doing: most of the time is spent with real panels, batteries and meters, and every unit ends with a practical task and homework.
Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate. The level is National Proficiency I, where a trainee does routine tasks under close supervision.
What you may and may not do. In Ghana it is illegal for anyone except a Certified Electrical Wiring Professional to do electrical wiring. Anyone who installs or maintains solar systems commercially needs an Energy Commission licence, and a solar installer must show a CEWP licence to get one. So at this level you assist a licensed installer. You never wire a system on your own.
This is not an accredited CTVET programme. Solar installation is taught inside CTVET's electrical installation course, and as a stand-alone competency-based course at levels 1 and 2. That curriculum was not available online, so this module follows CTVET's published format only. Trainees who want to install for a living should go on to a CEWP certificate.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent by being watched at work, answering questions, and showing your logbook. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme, which uses about 30% in school and 70% at the workplace.
Unit 1 · Work safely around solar
A solar panel makes electricity whenever light falls on it. You cannot switch the sun off. Batteries can burn, explode and give off acid. Roofs are high. Safety comes first.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Dress and prepare | wears the right PPE; removes jewellery; checks tools are insulated |
| 1.2 Know the dangers | names the dangers of panels, batteries, height and heat |
| 1.3 Use a ladder safely | sets a ladder at the right angle and climbs with three points of contact |
| 1.4 Give first aid | shows what to do for electric shock and burns |
Range. Panels, batteries, ladders, hot weather. Evidence. Observation every session; oral questions.
The dangers
- Panels are live in daylight. They can give burns, sparks and a deadly shock. Cover them with an opaque sheet while wiring. Don't unplug them under load. Don't touch connectors with bare hands in sunlight, connected or not.
- In daylight a panel array can give a fatal shock: disconnect it before cleaning, wear no metal jewellery, and install with at least two people.
- Batteries: wear eye protection and acid-resistant gloves; never smoke near batteries; use insulated tools; never add acid; charge only where air moves. Charging batteries give off explosive hydrogen gas. Lithium batteries can give huge short-circuit currents, and a lithium battery fire gives off toxic gas and can explode.
- Height: falls are a major danger in solar work. Never climb a ladder carrying a panel, and keep at least 3 m from overhead power lines.
- Heat: drink water, rest in the shade, and learn the signs of heat stroke (confusion, fainting): cool the person and get help at once. Panel glass and frames can be hot enough to burn.
PPE
Hard hat, insulating gloves and rubber-soled shoes; safety glasses and insulated shoes for cleaning.
Ladders
Keep three points of contact. Put the base one quarter of the ladder's working length out from the wall. Extend it at least 1 m above the landing. Don't stand on the top three rungs. Don't use a metal ladder near power lines.
Electric shock first aid
- Check for danger and switch off the power.
- Don't touch the person while they are still touching the electricity; move them away with something dry that doesn't conduct, like wood.
- Call for help; check breathing; start CPR if you are trained.
- Cool burns with cool water for up to 20 minutes and cover them with a clean, non-stick dressing.
- Always get medical help.
Never
- touch panel connectors in sunlight
- unplug DC wires under load
- work on wet terminals or in rain
- step on a panel
- carry panels up a ladder
- smoke or make sparks near batteries
- wear rings, watches or chains
- wire anything on your own
Safe or unsafe?
Your trainer describes eight scenes on a solar job. For each, say safe or unsafe, and why.
Safety drill
- Put on your PPE and remove all jewellery; your partner checks you.
- Set up the ladder against a wall at the 1-in-4 angle and climb with three points of contact (no load).
- Cover the demonstration panel with an opaque sheet.
- Act out the electric-shock first-aid steps with your group.
- Record the drill in your logbook.
Hazard hunt
Look at a solar system in your community (on a house, shop or streetlight), from the ground. List anything that looks unsafe: loose cables, a battery in the sun, shading, broken glass. Do not touch anything.
Unit 2 · Electricity basics
Solar work uses a few simple words: volts, amps, watts and watt-hours. Learn them once and the rest makes sense.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Know the words | explains volt, amp, watt and watt-hour in plain words |
| 2.2 Name the parts | names each part of a solar system and what it does |
| 2.3 Measure | measures DC voltage with a multimeter safely |
Range. 12 V and 24 V systems; panels, controller, battery, inverter, loads. Evidence. Oral questions; multimeter readings in the logbook.
How a panel works
Sunlight falling on the cells (usually made of silicon) makes electric charges move, so electricity flows. The panel makes DC (direct current) electricity whenever light falls on it.
The words
| Word | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | the "push" that makes electricity flow | volts (V) |
| Current | how much electricity flows | amps (A) |
| Power | how fast energy is used: watts = volts × amps | watts (W) |
| Energy | power used over time | watt-hours (Wh) |
A 40 W bulb used for 5 hours uses 200 Wh; 1,000 W is 1 kilowatt (kW).
Series and parallel
- Series (plus to minus) adds the voltages. Parallel (plus to plus) adds the capacity.
- Panels in series add their voltages and should have similar current.
The parts
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Panels (PV array) | turn sunlight into DC electricity |
| Charge controller | protects the battery and controls charging. A PWM controller is basically a switch; an MPPT controller converts voltage to get the most power from the panel |
| Battery | stores energy for night and cloudy days |
| Inverter | changes DC into AC for normal appliances |
| Fuses and breakers | cut the power if too much current flows |
Watts and watt-hours
(1) A fan uses 50 W for 6 hours a day. How many Wh? (2) A 12 V battery gives 5 A. How many watts? (3) Two 12 V batteries in series: what voltage? In parallel?
Read the meter
- On the demonstration board (PPE on), set the multimeter to DC volts.
- Measure the battery voltage and record it.
- With the panel disconnected from the controller, measure the panel's open-circuit voltage in sunlight (your trainer holds the leads with you). Record it.
- Name each part on the board to your trainer.
Read the labels
At home or in a shop, read the label on three appliances (a fan, a TV, a phone charger) and write down their watts.
Unit 3 · Measure the sun and the load
To size a system you need two numbers: how much sun you get, and how much energy you use each day.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Use sun data | uses peak sun hours for the area, using the worst month |
| 3.2 Make a load list | lists each appliance's watts and hours and adds up the daily Wh |
Range. Homes, shops and farm buildings in southern Ghana. Evidence. A load list in the logbook.
How much sun?
Ghana gets about 4–6 kWh per m² per day of sunshine, most in the north. Satellite records for the Western Region:
| Place | Average | Worst month |
|---|---|---|
| Akwidaa / Cape Three Points | 4.90 | June, 4.08 |
| Takoradi | 4.95 | June, 4.22 |
| Tarkwa (inland) | 4.59 | August, 3.99 |
Each kWh per m² per day is about one peak sun hour: an hour of full, strong sun. For a system that must work every day, design for the worst month, about 4 peak sun hours in the Western Region.
The load list
For each appliance: watts × hours per day = Wh per day. Add them up.
| Appliance | Watts | Hours a day | Wh a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 LED lamps | 40 | 5 | 200 |
| Fan | 50 | 6 | 300 |
| TV | 60 | 4 | 240 |
| 2 phone chargers | 20 | 2 | 40 |
| Total | 780 |
(Example figures for practice.)
Make a real load list
- In pairs, visit a room, shop or farm building at the training centre.
- List every appliance, read its watts from the label, and ask how many hours a day it is used.
- Work out the daily Wh for each and the total.
- Record the list in your logbook for Unit 4.
Your home's load
Make a load list for your own home (or a relative's): every light and appliance, watts and hours. Total the Wh per day.
Unit 4 · Size a small system
Too small and the lights go off at night; too big and money is wasted. A simple method gets close.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Size the battery | works out battery size from daily energy, days of backup and depth of discharge |
| 4.2 Size the panels | works out panel watts from daily energy, sun hours and losses |
| 4.3 Choose the controller | explains PWM and MPPT, and the 1.25 safety factor |
Range. 12 V and 24 V systems up to about 1 kW; lead-acid and lithium (LiFePO4) batteries. Evidence. Sizing sums in the logbook; oral questions.
The method
Using the Penn State method:
- Daily energy: total from your load list. If you use an inverter, divide by about 0.9 for its losses.
- Battery: daily energy × days of backup ÷ system voltage = amp-hours (Ah) you need to take out. Divide by the depth of discharge you allow.
- Panels: daily energy ÷ (battery efficiency × peak sun hours), then add for heat, dirt and cable losses.
Worked example
Load list 780 Wh per day, 24 V system, 2 days of backup, 4.08 peak sun hours (Akwidaa, June). Calculated with the Penn State method:
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Daily DC energy | 780 ÷ 0.9 | about 867 Wh |
| Energy from battery over 2 days | 867 × 2 ÷ 24 V | about 72 Ah |
| Lead-acid battery (use half) | 72 ÷ 0.5 | about 145 Ah at 24 V |
| Lithium battery (use 80%) | 72 ÷ 0.8 | about 90 Ah at 24 V |
| Panel current | 867 ÷ (0.85 × 24 × 4.08) | about 10.4 A, about 250 W |
| Add 20–25% for heat, dirt, cables | about 310–330 W of panels |
Controller: rate fuses, cables and controllers for 1.25 times the panel's current and voltage.
How deep can you discharge a lead-acid battery? Battery sellers often say 50%. A university sizing course gives anywhere from 20% to 80%, depending on the battery type. Lithium (LiFePO4) batteries are rated for 2,500 cycles at 80% depth. Check the maker's data sheet for your battery.
MPPT or PWM? Sellers often claim 20–30% more energy from MPPT. Victron's tests found about 19% more at 25 °C panel temperature, but only up to about 10% more when panels are hot (45–75 °C), as they often are in Ghana. PWM is a good low-cost choice for small systems; MPPT is better above a few hundred watts or in shade.
Heat and batteries. A flooded lead-acid battery gives more capacity above 27 °C, but its life is shortened. Keep batteries in the shade with air around them.
Size your load
Use your Unit 3 load list. Assume 12 V, 2 days of backup, 4 peak sun hours, lead-acid at 50%, battery efficiency 0.85, and add 25% to the panels. Work out the battery Ah and the panel watts.
Check a real system
With your trainer, look at the demonstration system (or a real one). Read the panel watts, battery Ah and voltage, controller type and rating. Using the method, work out how much load it can supply each day in June.
Price a system
Visit a solar shop (or ask a supplier). Get prices for a panel of about 200 W, a 12 V battery of about 100 Ah, a 20 A charge controller and a 1,000 W inverter. Record them.
Unit 5 · Assist with installation
A good installation faces the sun, has no shade, is earthed, has fuses in the right place, and keeps the battery cool and ventilated. Your job is to help the licensed installer do it right.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Check the site | finds a sunny, unshaded spot; checks direction and tilt |
| 5.2 Prepare materials | sorts panels, rails, clamps, cables, fuses and tools; checks for damage |
| 5.3 Assist the installer | passes materials safely; holds and supports; follows instructions; never wires alone |
| 5.4 Place the battery | helps place the battery in a shaded, ventilated spot with space around it |
Range. Ground mounts and roof mounts (trainee on the ground); 12–48 V systems. Evidence. Observation on an installation; installation checklist in the logbook.
Direction and tilt
- North of the equator, panels face south (Ghana is about 5° north). Turning 30° away from south loses about 10–15% of output.
- Tilt panels at least 10°, so rain washes the dust off; flat panels need cleaning more often.
- Avoid shade from trees and buildings: even partial shade cuts output.
Mounting
Use corrosion-proof bolts in the frame's mounting holes, at least 4 clamps, never drill the frame, and never step on panels.
Cables, fuses and earthing
- Keep voltage loss in cables below 2.5%; cables that are too thin get hot and can start a fire.
- Put the fuse on the positive cable, close to the battery.
- All PV systems must be earthed: frames and racks are connected to earth.
The battery
Keep the battery away from people and animals, out of sun and rain, with air moving, and with no sparks nearby; outdoors use a ventilated battery box. Leave at least 13 mm between batteries for air.
Pick the best spot
Your trainer shows you a sketch of a compound with a house, two trees and a shed. Mark where you would put the panels and the battery, and explain why.
Installation helper
On the demonstration board or a real job with a licensed installer:
- Check the site with a compass: which way is south? Is there shade at 9 am, noon and 3 pm?
- Unpack and check panels and parts for damage; lay them out.
- Cover the panels with an opaque sheet.
- Hold, pass and support as the installer directs. Keep a tidy work area.
- Help place the battery in its box with space around it.
- Fill in an installation checklist: date, panel watts, battery size, controller, inverter, location.
Which way is south?
At home, use the sun (it rises in the east and sets in the west) or a phone compass to find south. Draw your house and mark the best roof for panels.
Unit 6 · Clean, check and find faults
Dust, salt, loose wires and tired batteries slowly steal power. Regular cleaning and checking keeps a system working for years.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Clean panels | cleans panels safely at a cool time with soft tools and clean water |
| 6.2 Inspect | checks for broken glass, shade, loose or burnt parts, and rust |
| 6.3 Check batteries | reads battery voltage; tops up flooded batteries correctly (with trainer) |
| 6.4 Find simple faults | follows a step-by-step check with a multimeter and reports |
Range. Panels, flooded and sealed batteries, controllers, small systems. Evidence. Maintenance record; observation.
Cleaning
- Clean early morning or late afternoon when panels are cool, with clean water and a soft cloth, sponge or brush. No soap powder, no scrubbing pads, no hard (mineral) water. Never clean a broken panel.
- Disconnect the array before cleaning.
How often to clean? Jinko suggests about once a year, depending on the site. Trina says clean more often in hot, humid, salty sites near the sea, like the Western Region coast. In the north, Harmattan dust cut a panel's output by 28.7% over four months. Check panels monthly and clean when dirty.
Inspection
Look for broken glass, new shade, rusty parts, burn marks on the back, loose bolts, damaged junction boxes, and rat damage. Check connectors and cables every 6 months.
Batteries
Flooded (open) lead-acid batteries:
- Top up with distilled water only. Never add water to sealed (AGM or gel) batteries.
- Charge fully before adding water, unless the plates are showing: then add just enough to cover them.
How full is a 12 V lead-acid battery? After it has rested 6–24 hours:
| Charge | Voltage at rest |
|---|---|
| 100% | 12.73 V |
| 80% | 12.50 V |
| 50% | 12.10 V |
| 20% | 11.66 V |
Finding faults
Check in this order: fuses and breakers; wires for breaks and shorts; battery health; shade on the panel. Test a load by connecting it straight to the battery. A 12 V panel should read about 16–22 V when disconnected.
What's wrong?
(1) The lights go off at 9 pm every night in July. (2) The battery reads 11.7 V after resting overnight. (3) One panel is under a mango tree's shade after noon. (4) The controller is dead and the battery reads 4 V.
Maintenance visit
- With PPE on and the system disconnected by your trainer, clean the panels.
- Inspect panels, mounts, cables and controller; record anything wrong.
- Measure battery voltage at rest; for a flooded battery, check water levels with your trainer.
- Fill in a maintenance record: date, what you cleaned, readings, problems found.
A maintenance sheet
Design a one-page maintenance sheet a household could keep for its solar system: date, cleaning, battery voltage, problems, who to call.
Unit 7 · Pumps, rules and old batteries
Solar can pump water for farms. And every solar worker must know Ghana's rules on licences, products and old batteries.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Know solar pumps | names the parts of a solar pump system and why a water tank can replace a battery |
| 7.2 Know the rules | states who may install and wire solar systems in Ghana |
| 7.3 Handle old batteries | knows how old lead-acid batteries must be handled and sold |
Range. Small farm pumps; homes and shops. Evidence. Oral questions; logbook notes.
Solar water pumps
A solar pump system has panels, a mounting, a pump controller, a surface or submersible pump, and pipes or a storage tank. Pumping water up to a raised tank is a cheaper way to store energy than batteries. The higher you lift water, and the more you lift, the more energy you need. Pumping too much groundwater can harm the water supply, so pumping should follow water rules.
The rules
- No one may do commercial renewable-energy work without an Energy Commission licence; installing and maintaining systems needs an Installation and Maintenance licence, renewed every year.
- Selling solar products in a shop needs no licence, and small all-in-one DC solar home kits under 100 W are not counted as "facilities".
- Installed products must meet Ghana Standards Authority standards, and used or refurbished equipment is not allowed.
- Solar water pump installers need a separate licence, plus a CEWP certificate for the solar side and an NVTI Grade 1 plumbing certificate for the pump side.
- Ghana has net metering: homes and businesses can sell extra solar power to the grid under an agreement, through a national portal launched in December 2025.
Old batteries
- Ghana's 2016 e-waste law (Act 917) put an eco-levy on electrical equipment, including batteries, and made sellers take old equipment back. A legal summary says the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) repealed it and now covers e-waste, so check current rules with the Environmental Protection Authority.
- The EPA's guidelines say used lead-acid batteries must be sold whole, with the acid still inside, not drained by scrap dealers, because lead poisoning damages the brain and nerves, especially in children.
Who may do it?
For each job, say who may do it: (1) selling a solar lamp in a shop; (2) wiring a 2 kW system on a house; (3) cleaning panels; (4) installing a solar pump; (5) draining acid from an old battery for scrap.
Pump visit
Visit a solar pump (or a demonstration). Name each part, find the tank, and write down the pump's size, the panel watts and how high the water is lifted.
Ask an installer
Ask a solar installer whether they hold an Energy Commission licence and a CEWP certificate, and how long it took to get them. Write their answers.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AC / DC | Alternating current (from the grid or an inverter) / direct current (from panels and batteries) |
| CEWP | Certified Electrical Wiring Professional: the only people allowed to wire in Ghana |
| Charge controller | Protects the battery and controls charging |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| Depth of discharge | How much of a battery's energy is used before recharging |
| Inverter | Changes DC to AC |
| MPPT / PWM | Two types of charge controller |
| Peak sun hour | One hour of full, strong sunshine |
| Watt-hour (Wh) | One watt used for one hour |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: safety drill record
- Unit 2: multimeter readings; parts named
- Unit 3: load list (training centre and home)
- Unit 4: sizing sums
- Unit 5: installation checklist
- Unit 6: maintenance record
- Unit 7: pump visit notes
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- Why is a solar panel dangerous even when it is unplugged?
- Name four things you must never do on a solar job.
- What is the ladder angle rule?
- What does watts = volts × amps mean for a 12 V, 5 A load?
- What does a charge controller do?
- How many peak sun hours should you design for in the Western Region?
- Why use the worst month?
- Which way should panels face in Ghana, and at what minimum tilt?
- Where does the main fuse go?
- What water do you add to a flooded battery?
- Who may wire a solar system in Ghana?
- How must old lead-acid batteries be sold?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: the Energy Commission's licence guidelines; your panel's and battery's own manuals; a CEWP course if you want to install for a living.
What this module does not cover: grid-tied systems above small home size, wiring work (for CEWPs), inverter sizing rules, and Ghana retail prices.
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.