Solar Photovoltaic Standalone Service Technician

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare the learner to operate as a Solar Photovoltaic Standalone Service Technician. A Solar Photovoltaic Standalone Service Technician ensures the safe and efficient maintenance and service of stand-alone PV system installations. These installations would include domestic roof-top installations and various other off grid installations across a range of urban and rural sites. A competent learner will demonstrate the following key attributes: Honesty and Integrity, Attention to Detail, Risk Awareness, Compliance Orientation, Technical Acumen, Good team player. A qualified learner will be able to: • Develop planned maintenance schedules for Standalone PV installations. • Maintain, test, repair and replace inverters and transformers. • Maintain, test, and replace cables, cable inter-connections, smart boxes, PV junction/string boxes, string diodes, connectors, fuses, switchgears and control gears and repair switchgears and control gears. • Maintain, test, and replace batteries and charge controllers and repair charge controllers where possible.

The use of renewable energy, on and off the national energy grid, is a key imperative for economic growth and environmental protection. Africa's rapid economic expansion creates a daunting energy challenge, combined with rising expectations of improved resilience and sustainability. Finding a sustainable way to meet growing energy needs is one of the core development challenges for the continent. Africa is rich in renewable energy sources, including hydro, sun, wind and others, and the time is right to accelerate our capability to meet the challenges and opportunities offered by this emerging sector. There are currently no official qualifications to ensure standardisation and quality assurance in this fast-growing space. This qualification will meet this important need. This qualification is the pinnacle qualification in a suite of qualifications that creates a clear career path for new entrants into this critical industry. Upon completing this qualification, the successful learner will be ready to move into the professional levels of the career path. This qualification will benefit the sector and the economy in the sense that the suite of qualifications creates ideal opportunities for the upskilling of current and new employees in the industry and it will enable South Africa to meet this challenge, ensuring that we install quality, safe and sustainable infrastructure in urban and rural areas. This is critical to contribute towards the achievement of our National Development plan and to contribute towards our attempts at creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sector. This qualification provides the pathway for professionalising this critical sector and, through the continued involvement of the relevant industry bodies, the content of the qualification was crafted to inform and support the emerging processes to facilitate licensing and professionalisation.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): • Learners will gain access to the qualification through RPL for Access as provided for in the QCTO RPL Policy. RPL for access is conducted by accredited education institution, skills development provider or workplace accredited to offer that specific qualification/part qualification. • Learners who have acquired competencies of the modules of a qualification or part qualification will be credited for modules through RPL. RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result. Entry Requirements: NQF Level 4 qualification with Mathematics.

• Use applicable knowledge to maintain, test, and replace PV panels components.
• Apply knowledge to maintain, test, repair and replace inverters and transformers.
• Use applicable knowledge to maintain, test, and replace cables, cable inter-connections, smart boxes, PV junction/string boxes, string diodes, connectors, fuses, switchgears and control gears and repair switchgears and control gears.
• Apply knowledge to maintain, test, and replace batteries and charge controllers and repair charge controllers where possible.