CSLB C-46 Solar (Trade Exam) — All Questions

A homeowner's highest bill is in August, but the bills vary widely by month. What is the best starting figure for sizing a PV system?

• a.The average bill in dollars
• b.The kWh from the most recent bill
• c.The August kWh multiplied by twelve
• d.The total kWh over twelve months✓

DOE advises reviewing electricity bills to find annual needs in kWh, checking every month because use changes through the year. Multiplying the peak month by twelve oversizes the system, and dollars do not measure energy.DOE, Planning a Home Solar Electric System

In California, which fixed-array orientation generally gives the highest annual energy output?

• a.Facing true south at about latitude tilt✓
• b.Facing true north at a low tilt
• c.Lying flat with no tilt at all
• d.Facing due east at a steep tilt

DOE states that for the highest annual output in the northern hemisphere, modules point due south and tilt at an angle equal to the local latitude. East-facing and flat arrays can work but produce less over a year.DOE, Solar Photovoltaic System Design Basics

A neighbor's hedge, planted after a solar collector was installed, now shades 15 percent of the collector at 11 a.m. local standard time. Under the Solar Shade Control Act, what is the status of that hedge?

• a.It is allowed because hedges are exempt
• b.It violates the Act only after 3 p.m.
• c.It is allowed because shade is under 25 percent
• d.It violates the Act's 10 percent limit✓

The Act bars trees or shrubs placed after installation from shading more than 10 percent of the collector absorption area between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local standard time. Fifteen percent at 11 a.m. exceeds that limit; the Act does not exempt hedges.California Public Resources Code 25982 (Solar Shade Control Act)

A homeowner's rooftop collector is designed to produce twice the building's electricity demand. How does the Solar Shade Control Act apply to it?

• a.It is protected if it faces true south
• b.It is protected only for the first 10 years
• c.It is outside the Act's "solar collector" definition✓
• d.It is protected only against shade from buildings

Public Resources Code 25981 excludes from the definition a solar collector designed and intended to offset more than the building's electricity demand. Orientation and age do not change that definition.California Public Resources Code 25981

An HOA requires a solar water heating system to use a different collector color that adds $400 to a $6,000 system and changes nothing else. Under Civil Code 714, is that a reasonable restriction?

• a.Yes; the added cost is under 10 percent✓
• b.No; HOAs may not regulate solar heaters
• c.No; any added cost makes it unreasonable
• d.Yes, but only if approved within 90 days

For solar water and pool heating, a restriction is significant if it adds more than 10 percent of the system cost (capped at $1,000) or cuts efficiency more than 10 percent. $400 is under 10 percent of $6,000, so the restriction can be reasonable.California Civil Code 714

A homeowner association denies a solar application by phone and never sends anything in writing. What does Civil Code 714 require of an association's decision?

• a.The approval or denial must be in writing✓
• b.Only approvals must be in writing
• c.A phone call is enough if it is recorded
• d.The decision must be mailed within 90 days

Civil Code 714 requires an association's approval or denial of a solar application to be in writing, and an application not denied in writing within 45 days is deemed approved.California Civil Code 714

A city's building official finds, with substantial evidence, that a proposed solar system could have a specific, adverse impact on public health and safety. What may the city then require?

• a.A larger system to offset the impact
• b.An application for a use permit✓
• c.Approval from the neighbors
• d.A design review for appearance

Government Code 65850.5 lets the city require a use permit only after such a finding based on substantial evidence; aesthetic design review is exactly the kind of barrier the statute discourages.California Government Code 65850.5

For a small residential rooftop solar system eligible for expedited review, how many inspections does state law require?

• a.As many as the building official wants
• b.One for framing and one for electrical
• c.Only one inspection✓
• d.Three: rough, final and utility

Government Code 65850.5 states that for an eligible small residential rooftop system only one inspection shall be required, which may be consolidated. A separate fire inspection is allowed only in limited circumstances.California Government Code 65850.5

Modules rated 40.2 V open-circuit go where the lowest expected temperature is −4 °C. Using the Guidebook's correction factor, what is the corrected voltage of a 13-module string?

• a.About 596 V
• b.About 585 V✓
• c.About 523 V
• d.About 467 V

The Guidebook uses a factor of 1.12 when the lowest temperature is at or above −5 °C: 40.2 × 13 × 1.12 ≈ 585 V. Without the factor, 40.2 × 13 = 522.6 V, which understates the cold-morning voltage.Solar Permitting Guidebook (OPR) standard plan

On a very hot afternoon, how does a crystalline PV module's output change compared with a cool morning at the same sunlight?

• a.Voltage rises and power rises
• b.Nothing changes; only sunlight matters
• c.Voltage drops noticeably and power falls✓
• d.Current drops sharply while voltage holds steady

DOE explains that higher temperatures cause a slight increase in current but a much larger decrease in voltage, so power falls. Cells work best at low temperatures.DOE, Solar Photovoltaic Performance and Efficiency Basics

What default total system loss does NREL's PVWatts Version 5 apply, and how is it combined?

• a.5 percent, applied to AC output only
• b.14 percent, from losses multiplied together✓
• c.14 percent, the simple sum of losses
• d.25 percent, the simple sum of losses

PVWatts uses a default total loss of 14 percent and notes that the total is not the sum of the individual losses; it is found by multiplying the reductions for soiling, shading, mismatch, wiring and the rest.NREL PVWatts Version 5 Manual

A customer is signing a power purchase agreement (PPA). What does the CSLB's Solar Smart guide say the customer pays for?

• a.The equipment, in fixed monthly lease payments
• b.Nothing, since the utility pays the company
• c.The system in full, at installation
• d.The power produced, at a set kWh price✓

The CSLB describes a PPA as allowing a company to install and own a system on the home while the customer buys the electricity it produces at a pre-established price per kWh, often with an escalator clause.CSLB Solar Smart

Which information must appear on the CSLB solar energy system disclosure document required by B&P 7169?

• a.The utility's future rate forecast
• b.The names of the crew members
• c.Total cost and payments, including financing✓
• d.The installer's home address

Section 7169 requires the disclosure document to show the total cost and payments for the system, including financing costs, along with complaint information and the consumer's cancellation right.California Business and Professions Code 7169

A solar contract is priced at $7,500. What is the most the contractor may collect as a down payment?

• a.$1,500
• b.$1,000
• c.$75
• d.$750✓

B&P 7159 caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Ten percent of $7,500 is $750, which is less than $1,000.California Business and Professions Code 7159