NORRISTOWN, PA – Megger recently donated a solar clamp meter to Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training & Education Trust, a joint labor-management training program located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, whose solar array was destroyed during a windstorm. The DCM1500S can measure up to 2,000 V DC and 1,500 V AC (using PVHV leads) during installation, maintenance, monitoring and testing of photovoltaic systems and standard AC or DC electrical equipment. It can also measure AC and DC current up to 1,500 A and offers a true RMS reading on the AC range for greater measurement accuracy.
Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training & Education Trust has approximately 165 electrical construction industry apprentices enrolled in its 5-year program. Each year the apprentices complete 190 classroom hours and participate in 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. Part of the curriculum is dedicated to solar PV systems. When a windstorm destroyed the school’s solar array, several instructors worked together to rebuild it using Megger’s DCM1500S.
“During the rebuild of the array, we used the DCM1500S to take voltage and amperage readings on the load side of the arrays microinverters. We then installed ten, 310-watt modules, mounted on top of a pole rack in the training center parking lot. In just a few short days, the new installation was erected. The DCM1500S was the perfect solar, hands-on training tool for the hundreds of students and apprentices”, said Mike Carson, training director, Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training & Education Trust.
After installation, the team connected the DCM1500S directly to the solar module to verify the voltage output and used the temperature feature to compare the ambient outdoor air temperature to the surface temperature of the model.
“The meter is user friendly, and the variety of test lead options is impressive,” explained Carson. “This is the first meter we’ve used that was designed specifically for solar installations, and the ability to connect directly to the individual solar modules is great.”
Instructors at Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training & Education Trust are looking forward to using the DCM1500S in upcoming solar PV courses as a learning tool for students.
For more information please visit: https://us.megger.com.
