A solar hot water system is only as good as the person who sized, installed, and commissioned it — which is exactly the gap this Arab British Fellowship Training Academy programme is built to close. Rather than starting from theory, the course puts installers, engineers, and designers through the hands-on skills needed to specify, install, commission, and maintain a solar home hot water system, then backs that up with the underlying science.

Candidates work through practical exercises such as system commissioning and troubleshooting, alongside current regulations, system selection, and design theory. This accredited course is delivered by a team of qualified and experienced tutors, preparing participants for success in the renewable energy and solar industries locally and internationally.

Who Should Attend?

• Installers and anyone involved in installing, commissioning, or maintaining solar domestic hot water systems.
• Technicians interested in learning how to install, maintain, and repair solar thermal systems.
• Engineers, designers, and architects working with both basic and advanced solar system concepts.

Course Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Distinguish between renewable energy sources and plant types, and identify safety hazards with appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Perform system sizing calculations, assess suitability for different system types and climates, and estimate energy production based on orientation and tilt angle.
• Identify components unique to solar water heaters and solar pool heating systems, and describe how to attach hardware to the collector.
• List the applications, operations, and features of Solar Pool Heating, ICS, Thermosiphon, Direct Forced Circulation, Drain-back, and Freeze Protection systems.
• Read specifications for various solar collectors and determine performance under different environmental and operating conditions.
• Use the tools common to the solar heating industry safely, and determine magnetic declination, azimuth, elevation angles, and shadow potential for a site.
• Evaluate which solar heating system suits a given site and apply the relevant regulations and standards for installation, operation, and maintenance.

Module 1: Site Assessment and Solar Resource

• Position and orientation.
• Solar resource evaluation.
• Calculation of heat demand, occupancy, and sanitary hot water needs.

Module 2: System Types and Components

• Types of solar systems available.
• Passive components.
• Energy storage and calculation of storage amount (ground storage).

Module 3: Design and Sizing

• Calculating the design area required for the system.
• Installation of systems, tanks, solar control panels, and solar hydraulic circuits.

Module 4: Budget, Regulation, and Return on Investment

• Budget planning and regulation.
• Installation timeline and cost.
• Savings achieved and markets and incentives (RHI).