10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The PVI1 exam has 75 questions and runs 2 hours.
These 10 free PVI1 questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Photovoltaic Installer - Level 1 blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A rooftop PV owner uses the generated electricity on site but sells the associated Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. What does the SREC buyer acquire?
Correct answer: C - The renewable attributes of the generation represented by the certificates.
An installer calls a rooftop module test an STC test because plane-of-array irradiance is 1,000 W/m² and ambient air is 25°C. Cell temperature was not measured. Which objection to that claim is technically correct?
Correct answer: A - STC uses 25°C cell temperature, not 25°C ambient air.
Charging current into a flooded lead-acid bank begins to taper while its controller holds the manufacturer's absorption-voltage setpoint. Sunlight is steady, battery temperature is normal, and the programmed absorption-completion criterion has not been reached. The appropriate response is to:
Correct answer: D - Allow absorption to continue until its programmed completion criterion is met.
A properly zeroed DC clamp meter surrounds both the positive and negative insulated conductors of a producing PV string. It reads nearly zero, although the inverter reports normal input current. Before opening any equipment, how should the installer resolve the discrepancy?
Correct answer: B - Measure one insulated conductor at a time, leaving the circuit connected.
Before replacing a DC combiner component, a technician locks open the inverter's AC breaker. The inverter display goes dark, but the sunlit PV strings remain connected to the combiner. What must happen before the component is treated as de-energized?
Correct answer: A - Complete all-source isolation and verify absence of voltage at the component.
During a de-energized inspection of a ground-mounted array, the frames and rack are bonded together and connected to a ground rod. The equipment grounding conductor back to the inverter has been severed. Neither PV current-carrying conductor is intended to be grounded. Which repair restores the missing protective path?
Correct answer: C - Restore the specified equipment grounding conductor and the rack bond.
A chimney shadow crosses one cell group in an otherwise illuminated PV string. An I-V trace develops a distinct step; a trace taken after the shadow moves away is smooth. Cell temperature and irradiance on the unshaded modules remain essentially unchanged. Which mechanism accounts for the temporary step?
Correct answer: D - Conduction through the shaded cell group's bypass diode.
During bulk charging, simultaneous measurements at an MPPT controller show 72 V at 8 A on the PV input and 27 V at 20 A delivered to the battery. Both readings are within the equipment ratings. Which interpretation fits these measurements?
Correct answer: A - The controller is trading higher input voltage for greater charging current, with losses.
For a cold-weather string-length check, a module's open-circuit voltage is 46.0 V at a cell temperature of 25°C. Its linear Voc temperature coefficient is −0.30%/°C, and the minimum design cell temperature is −15°C. The inverter's absolute maximum DC input is 600 V. All other design constraints are satisfied. What is the largest permissible number of modules in series?
Correct answer: B - 11 modules
An off-grid cabin must receive 3.6 kWh of AC energy per day for two days with no charging. The battery bank operates at a nominal 48 V; permitted depth of discharge is 50%, and DC-to-AC delivery efficiency is 90%. Capacity ratings apply at the expected temperature and discharge rate, with no additional losses or reserve required. Which is the smallest listed bank that meets the energy requirement?
Correct answer: C - 350 Ah
The PVI1 exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
The full bank has 1,020 more PVI1 questions with explanations.
Continue in the free practice test →
View plans