Final Project Presentation – SS3 Solar Photovoltaic Installation & Maintenance Lesson Note (Third Term)

A final project presentation is a talk in which you explain, demonstrate and defend your solar PV design before examiners, whether you worked alone or in a group.

• Class: SS3
• Subject: Solar Photovoltaic Installation and Maintenance
• Topic: Presenting Your Individual or Group Solar Projects

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State what examiners look for in a solar project presentation.
2. Present a solar project in four parts: the problem, the solution, the technical details and the demonstration.
3. List the items that belong in a Project Technical Folder.
4. Answer examiners’ questions calmly, using their own project as evidence.
5. Describe the safety and neatness points that earn higher marks.

What is the goal of a final project presentation?

The goal is to prove that you understand how and why your solar system works, not only that the lights turn on.

• Describe: state the client’s needs and the equipment you chose.
• Calculate: show the load, battery and panel sizing behind your design.
• Demonstrate: switch the system on and show it working.
• Defend: answer the examiners’ questions and explain your choices.

What do examiners look for in a solar project presentation?

Examiners look for four things: clarity, confidence, professionalism and safe working practice.

• Clarity: you can explain a complex solar setup in simple words.
• Confidence: you know your numbers, such as load, battery size and panel wattage.
• Professionalism: your project is neat and well organised.
• Safe working practice: you follow safety rules and can say which ones you followed.

How should you structure your presentation?

A good presentation has four parts in this order: the problem, the solution, the technical details and the demonstration.

1. The problem (the client’s needs)

• Say who the client is: name the house or business you designed for.
• State the need: list the appliances and the hours of use.
• Example: “I designed this for a barber shop that needs to run two clippers and a fan for 8 hours a day.”

2. The solution (your design)

• Name your equipment: panels, charge controller, battery and inverter.
• Give a reason for each choice: link every item to the client’s need.
• Example: “I used two 200W monocrystalline panels because the shop roof is very small.”

3. The technical details

• Show your maths: present the load calculation and how you reached the battery capacity.
• Use your folder: point to the load table and formula as you speak.

4. The demonstration

• Switch the system on: let the examiners see the loads running.
• Show live data: use the monitoring app or the charge controller screen.
• Explain what they see: for example, battery voltage and charging status.

How do you show the sizing calculation?

Energy used by an appliance in watt-hours is its power in watts multiplied by its hours of use.

1. List each appliance with its power in watts and hours of use per day.
2. Find the energy of each appliance: Watts × Hours = Watt-hours (Wh).
3. Add the watt-hours of all appliances to get the total daily load.
4. Divide the total watt-hours by the battery voltage to get the battery capacity in ampere-hours (Ah).
5. Choose panels and a battery that cover this load, and explain why.

Worked example (illustrative figures only)

• Battery capacity at 12V: 400 Wh ÷ 12 V gives about 33 Ah, before any allowance for losses.
• Your own project: use your real appliance ratings and your own allowances.

What visual aids and documentation do you need?

A Project Technical Folder is a file or poster that holds the written evidence for your project.

What should be inside your folder or on your poster?

How do you handle the Q&A (questions and answers)?

The Q&A is the part where examiners ask questions after your talk, and it is your chance to show what you know.

Which common questions should you prepare for?

How should you answer?

• Do not rush: take a breath before answering.
• Be honest: if you do not know a specific number, explain the principle behind it.
• Refer to your project: point to your diagram or your multimeter reading to support your answer.
• Keep answers short: answer the question asked, then stop.

What final tips help you get high marks?

High marks come from small details that other students may forget.

1. The “safety” mention: say that you checked for loose connections and used insulated tools. Safety is a major part of the grading.
2. Neatness: tie wires together neatly with trunking or cable ties. A “spaghetti” of wires looks unprofessional.
3. Teamwork (for groups): do not let one person do all the talking. The “Sizing Specialist” and the “Installer” must both understand the whole project.
4. The “IoT” factor: if your project uses smart monitoring, show how the app helps the customer. This shows you are a modern, 21st-century technician.

Evaluation

1. State the three things examiners look for in a presentation.
2. List the four parts of a good presentation in order.
3. Name four items that should be in your Project Technical Folder.
4. Write the sizing formula for watt-hours.
5. What should you do if an examiner asks for a specific number you cannot remember?

Assignment

Prepare a one-page outline for presenting your own solar project. Use the four-part structure (problem, solution, technical details, demonstration). Then list the items you will put in your Project Technical Folder and the safety points you will mention.