MN 6 Hour Rule & Law and Photovoltaics Course for PLTs

This class provides six non-code hours of continuing education approved for Power Limited Technicians (PLTs) with a focus on recent changes to rules and laws, including those on photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The class begins with a look at how the Minnesota Electrical Act approaches PLTs, including statutes on licensing, registration of unlicensed individuals, and requirement for operating an electrical business in Minnesota. The module finishes with how Supervision, Technology and Process Control Circuits or Systems, and Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, or Remote Control and Signaling Circuits are defined. The review of the Minnesota Electrical Act finishes with statutes on safety, inspections, fees, and manufactured electrical parts.

The class next addresses Administrative Rules, including selected rules from Chapter 3800 that clarify how the DLI administers licensing, designation of Responsible Electrician, advertising, inspections, PLT training programs, and "Exclusive Administrative Remedy". The portion of the course on rules finishes with a review of how Chapter 1300, the Minnesota Building Code, is applied and how it impacts PLTs.

The class approaches PV system regulation in Minnesota through a framework created by the DLI to answer common questions and concerns. This followed by a survey of IRC Section R324 [Solar Energy Systems] which has, for the first time, been adopted by Minnesota. The class then provides a review of 16 of the most significant 2020 NEC changes to codes on PV systems.

There is a guide to sizing a home solar electric system and to the components & configuration of a PV System, including energy storage systems, power conditioning equipment, batteries, charge controllers, and Balance of System (BOS) Components. The class finishes up with a review of conductors and wiring methods, including OCPD, disconnects, and grounding, and with a look at the future of photovoltaics.