Description:

Solar energy. Photovoltaic phenomena. Photovoltaic cells and modules and their characteristics. Photovoltaic systems and their applications. Photo-thermal phenomena.Photo-thermal power stations. Significance, economic and environmental aspects of solar energy exploitation.

Contents:

1 Basics knowledge necessary for laboratory tasks  
2 Problem of fossil fuels, solar energy form and availability on Earth
3 PV effect, PV cells, basic structure and characteristics
4 Construction and technology of photovoltaic cells
5 Construction and technology of photovoltaic modules
6 Characterization and diagnostic methods in PV
7 Autonomous PV systems
8 Grid-connected PV systems
9 PV system optimization 
10 Economical and ecological aspects of PV
11 BIPV, solar thermal, concentration systems
12 Thin-film technologies, new technologies

Seminar contents:

1 Introductional, Occupational safety and health, First aid
2 Spectroscopic properties of materials
3 Spectroscopic properties of light and cells
4 Module testing, effect of serial and parallel resistance
5 Module testing, effect of shading
6 Diagnostics of modules by thermography
7 Diagnostics of modules by electroluminescence
8 Concentrator photovoltaics and solar thermal
9 Computer design of a residential PV systems
10 Experimental analysis of laboratory on-grid PV system
11 Computer simulation of residential PV systems with batteries
12 Experimental analysis of laboratory off-grid PV system
13 Assesment test
14 Assesment test

Recommended literature:

[1] Gordon, J., et al: Solar Energy - the State of the Art, James & James(Science Publishesrs), London, 2001

[2] A. Luque and Steven Hegedus (editors), Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering,
2011 John Wiley & Sons
[3] A. Smets, K. Jäger, O. Isablla, R. van Swaaij and M. Zeman, Solar Energy, UIT Cambridge Ltd., Cambridge,2016

[4] T. M. Letcher and V. M. Fthenakis (editors) A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy
Systems With Special Focus on Photovoltaic Systems, 2018 Elsevier Inc

[5] Konrad Mertens, Photovoltaics: fundamentals, technology and practice, Wiley 2018, ISBN: 1119401046

Keywords:

Solar energy, irradiance, atmospheric mass, photovoltaic phenomena, photon absorption, carrier generation, carrier recombination, PV cells, PN junction, heterojunction, crystalline silicon cells, BSF cells, PERC cells, IBC cells, HJT cells, thin film cells, PV modules, PV module parameters, stand-alone PV systems, on-grid PV systems, energy storage, PV inverters, BOS, PV system operating, PV system maintenance, reference yield, performance ratio, PV module degradation

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar