Solar Energy - Technology and Systems

About the course

The course covers six thematic areas:

Solar radiation: Properties of sunlight. Absorption by the atmosphere. Calculation of solar irradiance at surfaces.

Solar cells and modules: The function of solar cells from semiconductor physics. Different solar cell technologies and fabrication methods. Concepts for increasing efficiency based on loss analysis. Wavelength sensitivity. Series connection of solar cells to modules. Module function and characteristics. Shading of cells and modules.

Solar cell systems: System components and their functions. Calculating output and dimensioning of solar cell systems. Analysis and computer simulation of a solar cell system. Concentrated sunlight and solar power (CSP). Properties of optical concentration systems. Solar cells in concentrated sunlight. Overview of the different components in a CSP system and their functions. Examples of CSP-systems globally.

Solar thermal: Thermodynamic description of solar collectors. Optical properties of solar collectors and technologies for fabrication. Solar thermal systems for different applications in Sweden and abroad. Storage of solar generated heat.

Hybrid systems: Combinations of solar thermal and solar cell systems. Overview of different applications. District heating with solar thermal components.

Active solar energy in systems: How large scale deployment of active solar energy is possible in Sweden and globally. Buying and selling heat and electric energy. Grid aspects of large scale deployment of solar cells as well as environmental and socioeconomic aspects.