Meet Your Instructors:
Marijn Janssen
Marijn Janssen is full professor in ICT & governance and chair of the Information and Communication Technology section of the Technology, Policy and Management Faculty of TU Delft. His research interests are in the field of orchestration, governance, shared services, intermediaries, open data and infrastructures within constellations of public and private organizations. Marijn was recently designated as the top researcher in the area of eGovernance, and has been recognized as such several times in the last decade.
Claudia Werker
Claudia Werker is an associate professor in Economics of Technology and Innovation at the Department Technology, Policy and Management at Delft University of Technology. She is also visiting professor at the Research Area Technology, Innovation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (TIME) at RWTH Aachen University. She has been teaching Bachelor, Master and PhD students in the field of Economics of Innovation and Technology. Claudia Werker received her PhD-degree in Economics (Dr. rer. pol.) from Freiberg University of Technology, Germany (summa cum laude). Starting with her PhD thesis she has been studying the creation and dissemination of innovation and knowledge in innovation systems. Currently, her recent research focuses on management of technology and innovation, the economic effects of big data and design for values.
Scott Cunningham
Scott Cunningham joined the faculty in 2004. Prior to joining TU Delft, he worked in the computer and software industry, creating analytical models for commercial clients. His work on national innovation indicators helps inform policy for the governments of the U.S., the U.K. and Malaysia. Scott Cunningham is interested in operations research and decision sciences approaches for policy making. In particular, he is interested in probabilistic models of social exchange. Other interests include building multi-actor systems theory through the economic sociology and innovation policy literatures. A recent publication is Tech Mining (with Alan Porter), a book on assessing new technology developments.
Meet Your Instructors:
Annemiek van Boeijen
Annemiek is assistant professor in industrial design and design aesthetics at the Delft University of Technology. She conducts research on the role of culture in design processes. She is co-editor of the Delft Design Guide. She received her MSc. and PhD from Delft University of Technology.
Jaap J.J. Daalhuizen
Jaap was assistant professor at the Delft University of Technology. He now works at the Technical University of Denmark. He conducts research in design methodology and design thinking. He is co-editor of the Delft Design Guide. He received his MSc. and PhD from Delft University of Technology.
Learner testimonials
About this course:
Photovoltaic systems are often placed into a microgrid, a local electricity distribution system that is operated in a controlled way and includes both electricity users and renewable electricity generation. This course deals with DC and AC microgrids and covers a wide range of topics, from basic definitions, through modelling and control of AC and DC microgrids to the application of adaptive protection in microgrids. You will master various concepts related to microgrid technology and implementation, such as smart grid and virtual power plant, types of distribution network, markets, control strategies and components. Among the components special attention is given to operation and control of power electronics interfaces.
What You Will Learn:
- Difference between a microgrid, a passive distribution grid and a virtual power plant
- Ancillary services provided by microgrids and PV
- Operation of centralized and decentralized control, forecasting, and evaluation of different market policies through a case study
- Operation of active power control and voltage regulation
- Different layouts and topologies of microgrids and power electronic components, and the role of power electronics converters in microgrids
- Microgrid protection, adaptive protection, and the consequences of using a fault current source and fault current limitation
- Main motivations and challenges for the implementation of DC microgrids
- Verified learners will have the added benefit of evaluating different strategies to control multiple inverters and to analyze local control to improve stability.
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering and/or the successful completion of PV1xPV2xand PV3x (or firm grasp of their content).
- In order to carry out the assignments in the course, you will need to install a free software which requires a 64-bit computer, 4 GB ram and 5-6 GB of hard-drive space.
- Operating systems supported: Window 7 or newer, OSX 10.10 (Yosemite) or newer, Ubuntu 14.04 or 16.04.
MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering
Master the technical knowledge needed for a career in solar energy
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microdgrids
Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Meet Your Instructors:
Seyedmahdi Izadkhast
Postdoctoral fellow researcher, DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage at TU Delft
Seyedmahdi Izadkhast received PhD degrees within SETS doctorate from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands; Comillas Pontifical University, Spain; KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Since January 2016, Dr. S. Izadkhast has been working as a postdoctoral research fellow with DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S) at the Delft University of Technology, where he is also the lecturer of "AC & DC Microgrids" course, and OnlineSolar and instructor/project leader of "Systems Engineering" course. Moreover, he has been involved in numerous international research projects like GRID4EU, NICE GRID, CSGriP, and DCSMART ERA-Net SG+.
Laura Ramirez
Assistant Professor of Energy Conversion at TU Delft
Laura Ramirez is an Assistant Professor of Energy Conversion with the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy of Delft University of Technology and DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage group (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science). In 2003, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and her Bachelor’s degree in Music with a major in Piano at the Universidad de Costa Rica (but she cannot improvise). She graduated with honors from her M.Sc. studies in Electrical Power Engineering at Delft University of Technology in 2007. Laura worked on her PhD project from September 2007 to December 2011. In 2013, she was awarded with the Erasmus Energy Science Award.
Pavol Bauer
Full Professor, Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy at TU Delft
Pavol Bauer is a full Professor in the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy of Delft University of Technology and head of DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage group. He earned his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Kosice (‘85) and Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology (’95). He has worked on many projects for industry, focusing on solar wind and wave energy, power electronic applications for power systems and electric mobility. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE (’97), former chairman of Benelux IEEE Joint Industry Applications Society, Power Electronics and Power Engineering Society chapter, chairman of the Power Electronics and Motion Control (PEMC) council, member of the Executive Committee of European Power Electronics Association (EPE).
About this course:
In this course you will learn how to turn solar cells into full modules; and how to apply full modules to full photovoltaic systems.
The course will widely cover the design of photovoltaic systems, such as utility scale solar farms or residential scale systems (both on and off the grid). You will learn about the function and operation of various components including inverters, batteries, DC-DC converters and their interaction with both the modules and the grid.
What You Will Learn:
- How to design a PV system ranging from a residential rooftop system to a utility scale solar farm taking in to account:
- The effects of the position of the sun and solar irradiance on PV module performance Components of a PV system:
- PV modules, inverters, DC-DC converters, batteries, charge controllers and cables
- The economics and impact on the grid of PV systems
- Audit learners can develop their skills and knowledge in relation to the above learning objectives by having access to the video lectures, a limited number of practice exercises and discussion forums.
- Verified learners are offered a number of study tools to demonstrate they have mastered the learning objectives. They will have access to all exercises: practice, graded and exams.
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering and/or the successful completion of PV1x and PV2x (or firm grasp of their content).
MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering
Master the technical knowledge needed for a career in solar energy
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microdgrids
Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Meet Your Instructors:
Olindo Isabella
Assistant Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. Olindo Isabella is assistant professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. Between 2011 and 2012 he was visiting researcher at AIST (Tsukuba, Japan) working on high performance thin-film a-SiGe:H absorber for multi-junction thin-film silicon solar cells. He received his PhD (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology in 2013 for his research on light management in thin-film silicon solar cells, overseeing activities on c-Si solar cells and PV systems. He has contributed to two scientific books, has 3 patent applications and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.” He developed and manages the Lab course on photovoltaics offering students hands-on experience with all aspects of photovoltaic systems.
Ravi Vasudevan
Postdoctoral Researcher with the Photovoltaic Materials and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. Ravi Vasudevan obtained his MSc and PhD from the Delft University of Technology. He has researched solar energy and is an expert in silicon heterojunction solar cells. He also is experienced in solar energy education. He has given many lecturers at the BSc and MSc level for various solar-based courses at TU Delft. He also helped to develop the MSc course in PV Systems taught at TU Delft and is in charge of managing the creation of the Solar Energy Engineering ProfEd series hosted on the edX platform.
About this course:
The technologies used to produce solar cells and photovoltaic modules are advancing to deliver highly efficient and flexible solar panels. In this course you will explore the main PV technologies in the current market. You will gain in-depth knowledge about crystalline silicon based solar cells (90% market share) as well as other emerging technologies including CdTe, CIGS and Perovskites. This courseprovides answers to the questions: How are solar cells made from raw materials? Which technologies have the potential to be the major players for different applications in the future?
What You Will Learn:
- Design concepts and fabrication processes of various photovoltaic technologies, In-depth knowledge on the entire crystalline silicon solar cell landscape including, Market-leading polycrystalline based cells
- High efficiency/cutting edge monocrystalline based solar cells
- Application of thin film solar cells, like CIGS, CdTe, thin-film silicon, Perovskites, Concentrated PV and space applications for III/V semiconductor based solar cells.
- Audit learners can develop their skills and knowledge in relation to the above learning objectives by having access to the video lectures, a limited number of practice exercises and discussion forum.
- Verified learners are offered a number of study tools to demonstrate they have mastered the learning objectives. They will have access to all exercises: practice, graded and exam questions.
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering and/or the successful completion of PV1x (or firm grasp of its content).
MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering
Master the technical knowledge needed for a career in solar energy
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microdgrids
Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Meet Your Instructors:
Arno Smets
Professor, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at Delft University of Technology
Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications. He is lecturer for BSc and MSc courses on Photovoltaics and Sustainable Energy at TU Delft. His online edX course on Solar Energy attracted over 150,000 students worldwide. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Professor Smets was awarded the first ever edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Online Teaching and Learning for his Solar Energy course. To learn more, visit here.
Miro Zeman
Head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at TU Delft
Professor Miro Zeman is the head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests encompass the development of novel materials and concepts for the improvement of thin-film silicon solar cell performance and modeling of devices based on amorphous semiconductors. Since receiving his PhD in 1989 he was in charge of more than 30 Dutch and 6 European projects dealing with the development of thin-film solar cells and technology for their fabrication. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 scientific publications; he contributed to 3 scientific books. He acts as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He regularly attends world conferences on advanced materials and photovoltaics in Europe, USA, Japan and China, where he contributed with more than 80 presentations. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
René van Swaaij
Associate Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. René van Swaaij is associate professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. He is the programme director of the master programme Sustainable Energy Technology. His research interests lie mainly with the processing of silicon based solar cells and the physics underlying the operation of these cells. He is in charge of several projects in the field of thin-film silicon solar cells and lectures on semiconductor device physics in BSc and MSc courses. René has authored and co-authored more than 100 journal and conference papers is and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
About this course:
The key factor in getting more efficient and cheaper solar energy panels is the advance in the development of photovoltaic cells. In this course you will learn how photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into useable electricity. You will also discover how to tackle potential loss mechanisms in solar cells. By understanding the semiconductor physics and optics involved, you will develop in-depth knowledge of how a photovoltaic cell works under different conditions. You will learn how to model all aspects of a working solar cell. For engineers and scientists working in the photovoltaic industry, this course is an absolute must to understand the opportunities for solar cell innovation.
What You Will Learn:
- The principles behind the potential loss mechanisms in photovoltaic devices
- The semiconductor physics necessary to understand solar cell performance and engineering
- The optics and light management tools necessary for optimal solar cell design
- To model all aspects of a working solar cell, understanding the efficiency limits and design rules
- Audit learners can develop their skills and knowledge in relation to the above learning objectives by having access to the video lectures, a limited number of practice exercises and discussion forums.
- Verified learners are offered a number of study tools to demonstrate they have mastered the learning objectives. They will have access to all exercises: practice, graded and exam questions.
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering or the successful completion of TU Delft’s MOOC Solar Energy
MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering
Master the technical knowledge needed for a career in solar energy
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microdgrids
Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Meet Your Instructors:
Arno Smets
Professor, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at Delft University of Technology
Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications. He is lecturer for BSc and MSc courses on Photovoltaics and Sustainable Energy at TU Delft. His online edX course on Solar Energy attracted over 150,000 students worldwide. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Professor Smets was awarded the first ever edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Online Teaching and Learning for his Solar Energy course. To learn more, visit here.
Miro Zeman
Head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at TU Delft
Professor Miro Zeman is the head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests encompass the development of novel materials and concepts for the improvement of thin-film silicon solar cell performance and modeling of devices based on amorphous semiconductors. Since receiving his PhD in 1989 he was in charge of more than 30 Dutch and 6 European projects dealing with the development of thin-film solar cells and technology for their fabrication. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 scientific publications; he contributed to 3 scientific books. He acts as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He regularly attends world conferences on advanced materials and photovoltaics in Europe, USA, Japan and China, where he contributed with more than 80 presentations. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
René van Swaaij
Associate Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. René van Swaaij is associate professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. He is the programme director of the master programme Sustainable Energy Technology. His research interests lie mainly with the processing of silicon based solar cells and the physics underlying the operation of these cells. He is in charge of several projects in the field of thin-film silicon solar cells and lectures on semiconductor device physics in BSc and MSc courses. René has authored and co-authored more than 100 journal and conference papers is and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Program overview
Solar energy technology use is expanding rapidly. The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) sector is the largest and fastest growing renewable energy employer worldwide with an increasing need for experts that can support this growth.
In this MicroMasters program you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the solar energy field and become a successful solar energy professional. This program will teach you what is expected from solar experts, and will prepare you for employment in various capacities including:
- Systems design and engineering
- Solar systems installation
- Device fabrication and characterization
- QA and reliability testing
- Project management and consultancy as well as (technical) sales
What will you learn
- The physics of and how to model all aspects of a working solar cell: performance, efficiency limits and design rules.
- Design concepts and fabrication processes of various photovoltaic (PV) technologies and applications.
- How to evaluate components of a PV system: PV modules, inverters, DC-DC converters, batteries, charge controllers and cables.
- Application techniques for designing a PV system ranging from a residential rooftop system to a utility scale solar farm.
- Design concepts of microgrids that include PV systems.
- How to assess the economics and ecology of PV systems and communicate these accordingly.
Program Class List
1Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Course Details
1
Learn how solar cells generate electricity, and about the semiconductor physics and optics required to design and manufacture solar cells.
2Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Course Details
2
Explore the main PV technologies in the current market, to gain in-depth knowledge on the design and processing methods of solar cells.
3Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Course Details
3
Explore the wide range of solar energy applications and learn to design a real PV installation with excellent performance and reliability.
4Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microgrids
Course Details
4
Learn how to integrate a photovoltaic system into a microgrid of your design.
5Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Course Details
5
Finalize the Solar Energy Engineering program to become a MicroMasters graduate.
Meet Your Instructors
Arno Smets
Professor, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at Delft University of Technology
Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications. He is lecturer for BSc and MSc courses on Photovoltaics and Sustainable Energy at TU Delft. His online edX course on Solar Energy attracted over 150,000 students worldwide. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Professor Smets was awarded the first ever edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Online Teaching and Learning for his Solar Energy course. To learn more, visit here.
Miro Zeman
Head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at TU Delft
Professor Miro Zeman is the head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests encompass the development of novel materials and concepts for the improvement of thin-film silicon solar cell performance and modeling of devices based on amorphous semiconductors. Since receiving his PhD in 1989 he was in charge of more than 30 Dutch and 6 European projects dealing with the development of thin-film solar cells and technology for their fabrication. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 scientific publications; he contributed to 3 scientific books. He acts as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He regularly attends world conferences on advanced materials and photovoltaics in Europe, USA, Japan and China, where he contributed with more than 80 presentations. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
René van Swaaij
Associate Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. René van Swaaij is associate professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. He is the programme director of the master programme Sustainable Energy Technology. His research interests lie mainly with the processing of silicon based solar cells and the physics underlying the operation of these cells. He is in charge of several projects in the field of thin-film silicon solar cells and lectures on semiconductor device physics in BSc and MSc courses. René has authored and co-authored more than 100 journal and conference papers is and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Olindo Isabella
Assistant Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. Olindo Isabella is assistant professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. Between 2011 and 2012 he was visiting researcher at AIST (Tsukuba, Japan) working on high performance thin-film a-SiGe:H absorber for multi-junction thin-film silicon solar cells. He received his PhD (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology in 2013 for his research on light management in thin-film silicon solar cells, overseeing activities on c-Si solar cells and PV systems. He has contributed to two scientific books, has 3 patent applications and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.” He developed and manages the Lab course on photovoltaics offering students hands-on experience with all aspects of photovoltaic systems.
Ravi Vasudevan
Postdoctoral Researcher with the Photovoltaic Materials and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. Ravi Vasudevan obtained his MSc and PhD from the Delft University of Technology. He has researched solar energy and is an expert in silicon heterojunction solar cells. He also is experienced in solar energy education. He has given many lecturers at the BSc and MSc level for various solar-based courses at TU Delft. He also helped to develop the MSc course in PV Systems taught at TU Delft and is in charge of managing the creation of the Solar Energy Engineering ProfEd series hosted on the edX platform.
Seyedmahdi Izadkhast
Postdoctoral fellow researcher, DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage at TU Delft
Seyedmahdi Izadkhast received PhD degrees within SETS doctorate from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands; Comillas Pontifical University, Spain; KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Since January 2016, Dr. S. Izadkhast has been working as a postdoctoral research fellow with DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S) at the Delft University of Technology, where he is also the lecturer of "AC & DC Microgrids" course, and OnlineSolar and instructor/project leader of "Systems Engineering" course. Moreover, he has been involved in numerous international research projects like GRID4EU, NICE GRID, CSGriP, and DCSMART ERA-Net SG+.
Laura Ramirez
Assistant Professor of Energy Conversion at TU Delft
Laura Ramirez is an Assistant Professor of Energy Conversion with the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy of Delft University of Technology and DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage group (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science). In 2003, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and her Bachelor’s degree in Music with a major in Piano at the Universidad de Costa Rica (but she cannot improvise). She graduated with honors from her M.Sc. studies in Electrical Power Engineering at Delft University of Technology in 2007. Laura worked on her PhD project from September 2007 to December 2011. In 2013, she was awarded with the Erasmus Energy Science Award.
Pavol Bauer
Full Professor, Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy at TU Delft
Pavol Bauer is a full Professor in the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy of Delft University of Technology and head of DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage group. He earned his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Kosice (‘85) and Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology (’95). He has worked on many projects for industry, focusing on solar wind and wave energy, power electronic applications for power systems and electric mobility. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE (’97), former chairman of Benelux IEEE Joint Industry Applications Society, Power Electronics and Power Engineering Society chapter, chairman of the Power Electronics and Motion Control (PEMC) council, member of the Executive Committee of European Power Electronics Association (EPE).
About This Course:
In this course you will gain access to two final exams. The first exam covers the content of PV1x and PV2x, and the second exam covers the content of PV3x and PV4x. For each exam you are given two attempts. You will be given exam preparation material to help you prepare.
The exams are offered in the format of proctored exams. To read more about proctored exam and to review the technical requirements, review the edX’s help pages.
What You Will Learn:
- The various methods of converting solar energy into electricity, heat and solar fuels
- The physical working principles of photovoltaic conversion in solar cells
- How to recognize and describe the various solar cell technologies, their current status and future technological challenges
- How to analyze the performance of solar cells and modules How to design a complete photovoltaic system for any particular application on paper
Prerequisites:
- Basic knowledge of physics and mathematical skills, such as integration and differentiation, are preferred.
MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering
Master the technical knowledge needed for a career in solar energy
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microdgrids
Solar Energy Engineering: Comprehensive Exams
Meet Your Instructors:
Arno Smets
Professor, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at Delft University of Technology
Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications. He is lecturer for BSc and MSc courses on Photovoltaics and Sustainable Energy at TU Delft. His online edX course on Solar Energy attracted over 150,000 students worldwide. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Professor Smets was awarded the first ever edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Online Teaching and Learning for his Solar Energy course. To learn more, visit here.
Miro Zeman
Head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at TU Delft
Professor Miro Zeman is the head of the Electrical Sustainable Energy department at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests encompass the development of novel materials and concepts for the improvement of thin-film silicon solar cell performance and modeling of devices based on amorphous semiconductors. Since receiving his PhD in 1989 he was in charge of more than 30 Dutch and 6 European projects dealing with the development of thin-film solar cells and technology for their fabrication. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 scientific publications; he contributed to 3 scientific books. He acts as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He regularly attends world conferences on advanced materials and photovoltaics in Europe, USA, Japan and China, where he contributed with more than 80 presentations. He is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
René van Swaaij
Associate Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. René van Swaaij is associate professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. He is the programme director of the master programme Sustainable Energy Technology. His research interests lie mainly with the processing of silicon based solar cells and the physics underlying the operation of these cells. He is in charge of several projects in the field of thin-film silicon solar cells and lectures on semiconductor device physics in BSc and MSc courses. René has authored and co-authored more than 100 journal and conference papers is and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.”
Olindo Isabella
Assistant Professor, Photovoltaics Material and Devices at TU Delft
Dr. Olindo Isabella is assistant professor in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the TU Delft faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. Between 2011 and 2012 he was visiting researcher at AIST (Tsukuba, Japan) working on high performance thin-film a-SiGe:H absorber for multi-junction thin-film silicon solar cells. He received his PhD (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology in 2013 for his research on light management in thin-film silicon solar cells, overseeing activities on c-Si solar cells and PV systems. He has contributed to two scientific books, has 3 patent applications and is co-author of the book “Solar Energy. The physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems.” He developed and manages the Lab course on photovoltaics offering students hands-on experience with all aspects of photovoltaic systems.
About this course
This course focuses on conventional technologies for drinking water treatment. Unit processes, involved in the treatment chain, are discussed as well as the physical, chemical and biological processes involved. The emphasis is on the effect of treatment on water quality and the dimensions of the unit processes in the treatment chain. After the course one should be able to recognise the process units, describe their function, and make basic calculations for a preliminary design of a drinking water treatment plant.
The course consists of 4 modules:
- Introduction to drinking water treatment. In this module you learn to describe the important disciplines, schemes and evaluation criteria involved in the design phase.
- Water quality. In this module you learn to identify the drinking water quality parameters to be improved and explain what treatment train or scheme is needed.
- Groundwater treatment. In this module you learn to calculate the dimensions of the groundwater treatment processes and draw groundwater treatment schemes.
- Surface water treatment. In this module you learn to calculate the dimensions of the surface water treatment processes and draw surface water treatment schemes.
This course in combination with the courses “Introduction to Water and Climate” and “Introduction to the Treatment of Urban Sewage” forms the Water XSeries, by DelftX.
What you’ll learn
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Recognize the process units in urban water services, focusing on basic drinking water technologies
- Describe the function of these process units
- Describe the physical and chemical processes involved
- Make simple design calculations on drinking water treatment plants
XSeries Program in Water Management
Explore water management concepts and technologies
Introduction to Water and Climate
Drinking Water Treatment
Urban Sewage Treatment
Meet Your Instructors
Luuk Rietveld
Professor of Urban Water Cycle Technology at Delft University of Technology
Luuk Rietveld is professor of Urban Water Cycle Technology at Delft University of Technology. After finalizing his studies in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology in 1987, he worked, until 1991, as lecturer/researcher in Sanitary Engineering at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique. Between 1991 and 1994, he was employed at the Management Centre for International Co-operation, and since 1994 he has had an appointment at the Department of Water Management of Delft University of Technology. In 2005, he defended his PhD thesis entitled "Improving Operation of Drinking Water Treatment through Modelling".
Doris van Halem
Associate Professor, Sanitary Engineering at Delft University of Technology
Doris van Halem is Associate Professor within the Department of Water Management, section Sanitary Engineering of Delft University of Technology. Her research has an international orientation with an emphasis on understanding natural processes for development of innovative, sustainable water technologies. As Scientific Director of TU Delft Global Drinking Water Programme, Dr. van Halem is in charge of drinking water research with and in the Global South.
She graduated from Delft University of Technology in Civil Engineering and Geosciences with a cum laude MSc degree (2007). In 2011 she completed her PhD research (with honours) on subsurface iron and arsenic removal for drinking water supply in Bangladesh. Currently she supervises BSc, MSc and PhD students, in their studies towards development of new, smart drinking water solutions.
Program overview
Safe water supply and hygienic water treatment are prerequisites for the well-being of communities all over the world. This Water XSeries, offered by the water management experts of TU Delft, will give you a unique opportunity to gain access to world-class knowledge and expertise in this field.
This 3-course series will cover questions such as: How does climate change affect water cycle and public safety? How to use existing technologies to treat groundwater and surface water so we have safe drinking water? How do we take care of sewage produced in the cities on a daily basis? You will learn what are the physical, chemical and biological processes involved; carry out simple experiments at home; and have the chance to make a basic design of a drinking water treatment plant
What will you learn
- An understanding of the global water cycle and its various processes
- The mechanisms of climate change and their effects on water systems
- Drinking treatment and quality of groundwater and surfacewater
- The major pollutants that are present in the sewage
- The physical, chemical, and biological processes involved in water treatment and distribution
- How urban water services function and the technologies they use
Program Class List
1Urban Sewage Treatment
Course Details
1
Learn about urban water services, focusing on basic sewage treatment technologies.
2Drinking Water Treatment
Course Details
2
Learn about urban water services, focusing on conventional technologies for drinking water treatment.
3Introduction to Water and Climate
Course Details
3
Water is a crucial element in climate and for society. Find out about the latest engineering interventions for water management in rivers, coasts and the urban environment.
Meet Your Instructors
Caroline Katsman
Associate Professor, Oceans and Climate at Delft University of Technology
Caroline Katsman is Associate Professor in Physical Oceanography in the Environmental Fluidmechanics section of the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. Her research focuses on the large-scale ocean circulation and its role for climate. In 2014, she received a personal mid-career grant (NWO-VIDI grant) to study how ocean eddies govern the response of the ocean circulation to high-latitude climate change. Before coming to Delft she worked at KNMI (the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) as a climate researcher. Besides her scientific work on ocean warming and future sea level change, she advised the Dutch government on coastal defence policy strategies.
Nick van de Giesen
Professor in Water Resources Management at Delft University of Technology
Since July 2004, Nick van de Giesen has held the Van Kuffeler Chair of Water Resources Management of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. He teaches Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Management. His main interests are the modeling of complex water resources systems and the development of science-based decision support systems. The interaction between water systems and their users is the core theme in both research portfolio and teaching curriculum. Since 1 April 2009, he is chairman of the Delft Research Initiative Environment.
Herman Russchenberg
Professor in Atmospheric Remote Sensing at Delft University of Technology
Herman Russchenberg is engaged in intensive and extensive research into the causes of climate change. His own research involves investigating the role played by clouds and dust particles in the atmosphere, but he is also head of the TU Delft Climate Institute, established in March 2012 to bring together TU Delft researchers working on all aspects of climate and climate change. Russchenberg started out in the faculty of Electrical Engineering, conducting research into the influence of the atmosphere (rain, clouds) on satellite signals. After obtaining his PhD in 1992, he shifted his attention to the physics of water vapour, water droplets, dust particles, sunlight, radiation and emissions in the atmosphere. He is now based in the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences.
Hubert Savenije
Professor of Hydrology, head of the Water Resources Section at Delft University of Technology
Prof. Savenije was born in 1952 in the Netherlands and studied at the Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands, where he obtained his MSc in 1977 in Hydrology. As a young graduate hydrologist he worked for six years in Mozambique where he developed a theory on salt intrusion in estuaries and studied the hydrology of international rivers. From 1985-1990 he worked as an international consultant mostly in Asia and Africa. He joined academia in 1990 to complete his PhD in 1992. In 1994 he was appointed Professor of Water Resources Management at the IHE (now UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education) in Delft, the Netherlands. Since 1999, he is Professor of Hydrology at the Delft University of Technology, where he is the head of the Water Resources Section. He is President of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences and Executive Editor of the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.
Marcel Stive
Emeritus Professor of Coastal Engineering at Delft University of Technology
Marcel Stive studied Civil engineering at the Delft University of Technology, where he graduated in 1977 and received his doctorate in 1988. After graduating in 1977 Stive started working at WL-Delft Hydraulics, where he worked until 1992. In 1992 he became a professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. In 1994 her returned to WL-Delft Hydraulics and at the same time began to work as a professor of Coastal Morphodynamics at the Delft University of Technology. Since 2001 Stive is a professor of Coastal Engineering at Delft University of Technology and he is the scientific director of the Water Research Centre Delft since 2003.
Luuk Rietveld
Professor of Urban Water Cycle Technology at Delft University of Technology
Luuk Rietveld is professor of Urban Water Cycle Technology at Delft University of Technology. After finalizing his studies in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology in 1987, he worked, until 1991, as lecturer/researcher in Sanitary Engineering at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique. Between 1991 and 1994, he was employed at the Management Centre for International Co-operation, and since 1994 he has had an appointment at the Department of Water Management of Delft University of Technology. In 2005, he defended his PhD thesis entitled "Improving Operation of Drinking Water Treatment through Modelling".
Doris van Halem
Associate Professor, Sanitary Engineering at Delft University of Technology
Doris van Halem is Associate Professor within the Department of Water Management, section Sanitary Engineering of Delft University of Technology. Her research has an international orientation with an emphasis on understanding natural processes for development of innovative, sustainable water technologies. As Scientific Director of TU Delft Global Drinking Water Programme, Dr. van Halem is in charge of drinking water research with and in the Global South.
She graduated from Delft University of Technology in Civil Engineering and Geosciences with a cum laude MSc degree (2007). In 2011 she completed her PhD research (with honours) on subsurface iron and arsenic removal for drinking water supply in Bangladesh. Currently she supervises BSc, MSc and PhD students, in their studies towards development of new, smart drinking water solutions.
Anke Grefte
Project Manager, Open, Online and Blended Education for the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Delft University of Technology
Anke Grefte is Project Manager, Open, Online and Blended Education for the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology. She graduated from Delft University of Technology in Civil Engineering with a master’s thesis entitled "Behaviour of particles in a drinking water distribution network; test rig results". For this thesis Anke was awarded the Gijs Oskam award for best young researcher. In November 2013, she finished her Ph.D. research on the removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) fractions by ion exchange and the impact on drinking water treatment processes and biological stability.
Jules van Lier
Professor, Sanitary Engineering at Delft University of Technology
Jules van Lier is full professor of Environmental Engineering and Wastewater Treatment at the Sanitary Engineering Section of Delft University of Technology and has a 1 day per week posted position at the Unesco-IHE Institute for Water Education, also in Delft Jules van Lier accomplished his PhD on Thermophilic Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment under the supervision of Prof. Gatze Lettinga (1995) at Wageningen University. Throughout his career he has been involved as a senior researcher / project manager in various (inter)national research projects, working on cost-effective water treatment for resource recovery (water, nutrients, biogas, elements). His research projects are focused on closing water cycles in industries and sewage water recovery for irrigated agriculture. The further development of anaerobic treatment technology is his prime focus. In addition to university work he is an Executive Board Member and Scientific Advisor to the LeAF Foundation; regional representative for Western Europe Anaerobic Digestion Specialist group of the International Water Association (IWA); editor of scientific journals (e.g Water Science Technology and Advances in Environmental Research and Development); member of the Paques Technological Advisory Commission; and member of the Advisory Board of World-Waternet, Amsterdam.
Merle de Kreuk
Associate Professor, Sanitary Engineering at Delft University of Technology
Merle de Kreuk is a wastewater Associate Professor at the Sanitary Engineering department of the Delft University of Technology. Her research focus is on (municipal and industrial) wastewater treatment systems and anaerobic processes, aiming to link the world of Biotechnology to the Civil Engineering, as well as fundamental research to industrial applications. Her main research topics are hydrolysis processes in anaerobic treatment and granule formation and deterioration. Merle’s PhD and Post-Doc research involved the development of aerobic granular sludge technology and up scaling the technology from a three litre lab scale reactor to the full scale Nereda® process®. The first application of aerobic granular sludge technology in the Netherlands was opened in May 2012, and currently many more installations are being built, due to its compactness, low energy use and good effluent characteristics. Her previous work experience also involved the position of water treatment technology innovator at Water authority Hollandse Delta on projects such as the Energy Factory in which 14 water authorities cooperated to develop an energy producing sewage treatment plant.
