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Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies

Course 2 of 5: MicroMasters® Program in Solar Energy Engineering 11 weeks total 10 - 11 hours per week recommended
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Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies

11 weeks total
10 - 11 hours per week

Scheduled Start:
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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
5 1 year 1 month in total 9 - 10 hours each week
Complete Program $1125.00
Program Details

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.”
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Experience Level

Advanced

Learning Partner

Delft University of Technology

Program Type

MicroMasters®

Subject

Electronics Physics