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Solar PV Technology

The course covers topics such as solar energy, solar PV physics and key materials, solar cell technologies, PV modules manufacturing and their technical and performance parameters.

 

Learning Objectives

  • Grasp the fundamental principles of solar energy and the key solar energy technologies
  • Comprehend the photovoltaic effect, along with the benefits and drawbacks of solar PV
  • Get an introduction to semiconductor processing and the underlying physics and materials of solar PV technology
  • Understand the solar cell production process, including polysilicon, ingot, and wafer formation
  • Learn about different solar PV cell technologies, such as silicon-based (e.g. BSF, PERC, HIT, TOPCon, HJT, IBC), thin-film, and emerging PV technologies, as well as their technological advancements
  • Understand the materials and manufacturing processes of solar PV modules
  • Learn about efficiency, power rating, and key parameters for evaluating PV module performance
  • Gain insight into price trends and the geographical landscape of the solar PV value chain


Course Syllabus (5 modules, 83 lessons, 91 figures, 5 quizzes)

1. Introduction to Solar PV 1.1 Rise of Renewable Energy, 1.2 The Power of the Sun, 1.3 Solar Energy Technologies, 1.4 Overview of Solar PV, 1.4.1 Advantages of Solar PV Technology, 1.4.2 Challenges Related to Solar PV Systems, 1.4.3 Brief History of Solar PV, 1.4.4 Current Development and Prospects of Solar PV, 1.4.5 Regional Insights, 1.4.6 Cost of Solar PV, 1.4.7 Efficiency of Solar PV.

2. Solar PV Cells: Principles and Fabrication 2.1 Introduction to PV Cells, 2.2 Overview of Semiconductor Processing, 2.3 Doped Silicon, 2.3.1 n-type Semiconductor, 2.3.2 p-type Semiconductor, 2.3.3 Energy Band Structure for n-type and p-type Semiconductors, 2.3.4 The p-n Junction, 2.4 Polysilicon Production, 2.5 Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon, 2.6 Wafer Formation, 2.6.1 Evolution of Wafer Sizes, 2.6.2 Decreasing Wafer Thickness and Kerf Loss, 2.6.3 Wafer Price Trend, 2.6.4 Surface Texturing, 2.6.5 Adding the n-Type Layer, 2.6.6 Screen Printing.

3. Solar PV Cell Technologies 3.1 Classification of PV Cells, 3.2 Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells, 3.2.1 Back Surface Field (BSF) Solar Cells, 3.2.2 Passive Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) Solar Cells, 3.2.3 Passive Emitter and Rear Locally Diffused (PERL) and Passive Emitter and Rear Totally Diffused (PERT) Solar Cells, 3.2.4 Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-Layer (HIT) Solar Cells, 3.2.5 Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) Solar Cells, 3.2.6 Heterojunction Technology (HJT) Solar Cells, 3.2.7 Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) Solar Cells, 3.2.8 Metal Wrap Through (MWT) Solar Cells, 3.2.9 Market Share of Different Crystalline Silicon Solar PV Cells, 3.3 Thin-Film PV Technologies, 3.3.1 Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells, 3.3.2 Micro-crystalline Silicon Solar Cells, 3.3.3 Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells, 3.3.4 Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) Solar Cells, 3.3.5 III-V Materials Solar Cells, 3.3.6 Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulfur and Copper-Zinc-Tin-Selenium (CZTS) Solar Cells, 3.3.7 Organic and Dye-sensitized Solar Cells, 3.3.8 Perovskite Solar Cells, 3.4 Multi-junction Solar Cells, 3.5 Half-cut Solar Cells, 3.6 Busbars, 3.7 Solar Cells Efficiency Comparison.

4. Solar PV Module Manufacturing 4.1 Introduction to PV Modules, 4.2 Solar PV Module Bill of Materials (BoM), 4.2.1 Solar PV Cell Interconnections, 4.2.2 Encapsulant, 4.2.3 Glass and Backsheet Layers, 4.2.4 Frame, 4.2.5 Junction Box, 4.3 Solar PV Module Fabrication Steps, 4.4 Bifacial PV Modules, 4.5 Geography of Solar PV Manufacturing, 4.6 PV Module Cost Trends.

5. Solar PV Module Performance and Technical Indicators 5.1 PV Module Efficiency, 5.2 Product Warranty, 5.3 Packing Density, 5.4 PV Module Power Rating, 5.4.1 Cell to Module Power Ratio, 5.5 Half-Cut Cell PV Modules, 5.6 Hotspot Phenomena, 5.7 Nominal Operating Cell Temperature, 5.8 Testing and Device Reliability, 5.8.1 Degradation and Failure Modes, 5.9 The Effect of Light on Solar PV Cells, 5.9.1 Dark and Illumination Changes, 5.9.2 The I-V Curve, 5.9.3 Open-Circuit Voltage, 5.9.4 Short-Circuit Current, 5.9.5 Maximum Power Point, 5.9.6 The P-V Curve, 5.10 Effect of Temperature, 5.11 Effect of Irradiance, 5.12 Fill Factor, 5.13 Ideal and Actual Equivalent Circuit of a Solar PV Cell.


General Information

Level: Beginner/intermediate

Duration: Self-paced course. Estimated overall duration 10 hours.

Language: English

Certificate: Course completion certificate.


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