Solar Power Systems, 5 op

Core content

• Introduction provides a general overview on photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar radiation as a source of energy and power.
• Key properties of solar radiation: What is solar radiation, solar radiation measurements, radiation on the horizontal surfaces and methods to calculate radiation on inclined surfaces.
  
• Conversion principles of solar radiation to electrical power: PV conversion, conversion via Carnot cycle and fundamental limitations of conversion efficiency.
  
• PV conversion technologies: Silicon based PV cells, thin film PV cells, other PV technologies under investigation, PV modules build by using Si etc. as cell material and concentrating PV modules with GaAs cells. Also characteristic behaviour of PV cells and dependence on solar radiation intensity and temperature are considered.
• Solar PV power plants: From cell voltages to grid connected voltages, building systems from cells to modules and futher to string, solar generator design and operation, electrical power plant topologies, fixed installations and tracking installation.
• Efficiency and losses of PV power plants: Internal losses in PV modules, losses due to external conditions and losses due to shading (shading sources, mismatch losses and losses due to failed maximum power point tracking).
• Building integrated power plants including integration of PV modules to building modules and efficiency and losses due to non-ideal installations.
• PV power plant safety: General electric safety instructions, personal safety against electrical accidents, basic principles of lightning protection and protection of PV installations against lightning.
• Economy of solar PV power: Cost of solar energy, payback time, yield factor, achieving grid parity and it's dependence on power generation mix and on location and solar power cost in the future.