Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems (edX)

The course will cover design of photovoltaic systems, such as utility scale solar farms or residential scale systems (on/off the grid). You will learn about the function and operation of various components including inverters, batteries, DC-DC converters and the grid. After learning about the components, you will gain an understanding of the main design decisions to be taken when planning a real PV installation with excellent performance and reliability.

Finally, you will practice modelling the performance of a PV system for different solar energy applications, and estimating the energy production of a client's potential system.

This course is part of the Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters Program designed to cover all physics and engineering aspects of photovoltaics: photovoltaic energy conversion, technologies and systems.

What you'll learn

- 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

- How to design a PV-system ranging from a residential rooftop system to a utility scale solar farm

- The economics and ecology of PV-systems

Prerequisites

-Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering and/or the successful completion of Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion and Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies (or firm grasp of their content).