When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Photovoltaic Systems

Ends tomorrow! Save on skills that make you shine with 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus. Save now

Photovoltaic Systems

Instructors: Rasmus Nielsen

14,014 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

161 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

161 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Modelling of the Solar Resource
Photovoltaic System Design and Energy Yield Simulations
Photovoltaic System Components

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

12 assignments

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 5 modules in this course

This course offers you advanced knowledge within the field of photovoltaic system technology. We'll learn about the solar resource and how photovoltaic energy conversion is used to produce electric power. From this fundamental starting point we'll cover the design and fabrication of different solar cell and module technologies, the various photovoltaic system components, how to design a photovoltaic plant and carry out energy yield simulations, essentials in energy economics, O&M and reliability assessment, as well as the role of photovoltaic energy in sustainable energy systems.

This course is unique in that it takes you from the nanoscale physics of a solar cell to the modelling of a utility scale solar farm. The course is made up of 9 sections with an estimated workload of 2-3 hours each. The academic level is targeted at master students at technical universities and engineers from the energy industry. Passing this course offers you a great basis for a career in the field of photovoltaics.

Module details

These lectures serve as an introduction to the field of photovoltaics in general, which includes the most basic terminology, an overview of the history of PV as well as the industrial deployment of the technology.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment

These lectures cover the physics of the solar resource as well as various irradiance models to calculate the optimal tilt angle necessary for maximizing PV power production.

What's included

5 videos1 assignment1 plugin

These lectures cover the physics necessary for understanding the working principles of solar cells, as well as an introduction to electrical characterization and modelling of photovoltaic devices.

What's included

8 videos3 assignments

8 videosTotal 107 minutes

Formation of Solids and Electronic Band Structures10 minutes
Light Absorption and the Photovoltaic Effect18 minutes
Recombination and Transport of Charge Carriers17 minutes
Doping of Semiconductors and pn-Junctions14 minutes
Working principles of Solar Cells15 minutes
Introduction: The IV-curve11 minutes
The Maximum Power Point8 minutes
The Non-ideal Diode Equation13 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Intrinsic Semiconductors30 minutes
The Working Principle of Solar Cells30 minutes
The IV-curve30 minutes

These lectures cover the principles of cell interconnection and properties of various module components necessary for designing and fabricating photovoltaic modules. Optional content is provided dealing with the environmental variables impacting the performance of PV modules in the field.