Introduction to solar cells
4.7
336 ratings
Introduction to solar cells
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
About this Course
How do solar cells work, why do we need, and how can we measure their efficiency? These are just some of the questions Introduction to solar cells tackles. Whether you are looking for general insight in this green technology or your ambition is to pursue a career in solar, “Introduction to Solar Cells” is an excellent starting point.
The course is a tour through the fundamental disciplines including solar cell history, why we need solar energy, how solar cells produce power, and how they work. During the course we cover mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells, thin film solar cells, and new emerging technologies. The course includes hands-on exercises using virtual instruments, interviews with field experts, and a comprehensive collection of material on solar cells.
At the end of the course you will have gained a fundamental understanding of the field. This will allow you to identify the most interesting or relevant aspects to be pursued in your future studies or in your professional career.
Skills you will gain
Solar EnergySolar Cell ManufacturingSolar TechnologySolar Systems
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Introduction
In this introduction module I would like to introduce you to the course its content and teaching style. I hope you will enjoy the way we have designed the course.
1 reading
1 readings
Welcome to Introduction to Solar Cells6m
History of solar cells
The first topic in an introduction course on solar cells is naturally a historical overview. In this module you will briefly get introduced to the history and early development of solar cells. We will also start to do some calculations of efficiency and energy output of solar cells.
2 videos (Total 5 min), 5 readings, 5 quizzes
5 readings
Solar cell history6m
Invention of the modern solar cell5m
Space applications6m
Solar cells for planetary exploration4m
Additional resources3m
5 practice exercises
History of solar cells8m
Solar constants8m
Deep space8m
History15m
Space15m
Why solar energy
The most important question one can ask must be: "Why is solar energy is an important topic and why should we develop solar energy?". This module does not claim to answer that question fully, but we will summarize the strong case for renewable energy.
3 videos (Total 16 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes
5 readings
Energy sources4m
Available energy5m
Sunlight at Earth5m
Area need5m
Additional resources3m
4 practice exercises
Direct radiation at Earth8m
Can solar cells cover our needs?5m
Energy sources15m
Sunlight at Earth15m
2
Section
Power from solar cells
How much power can a solar cell produce and how can we measure it? This question is the starting point for this module and we will go through the terminology, talk about light sources, and even measure a solar cell ourselves.
5 videos (Total 24 min), 4 readings, 4 quizzes
5 videos
Power from a solar cell6m
The IV curve5m
Measuring an IV curve2m
Light sources8m
4 readings
Power from a solar cell10m
Measuring power using an electronic load5m
Taking the sun inside7m
Additional resources3m
4 practice exercises
Measure maximum power output8m
Power from a solar cell5m
Power from a solar cell15m
Light15m
Modelling a solar cell
In this module we will introduce an equivalent circuit of a solar cell and use it to explain key concepts including short circuit current, open circuit voltage, parasitic resistances, and more. We will also talk about connected solar cells, and their behavior in shaded conditions.
2 videos (Total 8 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes
5 readings
Modelling a solar cell8m
Parasitic resistances8m
Series and parallel connections6m
Shadow effects7m
Additional resources3m
4 practice exercises
Solar cell modelling4m
Solar cell connections4m
Equivalent circuit15m
Connected solar cells15m
3
Section
How do solar cells work
In this module we will attack the topic: How do solar cells work? This module will be more theory heavy than other parts of the course, but don't worry. We will focus on the key concepts that are necessary to understand how solar cells work, and skip the math.
3 videos (Total 12 min), 6 readings, 6 quizzes
6 readings
How do solar cells work4m
Semiconductors8m
Light interaction5m
Conductivity and doping9m
The p-n junction6m
Additional resources3m
6 practice exercises
Color response8m
Semiconductors4m
Photon energy4m
Doping4m
Semiconductors and doping15m
How do solar cells work15m
Efficiency of solar cells
With a knowledge of the working principles of solar cells, we are now ready to apply this knowledge to understand why there are limits to the efficiency of solar cells. We will also briefly look into loss mechanisms that limit the practical efficiency.
2 videos (Total 15 min), 4 readings, 4 quizzes
4 readings
Theoretical solar cell efficiency8m
Tandem and multi-junction solar cells7m
Reflection and absorption8m
Additional resources3m
4 practice exercises
Efficiency4m
Theoretical efficiency4m
Efficiency15m
Losses15m
4
Section
Silicon solar cells
Silicon solar cells are by far the most prevalent solar cell technology. In this module we will talk about why silicon is so abundant. We will also learn how silicon solar cells are made, what differentiates multi and monocrystalline silicon, and much more.
5 videos (Total 24 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes
5 videos
How do silicon solar cells work4m
How are silicon solar cells made?6m
How are silicon solar cells fabricated6m
Summary3m
7 readings
Crystalline silicon solar cells4m
How do silicon solar cells work6m
Production of silicon solar cells3m
From sand to high quality silicon7m
Production of standard silicon solar cells5m
Summary3m
Additional resources3m
4 practice exercises
Working principles of silicon solar cells6m
Production4m
Silicon solar cells15m
Fabrication15m
Thin film solar cells
Moving beyond silicon solar cells, the next important development is thin film solar cells. In thin film solar cells, we see a potential solution to the major problem associated with silicon solar cells: namely energy payback time.
4 videos (Total 17 min), 5 readings, 5 quizzes
5 readings
Thin film solar cells5m
Working principle of CIGS solar cells6m
Production of CIGS solar cells6m
Summary6m
Additional resources3m
5 practice exercises
Thin film4m
Working principle2m
Production4m
Thin film solar cells15m
Energy production15m
5
Section
Polymer solar cells
We will now turn to an example of a third generation solar cell technology: namely polymer solar cells. Polymer solar cells promise to solve all the problems we see with other technologies. They are cheap and fast to produce, they are non-toxic and use non-scarce materials, and they exhibit the lowest energy payback time of any technology. In this module we will learn about pros and cons of this interesting technology.
6 videos (Total 22 min), 8 readings, 5 quizzes
6 videos
How do polymer solar cells work3m
Production of polymer solar cells3m
Coating techniques4m
Printing techniques2m
Summary2m
8 readings
What are polymer solar cells4m
How do polymer solar cells work8m
The layer stack5m
Production of polymer solar cells4m
Coating techniques8m
Printing techniques8m
Summary5m
Additional resources3m
5 practice exercises
Working principles of polymer solar cells6m
Production4m
Printing and coating4m
Polymer solar cells15m
Production15m
Solar cell technologies
In our final module of this course we will look into a selection of solar cell technologies and spend some time comparing all the different solar cell technologies.
2 videos (Total 9 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes
5 readings
Three generations of solar cells7m
Emerging solar cell technologies8m
Comparison of solar cell technologies6m
Additional resources3m
Farewell4m
4 practice exercises
Solar cell technologies4m
Solar cell technologies15m
Solar cells15m
Course experience questionnaire6m
4.7
50%
83%
Top Reviews
By AP•Dec 12th 2017
Very concise and to the point. Stable and calm teaching. Was my first foray into renewable energy and absolutely loved it. The course instructor was brilliant and had a stable command over the topic.
By CC•Apr 16th 2018
I have B.Sc and M.Sc in mechanical engineering and I will say that I'm really happy with taking this course.\n\nAs its name, the course provides a great introduction to solar cell technology.
Instructor
Morten Vesterager Madsen
ResearcherAbout Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
DTU focuses on research in technical and natural sciences that contributes to the development of society. As an industrially orientated university, our goal is to supply high-level international research based on combining theory with constructing models and empirical methods.
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