Informações sobre o curso: 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.
Desenvolvido por: Universidade Técnica da Dinamarca (DTU)
Ministrado por: Morten Vesterager Madsen, Researcher
DTU Energy
| Nível | Beginner |
| Compromisso | 5 weeks of study, 2-3 hours per week |
| Idioma | English, Legendas: Hindi |
| Como ser aprovado | Seja aprovado em todas as tarefas para concluir o curso. |
| Classificação do usuário |
Programa
SEMANA 1
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 leitura
- Reading: Welcome to Introduction to Solar Cells
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 vídeos, 5 leituras, 3 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: History of solar cells
- Reading: Solar cell history
- Reading: Invention of the modern solar cell
- Practice Quiz: History of solar cells
- Vídeo: Space applications for solar cells
- Reading: Space applications
- Practice Quiz: Solar constants
- Reading: Solar cells for planetary exploration
- Practice Quiz: Deep space
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: History of solar cells
Nota atribuída: History
Nota atribuída: Space
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 vídeos, 5 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Why do we need renewable energy?
- Reading: Energy sources
- Practice Quiz: Direct radiation at Earth
- Reading: Available energy
- Vídeo: Why do we need solar energy?
- Vídeo: Sunlight at Earth
- Reading: Sunlight at Earth
- Practice Quiz: Can solar cells cover our needs?
- Reading: Area need
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Introduce yourself
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Why solar energy
Nota atribuída: Energy sources
Nota atribuída: Sunlight at Earth
SEMANA 2
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 vídeos, 4 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Solar cell efficiency
- Vídeo: Power from a solar cell
- Practice Quiz: Measure maximum power output
- Vídeo: The IV curve
- Reading: Power from a solar cell
- Practice Quiz: Power from a solar cell
- Vídeo: Measuring an IV curve
- Reading: Measuring power using an electronic load
- Vídeo: Light sources
- Reading: Taking the sun inside
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Power from solar cells
Nota atribuída: Power from a solar cell
Nota atribuída: Light
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 vídeos, 5 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Modelling a solar cell
- Reading: Modelling a solar cell
- Reading: Parasitic resistances
- Practice Quiz: Solar cell modelling
- Vídeo: Series and parallel connections
- Reading: Series and parallel connections
- Practice Quiz: Solar cell connections
- Reading: Shadow effects
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Modelling a solar cell
Nota atribuída: Equivalent circuit
Nota atribuída: Connected solar cells
SEMANA 3
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 vídeos, 6 leituras, 4 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: How do solar cells work?
- Reading: How do solar cells work
- Vídeo: Semiconductors
- Practice Quiz: Color response
- Reading: Semiconductors
- Practice Quiz: Semiconductors
- Reading: Light interaction
- Practice Quiz: Photon energy
- Vídeo: The pn-junction
- Reading: Conductivity and doping
- Practice Quiz: Doping
- Reading: The p-n junction
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: How do solar cells work
Nota atribuída: Semiconductors and doping
Nota atribuída: How do solar cells work
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 vídeos, 4 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: How efficient can solar cells be?
- Reading: Theoretical solar cell efficiency
- Practice Quiz: Efficiency
- Reading: Tandem and multi-junction solar cells
- Practice Quiz: Theoretical efficiency
- Vídeo: Reflection and absorption
- Reading: Reflection and absorption
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Efficiency of solar cells
Nota atribuída: Efficiency
Nota atribuída: Losses
SEMANA 4
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 vídeos, 7 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Silicon solar cells
- Reading: Crystalline silicon solar cells
- Vídeo: How do silicon solar cells work
- Reading: How do silicon solar cells work
- Practice Quiz: Working principles of silicon solar cells
- Reading: Production of silicon solar cells
- Vídeo: How are silicon solar cells made?
- Reading: From sand to high quality silicon
- Vídeo: How are silicon solar cells fabricated
- Practice Quiz: Production
- Reading: Production of standard silicon solar cells
- Reading: Summary
- Vídeo: Summary
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Silicon solar cells
Nota atribuída: Silicon solar cells
Nota atribuída: Fabrication
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 vídeos, 5 leituras, 3 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Thin film solar cells
- Reading: Thin film solar cells
- Practice Quiz: Thin film
- Vídeo: Thin film technologies
- Reading: Working principle of CIGS solar cells
- Practice Quiz: Working principle
- Vídeo: Thin film solar cell production
- Reading: Production of CIGS solar cells
- Practice Quiz: Production
- Vídeo: Summary
- Reading: Summary
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Thin film solar cells
Nota atribuída: Thin film solar cells
Nota atribuída: Energy production
SEMANA 5
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 vídeos, 8 leituras, 3 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Polymer solar cells
- Reading: What are polymer solar cells
- Vídeo: How do polymer solar cells work
- Reading: How do polymer solar cells work
- Reading: The layer stack
- Practice Quiz: Working principles of polymer solar cells
- Vídeo: Production of polymer solar cells
- Reading: Production of polymer solar cells
- Practice Quiz: Production
- Vídeo: Coating techniques
- Reading: Coating techniques
- Vídeo: Printing techniques
- Reading: Printing techniques
- Practice Quiz: Printing and coating
- Vídeo: Summary
- Reading: Summary
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Polymer solar cells
Nota atribuída: Polymer solar cells
Nota atribuída: Production
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 vídeos, 5 leituras, 2 questionários de prática
- Vídeo: Three generations of solar cells
- Reading: Three generations of solar cells
- Vídeo: Emerging solar cell technologies
- Reading: Emerging solar cell technologies
- Practice Quiz: Solar cell technologies
- Reading: Comparison of solar cell technologies
- Reading: Additional resources
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss this module: Solar cell technologies and end of course
- Reading: Farewell
- Practice Quiz: Course experience questionnaire
Nota atribuída: Solar cell technologies
Nota atribuída: Solar cells
Perguntas frequentes
Como funciona
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Desenvolvedores
Universidade Técnica da Dinamarca (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.
Classificações e avaliações
Very good introductory course for people interested in solar cell technology. A good stepping stone to learn more about the subject.
I have B.Sc and M.Sc in mechanical engineering and I will say that I'm really happy with taking this course.
As its name, the course provides a great introduction to solar cell technology.
Awesome programme which will add to my knowledge base. Thumbs up.
O Coursera proporciona acesso universal à melhor educação do mundo fazendo parcerias com as melhores universidades e organizações para oferecer cursos on-line.
© 2018 Coursera Inc. Todos os direitos reservados.
Excellent course. Expand your knowledge about solar cells. Good teacher. Very interesting.