ET4378 Photovoltaic systems

This course will focus on understanding complete photovoltaic systems. It will start with general introduction to PV systems, overview of system components and their specifications. Several components will be explained in more detail such as power electronic converters and storage components. The different types of inverters, methods of maximal power point tracking and the overall efficiency of energy conversion of the system will be discussed. The applications of PV systems, such as off-grid, grid-connected, microgrids, PV systems with energy storage, will be presented. The course will focus on design of PV systems for different applications. The issues of connecting PV systems to the grid and the monitoring of PV system performance will be discussed.

Study Goals

• Determine optimal PV panels orientation from geographical survey
• Compare between different PV systems topologies
• Calculate the energy yield of a PV system
• Identify different types of solar modules and other components used in PV systems
• Justify the importance of bypass diodes and power conversion in PV systems
• Analyse different power tracking methods
• Design PV systems for different applications and estimate the cost
• Defend the quality of his/her own PV System design

Teachers

Last modified: 2023-11-04