Postgraduate Course: Solar Energy & Photovoltaic Systems (MSc) (PGEE11107)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Engineering) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course presents and assesses the fundamentals of solar energy conversion. It starts with a discussion of the resource and the mechanisms of its propagation through the atmosphere up to the point of conversion. It then discusses the various conversion processes (solar heating/cooling, concentrated thermal power generation and the photovoltaic phenomenon). The state-of-the-art of each of these technologies is then discussed, including their market and economic aspects. The course includes a project, for which the students undertake the design and dimensioning of a solar energy conversion system. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the nature of the solar energy resource;
- Appreciate the mechanisms and the technologies of solar energy conversion including passive and active solar heating, concentrated solar thermal power generation and photovoltaics;
- Appreciate the market dynamics and the economics of solar energy;
- Complete a simple dimensioning and design project for a solar thermal and/or photovoltaic system. |
Assessment Information
Assignment (20%)
Final Exam (80%) |
Special Arrangements
| 4 workshops will be held during the last 4 weeks of the term, during which a design assignment will be completed using software such as RetScreen (free and already available through Machination). This course will be made available to students of the MSc Sustainable Energy Systems programme. |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Topics covered:
- The sun and the solar spectrum
- Effects of Earth¿s atmosphere, orbit and rotation on insolation
- Solar water heating systems
- Solar space heating and cooling
- Solar thermal power generation
- Semiconductors for photovoltaics
- Power electronics for photovoltaics
- Grid-connected PV systems
- Isolated PV systems & storage
- Cost considerations of solar energy conversion
- Externalities of solar energy conversion
- Network integration ¿ connection standards, codes and practice
- Network integration ¿ distributed generation impacts |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Kalogirou, S. A. Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems, Academic Press, 2009, ISBN-10: 0123745012
Messenger, R. A., Ventre, J., Photovoltaic Systems Engineering, 2nd ed., CRC Press, 2003, ISBN-10: 0849317932
Foster, R., Ghassemi, M., Cota, A., Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment, CRC Press, 2009, ISBN-10: 1420075667
Goswami, D. Y., Kreith, F., Kreider, J. F., Principles of Solar Engineering, CRC Press, 2000, ISBN-10: 1560327146
Boyle, G. Renewable Energy, 2nd ed., OUP Oxford, 2004, ISBN-10: 0199261784 |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
2 lectures per week plus 4 workshops during the final 4 weeks of the semester. A design assignment to be submitted towards the end of the semester. |
| Keywords | Solar Energy, Solar Power, Photovoltaics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Aristides Kiprakis
Tel: (0131 6)50 5586
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Sharon Potter
Tel: (0131 6)51 7079
Email: |
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