Free edX online Solar Energy Course begins today

About this Course

This second edition of the course Solar Energy teaches you to design a complete photovoltaic system. It introduces you to the technology that converts solar energy into electricity, heat and solar fuels with a main focus on electricity generation.


Neuhardenberg Solarpark, Germany
52°36?50?N -- 14°14?33?E (3° above WA State)

Photovoltaic (PV) devices are presented as advanced semiconductor devices that deliver electricity directly from sunlight. The emphasis is on understanding the working principle of a solar cell, fabrication of solar cells, PV module construction and the design of a PV system. You will understand the principles of the photovoltaic conversion (the conversion of light into electricity).

We will explain the advantages, limitations and challenges of different solar cell technologies, such as crystalline silicon solar cell technology, thin film solar cell technologies and the latest novel solar cell concepts as studied on lab-scale. The course will treat the specifications of solar modules and show you how to design a complete solar system for any particular application. The suitable semiconductor materials, device physics, and fabrication technologies for solar cells are presented. The guidelines for design of a complete solar cell system for household application are explained. Alternative storage approaches through solar fuels or conversion of solar energy into heat will be discussed. The cost aspects, market development, and the application areas of solar cells are presented.

After completion of the course, you will be able to:

1. explain the various concepts to convert solar energy in to electricity, heat and solar fuels
2. explain the physical working principles of photovoltaic conversion in solar cells
3. recognize and describe the various solar cell technologies, their current status and future technological challenges
4. analyse the performance of solar cells and modules
5. design a complete photovoltaic system for any particular application on paper

The first edition of the Solar Energy course has been awarded the Open MOOC for OpenCourseWare Excellence 2014.

A Verified Certificate of Achievement is available

Plan to use your completed coursework for job applications, promotions or school applications? Then you may prefer to work towards a verified Certificate of Achievement to document your accomplishment.

Course Staff:

Arno Smets

Since March 2010 Dr. Arno H.M. Smets is Associate Professor at the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at the Delft University of Technology (TUD) in the Netherlands in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group. He received his PhD in Physics from the Eindhoven University of Technology. From 2005-2010 he worked at the Research Center for Photovoltaics at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba Japan. His research work is focused on processing of thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications. At Delft University he is lecturer of the new BSc-courses like “Sustainable Energy”, “Solar Cells”, and MSc-courses like “PV Technology” and “PV lab Course”

https://www.edx.org/course/delftx/delftx-et-3034tu-solar-energy-1996