ENGR 4601: Fundamentals of Solar Power

3 Credit Hours

Prerequisite: Engineering Standing Requirements
This course discusses the principles and applications of solar energy. The course covers fundamental physics and current status of solar thermal and various Photovoltaic (PV) technologies to harvest solar energy through heating and direct conversion of light into electrical energy. The course covers the fundamental operating principles of solar collectors, solar water heating systems, air heaters, solar concentrators, sterling engines, concentrated solar thermal power (CSTP) systems and photovoltaic solar cells. In addition, the course covers solar cell simulation using MATLAB and Simulink, fundamentals of PV system design and installation. The course concludes with a real-world experiment-based design project where students effectively apply their knowledge to perform current-voltage measurements on solar cells, analyze the acquired data, extract important electrical parameters, and design a stand-alone photovoltaic system.