About the Course

Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. The uneven sun’s heat drives the wind power; then, the winds and the sun’s heat cause water to evaporate, which turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams, producing hydroelectric power. The gravitational interaction between the moon, the sun, and the earth produce tidal energy. Tides, winds, and sun heat initiate the energy of the ocean’s waves and ocean thermal energy. Moreover, Plants absorb the sun’s energy in a process called photosynthesis and store it in the form of biomass energy. Therefore, Sun is the most abundant permanent source of energy, where the amount of solar energy supplied to the earth in one day by the sun is sufficient to power the total energy needs of the earth for one year. The utilisation of solar energy is growing very fast as the 2014 IEA Roadmaps predict a total solar energy share of 27% of global electricity production by 2050.

This Solar Energy Systems training course aims to provide the delegates with all the relevant topics for obtaining a broad overview of the different aspects of Solar Energy—starting from the basic required scientific knowledge of thermodynamics, electrodynamics, semiconductors, and solar radiation characterisation and focusing on solar thermal energy and photovoltaic systems technologies. Also, it discusses some practical issues related to the deployment of stand-alone and grid-connected solar energy systems.

Core Objectives

The delegates will achieve the following objectives:

• Acquire the required science basics of semiconductors, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics 
• Evoke the different types of solar energy systems and technologies
• Appraise the multi-criteria for selecting the appropriate solar energy sites
• Manipulate the integration process of solar energy systems with electrical grids
• Design and evaluate photovoltaic systems
• Design and assess solar thermal energy systems
• Devise solutions for present and future challenges facing solar energy systems deployment
• Evaluate the performance of solar energy systems

Training Approach

This training course will be conducted using power point presentations, lecture notes with interactive discussions, and feedback. Real-life examples, study cases, and simple renewable energy projects are explained, discussed, and analysed. Moreover, preliminary sessions will be introduced at the beginning of every day to outline the daily topics and the intended learning objectives. Also, daily review sessions with questions and answers will be channeled at the end of each day to confirm that the intended course objectives have been achieved.

The Attendees

This training course is designed carefully to provide the delegates with the required knowledge and technical skills for solar energy technologies. It starts with the basics of solar radiation characterisation, thermodynamics, semiconductors, and electrodynamics and provides design procedures for solar thermal energy and photovoltaic systems. Then, proposing solutions for solar energy systems (stand-alone and grid-connected) deployment challenges. This course enables participants to work successfully in the renewable energy industry, both locally and internationally and is suitable for those with both basic and advanced electrical engineering knowledge.

Likewise, it will be valuable to the professionals but not limited to the following:

• Maintenance Engineers and Technicians
• Electrical Power Plant Engineers and Technicians
• Electrical Utilities Engineers and Technicians
• Management and Quality Engineers
• Electrical Supervisors
• Engineering Professionals
• Project Engineers
• Environment Engineers

Daily Discussion

DAY ONE: SOLAR ENERGY FUNDAMENTALS

• History of Solar Power
• Solar Radiation Parameters and Characterisation
• Electrodynamics Basics
• Solar Energy Forecast
• Intermittence and Stochastic Features of Solar Energy Sources
• Multi Selection Criteria (MSC) for appropriate site selection of Solar Energy Facility

DAY TWO: SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS

• Solar Thermal Basics
• Thermodynamics Basics
• Passive Solar Energy Systems
• Active Solar Energy Systems
• Hybrid Solar Energy Systems
• Concentrated Solar Power Systems (CSPS)
• Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques (MPPTT)

DAY THREE: PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEMS

• Status and Prospects of PV Technology
• PV Technology Fundamentals
• Basic Concepts of Semiconductor Physics
• PV Solar Cells Technologies
• PV Arrays and Modules
• PV System Design
• Ecological and Economical aspects of PV Systems

DAY FOUR: SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE TECHNIQUES

• Thermal Storage Parameters
• Thermal Energy Storage Methods
• Pumped-hydro Storage
• Energy Storage in Capacitors
• Electrochemical Storage Mechanisms
• Energy Storage in Magnetic Systems
• Solar Fuels

DAY FIVE: INSTALLATION CONFIGURATIONS OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

• Stand-alone Systems
• Grid-tie Systems
• Grid Interactive Systems
• Grid Fallback Systems
• Systems Configurations Comparison Study