Introduction to Solar PV (Course)

Green Power Academy presents Introduction to Solar PV. This one day course will take place on August 2, in London, UK. The course will provide a solid introduction to photovoltaic technologies Including their economics and business case. The course objectives include understanding Solar PV power generation. It describes and illustrates geographic variations in solar resource, explains the various technologies and system components required to create a project and discusses the business case issues such as costs, competition and regulatory frameworks. Challenges (and solutions) in integrating solar into the grid on a large-scale are included as are the pros and cons of competing power generation options (both renewable and fossil).

The course is run in an informal and highly interactive manner and is designed for those starting out in the solar business, policymakers needing to analyze solar PV relative to other options, or investors seeking more knowledge on which they can build to appraise future proposals.

No background financial or technical knowledge is assumed and all concepts are clearly explained, making the course suitable for a wide variety of attendees from both within and beyond the solar industry. In addition to introducing the key fundamentals on the day, business case planning tools and resources are introduced which allow attendees to apply and expand on the course afterwards.
 

Key factors in the PV business case

•Quantifying solar resources:
◦ Why location matters so much.
◦ Optimising installation layout and determining the value (or otherwise) of tracking solutions.
◦ Simple, free tools to estimate energy potential in different regions.
•Regulatory supports such as Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs), tax incentives and carbon pricing.
•The different competitive contexts of different markets and power applications
•An introduction to electrical power markets: demand, supply and price.
•Different types of power plant: how and why does solar compete?
•Solar power variability:
◦ How much of a problem is it?
◦ The economic importance of generation time profile vs. price

Understanding Solar PV Technology 

•Jargon-buster: introducing some key scientific principles, terminologies and concepts.
•Fundamentals of Solar Radiation, including energy available and the solar spectrum
 •How PV materials convert light to energy; how this limits efficiency and drives design improvements.
•Silicon (mono- and polycrystalline, plus hybrid cells)
•Thin-film (CdTe, CIGS, a-SI)
•Multijunction and concentrator cells (e.g. III-V)
•PV cell and module ratings vs. their real-world performance
•Emerging technologies: their key features and state of development (Organics, Dyes, future thin-film etc.)

Solar PV Balance of System Components

•Arranging PV module arrays and how this impacts power and energy outputs
•Inverters, including their performance and efficiency factors
•Tracking systems, including installation and operational issues
•Trends and future developments to reduce installation and BoS costs
The Economics of Solar PV
•Quantifying the cost of solar:
◦ Capital and Operational cost factors and examples – and why numbers vary so much.
◦ Influences such as market demand, raw materials supply, manufacturing capacity, cost/learning curves and other factors.
◦ Technology choice and its influence on other costs such as balance-of-system and land-use.
•Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE):
◦ How is it calculated?
◦ How useful are studies of LCOE and what do they show?
•Grid Parity: what does it mean and is it a useful measure?
•Introducing both simple and comprehensive tools for modelling the finances of solar projects.

To register click here, to contact click here, or to download the brochure click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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