Solar Energy Course Overview

This video contains an overview of the topics covered in this course.

Solar Energy and the Global Electricity Supply

In this video, you will learn the answers the questions:

1. What is the role of solar PV in the global electricity supply today?

2. What will be its role in the future?


Could the world run on solar power?

In this video, you will discover: 

1. If the world could run on solar power.

2. How the energy we receive from the sun compares to other renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.


How much land is needed to run the world on solar power?

In this video, you will see how much land is needed to run the world on solar power by:

1. Using a rough calculation  

2. Learning the results of a study conducted by Land Art Generator, an organization whose mission is to promote renewable energy. 

3. Summarizing the findings of the US Department of Energy's NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) for a solar-powered USA


How does a solar cell produce electricity?

In this video, you will see how a solar cell produces electricity by studying:

1. The structure of the solar cell 

 2. The semiconductor materials used to make solar cells


What is the photovoltaic effect?

In this video, you will learn about the photovoltaic effect by examining:

1. The energy bands of a semiconductor  

2. What happens after a photon is absorbed by the crystalline structure of the solar cell 

3. What happens to high energy photons

 4. How high ambient temperature affects the power output of a solar module or solar panel.

How is the efficiency of a solar cell measured?

In this video, you will learn  

1. The definition of solar cell efficiency  

2. The I-V and the P-V curves of a solar panel (or solar module) 

3. What the maximum power (Pmax) of a solar module is 

4. The effects of solar irradiance (sunshine) and temperature on the maximum power output of the solar module 

5. The standard test used for measuring the current, voltage and power outputs of a solar cell



How to calculate how many solar modules you need

In this video, learn how to calculate the number of solar panels required for a given application. You will learn:  

1. How to look up the number of peak sun hours in your area  

2. How to estimate the real-life power output of a solar panel (or solar module) 

3. How the solar module efficiency affects your result 

4. The effects of solar irradiance (sunshine) and temperature on the maximum power output of the solar module


How efficient are solar cells?

In this video, you will become more familiar with today's solar PV technologies. You will learn about: 

1. The three generations of solar cells, namely, crystalline silicon solar cells, thin film solar cells and emerging solar cells.

 2. The efficiencies and limitations of each generation. 

3. How each generation of solar cell is manufactured.

The Maximum Possible Efficiency of a Solar Cell

In this video, you will learn about the maximum possible efficiency of solar cells by looking at:

1. The Shockley-Queisser theoretical limit assumptions and findings

 2. What researchers are doing to overcome this limit

How much does a solar power plant cost?

In this video, you will learn about the all important question, "How much does a solar power plant cost?". You will learn: 

 1. The meaning of "Levelised Cost of Energy" (LCOE) 

2. The LCOE of PV solar power

 3. How the LCOE of Solar PV compares with other renewable and non-renewable resource based power plants

Solar Energy in a Nutshell

In this final video, you will find the top 6 things you should know about photovoltaic solar energy.