Systems, Real PV Performance and PV in Business

Loughborough University
May 4th - 15th 2015

Module Summary

This module aims to broaden understanding of PV from the lab scale to full scale operation of 'real world' PV modules. Students will attend a lecture course that covers module fabrication, encapsulation and interconnect design, performance characterisation and the aspects surrounding the ageing, degradation and failure of PV modules. Guest lectures from key industry members will be provided and the many aspects of commercial thin film technologies discussed. Students will be assessed by a short examination on the content of these lectures.

Students will participate in practical activities that include: Module testing using a class AAA simulator, module flash testing, inverter testing and module performance modelling. Practical work will be assessed through the submission of brief written reports on each activity.

The module will be rounded off with a lecture course on Business and Accounting that will cover profit and loss accounting techniques, cash flow, business ratios and venture capital finance.

Download the Student Handbook.