Course Summary
This course provides an introduction to the principles of solar cell operation, fabrication and design. Through this course, you will learn about the physics of photovoltaic conversion, the key technologies used to produce solar cells, and the principles of solar panel design.Key Learning Points
- Understand the physics behind solar cell operation
- Learn about the different types of solar cells and their fabrication methods
- Gain knowledge on solar panel design and optimization
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the basic principles of solar cell operation
- Design and fabricate solar cells
- Optimize solar panel performance
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Basic knowledge of physics and electronics
- Familiarity with semiconductors
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
Similar Courses
- Renewable Energy and Green Building Entrepreneurship
- Introduction to Solar Energy
Related Education Paths
Related Books
Description
The goal of the course is to give students awareness of the largest alternative form of energy and how organic / polymer solar cells can harvest this energy. The course provides an insight into the theory behind organic solar cells and describes the three main research areas within the field i.e. materials, stability and processing.
NOTE: This course is a specialized course on organic solar cells. If you are looking for a more general solar cell course, we strongly recommend Introduction to solar cells (https://www.coursera.org/learn/solar-cells).
Outline
- Solar Cells and Life Cycle Analysis
- The Instructors
- Introduction
- 3 Generations of Solar Cells
- Tutorial - Introduction
- Tutorial - Terms and Abbreviations
- Life Cycle Analysis - Part I
- Life Cycle Analysis - Part II
- Welcome
- Terms and abbreviations
- Solar energy
- Solar cells
- Solar cells - the three generations
- Life cycle analysis
- Comparison of OPV with other technologies
- Environmental impacts of OPV
- Interpreting the results for OPV
- Solar cells
- Getting to Know the OPV Jargon
- LCA
- Organic and Polymer Solar Cells
- OPV Working Principles
- How to Characterize Solar Cells
- Tutorial - IV Curves
- Layers in the Solar Cell
- Applications
- Recorded Live Session I
- Polymer solar cells
- Why polymer solar cells
- How to messure solar cells
- Incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE)
- How do polymer solar cells work
- The layer stack
- Tandem Solar Cells
- Suggested Materials
- Determine Solar Cell Parameters
- Working Principles
- Materials in Solar Cells
- Materials in the Active Layer
- Polymers
- Synthesis
- Characterization of Polymers
- Examples from Literature
- Recorded Live Session II
- Conjugated polymers
- Side chains
- Important materials
- Suggested Materials
- Polymer synthesis
- Purification
- UV-vis spectroscopy
- Electrochemical measurements
- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
- Size exclusion chromatography
- Materials
- Polymerization
- Characterization
- Stability and Degradation
- Stability and Degradation - Introduction
- Decay Curves
- ISOS Standards
- Stability Examples
- Morphological Stability
- Electrical Defects
- Recorded Live Session III
- Degradation and stability
- Morphological stability
- Suggested Materials
- Suggested Materials
- ISOS standards
- Morphological stability
- Flexibility and delamination
- Polymer stability
- LBIC
- Decay Curves
- ISOS
- Stability and Degradation
- Solar Cell Fabrication
- Coating - Part I
- Coating - Part II
- Printing - Part I
- Printing - Part II
- Upscaling
- Testing and Encapsulation
- Recorded Live Session IV
- Spin coating
- Blade coating
- Spray coating
- Slot die coating
- Screen printing
- Flexographic printing
- Gravure printing
- Inkjet
- Lab scale fabrication
- Roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing
- Inks
- Suggested Materials
- Coating
- Printing
- Wrapping Up
- Going Large Scale
- Realizing the Solar Park
- Recorded Live Session V
- Acknowledgements
- Final Exam
Summary of User Reviews
The Solar Cell course on Coursera has received positive feedback from many users. They appreciate the comprehensive and engaging lectures, practical assignments, and helpful feedback from the instructor. Overall, the course is highly recommended for anyone interested in solar energy. One key aspect that many users thought was good is the practical assignments that allow them to apply the concepts they learned to real-world problems.Pros from User Reviews
- Comprehensive and engaging lectures
- Practical assignments that allow real-world application
- Helpful feedback from the instructor
- Great introduction to solar energy and its applications
- Well-structured course content
Cons from User Reviews
- Some users felt that the course was too basic
- A few technical glitches in the platform
- Not enough depth on certain topics
- Limited interaction with other students
- Some assignments were too time-consuming
Anders Skovbo Gertsen
4.7 Raiting
Solar Energy Systems Overview
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By the end of this course, learners will have acquired a broad understanding of the history and mechanics behind converting light into electricity, commonly known as photovoltaics (PV)....
Organic Solar Cells - Theory and Practice
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The goal of the course is to give students awareness of the largest alternative form of energy and how organic / polymer solar cells can harvest this energy....
