Photovoltaic and solar thermal electric systems have become an important area of engineering and are a major research area in FEIT. They are an example of interdisciplinary systems engineering, where basic electronic materials science or thermodynamics and heat transfer are combined with power electronics, mechanical design, control systems and economic optimisation. The course will give an overview of the solar energy resource and examine two different approaches to conversion to electricity in detail. The physics and fabrication of silicon solar cells, including a discussion of the trade offs between cost, fabrication complexity and performance will be discussed. Computer modelling of solar cell operation using the program PC1D will be used to reinforce the physical understanding and as a tool for device design. The presentation of solar thermal systems will look at alternative approaches to concentration and conversion of energy, focal region flux prediction and measurement, plus modelling of steady state and dynamic thermal behaviour. Postgraduate students will be exposed to current research at the ANU on solar cells, photovoltaic systems, solar energy storage and transport, and advanced optics for solar concentrators. All these topics will be covered at an advanced level by prominent researchers in the field, who will discuss the state of the art of the science and technology in the two sub-fields of photovoltaic and solar thermal energy conversion.

Admission to the ME degree and permission of the course coordinator