Syllabus
1. Solar Radiation (character, parameters, diffuse and direct radiation)
2. Fundamentals of Semiconductor Physics (generation and recombination processes, non-equilibrium carrier lifetime, free carriers in semiconductors, photovoltaic effect)
3. Structure and Operation of Solar Cells
4. Cell Technologies and Efficiency
5. Grid-Connected Plants
Annotation
This lecture brings a comprehensive overview of photovoltaics, which is one of the most promising alternative energy resources. The lecture covers the main aspects of photovoltaics – starting from the character of a solar radiation, basics of semiconductor physics (such as carrier generation and recombination processes, photovoltaic effect), to photovoltaic cell materials and constructions, including their parameters and efficiencies.