Solar Cell Technology

Core modules:

Low Carbon Energy Science and Technology

Low carbon technologies are an essential requirement if the world's energy needs are to be met without causing irreversible changes to the planet's climate. This module will cover why there is a need for various different technologies that can help to meet the world's energy needs without releasing large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Various different technologies that aim to meet this need will be introduced and then a select number will be studied in more detail. The aim of the module is to enable the student to make critical assessments of the different low carbon technologies backed by sound scientific understanding of their limitations and advantages.

15 credits

Innovation in Solar Energy

This is a lecture and workshop based course that is designed to give students experience in the process of innovation and entrepreneurship when applied to solar energy. As part of the course, students will gain understanding about the processes regarding commercial innovation and the development and critical appraisal of business ideas. Students will develop a new business proposal based around solar-cell technology or an allied service or market. Each student business proposal will be reviewed and critiqued by peers and academic supervisors. At the end of the course students will pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts.

15 credits

Solar Cell Laboratory

This course will provide students with the skills required to measure and characterise solar cell performance and solar cell materials using a range of research laboratory techniques.

Laboratory techniques include measuring solar cell efficiency, characterisation of degradation rates, measuring irradiance and light spectrum, and using a cryostat to determine operating characteristics at low temperatures.

The module also includes learning to fabricate thin film solar cells and the characterisation of photovoltaic materials using photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy. Students will also learn to assemble a silicon photovoltaic module and then measure its performance in outdoor conditions using our roof top laboratory.

15 credits

Research Project in Physics

This is a project based module that gives students an opportunity to apply their scientific knowledge to a research problem. Students will develop skills in time management, project planning, scientific record keeping, information retrieval and analysis of scientific information sources.

Students will choose a project of relevance to their programme of study and will work closely with an academic supervisor who is an expert in the field. The project will involve analysing the literature relevant to the problem and then developing skills relevant to tackling the problem. Projects maybe experimental, theoretical, analytical or computational in nature but will involve a substantial component of new work. The research will culminate with a written dissertation.

Teaching will be through weekly supervisions with academic staff and interactions with research group members. In the supervisions students will develop research plans, practise applying the scientific method by developing and testing hypotheses, discuss findings from both the literature and from laboratory or simulation based experiments, present results and discuss potential conclusions. Plans will be adapted based on these discussions. Specific experimental and/or simulation based skills will be learnt through a combination of supervised activities and self teaching - building on basic skills learnt in earlier modules in the programme.

Weekly seminars and workshops will teach students good practice in terms of searching the literature, research ethics and keeping research records.

90 credits

Photovoltaic Systems

This course introduces the technology of photovoltaic systems along with approaches for measuring the performance of individual systems under real operating conditions. The module gives a broad overview of the different approaches used in system level modeling, before teaching different tools to perform real analyses. Cell, module and system performance are covered. The implications of latitude, shading, temperature, and system geometry are considered along with models for diffuse vs direct sunlight. Physical and statistical approaches to system modelling are introduced and data from real PV systems used to compare the different approaches. The statistics of performance of the GB fleet will be analysed using real data available through Sheffield Solar's www.microgen-database.org.uk.

15 credits

Introduction to Photovoltaics

This course introduces photovoltaic technology and its role in future energy systems.

It starts with a summary of key ideas in semiconductor physics along with an introduction to the broader context of the role of photovoltaics within future energy systems.

It then covers underlying concepts that are required to understand the operation of a solar cell. In the first half of the course, we outline a basic description of a solar cell in terms of an equivalent circuit model and then use this to understand the origin of key device metrics. We then describe different techniques to characterise the efficiency of solar cells and discuss the fundamental processes that limit to solar-cell efficiency, including recombination. The course also includes a review of some of the underlying concepts in semiconductor physics that are used to describe the operation of solar-cell devices. In the second half of the course, we move on to a discussion of the main technologies used in modern solar-cells and models that describe how they perform in the real world. This includes a description of emerging trends in the development of new semiconductors and of new device architectures.

30 credits