V. Benda and Z. Machacek

Department of Electrotechnology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Czech Technical University in Prague
Technicka 2, 166 27 Praha 6, CZECH REPUBLIC
E-mail: benda@fel. cvut. cz

Abstract

At the Czech Technical University in Prague, a course in Photovoltaic Systems, dealing with PV system technology (28 hours of lectures, 28 hours of exercises) forms a part of the master study programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. A course of similar length on Photovoltaic Systems has been included in the master study programme in Intelligent Buildings.

Exercises are a very important part of the course orienting the course in a particular direction. The developed laboratory exercises deal with photovoltaic system applications, and are adapted to the requirements of electrical engineers. This paper provides information about the course structure and laboratory exercises oriented towards photovoltaic system applications.

Keywords: photovoltaic system, solar cells, education

1. Introduction

Photovoltaics is one of the most dynamically growing industries at the present time [1]. Yearly growth rates in the period from 2000 to 2007 were on an average more than 40%, and in 2007 PV industrial production grew by almost 60%. In 2007 the production level reached 4.2 GWp. The most of PV systems has been installed in Europe due to introduction of a feed-in tariff for on-grid systems (starting in 2000 in Germany). A level of 6 GWp installed in Europe may be reached by 2010 [2]. The growth of photovoltaics is connected with an increased demand for specialists. Several tens of thousands of new jobs are likely to be created in the field of photovoltaics in the next five years.

At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the CTU in Prague a course on Solar Energy Exploitation Systems, mostly oriented in the field of photovoltaics, was introduced in 1995 as an optional course. The course was developed to give undergraduate students information about the full set of important problems connected with photovoltaics from photovoltaic effect, cell construction and technology to applications, including operating conditions and economical and ecological problems. Details about the course were published in [3]. Foreign students from the EU can attend the English version of this subject, that was introduces firstly in the year 2002/2003. Since the school year 2006/7, a course in Photovoltaic Systems, dealing

with PV system technology (28 hours of lectures, 28 hours of exercises) forms part of the master study programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.