Course curriculum

Click the drop-down arrows to view the contents of this course module

    1. [Lecture-01] Welcome to the course

    2. [Lecture-02] The Semiconductor

    3. [Quiz-02] The birth of the semiconductor

    4. [Lecture-03] The Photovoltaic Materials

    5. [Quiz-03] Thin film PV materials

    6. [Lecture-04] Panel Efficiency: Module Vs Cell

    7. [Quiz-04] Panel Efficiency: Module Vs Cell

    8. [Lecture-05] Module Efficiency: Examples

    9. [Quiz-05] The differences between PV module outputs

    10. [Lecture-06] Cell Efficiency: Examples

    11. [Quiz-06] Cell Vs. Module efficiency

    12. [Lecture-07] Mono Crystalline Modules: How it's made

    13. [Quiz-07] The not-so-square-monocrystalline-cell

    14. [Lecture-08] Poly Crystalline Modules: How it's made

    15. [Quiz-08] The polycrystalline boule

    16. [Lecture-09] PERC Panels and their advantages

    17. [Quiz-09] The perks of PERC

    18. [Lecture-10] HIT Panels and their advantages

    19. [Quiz-10] The HIT module and it's layers

    20. [Lecture-11] Bifacial Solar Panels

    21. [Quiz-11] The bifacial PV module

    22. [Lecture-12] Half Cut Solar Technology - Part 1 of 2

    23. [Quiz-12] The full cell PV module

    24. [Lecture-13] Half Cut Solar Technology - Part 2 of 2

    25. [Quiz-13] The advantages of the half-cut PV module

    26. [Lecture-14] All Black Solar Modules - Part 1 of 2

    27. [Quiz-14] The efficiency of an all black PV module

    28. [Lecture-15] All Black Solar Modules - Part 2 of 2

    29. [Quiz-15] All black and mono vs. poly silicon modules

    1. [Lecture-01] Longitude and Latitude Coordination System

    2. [Quiz-01] Imagine that you are sailing the world!

    3. [Lecture-02] Module Tilt Angle and your location

    4. [Quiz-02] The Tropics

    5. [Lecture-03] The Impact Of Seasons: Your Module Orientation

    6. [Quiz-03] The earth's axis and the seasons

    7. [Lecture-04] Your Installation Location: Lat & Long

    8. [Quiz-04] The whereabouts of Greenwich, UK

    9. [Lecture-05] The Azimuth Of Your Modules

    10. [Quiz-05] The variation in the Azimuth

    11. [Lecture-06] Digital Protractor And Your Solar Azimuth

    12. [Quiz-06] Different azimuth values on one roof

    13. [Lecture-07] Solar Mounting System Options

    14. [Quiz-07] The different module mounting options

    15. [Lecture-08] Conclusion & Good Bye

Course Details

  • $49.99
  • 44 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content
Enroll in Module 1

Chapter 1 - PV Technology

Throughout the first half of this module, you will gain in-depth knowledge about the following topics:

  • The different materials options for your solar panel: Thin film, crystalline, gallium arsenide and multi-Junction PV modules

  • Solar panel energy efficiencies: PV cell efficiency versus PV module efficiency, how to avoid being fooled by sales pitches, and how to calculate the PV module effiency from the manufacturer's specification sheet

  • The differences between mono and poly crystalline manufacturing processes, seed crystals versus poly crystalline manufacturing

  • The physical differences between mono and poly crystalline PV modules: How to differentiate between them

  • The Passivated Emitter Rear Contact [PERC] and the Hetero Junction with Intrinsic Thin-layer [HIT] solar technology upgrades

  • Bifacial solar panels: How they work and what you can gain from them

  • The Standard Test Conditions [STC] versus the Bifacial Standard Test Conditions [BSTC] for bifacial panels

  • The half-cut solar cell technology: Their performance gains and how they work

  • Solar junction boxes and bypass diodes in solar panels: How they impact your solar energy production and their location on your PV module

  • All-Black solar panels: Their differences with regular mono-facial models, and the performance losses related to opaque module backing sheets

Chapter 2 - Installation of solar modules

In the second chapter of this modules, you will learn about the following topics:

  • Longitude versus latitude : The global positioning system and how it relates to your solar energy system

  • Solar slopes & angles, the orientation system, and the ptimum tilt angles for your PV modules including theoretical examples

  • The seasonal shift of the earth's axis and how it impacts your solar energy production

  • How to retrieve your exact longitude and latitude , the solar azimuth and the spherical coordination system

  • How to determine your roof's azimuth based on satellite images, and practical examples of how to use a digital protractor tool

  • The three types of mounting systems for solar modules

  • Roof mounted systems and their main components, including System solution examples for corrugated roof mounting systems

Grid-Tied Course Modules