Fundamentals of Solar Energy

Course description

A comprehensive dive into the various aspects of solar energy, including its varieties, historical background, and drivers of adoption. The course explores the uses of several solar technologies, including photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), as well as their many parts and varieties. Along with planning for both small- and large-scale PV projects, the course also covers solar radiation and measuring methods, as well as the regulatory frameworks for renewable energy.

What you will learn

A basic introduction to renewable energy

Types and components of Solar Technologies

Course Content

14sections • 14lectures 03H:56M

	Introduction Introductin to the Fundamentals of Solar Energy	preview	00H:24M:45S

	Session 2 This session briefly touches on the origins and history of renewable energies. It also gives a high-level overview of the various types of renewable energy technologies, such as hydro, solar, geothermal, wind, etc.	preview	00H:08M:49S

	Session 3 This session argues for renewable energy technologies and provides facts and opinions from various international agencies, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), regarding the economics of renewable energies and their environmental benefits. This session can be utilized to clarify several misconceptions and myths about renewable energy, such as the belief that renewable energies are expensive.	preview	00H:20M:39S

	Session 4 This session shows the different goals that many countries have set for renewable energy penetration in their energy mix. Countries are racing to achieve higher percentages of electricity generation from renewable energies. It also discusses the high dependence on location for renewable energies and how different renewable energy technologies are more suitable for some locations than others.		00H:19M:52S

	Session 5 This session explains the different technologies through which solar energy can be utilized. Many people think that solar panels are the only solar technology, but there are several other solar technologies, such as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and solar thermal technologies for water heating or air conditioning.		00H:24M:07S

	Session 6 This session presents how solar energy is measured and calculated depending on several factors, such as the time of the year, the tilt angle, and the orientation of the solar panel/collector. It also talks about the devices used to measure solar energy, such as pyranometers and pyrheliometers. Moreover, it explains the main terms used in solar radiation, such as Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI).		00H:16M:58S

	Session 7 This session talks about the different types of solar PV systems, such as grid-tied and off-grid. It also mentions the components of such systems, such as inverters, racking systems, cables, batteries, etc.		00H:11M:01S

	Session 8 This session mentions the different types of solar PV modules, such as Monocrystalline and Thin Film. It also explains the differences between them, the latest upgrades on such types of modules, and the latest technologies used for solar PV modules.		00H:12M:42S

	Session 9 This session explains how to size the various components of solar PV systems. It also focuses on the necessary steps to avoid issues in the design, such as shading, short circuit ratings, and open circuit voltage.		00H:24M:39S

	Session 10 This session talks about the most used software for solar PV design, PVSyst. It gives examples of actual projects design process in PVSyst and explains the steps needed to generate reports that show the final amount of electricity to be generated by the solar system.		00H:11M:41S

	Session 11 This session talks about the different types of Concentrated Solar Power systems, such as Parabolic Trough and Central Receiver. It also mentions the components of such systems, such as collectors/heliostats, Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF), heat exchangers, etc.		00H:09M:30S

	Session 12 This session mentions the necessary steps to plan a solar project, such as Environmental Impact Assessment, Site Assessment, and Solar Resource Assessment.		00H:08M:02S

	Session 13 This session explains the different laws needed to allow renewable energies into the energy mix, namely Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) and Net Metering.		00H:08M:44S

	Session 14 This session summarizes the main topics and outcomes of this course. It also reminds the audience of the main reasons why so many countries are adopting more renewable energies into their energy mix.		00H:13M:16S

Requirements

no requirements

About Leader

Sulaiman Al-tunaib

Sulaiman Altunaib developed an interest in Sustainability and Environmentalism from a young age, then decided it was his goal to pursue a career in the field of Solar Energy.
Sulaiman graduated Summa Cum Laude in Mechanical Engineering from San Diego State University in the United States, during which he studied Solar Energy, and has been a solar professional since 2017.
Overall, Sulaiman worked on over 50 projects. He is currently working as a Projects Engineer at Kuwait National Petroleum Company and was the Project Engineer of the landmark Al-Dibdibah Solar Project.
Before that, Sulaiman worked at Solarity United Co. as a Solar Energy Engineer.
Sulaiman has spoken at several conferences, written conference papers, and written articles regarding Solar Energy and Kuwait’s electricity system in general. Most notably, Sulaiman spoke at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland in 2018, representing the State of Kuwait, where he spoke about the country's role in reducing its Greenhouse Gasses emissions through renewable energy projects. Sulaiman holds several professional certifications, such as Certified PV Professional from RENAC Germany, Certified PVSyst from PVSyst Switzerland, and Certified Energy Auditor from the Association of Energy Engineers - USA branch.