INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SYSTEMS

Intended for:
* Engineers of different specialties related to photovoltaic systems (industrial, electronics, electric, mechanical, civil, environmental, etc.), architects, physics, and professionals related with renewable energies.
* Vocational training in technical fields related to photovoltaic systems.
* Interested in learning how photovoltaic installations work

This course is taught in English.

********MODULE 1. INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS********
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Unit 1: INTRODUCTION TO RENEWABLE ENERGIES
1.1 Renewable and non-renewable energies: energy mix and related problems.
1.2 Renewable energy types.
1.3 Problems with renewable energy resources: energy storage.
1.4 PV systems in the future energy mix.

Unit 2: PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS AND MODULES.
2.1. Introduction.
2.2. Photovoltaic solar cells.
2.3. Photovoltaic solar modules.
2.4. Effect of temperature on photovoltaic modules
2.5. Photovoltaic field.
2.6. Tracking the Maximum Power Point.
2.7. Example of the effect of temperature on A-75 module.

Unit 3: SOLAR RADIATION AND PHOTOVOLTAIC GENERATION SYSTEMS.
3.1. Introduction.
3.2. Radiation tables.
3.3. Orientation, tilt and shading over modules.

Unit 4: SUPPORTING STRUCTURES FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS.
4.1. Introduction.
4.2. Photovoltaic installations on roofs and facades.
4.3. Photovoltaic ground installations
4.4. Structural assembly for photovoltaic installations.

Unit 5: BASIC ELECTRICAL THEORY FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATIONS.
5.1. Introduction.
5.2. DC systems.
5.3. AC systems
5.4. Examples of PV systems.
5.5. Protections.
5.6. Wiring.

Exam: test with 25 questions.

********MODULE 2. GRID-CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS********
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Unit 1: GRID-CONNECTED PV INVERTERS.
1.1. Introduction.
1.2. DC/DC converter.
1.3. DC/AC converter: inverters.
1.4. Electrical isolation.
1.5. Grid management.

Unit 2. GRID-CONNECTED PV POWER PLANTS.
2.1. Introduction.
2.2. Types of photovoltaic plants.
2.3. Energy production of a grid-connected photovoltaic installation.
2.4. Power losses in photovoltaic plants
2.5. Project for a grid-connected photovoltaic plant.
2.6. Photovoltaic solar farms.
2.7. Dynamic support and grid management of PV plants.

Unit 3. DESIGN OF GRID-CONNECTED PV POWER PLANTS: EXAMPLES.
3.1. 100 kW PV installation on a 50m x 20m roof.
3.2. 60 kW PV installation with a central inverter and string inverters.
3.3. 17 kW c-Si PV plant in the ETSID.
3.4. 3.3 kW a-Si PV plant in the ETSID.
3.5. 45 kW PV installation with string inverters.

Exam: Project - DESIGN OF A 12 kW PV SYSTEM


********MODULE 3. OFF-GRID PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS********
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Unit 1: INTRODUCTION TO STAND-ALONE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
Objectives and index.

Unit 2: COMPONENTS IN STAND-ALONE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
2.1. Introduction.
2.2. Topologies and specifications for off-grid photovoltaic systems.
2.3. Loads.
2.4. Inverters.
2.5. Photovoltaic field.
2.6. Charge regulators.
2.7. Batteries .
2.8. Electrical installation.

Unit 3: ELECTROCHEMICAL ACCUMULATORS IN STAND-ALONE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS.
3.1. Introduction.
3.2. Operation of an electrochemical accumulator.
3.3. Voltages in a lead-acid battery.
3.4. Battery capacity.
3.5. Battery charging: charging with constant voltage (U); charging with constant current (IA); charging with constant current and voltage (UI); charging with growing voltage (WA)
3.6. Charging batteries in photovoltaic systems.
3.7. Lithium-ion batteries.

Unit 4: DESIGN OF A STAND-ALONE PV SYSTEMS: ANALYSIS OF THE WORTH MONTH.
4.1. Introduction.
4.2. Calculation of the photovoltaic field.
4.3. Circuit currents.
4.4. Battery design.
4.5. Charge regulator selection (PWM and MPPT types).
4.6 Verifying the design with the Ah approach.

Unit 5: DESIGN OF 12 V 900 W STAND-ALONE PV SYSTEMS.
5.1. Introduction.
5.2. Study on system consumptions.
5.3. Selecting the sinusoidal output inverter.
5.4. Photovoltaic field design.
5.5. Battery selection.
5.6. Selection of PWM charge regulator.
5.6.1. Verification of the photovoltaic field design with PWM charge regulator.
5.7. Selection of a MPPT charge regulator.
5.7.1 Other configurations of the photovoltaic field.
5.8 Calculation of wire cross-sections with PWM regulator.
5.8.1 DC loads wiring.
5.8.2 Wiring AC loads.
5.8.3 Wiring of photovoltaic generator, batteries and converters.
5.8.4 Installation diagram and protections.
5.9. Analysis of losses due to MPPT regulator wiring.
5.10. Comparison of losses due to wiring.

Unit 6 - Exam: Project - DESIGN OF 24 V 900 W STAND-ALONE PV SYSTEMS

Unit 7: PV PUMPING SYSTEMS.
6.1 Components of photovoltaic pumping systems.
6.2 Applications and classification of photovoltaic pumping systems.
6.3 Types of pumps..
6.4. AC motors and DC in photovoltaic pumping systems.
6.5 Electronic converters in photovoltaic pumping system.
6.6. Sizing of photovoltaic pumping system.
6.7 Analysis of photovoltaic pumps with different hydraulic cycles.

Unit 8: SELF-CONSUMPTION GRID-CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
8.1 Introduction.
8.2 Characteristics of the installation.
8.2.1 Solution 1: stand-alone system.
8.2.2 Solution 2: grid-connected system.
8.2.2.1 Case 1: yearly net balance.
8.2.2.2.2 Case 2: monthly net balance.
8.2.2.3 Case 3: monthly net balance with network access charge.
8.2.2.4 Case 4: Self-consumption with zero-feed-in controller (NO batteries).
8.2.2.5 Case 5: Self-consumption with batteries and a zero-feed-in controller.
8.2.3 Comparison of results