Design of ground mounted photovoltaic power plants

This course thoroughly explores photovoltaic (PV) plant design, employing PVsyst software to cover the design process from site assessment to financial analysis. Throughout the semester, students will work in pairs on a PV plant design case study provided at the course outset, culminating in a presentation at the exam. The curriculum starts with lectures on site assessment, solar data analysis, and the influence of weather on PV performance. Advanced topics include horizon shading, system orientation, row-to-row shading optimization, inverter modeling, and the physical layout design of PV plants, alongside optimization tools within PVsyst. Group presentations throughout the semester offer opportunities for feedback and iterative improvement of the project. The course concludes with insights into contemporary practices in the PV industry presented by invited industry experts, equipping students with the competencies to design efficient and economically viable PV systems. The course is aimed at individuals seeking a comprehensive understanding of PV system design and analysis, emphasizing collaborative learning and practical application. The course prerequisites are 34552 Photovoltaic systems course or an equivalent course or industry experience on the fundamentals of PV systems.

The main objective of the course is to teach students to perform a comprehensive techno-economic prefeasibility study for a utility scale PV plant , utilizing PVSyst to model, simulate, and optimize the plant design for maximum efficiency and economic viability.

The course will be held fully online, as a mix of live online lectures, recorded lectures, group exercises, student presentations of mini-assignments, self study and work on the course project assignment. Office hours will be held online during the allot