CHEETAH PVirtual Academy in PV modelling

This speech is a short introduction to the nano-MOOC series, to explain the approach and the main technical aspects. It also anricipate the content of nano-MOOC:Simulation of solar cells & modules with equivalent circuits  prof. David Fuertes, UPM,  nano-MOOC: Fundamentals of solar cells (advanced topics) prof. Antonio Martì and nano-MOOC  nano-MOOC: Designing dopant diffusions in silicon solar cells prof. Carlos del Cañizo

More than 50  webinars have been organized by CHEETAH KEP platform since January 2014 with more than, 1200 “different” users of whom:

1. Around 900 registered to CHEETAH KEP- Knowledge Exchange Platform
2. More that   2000 registration to participate “live” to the events
3. Hundreds and hundreds accessing by streamin

CHEETAH webinar has been as great success, and we have  enricheed it by two very interesting options  very useful to support  "free" access to the learning and to foster knowledge exchange:

1. CHEETAH nano-MOOCs «learning PV at CHEETAH speed»
2. CHEETAH «PVirtual Academy »

An excellent presentation of CHEETAH nano-MOOC was offered by prof. Carlos del Cañizo . Any interested  web user can access it  by the  event web page CHEETAH nano-MOOC-1

Today dr. Eduardo Roman, TECNALIA and dr. Franco ROCA, ENEA  present the rational of  CHEETAH «PVirtual Academy » and the first of this series titled "Modelling PV: from conversion Technologies to Systems"

Prof. Fuertes introduces the relevance in PV modelling by this first  lecture of his nano-MOOC "Simulation of solar cells & modules with equivalent circuits"

Unlike other physical parameters the refractive index of a material is not directly accessible to experiments. Yet, we can use optical measurements of transmission T and reflection R of a thin layer to extract its dielectric function. Often times this extraction is performed based on physical models that need to be chosen carefully according to the specific material type. Here we present a procedure based on the transfer-matrix method (TMM) that allows the exclusive mathematical recalculation of the complex refractive index (n,k) from measured (T,R). This means no particular material model for the film investigated is required. Moreover, we will address common imperfections of thin layers like surface roughness or internal roughnesses (voids), which usually destroy the applicability of the TMM, by adapting the model to consider these properties. By comparing (T,R) calculated as a function of the desired optical constants (n,k) with the measured data in an iterative minimization process of the deviation the desired dielectric function becomes accessible. This procedure under consideration of surface and internal roughnesses for a multilayer stack of thin films and thick substrates as well as with the option of an effective medium is possible via our simulation tool RefDex.

After the physical background presentation of prof. Martina Schmid, dr. Phillip manley presents simulations hands-on sample characterization by using proposed tools.

Lecture 3 will be very soon available

By this lecture Dr. Joyce introduces in the first part  the modeling options applied to solar cells, in the second part the modelling applied to PV systems and interface to the grid 

Slides and video of this lecture are already available by the links  aside

By this first lecture of the webinar offered on Dec. 6th 2017,  Dr.  Halvard HAUG,IFE outlines the device simulation tool PC1Dmod6.2, an attempt to modernize and update the much used PC1D program with Fermi-Dirac statistics and advanced physical models for c-Si. Other relevant freeware simulations tools and how these relate to each other were also be briefly described

By the  second part of the webinar offered by IFE on Dec. 6th 2017, Dr. Ørnulf Nordseth ,IFE focuses on device modelling of different solar cell architectures using Silvaco Atlas. A brief introduction to the software is given along with specific case studies. 

Lecture 3 will be very soon available

Lecture 4  will be very soon available

By this lecture Dr. Joyce introduces in the first part  the modeling options applied to solar cells, in the second part the modelling applied to PV systems and interface to the grid 

Slides and video of this lecture are already available by the links  aside

Solar resource knowledge is an important task at several stages of any solar system PV facility and project. This webinar presented by Dr. Jesus Polo, informs about the accurate knowledge of incoming solar irradiance and its use use in modelling solar radiation for PV application. Likewise, modelling solar irradiance components is essential in many aspects and it usually requires accurate ground measurements to reduce the uncertainty of the output. In particular, accurate of long-term solar radiation time series is fundamental to bankability and feasibility studies.

By this lecture Ricardo Alonso -Tecnalia presents the simulation of performance in static regime of DMPPT topologies in order to analyze their capability to reduce mismatching losses as a function of system design parameters

This lecture presents the long-term simulation of PV storage systems for self-consumption in order to analyze their profitability as a function of main design parameters and different energy management strategies.