Engineering Project Management:

Mastering Project Complexity

Develop the project management skills you need to
successfully manage complex engineering, infrastructure and
other large projects.
Underestimating project complexity is widely accepted as one of the major causes of project failure.
Based on international benchmarking activities (Merrow, 2010), we know that an average of 40% of
projects do not deliver what they promised; for megaprojects in the oil and gas industry this figure is
even worse (Ernst&Young, 2014).

As with most external factors, many of the causes and consequences of complexity are difficult to avoid
or control. When dealing with complexity, standard practices in the field of project management often
overlook the inherent uncertainties linked to the length and scale of engineering and infrastructure
projects and their constantly changing environments. The situation is exacerbated by rapidly evolving
technologies and social change.

Attempts to overcome these challenges by simply trying to reduce their causes is not enough.

In this course, you will learn our approach to mastering complexity, focused on front-end development
and teamwork, which will help you develop the skills you need to make timely actions in order to tackle
complexities and improve your chances of project success. You will learn how to enhance your own
capacities and capabilities by ensuring you have the necessary balance of complementary skills in your
team.

Project success starts with recognizing the main drivers of complexity, which can be highly subjective
and highly dynamic. In this course, you will learn to identify what makes a project complex and how to
perform a complexity assessment.

Examining the elements of a project (such as interfaces, stakeholders, cultures, environment,

technology, etc.) and their intricate interactions is key to mastering complexity.

You will analyze these elements in the context of your own project. Then, based on our complexity
framework, you will identify the complexity footprint of your project and use it to adapt your
management processes. With personalized guidance and feedback from our world-class instructors, you
will learn how to recognize what competencies you need to develop and how to adapt your
management style accordingly, not only to improve project performance but also to enhance your
decision-making capacity.
Underestimating project complexity is widely accepted as one of the major causes of project failure.
Based on international benchmarking activities (Merrow, 2010), we know that an average of 40% of
projects do not deliver what they promised.

So how can you as an engineer with a technical background improve your project performance?

In this program, you will learn the project management skills you need to successfully manage
engineering projects. First you will focus on the early project phases, which are crucial to achieve
project success. The areas covered include the project manager and the team, the project process and
the project context. At the end of this part of the program you will have created your own project
execution plan.

But how will you deal with the inherent uncertainties linked to the length and scale of engineering
and infrastructure projects and their constantly changing environments? As with most external
factors, many of the causes and consequences of these uncertainties are difficult to avoid or control.
Attempts to overcome these challenges by simply trying to reduce their causes is not enough.

In the second part of the program you will learn our approach to mastering project complexity,
focused on front-end development and teamwork. You will develop the skills you need to make
timely actions in order to tackle complexities and improve your chances of project success.

You will learn to identify what makes a project complex and how to perform a complexity assessment.
You will analyze these elements in the context of your own project. Then, based on our complexity
framework, you will identify the complexity footprint of your project and use it to adapt your
management processes.

What You'll Learn:

 To manage your project successfully in different sectors and contexts.

 To work together successfully in a project team.

 To examine the elements of a project (such as interfaces, stakeholders, cultures, environment,

technology, etc.) and their intricate interactions.

 To identify what makes a project complex and how to perform a complexity assessment.

 To develop a complexity footprint and adapt your management processes to fit the complexities
of your project.
Course syllabus

Week 1: Understanding project complexity

This week introduces the program with some questions to help you understand project complexity.
What does it entail? What is it comprised of? What are the main models of complexity? What is the
(subjective) nature of complexity?

Week 2: Project complexity assessment

You will create a complexity footprint for your own project. You will use the TOE framework as a means
to grasp project complexity. There will be an emphasis on identifying, assessing and understanding
project complexity at the earliest possible stages.

Week 3: Managing project complexity

Now that you are aware of the project's complexity, we will discuss how to manage the particular
complexities faced. We will provide a palette of different management approaches. You will compare
these approaches with the way your own project has been managed.

Week 4: Mastering complexity

And finally, we will discuss how to adjust your management approach to the specific complexities
experienced (or expected) and how to maximize the value of your project. This is not about decreasing
complexity but rather dealing with complexity and embracing it to fully realize the project's potential.
One size does not fit all!

Week 5: Wrap-up and peer review

During the last week of the course you will have time to reflect on the course and you will review your
peers'

Who Should Attend?

 Construction Project Managers,

 Design Engineers, Engineers

 Engineers-in- training

 Functional Managers

 Construction Managers

 Project Sponsors

 Quantity Surveyors
  Architects

Engineering Project Management:

Project Financing
Improve your project management skills and learn the key
strategies to generate crucial funding for your project.
Are you involved in the development and execution of technical projects and eager to know what it
takes to fund a project successfully? Would you like to be more in touch with the latest developments in
project finance and able to use these to your advantage? To benefit from a range of novel project
contracts and methods of financing, professionals working on infrastructure and industrial projects need
to have a good understanding of how project financing works and how project investors and lenders
think and assess the risks of a project.

This program will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and necessary tools to create the
optimum financing structure for your project and enhance its potential to attract funding.

To achieve successful project financing, this program will first help you develop the overall project
management skills needed to successfully manage engineering and technical projects. With a focus on
the early project phases, which are crucial to achieve project success, you will learn about the role of the
project manager and the team, the project process and the project context. At the end of this part of the
program you will have created your own project execution plan.

The second part of the program will deal with the financing aspects of project management in more
detail. Using case studies to illustrate the topics, as well as assignments so you can get first-hand
experience in what it takes to put together a financeable project.

What You'll Learn:

 To manage your project successfully in different sectors and contexts.

 How to successfully work together in a specialized project team.

 The optimal allocation of the roles, risks and rewards between the various project stakeholders.

 How to create a financing structure that will provide the best chance of successful project
financing.

 Create a financial risk management plan and the optimal legal conditions for project financing to
succeed.
Overview

Whether you are new to project and construction management, or have previous experience, this is an
opportunity to review best practice when managing engineering projects.

This course will help you to understand the range of project management systems, tools and techniques
that are available when managing engineering projects.

You'll discover how to apply a structured approach to project delivery and how to manage the issues
that will inevitably crop up during a project life-cycle.

Delegates will receive a copy of the Project Management Toolkit handbook as part of the course
materials.

Learning outcomes

 understand the range of project management systems, tools and techniques available

 understand best practice when managing engineering projects

 be able to take a more structured approach to project delivery

 feel more confident about managing issues during the project life-cycle.

Who will benefit

 engineers new to project and construction management

 project managers with some years of experience

 construction engineers and managers

 line managers.

Course outline

Day 1

 Project basics

 Performance 1: measuring project performance, managing scope, managing quality, managing

time

 Performance 2: managing resources, managing cost, integration

Day 2

 Performance 3: managing contracting, managing risk (including HSE risk)

  Process: project phases, project organisation, managing information, managing communication

 Governance: opportunities, benefits management, assurance, stakeholder engagement

Day 3

 People: teams, individuals, leadership

 Review and reflection

Programme Structure

Courses include:

 Research Methods and Statistics

 Project Management Practice

 Project Management

 Project Evaluation and Control

 Quality and Performance Management

 Engineering Communication and Leadership

 Project Management Research Paper

 Resource Planning and Management

 Advanced Topics in Engineering Management

Project Management of Engineering Projects: Preparing for Success

Are you a (project) engineer with a technical background but lack management knowledge? Are you
eager to improve project performance and want to expand your knowledge?

This business and management course will focus on the necessary project management skills to
successfully manage projects, distinguishing three areas:

 The project manager and the team

 The project process

 The project context

The course focuses on the early project phases, including examples from technical projects within
various sectors and industries (amongst others, but not limited to, infrastructure projects and
construction projects).

At the end of this course, you will have created your own project execution plan, either in a team effort
or on individual basis. Of course the team effort allows for a special learning experience and we appraise
active team participation.

What you'll learn

 The importance of the front-end phases to create a successful project

 How to select an appropriate project manager

 How to successfully work together in a specialized project team

 How projects are successfully managed in different sectors and contexts

 To draft a project execution plan

Course Syllabus
Week 0: Welcome and course overview
Welcome! We'll give an outlook of the course and explain the course structure. The course uses
a challenging mix of knowledge clips, video's, quizzes, and assignments integrating your own
experiences from practice with attractive examples from industry and new insights from theory.
Week 1: The need for and the importance of project management
This week highlights the need for this course by showing examples of failed projects as well as
successful projects. How is project success defined? How is it achieved? We explain the choice
of focussing this course on the front-end phase of projects and the people aspect of projects.
Also we link to a more strategic level: how to select the right projects?
Week 2: Organizing the team
This week focuses on the team effort that is needed to bring a project to a successful end. It
shows why teamwork is essential and why it should not be taken for granted. It explains which
challenges the project manager faces in developing a group of specialists into a coherent team.
You will obtain insight in your own competences and based on your scores you are challenged
to compose multidisciplinary teams with your fellow-students, 5/6 students per team.
Week 3: Opportunity framing
Now that you formed the teams the real experience can start. This week all necessary steps of
the early project phases are elaborated: identifying the stakeholders involved, scoping of the
project (high level) after formulating the project objectives and setting up the initial risk register.
With your team, you will experience the above steps, resulting in the selection of a topic for your
team's project execution plan (PEP).
Week 4: The project assurance plan
The content of week 4 and 5 go hand-in-hand: do you select the appropriate contracting
strategy after defining the project assurance plan or is it the other way around? We decided to
first elaborate on the management processes to be followed in a project. How does a project
assurance plan look like?
Week 5: Selecting the contracting strategy
In selecting the appropriate contracting strategy, we should not only focus on the contract. This
sounds contradictory, but it is an essential lesson to learn this week. We will introduce the
contracting quilt and explain the importance of relational attitudes. Also we discuss the
importance of senior management commitment. With your team, you will write the first outline of
your project execution plan (PEP).
Week 6: Time and cost estimates
Now that a lot of the project preparation is done, it is time for some basic project management
skills: the skills of scheduling and cost estimation. After thorough introduction of these skills, you
will be asked (again with your team) to prepare a baseline schedule for your own project and,
based on the baseline schedule, create a rough baseline cost estimate.
Week 7: Bringing it together in the project execution plan.
And finally: all comes together. All ingredients of the project execution plan (PEP) have been
discussed so far and are to be combined in the PEP that should be delivered at the end of this
week. Also, we will link back to the more strategic elements of project management from week 1
and reflect upon your lessons learned during this course.

Project Finance: Funding Projects Successfully

Are you involved in the development and execution of technical projects and eager to know what it
takes to fund a project successfully? Would you like to be more in touch with the latest developments in
project finance and able to use these to your advantage? If so, you're in the right place!

This course will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and necessary tools to create the
optimum financing structure for your project and enhance its potential to attract funding.

The approach taken is both theoretically sound and practically relevant. This is achieved by using case
studies to illustrate the topics, as well as assignments that give learners first-hand experience in what it
takes to put together a financeable project.

At the end of the course, you'll understand what is required to achieve successful project financing.
Those who work on infrastructure and industrial projects, especially, will need to have a good
understanding of how project financing works and how project investors and lenders think and assess
the risks of a project.

Projects are increasingly set up through cooperation between different groups of stakeholders such as
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Project contracts are evolving to facilitate and structure such co-
operations, which has in turn led to a range of novel contracts and methods of financing.

This course is a good enhancement course for learners who successfully completed the MOOC Project
Management. This course builds on the basic knowledge gained in that MOOC, but deals with the
financing aspects in considerably more detail.

What you'll learn

 How to create a financing structure that will provide the best chance of successful project
financing.

 The optimal allocation of the roles, risks and rewards between the various project stakeholders.

 Creating a financial risk management plan.

 Constructing the optimal legal conditions for project financing to succeed.

 Course syllabus
 Module 1 & 2: Finance and Project Finance?
First, we'll look at financing generally to see what aspects are most important for
financing to succeed. Then we'll look at project financing, a specialized form of financing,
that is designed to fund (technical and infrastructure) projects.

Module 3: Projects Risk Management

Because of the way in which project finance is structured, where money flows are
restricted to the project (= ring fencing and limited recourse financing), careful
management of the project risks becomes crucial for the success of the financing. In this
week, we'll focus on the system that has been developed to stabilize project cash flows
and reduce the financial impact of risks.

Module 4: Optimizing the Legal Structure in Project Finance

By this week, we'll have built up a good understanding of the most important financial
and risk management aspects in a project financing. This week we'll look at the
standardized legal structure that has been developed to achieve all the project finance
objectives.
 Module 5: Using a Project Finance Model Support the Funding
In this week you will work with the financial model in Microsoft Excel. You will learn how
to create a model for your own project and apply it to convince lenders and investors.

Wrap-up
In the final week you will have a wrap-up module of the course. In this module, we'll
bring all elements together to give you a good overview.

Solar Energy Engineering

Solar energy technology use is expanding rapidly. The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) sector is the largest and
fastest growing renewable energy employer worldwide with an increasing need for experts that can
support this growth.

In this MicroMasters program you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the
solar energy field and become a successful solar energy professional. This program will teach you
what is expected from solar experts, and will prepare you for employment in various capacities
including:

 Systems design and engineering

 Solar systems installation

 Device fabrication and characterization

 QA and reliability testing

 Project management and consultancy as well as (technical) sales

The program includes diverse learning activities, including videos, readings, exercises and real-world
applications. You will be guided through the content in an inspiring, hands-on, but rigorous manner. It
is designed so knowledge is built gradually. We therefore recommend that students follow the
courses in the suggested order. However, you may choose to enroll in any course of your choice based
on your background knowledge or experience.

The program is taught by photovoltaics research experts from TU Delft with many years of experience
working with industry partners. Among these experts is Professor Arno Smets,

What You'll Learn:

 The physics of and how to model all aspects of a working solar cell: performance, efficiency
limits and design rules.

 Design concepts and fabrication processes of various photovoltaic (PV) technologies and
applications.

 How to evaluate components of a PV system: PV modules, inverters, DC-DC converters,

batteries, charge controllers and cables.

 Application techniques for designing a PV system ranging from a residential rooftop system to
a utility scale solar farm.

 Design concepts of microgrids that include PV systems.

 How to assess the economics and ecology of PV systems and communicate these accordingly.

WHETHER YOUR ARE A PROFESSIONAL:

 In the PV and Solar Energy Industry and Sales

 Or a Solar Energy newcomer with another background

OUR STUDY OFFERS ARE MADE FOR YOU

Learn from the world leading experts in solar energy within a innovative and flexible learning
environment - specially designed for working professionals. Gain insights into the physics, technology
and system design of solar energy engineering. Boost your career and become part of the solar
community: Become a part of our successful and renowned society of solar engineers

Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies

Explore the main PV technologies in the current market, to gain in-depth knowledge on the design and
processing methods of solar cells.

About this course

The technologies used to produce solar cells and photovoltaic modules are advancing to deliver highly
efficient and flexible solar panels. In this course you will explore the main PV technologies in the current
market. You will gain in-depth knowledge about crystalline silicon based solar cells (90% market share)
as well as other emerging technologies including CdTe, CIGS and Perovskites. This course provides
answers to the questions: How are solar cells made from raw materials? Which technologies have the
potential to be the major players for different applications in the future?

This course is part of the Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters Program designed to cover all physics
and engineering aspects of photovoltaics: photovoltaic energy conversion, technologies and systems.

What you'll learn

 Design concepts and fabrication processes of various photovoltaic technologies,

 In-depth knowledge on the entire crystalline silicon solar cell landscape including,

o Market-leading polycrystalline based cells

o High efficiency/cutting edge monocrystalline based solar cells

 Application of thin film solar cells, like CIGS, CdTe, thin-film silicon, Perovskites,

 Concentrated PV and space applications for III/V semiconductor based solar cells.

Part 1. Crystalline silicon

Week 1. Introduction & Crystalline Silicon I

1.2 Introduction to Silicon
1.3 Silicon Processing

Week 2. Crystalline Silicon II

2.1 c-Si Solar Cell Design
2.2 Advanced cell design
2.3 From cell to module

Part 2. Solar Cell Characterization

Week 3. Solar cell characterization

3.1 J-V Measurement
3.2 EQE Measurement
3.3 Reflectance - Transmittance Measurement
3.4 Lifetime Measurement

EXAM

Part 3. Thin Film Processing

Week 4. Thin Film Processing

4.1 Thin Film Design
4.2 Thin Film Deposition

Part 4. Thin Film Technologies

Week 5. Thin Film Silicon

5.1 TF Silicon Properties
5.2 Major Challenges
5.3 TF Silicon Processing
5.4 State of the Art TF Silicon Devices

EXAM

Week 6. Chalcogenides & III-V Technologies

6.1 Chalcogenides - CIGS
6.2 Chalcogenides - CdTe
6.3 III-V - Material and Devices
6.4 III-V - Special Applications

Week 7. Organic Photovoltaics

7.1 OPV Basics
7.2 OPV Technologies
7.3 Perovskites

Part 5. Comparing and Combining Technologies

Week 8. Comparing & Combining Technologies

8.1 Comparing PV Technologies
8.2 Hybrid PV Devices
8.3 Hybrid PV Systems

Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Conversion

Learn how solar cells generate electricity, and about the semiconductor physics and optics required to
design and manufacture solar cells.
About this course

The key factor in getting more efficient and cheaper solar energy panels is the advance in the
development of photovoltaic cells. In this course you will learn how photovoltaic cells convert solar
energy into useable electricity. You will also discover how to tackle potential loss mechanisms in solar
cells. By understanding the semiconductor physics and optics involved, you will develop in-depth
knowledge of how a photovoltaic cell works under different conditions. You will learn how to model all
aspects of a working solar cell. For engineers and scientists working in the photovoltaic industry, this
course is an absolute must to understand the opportunities for solar cell innovation.

What you'll learn

 The principles behind the potential loss mechanisms in photovoltaic devices

 The semiconductor physics necessary to understand solar cell performance and engineering

 The optics and light management tools necessary for optimal solar cell design

 To model all aspects of a working solar cell, understanding the efficiency limits and design rules

Course Syllabus

Skip Syllabus DescriptionWeek 1: Introduction

How do solar cells convert solar energy into electrical energy? What are the basic building
blocks of a solar cell?

Week 2: Semiconductor Basics

What are semiconductors? What is a band diagram?

Week 3: Generation and Recombination

What are the physics of charge carriers?

EXAM

Week 4: The P-N Junction

What is a diode? How does a diode change when we apply a voltage? What about when we
illuminate it with solar energy?

Week 5: Advanced Concepts in Semiconductors

What happens when we connect a semiconductor to a metal? What other types of junctions of
semiconductor materials are important for solar cells?

Week 6: Light management 1: Refraction/Dispersion/Refraction

Which optical phenomena are important for solar cells? How can we use them to make sure
maximal light is absorbed.

EXAM

Week 7: Light management 2: Light Scattering

Which techniques can we use to scatter light in our solar cell to enhance optical path length?

Week 8: Electrical Losses

Pull all the concepts together to understand how to engineer solar cells

Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

Explore the wide range of solar energy applications and learn to design a real PV installation with
excellent performance and reliability

About this course

Skip Course Description

In this course you will learn how to turn solar cells into full modules; and how to apply full modules to
full photovoltaic systems.

The course will widely cover the design of photovoltaic systems, such as utility scale solar farms or
residential scale systems (both on and off the grid). You will learn about the function and operation of
various components including inverters, batteries, DC-DC converters and their interaction with both the
modules and the grid.

After learning about the components, you will be able to correctly apply them during main design steps
taken when planning a real PV installation with excellent performance and reliability.

Through modelling, you will gain a deeper understanding of PV systems performance for different solar
energy applications, and proficiency in estimating the energy yield of a client's potential system.

What you'll learn

How to design a PV system ranging from a residential rooftop system to a utility scale solar farm taking
in to account:

 The effects of the position of the sun and solar irradiance on PV module performance

 Components of a PV system: PV modules, inverters, DC-DC converters, batteries, charge

controllers and cables
  The economics and impact on the grid of PV systems

Solar Energy: Integration of Photovoltaic Systems in Microgrids

Learn how to integrate a photovoltaic system into a microgrid of your design.

About this course

Photovoltaic systems are often placed into a microgrid, a local electricity distribution system that is
operated in a controlled way and includes both electricity users and renewable electricity generation.
This course deals with DC and AC microgrids and covers a wide range of topics, from basic definitions,
through modelling and control of AC and DC microgrids to the application of adaptive protection in
microgrids. You will master various concepts related to microgrid technology and implementation, such
as smart grid and virtual power plant, types of distribution network, markets, control strategies and
components. Among the components special attention is given to operation and control of power
electronics interfaces.

You will be familiarized with the advantages and challenges of DC microgrids (which are still in an early
stage). As a verified learner you will also have the opportunity to master the topic of microgrids through
an exercise in which you will evaluate selected pilot sites where microgrids were deployed. The
evaluation will take the form of a simulation assignment and include a peer review of the results.

What you'll learn

 Difference between a microgrid, a passive distribution grid and a virtual power plant

 Ancillary services provided by microgrids and PV

 Operation of centralized and decentralized control, forecasting, and evaluation of different

market policies through a case study

 Operation of active power control and voltage regulation

 Different layouts and topologies of microgrids and power electronic components, and the role
of power electronics converters in microgrids

 Microgrid protection, adaptive protection, and the consequences of using a fault current source
and fault current limitation

 Main motivations and challenges for the implementation of DC microgrids

Solar Cells and Photovoltaics Systems

Solar cells and photovoltaic systems are high-tech devices, which directly convert sunlight into
electricity. The underlying scientific principles of these devices have been researched for decades with
even more to come. This module condenses the expertise gained over the years to enable a substantial
scientific understanding of photovoltaic energy conversion.

Participants gain an overview of the overall system of photovoltaic energy conversion and a detailed
scientific foundation of the underlying principles of solar cells. Experienced engineers will be qualified to
design and optimize photovoltaic systems and newcomers will be able to understand and enter the
photovoltaics sector. Participants will be proficient in explaining the physical and engineering principles,
analyzing and assessing new solar cell concepts as well as latest trends in photovoltaics based on the
fundamental principles.

Module Content

Solar Cells

The course "Solar Cells" provides profound insight into the physics, technology and design of solar cells.
By understanding physical mechanisms, limitations and design rules the student is able to understand all
different types of solar cells like silicon, thin-film, organic or dye solar cells and so on. This helps
students to develop, design and optimize photovoltaic devices with respect to efficiency, cost and
lifetime.

Photovoltaic Systems

The course “Photovoltaic Systems” deals with basically everything around the solar cell once it is
implemented in any kind of photovoltaic application. The student is able to design and optimize
photovoltaic systems based on their understanding of the environment and its influence on photovoltaic
energy conversion. They are also able to describe and design photovoltaic systems for optimized energy
production, transport and storage.

Solar Thermal Energy Technology

This module gives a wide overview on solar thermal systems and their main components. Starting with
basic issues of physical processes and design options for non-concentrating and concentrating solar
thermal collectors, systems engineering based on these technolgies will be presented. Here the complex
systems for different applications ranging from solar water heating to process heat for industry to solar
thermal power production will be described.

Module Content

Fundamentals of Solar Thermal Collectors

Especially Linear Fresnel collectors and solar tower heliostat fields are discussed. Aspects like
hybridization of CSP with PV or the impact of different high-temperature storage options are
considered.

Solar Thermal Systems Engineering

An important topic is the energy efficiency and integration of solar thermal heat in industrial processes.

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics

This module covers the whole value chain of silicon solar cells starting from quartz and finishes with the
complete module. Students will learn how silicon is produced from quartz and how this silicon is
purified, crystallized and cut into wafers. Based on this knowledge, students will be able to develop new
and optimized processing sequences and design concepts for silicon solar cells.

Finally, students will learn how modules are produced from silicon solar cells and which aspects are
particularly important to ensure a long module lifetime. The module contains a laboratory course “Solar
Cell Processing” in Fraunhofer ISE labs in Freiburg during the final Campus Phase.

Module Content

Feedstock and Crystallization

This course gives an overview of the most relevant production techniques of crystalline silicon wafers for
solar cells. Starting from quartz, purification strategies, crystallization and wafering techniques are
presented and discussed.

Silicon Solar Cells – Structure and Analysis

This course will focus on the fabrication and analysis of crystalline silicon solar cells. The structure of
standard industrial silicon solar cells and a rough overview of the production sequence will be discussed.

Solar Cell Production Technology

This course provides thorough understanding of current technical and economical implications. It is
essential to understand the influence of processing techniques like e.g. diffusion, wet chemical
processing, chemical vapor deposition, printing and laser techniques relevant for crystalline silicon solar
cells as well as the associated costs.

Silicon Module Technology and Reliability

This course covers the basic processes of module production with a focus on cell interconnection and
encapsulation. Students will also learn about the comprehensive requirements for outdoor operation
and respective module qualification testing procedures.

Solar Cell Characterization and Modelling

Understanding prototype solar cells is key to further development. This module provides practical as
well as theoretical insights into common characterization techniques used for solar cell characterization.
The module also provides an advanced understanding of multi-dimensional effects in solar cell and
material characterization.

Students will also learn how a simulation package for solar cell simulation works, by providing an insight
into the numerical techniques to discretize the governing equations to describe solar cells. The module
contains a laboratory course “Measurement Instrumentation” in Fraunhofer ISE labs in Freiburg during
the final Campus Phase.

Module Content

Material and Solar Cell Characterization

This course gives an overview over the most important characterization tools used in material and solar
cell characterization. Students gain the knowledge required for correct selection and use of the methods
and have an understanding of the limits of different methods.

Hands-on Measurement Instrumentation

In this lab-course the students get the chance to use the main characterization techniques of solar cells.
The main measurement systems as well as typical applications are used by the students in this course.

Numerical Simulation of Solar Cells

This course covers the governing equations that describe charge transport in solar cells. Students will
learn the meaning of: the primary solution variables, derived quantities and main results of a solution of
the governing equations. The students will also learn the difference between locally distributed models
and time-dependent models; on application examples for solar cell design and analysis and PV system
simulation.

PG: Photovoltaics and the Renewable Electricity Grid

Decentralized electricity generation and fluctuating availability pose a challenge on grid stability. This
module provides comprehensive understanding of interaction between PV systems and the power grid.
It is about control aspects of PV Systems and the integration of a huge amount of PV energy in the
electricity grid. Furthermore, this module gives a wide overview on smart grids and renewable energy
systems.

Starting with basic issues of energy and efficiency, grid technology will be discussed to balance complex
systems with available storage components.

Module Content

Selected Semiconductor Devices - Seminar

The devices introduced in this seminar are not only used in photovoltaics but usually have applications
in nearly all fields of electronics. Additionally, devices complementary to solar cells, such as light
emitting diodes are covered.

Grid Integration and Control of PV Systems

This course gives an overview on interactions between PV systems and the power grid. The high share of
renewable energies and the decentralized generation and consumption of electricity requires new
control strategies.

Technologies for Renewable Energy Conversion - Seminar

This seminar focuses on the integration of different renewable energy systems into the electricity grid
and the optimization of the combination of different renewable energy conversion techniques with
respect to power demand satisfaction, operating security and safety and economic issues.

Smart Grids & Energy Autonomous Communities

This course gives a wide overview on smart grid energy systems. Starting with basic issues around
energy and efficiency, grid technology will be discussed to balance complex systems with available
storage components.

Advanced Solar Cell Technologies

This module provides comprehensive fundamental understanding of the basics for Si-based, CIGS, and
CdTe thin-film solar cells, modules, and module production. With this knowledge students will be able to
understand the different types of thin-film solar cells, their role in the PV market and the specific
applications in which thin-film solar cells excel. They will also be able to assess present and future novel
photovoltaic concepts.

Participants gain a wide overview about existing concepts to overcome the thermodynamic limit for
single junction solar cells, the so-called third generation photovoltaics. New techniques in solar cell
production which originate from the related fields of microsystems engineering and nanoscience will be
introduced. The processes introduced are likely to concern photovoltaic engineers in an upcoming 10-
year period.

Module Content

Inorganic Thin-Film Solar Cells

This course provides an extensive overview on inorganic thin-film solar cells: physics, materials, growth,
production and characterization. With this information the student will be able to understand the
different types of thin-film solar cells, their role in the PV market and the specific applications where
thin-film solar cells excel.

III-V Solar Cells and Concentrator Systems

This course gives a broad overview on the field of high concentration photovoltaics. This involves the
approach of multi-junction solar cells and issues related to the operation of solar cells under
concentrated light.

New Concepts for Photovoltaic Energy Conversion

This course gives an overview on the different kinds of new types of solar cells and shows how they
differ from conventional solar cells made from inorganic semiconductors. The advantages and the weak
points in these emerging technologies will be analyzed.

Advanced Solar Cell Processing - Seminar

This seminar gives an overview on the new techniques in solar cell production which often come from
the related fields of microsystems engineering and the nanosciences. The processes introduced in this
seminar are likely to concern the PV engineer in an upcoming 10 year period.