Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight to a hot spot, often to drive a steam turbine.
Photovoltaics were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes powered by an off-grid rooftop PV system. Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. Since then, as the cost of solar electricity has fallen, grid-connected solar PV systems have grown more or less exponentially. Millions of installations and gigawatt-scale photovoltaic power stations continue to be built, with half of new generation capacity being solar in 2021.
In 2022 solar generated 4.5% of the world's electricity, compared to 1% in 2015 when the Paris Agreement to limit climate change was signed. Along with onshore wind, in most countries the cheapest levelised cost of electricity for new installations is utility-scale solar.
Almost half the solar power installed in 2022 was rooftop. Additional low-carbon power, such as solar, has been recommended as part of a plan to limit climate change, but the International Energy Agency said in 2022 that more effort was needed for grid integration and the mitigation of policy, regulation and financing challenges.
Geography affects solar energy potential because different locations receive different amounts of solar radiation. In particular, with some variations, areas that are closer to the equator generally receive higher amounts of solar radiation. However, the use of photovoltaics that can follow the position of the Sun can significantly increase the solar energy potential in areas that are farther from the equator.
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The objective of this lecture is to give an in-depth understanding of the physics and manufacturing processes of photovoltaic solar cells and related devices (photodetectors, photoconductors). The pri
The students assess and compare all renewable energy resources, their real potentials, limitations and best applications (energy services). Solar thermal, solar electric, wood, bioliquids, biogas, hyd
The course will provide fundamentals and technological details of solar energy conversion devices and systems, including 1) solar fuels by photoelectrochemistry, photocatalysis, and solar thermochemis
A charge controller, charge regulator or battery regulator limits the rate at which electric current is added to or drawn from electric batteries to protect against electrical overload, overcharging, and may protect against overvoltage. This prevents conditions that reduce battery performance or lifespan and may pose a safety risk. It may also prevent completely draining ("deep discharging") a battery, or perform controlled discharges, depending on the battery technology, to protect battery life.
Un réseau électrique intelligent, ou smart grid en anglais, est un réseau de distribution d'électricité qui favorise la circulation d’information entre les fournisseurs et les consommateurs afin d’ajuster le flux d’électricité en temps réel et d'en permettre une gestion plus efficace. Ce type de réseaux intelligents utilise des techniques informatiques pour optimiser la production, la distribution, la consommation et éventuellement le stockage de l'énergie afin de mieux coordonner l'ensemble des mailles du réseau électrique, du producteur au consommateur final.
La récolte d'énergie (energy harvesting ou energy scavenging en anglais) est le processus par lequel de l'énergie est tirée de sources externes (solaire, éolienne, thermique, vibratoire, cinétique, chimique, etc.) en quantités infinitésimales, puis emmagasinée pour servir au fonctionnement autonome d'appareils portables de petite taille comme ceux de l'électronique vestimentaire (wearable electronics en anglais), les réseaux de capteurs sans fil mais aussi des applications de grande taille, notamment pour les sources thermiques: fonderies, spatial (générateur thermoélectrique à radioisotope), etc.
The course provides an introduction to the use of path integral methods in atomistic simulations.
The path integral formalism allows to introduce quantum mechanical effects on the equilibrium and (ap
Explore les fondamentaux et les applications de l'énergie solaire, couvrant les caractéristiques, l'optique, la physique des semi-conducteurs, l'électrochimie et la thermochimie.
Like many other countries, Switzerland offers various incentives to promote residential solar PV, but not all households have equal access to them. Using a microsimulation approach based on merged data from the Swiss Household Budget Survey and Household E ...
Photo-electrochemical (PEC) devices allow for converting solar energy into chemical energy and for the production of energetically dense solar fuels. Light absorption, charge separation and transport, electrochemical reactions, and ionic transport are requ ...
Accurate forecasting of photovoltaic (PV) power production is crucial for the integration of more renewable energy sources into the power grid. PV power production is highly intermittent, due to the stochastic cloud behaviour and cloud dynamics. Previous w ...