PHYS 4400, Principles and Varieties of Solar Energy
Spring 2013, Course Information

Instructor: Randy Ellingson

PHYS 4400 Introduction, Syllabus, and General Information (updated Mar. 13, 2013)

Class Schedule:

Lecture:  Tuesday, Thursday  12:30 - 1:45 pm, in R1 2360.

Late Policy:  Complete the assigned homework on time;  the instructor reserves the right to deduct points for homework submitted late:  10% if late, then 10% additional for each day late.

Final Exam:  April 30, 12:40 - 2:40 pm

Lectures:

• January 8, 10:  Energy Introduction

• January 15:  Light and Photons

• January 17:  The Sun (guest lecture by Prof. of Astronomy, J.-D. Smith)

• January 22:  Sunlight

  January 24:  Integrating the Solar Spectrum

  • AM0 Spectrum - complete (ASTM E-490 interpolated at 1 nm intervals:  999,881 points to ~1000 microns) -- Note, file size is very large, ~18 Mb.

  • AM0 Spectrum - abbreviated (ASTM E-490 at 1 nm intervals:  6000 points, to 6118.5 nm)

  • AM1.5G Spectrum (ASTM G-173 at 1 nm intervals, from 280 to 4000 nm)

• January 29:  Energy Flow and Conversion

• January 31:  Energy and the Environment;  also, Quiz #1

• February 5:  Biomass and Biofuels

• February 7:  Photosynthesis (guest lecture by Prof. Scott Leisner, UT Biology)

• February 12:  Solar Thermal Power

• February 14, 19:  Wind Energy

• February 21:  Climate Change (guest lecture by Prof. Andrew Jorgensen, UT Chemistry)

• February 26:  Introduction to Photovoltaics

• February 28:  Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), with Prof. Heben and PHYS 6640

• March 12-26:  Introduction to Semiconductor Physics for Photovoltaics

• March 21:  PV Policy and Incentives Primer -- Project Description

  • Solar Powering Your Community -- DOE SunShot Workshop, Dayton, OH Sept. 2012

• March 28:  CdS/CdTe Solar Cells -- guest lecture by Dist. Prof. (Emeritus) Al Compaan

• April 2:  Nanostructured Photovoltaics   and   Concentrated Photovoltaics

• April 4:  c-Si Photovoltaics

• April 9:  Thin Film Photovoltaics

• April 11:  Ohio's Renewable Energy Policies (guest lecture, Brian Kaiser, Ohio Environmental Council)

• April 16:  Acquisition, Installation, and Operation of a Residential PV System (guest lecture, Brooks Martner, Lafayette, CO)

• April 18:  Isofoton c-Si PV Module Assembly Plant Tour (tentative)

• April 23:  LCOE and Policy/Incentive Presentations (meet in usual spot, R1 Rm. 2360)

• April 25:  Last day of class - Review

Quizzes

• Quiz #1 - January 31, 2013

• Quiz #2 - February 26, 2013

• Quiz #3 - April 9, 2013