Economical Aspects on Solar Energy
Syllabus, Master's level, 1TE712
- Code
- 1TE712
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Energy Technology A1N, Renewable Electricity Production A1N
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (3), Pass with credit (4), Pass with distinction (5)
- Finalised by
- The Faculty Board of Science and Technology, 27 January 2023
- Responsible department
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Entry requirements
120 credits in science/engineering. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to
- discuss economic risks and opportunities for development and manufacturing companies in the PV industry, taking into account technical challenges, political decisions such as e.g. subsidies and tax-based incentives for solar energy, competition and availability of raw materials,
- propose energy efficient and cost effective solutions for installation and operation of photovoltaic plants,
- critically evaluate various solar energy systems, with respect to expected total cost per kWh,
- describe conditions and extent of solar energy use at a global level and explain the spatial distribution of solar installations.
Content
Photovoltaic, solar thermal and hybrid systems - technical, economic, environmental and political aspects. Installation of solar energy systems in existing and new environments. Global perspective on solar energy.
Case studies: PV companies - from research to sales. International perspectives of solar energy. Business and innovation evaluation methods, such as SWOT analysis and Canvas.
The first part of the course is a case study of a country or region with a perspective of using solar energy, including resource assessment and assessment of economic and political specific conditions. In the second part, a business idea is developed based on the results from the case study and a suggested technical solution. A draft business plan including a SWOT analysis is included in this part.
Instruction
Lectures, seminars and supervision of projects.
Assessment
Oral presentations of case studies (2 credits). A final written report based on the results from the case study, technical solution and draft business idea (3 credits).
If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.