Solar Technology Briefing

A technology and market primer for non-engineers

22 November 2010, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Note: The course can be attended as a stand-alone session but also provides an excellent way to introduce yourself to or refresh your knowledge of solar power before attending the "Gulf Solar " on the following days.

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Course objectives

Whether you are new to the industry or simply want to refresh your knowledge, this regularly-updated, informative and interactive day will ensure you are up-to-speed with the key technologies driving the solar energy industry. Covering both photovoltaic (PV & CPV) and solar thermal (CSP) power generation, you will learn about the current state of: silicon, thin-film, concentrating and emerging PV; the various CSP solutions (troughs, towers, dishes and Fresnel); associated technologies such as tracking and storage.

The various technologies and supply chains are placed within their relevant competitive context, with the chance to discuss the factors likely to decide their commercial success or failure.

Style & Level

The course runs in an informal and extremely interactive manner, encouraging discussion and questions, ensuring that participants get the most value from the day.
The content is designed to be of particular value to newcomers to or non-technical functions within the solar industry, including: investment and finance, regulation and planning, business development and strategy, marketing and sales, legal and commercial.
As such, no prior technical knowledge is required with all concepts explained in clear language.

Approximate Timing

Course begins: 09:00 // Course ends: 17:00

(Timings are approximate and include lunch plus morning and afternoon refreshment breaks)

Agenda Details

A Brief Revision of Key Solar Concepts

Navigating the solar power market:

Which solutions for which applications?
Is each technology competing with the others?

Jargon-buster: introducing some of the key scientific terminologies and concepts.
Power vs. Energy, energy conversion efficiency, electricity and heat.
Fundamentals of Solar Radiation, including energy available and the solar spectrum.

Pholtovoltaic (PV) Solar

The current state-of-play:

Reviewing key market developments.
Theoretical, lab and real-world PV performance (cells vs. modules vs. arrays).
Examples of large-scale PV deployments.

PV manufacturing:

An overview of current solar cell and module manufacturing approaches.
Approaches to furthering cost-reduction and efficiency.

The evolution of emerging PV solutions including organic and dye-sensitised cells (DSSC), new multi-junction designs, new thin-film material concepts etc.
CPV development:

The performance/cost rationale behind CPV.
Example system solutions and deployments.
Evolution and mass production / cost reduction challenges.

Electrical storage:

A review of different electrical storage solutions, including pros and cons of different capacities, storage times and costs.

Solar Thermal Power (CSP)

A review of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) solutions:

Linear collectors: trough and Fresnel.
Point collectors: dish and tower.

Reviewing key market developments and example deployments.
The CSP supply chain.
Power plant efficiencies and determining factors.
Heat collection, transport and storage:

The different heat media (oil, steam, salt, gases etc.) and their applications
Direct collection and transport solutions (e.g. direct-to-steam)
Evolving and emerging solutions

Other key operational and design issues in CSP.
Examples of hybrid plants, including Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) plus other “mixed heat source” possibilities

About Green Power Academy

Green Power Academy exists to provide the quality, impartial, informative and enjoyable training needed to increase and distribute knowledge and skills to green energy industry professionals. Whether you are new to the industry, have recently changed jobs or simply wish to refresh your knowledge, our training should become a key part of your personal or company professional development programme. If you are interested in learning more about what we offer and wish to keep up-to-date as new course dates and topics are added to our programme, please bookmark and register your interest at: www.greenpoweracademy.com.

About your trainer

Dr John Massey is Green Power Academy's Training Director and in-house solar expert. He combines a strong academic science background with over fifteen years experience researching and analysing technology industries and trends in the commercial sector (covering a range of technologies and markets including renewable energies, telecoms and consumer electronics). He has delivered training globally, explaining the workings and financial / commercial context of rapidly evolving technologies to senior, non-technical executives. He has also developed educational material for both live and distance learning courses.

Following a 1st Class Honours degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, John gained a PhD in Earth Sciences and – in addition to his commercial experience - has gained further academic qualifications in topics including Economics, Innovation and Sustainability.