Academic Year of Degree:
2025/26
636 - Master's in Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency
66361 - Solar Energy
Teaching Plan Information
Academic year:
2025/26
Subject:
66361 - Solar Energy
Faculty / School:
110 - Escuela de Ingeniería y Arquitectura
Degree:
636 - Master's in Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency
Ambit:
Industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, automatic engineering, industrial organization engineering, and navigation engineering
Tipo de enseñanza:
In person
ECTS:
6.0
Year:
1
Semester:
First semester
Subject type:
Compulsory
Module:
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1. General information
The teaching objectives of the subject are:
SOLAR THERMAL
- To identify the characteristics of solar radiation that influence the design of solar installations.
- To know the range of application, the main characteristics, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different solar thermal technologies.
- To understand and critically analyse the criteria for selecting the type and model of thermal collector to be used.
- To know and understand the different concentrating solar thermal systems.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC
- To perform basic sizing of solar photovoltaic installations, both off-grid and grid-connected.
- To identify and select the equipment that is part of a solar photovoltaic installation using technical criteria.
2. Learning results
2. Learning results
SOLAR THERMAL
- To identify the characteristics of solar radiation that influence the design of solar installations, evaluating such radiation and its components.
- To understand solar diagrams and their use.
- To evaluate the shading factor that can occur in a grouping of collectors. To characterise shadows and blocking.
- To analyse the characteristics of the solar spectrum and the value of radiation at each instant and location.
- To identify the different forms of energy use of solar thermal energy.
- To know the range of application, the main characteristics, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different solar technologies, clearly distinguishing between systems with or without solar concentration.
- To understand and critically analyse the criteria for selecting the type and model of collector best suited to the climatic conditions, characteristics and peculiarities of a given installation.
- To know the technical and operational aspects of the different concentrating solar thermal systems.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC
- To know the current state of development of each technology, as well as the main countries and companies in the sector.
- To know the different subsystems of a solar photovoltaic installation, the different types of photovoltaic materials and their electrical behaviour.
- To know the current status of the implementation of photovoltaic electric systems and future prospects, as well as the applicable regulations in the case of Spain.
- To be able to use the tools and techniques necessary for the sizing, commissioning and maintenance of solar photovoltaic installations.
3. Syllabus
SOLAR THERMAL
1.- Solar Energy.
1.1.- Earth-Sun geometry.
1.2.- Solar radiation.
2.- Non-concentrating solar thermal systems.
2.1.- Low temperature solar thermal collectors.
2.2.- Solar towers.
3.- Concentrated solar thermal systems.
3.1.- CCP plants.
3.2.- Fresnel power plants.
3.3.- Solar furnace.
3.4.- Parabolic discs.
3.5.- Tower power plants.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC
1.- Introduction to photovoltaic energy: present, future, applications.
2.- Fundamentals of photovoltaic conversion. The solar cell.
3.- The photovoltaic module
4.- The inverter and other BOS subsystems.
5.- Grid-connected photovoltaic systems.
6.- Autonomous photovoltaic systems.
7.- Photovoltaic self-consumption.
8.- Economic and legislative aspects.
4. Academic activities
The learning process is based on the following:
- Theory sessions: basic concepts are explained and related to the technical characteristics of the processes using short exercises, which helps to understand the concepts. In both cases, the methodology is based on master classes.
- Practical sessions: a combination of laboratory experiments, computer sessions and assignments in which more complex practical cases than those presented on the blackboard are studied. A certain amount of computer power is needed to solve these cases.
- Visits to facilities in the area are also possible.
5. Assessment system
For evaluation purposes, the subject is divided into two parts, with the following weights on the final grade:
- Solar thermal: 50%.
- Solar photovoltaic: 50%.
For each of these parts, both the practical activities and the exams will be taken into account, as explained below.
Solar thermal:
- Practical evaluation (60 %): formative and summative continuous assessment of graded tutored work and practical activities including the of the corresponding script.
- Final exam (40 %): summative evaluation to assess the final learning result. A minimum grade of 5 points in the exams is required to pass the subject.
Solar photovoltaic:
- Practical evaluation (25 %): formative and summative continuous assessment of graded tutored work and practical activities including the of the corresponding script.
- Final exam (75 %): summative evaluation to assess the final learning result. A minimum grade of 5 points in the exams is required to pass the subject.
The weights described in the previous paragraphs can be summarized in the following formula:
Final grade = 0.5*(0.6*Practical solar thermal + 0.4*Exam solar thermal) + 0.5*(0.25*Practical solar photovoltaic + 0.75*Exam solar photovoltaic).
If the student does not opt for the assessment method described above or has not passed the tutored work during the term, they may opt for the global assessment of the subject, for which they must take a written theoretical exam of thermal and photovoltaic parts (80% of the final grade) and a practical exam (20% of the final grade).
Final grade = 0.8*Theoretical exam + 0.2*Practical exam.
In the second call, the procedure will be the one described in the global assessment.
6. Sustainable Development Goals
7 - Affordable and Clean Energy