Syllabus
PV4x Solar Energy Engineering: Photovoltaics in Microgrids
Index
1. Introduction
1.1 Course overview
1.2. Learning objectives
1.3. What we expect from you
1.4. What you can expect from us/the course team
2. Course structure
3. ID Verified
4. Assessment & deadlines
5. Resources & Tools
1. Introduction
Photovoltaic systems are often placed into a microgrid, a local electricity distribution system that is controlled and includes both electricity users and renewable electricity generation. This course deals with DC and AC microgrids and covers many topics, from basic definitions, through
You will familiarize yourself with the advantages and challenges of DC microgrids, which are still in an early stage. You will have the opportunity to master the topic of microgrids by evaluating selected pilot sites where microgrids were deployed.
1.1. Course overview
This course is part of the Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters Program designed to cover all physics and engineering aspects of photovoltaics: photovoltaic energy conversion, technologies,
This course PV4x: Photovoltaics in Microgrids, is one of the five courses in the MicroMasters Solar Energy Engineering. This flexible, self-paced course is designed to be completed within ten weeks if you devote around 10 hours per week to the course. The course should be finished on March 14 2023. We have therefore set a weekly structure to guide you. The level of the course is graduate level, and the course is in English.
To enjoy the extra support offered during the course, and be able to obtain a certificate at the end, you can upgrade to the verified learner experience. More information can be found in the verified learner experience section of the syllabus. A Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters Program Leaflet is also available
1.2. Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Differentiate between a microgrid and a virtual power plant, as well as active and passive distribution networks
- List various ancillary services provided by PV units within microgrids
- Apply active power control and voltage regulation operation to control multiple inverters, including PV units, and simulate local control to improve stability and power quality.
- Understand the operation of centralized, distributed, and decentralized control, considering their communication and standards implications, as well as forecasting in microgrids
- Differentiate AC, DC, and hybrid layouts and topologies of microgrids and power electronic components and the role of power electronics converters in microgrids.
- Differentiate various protection strategies in
microgrids and determine the proper implementation of adaptive protection and the consequences of using a fault current source or a fault current limitation. - Understand the main motivations and challenges for the implementation of DC microgrids.
1.3. What we expect from you
As an online
Please be aware that following the discussion guidelines and respecting the course policies and academic integrity is extremely important. When participating in the discussion, please take into account our guidelines. Our Guidelines are broken down into the following parts:
Discussion Forum Guidelines
Collaboration Guidelines
Review Honor Code
Regarding deadlines, we expect you to keep on track to benefit from learning within a community. This course is meant to be where you learn with and from others. In this sense, we'd like you to experience collaboration and peer feedback, so please follow up with other participants to enrich the learning experience.
1.4. What you can expect from us/the course team
The e-Moderator and Lecturers will guide you throughout the course, launching the weekly content, promoting, and engaging in discussions. Guidance and support will happen regularly, mainly every day.
2. Course structure
The course is organized into five parts, divided over eight weeks of content. A summary of each week is presented below.
Introduction and Extras
In the Introduction and Extras
:: Part 1. Definition, Components and Layouts: :
Week 1. Definition of Microgrids
1.1 Introduction to Microgrids
1.2 Definition of a Microgrid
1.3 Basic Concepts
Week 2. Components & Microgrid Layouts
2.1 Components in Distribution and Transmission
2.2 Energy Storage Technologies
2.3 Optimal PV & Wind Sizing
2.4 Microgrid layouts
:: Part 2. Power Electronic Interfaces: :
Week 3. Power Electronic Interfaces in Microgrids
3.1 Power Converters
3.2 DC Electronic Transformer
3.3 PEI's for Various Components
Exam 1 (verified learners)
:: Part 3. Control::
Week 4. Intelligent Local Controllers
4.1 Traditional Frequency Control
4.2 Local Control in Microgrids
Week 5. Control in Microgrids
5.1 Microgrid Control
5.2 Centralized Control
5.3 Decentralized Control
5.4 Ancillary Services
:: Part 4. DC Microgrids::
Week 6. DC Microgrids
6.1 DC Technology & Standards
6.2 DC & Hybrid Layouts
Exam 2 (verified learners)
:: Part 5. Protection, Examples and Demos::
Week 7. Protection
7.1 Protection Devices and Criteria
7.2 Protection Methods and Grounding
7.3 Faults in Microgrids
Week 8. Faults
8.1 Examples of Microgrid Protection
8.2 Demonstration sites
Exam 3 (verified learners)
3. ID verified
All the video content in this course, as well as several ungraded practice assignments, are available for free. By upgrading to the verified learner experience, you will get access to the following:
- ALL exercises: the practice and graded assignments and the exams
- The PV4x verified certificate if you complete the course
- access to the archived course after the end date.
Do you need financial assistance? EdX offers up to a 90% discount on our verified certificates to learners who cannot afford to pay full price. Check the edX support page for financial assistance.
If you're interested in a certificate, you need to obtain a minimum overall grade of 60%. These certificates indicate you have completed the course but will not include a specific grade. Certificates will be issued by edX under the name of DelftX, designating the institution from which the course originated.
Generating an ID-verified certificate
To qualify for a certificate, you must achieve a total grade of 60% or higher (for more information, please read 4. Assessment & Deadlines). An ID-verified Certificate of Achievement is available for $250. You can Upgrade your edX Dashboard to Verified during the course.
This PV4x course offers on-demand certificates, allowing you to generate your certificate as soon as you qualify. Certificates can be downloaded from your Student Dashboard (look for the Download button next to the name of our course). For more information on downloading your on-demand certificate, go to the corresponding page of the edX learner's guide.
Once produced, a certificate cannot be reissued; hence you must verify how your name appears. Check that, in your edx.org account; your name is correctly spelt since it will appear on the final certificate.
MicroMasters Program Details
PV4x Photovoltaic Systems is part of the Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters program. You can obtain a verified certificate for PV4x by achieving an overall score of 60% or higher. You can earn the MicroMasters credential by completing and successfully earning a Verified Certificate in all four courses, plus the PV5x Solar Energy Engineering Comprehensive exam.
If you successfully earn the MicroMasters Credential and decide to apply to the Master of Science program Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) or the Master of Science program Electrical Engineering (track: Electrical Power Engineering) at TU Delft, you will need to go through the regular admission procedures for MSc students and meet the entry requirements for those MSc programs.
If you are admitted and would like to be exempted from courses in the aforementioned MSc programs, you must send a formal waiver request. Campus courses that can be waived (up to 16-18 credits) are equivalent to the solar energy courses of the MSc program in question.
More information can be found at the online learning website of the Delft University of Technology.
4. ASSESSMENT & DEADLINES
In order to successfully complete the
- Weekly Exercises 30%
- Microgrid Control Assignments 10%
- Three exams: 60%
The course
5. Resources & Tools
You will find plenty of instructional videos each week. These videos (available in 360p, 720p or 1080p), including the subtitles, the transcripts, and the slides used, can be downloaded through the links below the videos.
In addition to the resources, the following book can be referred to for further improving the knowledge on the subject:
Microgrids: Architectures and Control, Nikos Hatziargyriou (Editor), ISBN: 978-1-118-72068-4, Mar 2014, Wiley-IEEE Press
This course also uses the book "Solar Energy, the physics and engineering of photovoltaic conversion technologies and systems" written by the TU Delft staff from the Photovoltaic Material and Devices (PVMD) department and published at UIT Cambridge. We are happy to announce that the e-book is free in online bookstores. You can also order a hard copy at online retailers for typical prices ranging from $25 to $32.
LICENSE
The course materials of this course are copyrighted by the
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You must also include a copy of the Creative Commons license used by DelftX, with every copy of the TU Delft materials or the derivative work you create from it.
