Photovoltaics is a renewable energy source that allows the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. The solar cell is its basic constituting element, based on a semiconductor material. The currently and extensively used solar cell device is primarily made of silicon and is known as 1st generation solar cell. A small part of the market is handled by the so-called 2nd generation solar cells that are made of various materials.

This one-day hands-on training provides industry, mainly those implementing photovoltaics, the basic knowledge on how a solar cell is functioning and what its specifications are related to.

The course will first address the working principle of photovoltaic conversion. Second part will link the physical principles to the macroscopic values that are given in solar cell specifications. Last part will be dedicated to the technology implementation and so to the  1st and 2nd generation variants.

The hands-on training will be made on a solar simulator, testing several kinds of solar cells and linking their obtained characterization results to the usually encountered specifications.