Solar Energy profile
The sun is a virtually inexhaustible source of energy and provides 10,000 times more energy than we actually consume. Although the price of solar energy for households can already compete with electricity from the grid (called grid parity), solar panels are still too expensive for many of us. In addition, there is still much room for improvement in terms of current electricity grids and of legislation and regulations.
At TU Delft, we aim to make solar energy even cheaper, with an emphasis on PV solar energy. Our research and education in this area focus on increasing the performance of solar cells by developing new materials and structures and designing cheaper methods of manufacturing solar panels. We also do research in PV systems and solar fuels.
The following research groups offer graduation projects in the solar profile:
- Electrical Sustainable Energy/Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (Electrical Engineering)
- Chemical Engineering/Opto-electronic Materials (Applied Sciences)
Examples of Graduation Projects
- A new method for calculating solar irradiance on PV systems facing reflective surfaces
- Thermal Simulation of Low Concentration PV/Thermal System using a Computational Fluid Dynamics Software.
- Use of LIDAR Data in Photovoltaic Energy Yield Estimation.
- Photovoltaic system feasibility study - Designing a blueprint for sustainable schools in India.
- Hybrid a-Si:H/CIGS Tandem Solar Cells