First Generation Solar Cells | EveryEng

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Self-paced Beginner

First Generation Solar Cells

4(1581)

2 enrolled

461 views

FREE

154 min

Anytime

English

461 views

Team EveryEngMechanical Engineering

Energy & Utilities

Mechanical Engineering

Lifetime access
Certificate of completion
Foundational Learning
Access to Study Materials

Volume pricing for groups of 5+

Why enroll

Participants join this course to gain a clear understanding of solar photovoltaic technologies and their growing importance in the renewable energy sector. It helps them build foundational knowledge of solar cell working principles and fabrication processes. The course also supports career opportunities in solar energy, sustainability, and clean technology industries.

Your instructor

Team EveryEng

Engineer

Mechanical Engineering

22+ yrs experience·India

Is this course for you?

You should take this if

You work in Energy & Utilities
You're a Mechanical Engineering professional
You prefer self-paced learning you can revisit

You should skip if

You need a different specialisation outside Mechanical Engineering
You need live interaction with an instructor

Course details

This course provides an overview of various solar photovoltaic technologies and their role in modern energy systems. It introduces the working principles behind different types of solar cells, including conventional and emerging technologies. Participants will explore the current status of the solar industry, including efficiency trends and market adoption. The course highlights key differences between photovoltaic technologies in terms of performance, cost, and applications.Learners will gain a brief understanding of device fabrication processes used in solar cell manufacturing. Topics such as material selection, wafer processing, and cell assembly are discussed at a foundational level. The course also touches on advancements in fabrication techniques aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs. Real-world applications and industry case studies help connect theory with practice.By the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of photovoltaic technologies and basic fabrication concepts. This knowledge will help them explore further studies or careers in the solar energy sector.

Source: Youtube Channel

Course suitable for

Key topics covered

Device Parameters and silicon solar cells.
Solar Cell Device Parameters
Solar PV Technologies: Introduction
Generation-I Technologies (Mono Silicon Solar Cells)
Generation-I Technologies (Mono Silicon Solar Cells)
Generation-I Technologies (Poly Silicon Solar Cells)

Course content

The course is readily available, allowing learners to start and complete it at their own pace.

5 lectures2 hr 34 min

Solar Cell Device Parameters
30 min
Solar PV Technologies: Introduction
35 min
Generation-I Technologies (Mono Silicon Solar Cells)
27 min
Generation-I Technologies (Mono Silicon Solar Cells)
32 min
Generation-I Technologies (Poly Silicon Solar Cells)
30 min

Opportunities that await you!

Career opportunities

✎ Where this fits — what comes before, what comes next

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Questions and Answers

Q: You're checking a module datasheet after a performance drop and you type into Google: "why crystalline silicon solar cell efficiency drops at high temperature". Cell temperature rises 20°C above STC while irradiance stays constant. What happens electrically, and what's the correct operational response?

A: That's the most common mistake — treating temperature like irradiance. Silicon bandgap shrinks with heat, so Voc drops roughly −2 mV/°C per cell, while Isc nudges up. Net power falls. If MPPT minimum voltage isn't adjusted, you strand usable power. Overreacting with isolation or adding resistance just worsens yield.

Q: During a safety review you search: "what does PV module bypass diode protect against". A bypass diode in a first generation crystalline silicon module fails open. What physical risk is NOT mitigated anymore?

A: That's the usual confusion — mixing module-level protection with system-level faults. Bypass diodes clamp reverse voltage across shaded cells, limiting hotspots and long-term thermal damage. They do nothing for downstream DC arc flash; that's governed by string fusing, disconnects, and arc-fault detection.

Q: You're sanity-checking a concept note and google: "estimate maximum efficiency of single junction silicon solar cell". Using first principles, what order-of-magnitude efficiency limit do you defend for first generation crystalline silicon under unconcentrated sunlight?

A: That's the classic slip — counting photons but ignoring thermodynamics. The Shockley–Queisser balance caps single-junction silicon near 29–33% because excess photon energy thermalizes and sub-bandgap light passes through. Contact resistance matters, but it doesn't set the ceiling.

Q: Reviewing a GA drawing you search: "PV module datasheet STC NOCT difference". The title block references IEC 61215:2005, but the electrical table lists power at NOCT only. What's the real issue?

A: That's where people trip — assuming NOCT tells the same story. STC is the contractual baseline in IEC 61215-era specs. NOCT is contextual, site-dependent. Without STC power, you can't verify nameplate rating or acceptance criteria against the spec.