Photovoltaic Power Systems - in theory and practice (2024)

Organizer: Associate Professor Tamas Kerekes, tak@energy.aau.dk, Aalborg University

Lecturers: Associate Professor Tamas Kerekes, tak@energy.aau.dk, Aalborg University
Associate Professor Florin Iov, fi@energy.aau.dk, Aalborg University
Assistant Professor Ariya Sangwongwanich, ars@energy.aau.dk, Aalborg University

Associate Professor Sergiu Spataru, sersp@fotonik.dtu.dk, DTU

ECTS: 4

Date/Time: 22 - 25 October 2024

Deadline: 1 October 2024

Place: AAU Energy, Pontoppidanstraede, Aalborg, Denmark

Max no. of participants: 25

Description: The objective of this course is to give an understanding of the operation, design and control of Photovoltaic Power Systems, and to provide insight into some of the key challenges for higher penetration of photovoltaic energy into the electricity network. The target audience is PhD students and practicing engineers but also researchers who aim to receive a comprehensive overview of modern photovoltaic systems. The course is structured in four days, covering topics from PV panels through power electronics and their control to PV plant design and grid integration challenges. The mornings are dedicated to lectures, while the afternoons are spent with exercises. No less than 40% of the course time is spent in the state-of-the-art Photovoltaic Systems laboratory at the Department of Energy, Aalborg University. The participants will make design, simulations and experimental tests, using the following advanced setups:

• Grid-connected PV inverter systems, with real-time control using dSPACE® platform. The participants will be able to design, experimentally test, and tune parameters of grid controllers, PLL, voltage support, using the real-time graphical user interface Control Desk®
• Real-time simulation platform on dSPACE® system, to design and analyse PLL, MPPT
• High performance Spi-Sun 5600 SLP Solar simulator from Spire. Demonstration of PV panel measurements and characterisations will be provided
• Detailed Simulink®, PLECS® and Matlab® GUI models for designing and analysing PV inverter topologies, grid synchronisation and PV array modelling
• PVSyst Software platform for designing PV plants.

Selected simulation models will be included in the course material for the participants.

The mornings are dedicated to lectures, while the afternoons are spent with off-line application examples and exercises in Matlab/Simulink, and laboratory exercises focusing on Real Time implementation, where the students will apply the models and methodology in practice.

• Day 1: PV panels and arrays
• Day 2: PV inverters
• Day 3: Grid interaction
• Day 4: PV plants and Grid integration

Price:  6000 DKK for PhD students outside of Denmark and 8000 DKK for the Industry excl. VAT.
A link for online payment by credit card for externals participants will be annonced after deadline for registration

Find more information about the course at phdcourse.dk (more details and course litterature)

Important information concerning PhD courses: We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 3000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.