Caricamento in corso...
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design
01OHBNC, 01OHBXU
A.A. 2025/26
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
The course is devoted to present the photovoltaic power systems starting from their operating principles, in which general aspects of power electronics are included. The knowledge of the solar resource, the methods to correctly design the main components, to evaluate the energy production, with the economic analysis of investment, are the goals of the course.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
The course is devoted to present the photovoltaic power systems starting from their operating principles, in which general aspects of power electronics are included. The knowledge of the solar resource, the methods to correctly design the main components, to evaluate the energy production, with the economic analysis of investment, are the goals of the course.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
The portion "Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems" (2 ECTS), together with the "Solar Photovoltaic Systems" course (6 ECTS) and with "Wind Energy Systems" (2 ECTS), represents the course entitled "Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design" (10 ECTS) that provides knowledge, skills and abilities regarding photovoltaic and wind power systems in grid connection. In particular, this portion of course is devoted to present the procedure to integrate and harmonize the photovoltaic and wind power systems, with appropriate storage systems, in such a way as to meet the global consumption of users for the distribution/transmission lines at regional/national level. The required functions of active power/frequency regulation and reactive power/RMS voltage regulation will be studied for this intermittent power generation.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
The portion "Wind energy systems" dedicated to wind power (2 ECTS), together with the "Solar Photovoltaic Systems" course (6 ECTS), represents the course entitled "Renewable energy systems" (8 ECTS) that provides knowledge, skills and abilities regarding photovoltaic and wind power systems. In particular, this portion of course is devoted to present the wind power systems starting from the knowledge of their structure and the understanding of operating principle, in which general aspects of power electronics are included. The knowledge of the wind resource, the skills and the abilities to correctly design the system by the main components, to evaluate the energy production, with the economic analysis of investment, are the main objectives of the course.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
At the end of the course the students will know the main technologies about the photovoltaic generators and plants (including general aspects of power electronics), and will be able to calculate the productivity and to correctly design the main components of these power systems.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
At the end of the course the students will know the main technologies about the photovoltaic generators and plants (including general aspects of power electronics), and will be able to calculate the productivity and to correctly design the main components of these power systems.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
After passing the exam, the students will acquire the following knowledge and understanding: - the main technologies to convert photovoltaic and wind energy into electricity by power electronic converters, transformers and distribution/transmission lines for the proper grid connection; Then, the students will acquire the following skills and abilities: - the calculation of the power losses, efficiencies and voltage regulation of transformers and distribution lines by using simplified assumptions, valid for a grid with only radial lines; - the calculation of the RMS voltages and voltage angles of transformers and distribution lines by using the power flow (or load flow) analysis, valid for a grid characterized by redundancy (meshed lines) in the connections among its buses.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
After passing the exam, the students will acquire the following knowledge: - the main technologies to convert wind energy into electricity by AC rotating generators, power electronic converters, transformers and distribution lines for the grid connection; Then, the students will acquire the following skills and abilities: - the calculation of the wind-speed frequency and the energy productivity, according to the manufacturer power curve and the variations of wind speed (magnitude and direction); - the calculation of the power losses, efficiencies and voltage regulation of AC rotating generators with their power electronic converters; - the calculation of the optimal power ratings of photovoltaic and wind power systems to maximize self-sufficiency and self-consumption of active users, subjected to environmental, electrical and economic constraints in the regions of the installations.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Basic knowledge about electric circuit theory (electrical circuit analysis).
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Basic knowledge about electric circuit theory (electrical circuit analysis).
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Basic knowledge about electric circuit theory (electrical circuit analysis).
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Basic knowledge about electric circuit theory (electrical circuit analysis) and applied mechanics.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Lectures (about 40 h) Summary of electric circuit theory. State of the art in Photovoltaic (PV) technologies: general advantages and drawbacks; manufacturing process of crystalline silicon solar cells; thin film technologies and high-efficiency technologies; configurations and tasks of power conditioning units (inverters). Structure of the semiconductors: energy bands; doping with electron/hole; p-n junction, diffusion and electric field; losses in the energy conversion; spectral response and efficiency of the main technologies. The current-voltage characteristic curve (I-V curve) and the equivalent circuit of the solar cell; dependence on irradiance and temperature; profiles of meteorological and electrical quantities under clear sky conditions. Focus on an application problem: series/parallel connection of real cells; mismatch of their I-V curves due to production tolerance, defects and shading effect; hot spots and breakdown; bypass and blocking diodes. Structure of a PV module; datasheets of the commercial PV modules; qualification tests to simulate accelerated ageing; detection of faults by thermography and electroluminescence imaging. Unconventional aspects of PV generators with respect to the voltage sources; use of fuses in large PV plants; use of blocking diode in case of reverse current in a shaded string; the designer issue in case of partial shading of strings (concentrated and equally distributed shadings). The usage of transistors in DC-AC converters; PWM modulation and H-bridge voltage source inverter; paths of current with positive, negative and zero output voltage; active/reactive power control for grid connection; Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). Conventional calculation of energy production: evaluation of solar radiation, loss sources in the productivity. An innovative procedure to assess the energy production: automatic data acquisition systems, experimental tests and results on operating PV plants; economic analysis by the Net Present Value (NPV) method. Cost of energy production. Brief summary about the stand-alone PV plants equipped with electrochemical batteries.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Lectures (about 40 h) Summary of electric circuit theory. State of the art in Photovoltaic (PV) technologies: general advantages and drawbacks; manufacturing process of crystalline silicon solar cells; thin film technologies and high-efficiency technologies; configurations and tasks of power conditioning units (inverters). Structure of the semiconductors: energy bands; doping with electron/hole; p-n junction, diffusion and electric field; losses in the energy conversion; spectral response and efficiency of the main technologies. The current-voltage characteristic curve (I-V curve) and the equivalent circuit of the solar cell; dependence on irradiance and temperature; profiles of meteorological and electrical quantities under clear sky conditions. Focus on an application problem: series/parallel connection of real cells; mismatch of their I-V curves due to production tolerance, defects and shading effect; hot spots and breakdown; bypass and blocking diodes. Structure of a PV module; datasheets of the commercial PV modules; qualification tests to simulate accelerated ageing; detection of faults by thermography and electroluminescence imaging. Unconventional aspects of PV generators with respect to the voltage sources; use of fuses in large PV plants; use of blocking diode in case of reverse current in a shaded string; the designer issue in case of partial shading of strings (concentrated and equally distributed shadings). The usage of transistors in DC-AC converters; PWM modulation and H-bridge voltage source inverter; paths of current with positive, negative and zero output voltage; active/reactive power control for grid connection; Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). Conventional calculation of energy production: evaluation of solar radiation, loss sources in the productivity. An innovative procedure to assess the energy production: automatic data acquisition systems, experimental tests and results on operating PV plants; economic analysis by the Net Present Value (NPV) method. Cost of energy production. Brief summary about the stand-alone PV plants equipped with electrochemical batteries.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Lectures (about 12 h) Structure of power transformers with on-load tap changers and distribution lines for connection to High Voltage (HV) network with the appropriate protection devices. Operation of the above mentioned components by the corresponding equivalent circuits. The active power/frequency regulation and the reactive power/RMS voltage regulation for an appropriate grid connection of photovoltaic/wind power generation: role of the central controller of the system, according to the standard entitled "Reference technical rules for the connection of active and passive consumers to the HV and MV electrical networks of distribution Company" (CEI 0-16 in Italian language). Calculations of voltage regulation and power losses, between two buses of a line, by simplified assumptions valid for radial lines, in case of photovoltaic/wind generation. Calculations of RMS voltages and voltage angles in the buses by using the power flow (or load flow) study, valid for a grid characterized by redundancy (meshed lines) in the connections among its buses, in case of photovoltaic/wind generation.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Lectures (about 12 h) Energy conversion from wind kinetic energy to mechanical energy of blades (horizontal axis and vertical axis). Aerodynamics of blades: lift and drag forces, thrust and torque components. Coefficient of power vs. tip-speed ratio in a horizontal axis wind turbine: variable-speed operation for maximum power tracking. AC rotating generators and power electronic converters in the variable-speed wind turbines: equivalent circuits of DFIG generators with induction machines and PMSG with synchronous generators. Power transformers for connection to Medium Voltage (MV) grids with proper protection devices: equivalent circuits, voltage regulation and power losses. Factors affecting the energy production of a wind park: wake losses, reliability and availability of wind power systems, deviations from the power curve of the turbine manufacturer, curtailment of wind power. Optimal choice of power ratings of photovoltaic and wind power systems to maximize self-sufficiency and self-consumption of active users, subjected to environmental (slope of the terrain, altitude of the sites, distances from buildings, extreme climatic conditions, ...), electrical (power profiles of consumption, location of point of common coupling, ...) and economic (levelized cost of electricity, net present value of investment, internal rate of return, ...) constraints in the regions of installation.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
The course is organized with 40 h of lectures (above described) and 20 h of classroom exercises and laboratories. Classroom exercises for a total of about 11 h, starting from a summary of electric circuits. 1) Usage of PVGIS software for solar radiation and PV energy estimation. 2) Calculation of the electrical parameters of the PV modules in conditions different from the rated STC by datasheet of the manufacturers. 3) Calculation of reverse currents in a shaded PV string supplied by irradiated strings in parallel. 4) Optimal coupling between PV array and inverter: constraints of power/voltage/current. 5) Calculation of the energy production in a PV system from SO-DA database. 6) Simulation of integration of electrochemical storage to increase the self-sufficiency of active users. Laboratories for a total of about 9 h: 1) Measurement of the I-V curve of a diode by multimeters. 2) Familiarization with oscilloscope and function generator. 3) Measurement of the I-V curve of a PV module by digital oscilloscope. 4) Measurement of the output characteristics for a transistor operating as a switch. 5) Measurement of efficiency and power quality for single-phase inverter. 6) Guided tour to one of the PV plants operating inside the Politecnico di Torino headquarter.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
The course is organized with 40 h of lectures (above described) and 20 h of classroom exercises and laboratories. Classroom exercises for a total of about 11 h, starting from a summary of electric circuits. 1) Usage of PVGIS software for solar radiation and PV energy estimation. 2) Calculation of the electrical parameters of the PV modules in conditions different from the rated STC by datasheet of the manufacturers. 3) Calculation of reverse currents in a shaded PV string supplied by irradiated strings in parallel. 4) Optimal coupling between PV array and inverter: constraints of power/voltage/current. 5) Calculation of the energy production in a PV system from SO-DA database. 6) Simulation of integration of electrochemical storage to increase the self-sufficiency of active users. Laboratories for a total of about 9 h: 1) Measurement of the I-V curve of a diode by multimeters. 2) Familiarization with oscilloscope and function generator. 3) Measurement of the I-V curve of a PV module by digital oscilloscope. 4) Measurement of the output characteristics for a transistor operating as a switch. 5) Measurement of efficiency and power quality for single-phase inverter. 6) Guided tour to one of the PV plants operating inside the Politecnico di Torino headquarter.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
The course is organized with 12 h of lectures (above described) and 8 h of project work in team groups. The team groups consist of 2 to 4 students who are responsible for the writing of design documents regarding: - schematics of photovoltaic generators and wind turbines with power electronic converters for grid connection by transformers and distribution lines (including the central controller of the system); - voltage regulation and power losses within the transformers and the distribution lines at MV and HV levels; - usage of available software for solving the power flow problem in MV or HV networks with low degree of redundancy.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
The course is organized with 12 h of lectures (above described) and 8 h of project work in team groups. The team groups consist of 2 to 4 students who are responsible for the writing of design documents regarding: - schematics of photovoltaic generators and wind turbines with power electronic converters for grid connection; - power losses in the energy conversion from mechanical power to electric power for AC generators in variable speed turbines; - power and energy productivity according to the power ratings of generators and the sun/wind resources; - maximization of self-sufficiency and self-consumption for active users with grid/environment constraints, knowing their hourly power profiles of consumption.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Teaching documents (handouts on photovoltaic power systems and slides on the lectures) on the POLITO portal of the teacher. For deepening, it is suggested to read the books "T. Markvart, Solar Electricity, 2nd Edition, 2000, J. Wiley & Sons, USA" and “M. Patel, Wind and Solar Power Systems, 2006, CRC Press, USA”.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Teaching documents (handouts on photovoltaic power systems and slides on the lectures) on the POLITO portal of the teacher. For deepening, it is suggested to read the books "T. Markvart, Solar Electricity, 2nd Edition, 2000, J. Wiley & Sons, USA" and “M. Patel, Wind and Solar Power Systems, 2006, CRC Press, USA”.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Teaching documents (handouts on wind power systems and slides on the lectures) on the POLITO portal of the teacher. For deepening, it is suggested to read the book "M. Patel, Wind and Solar Power Systems, 2006, CRC Press, USA”.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Teaching documents (handouts on wind power systems and slides on the lectures) on the POLITO portal of the teacher. For deepening, it is suggested to read the book "M. Patel, Wind and Solar Power Systems, 2006, CRC Press, USA”.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Slides; Dispense; Esercitazioni di laboratorio; Strumenti di collaborazione tra studenti;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Slides; Dispense; Esercitazioni di laboratorio; Strumenti di collaborazione tra studenti;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Lecture slides; Lecture notes; Lab exercises; Student collaboration tools;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Lecture slides; Lecture notes; Lab exercises; Student collaboration tools;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula); Elaborato progettuale in gruppo;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula); Elaborato progettuale in gruppo;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Exam: Written test; Group project;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Exam: Written test; Group project;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Written exam, 2 h duration, with theoretical questions for a total of 20 points (short discussions, drawings and formulas) and numerical exercises regarding the classroom exercises for a total of 10 points. During the written exam it is possible to use a pocket electronic calculator, but it is not permitted to use handouts or notes regarding the program of the course. The space at disposal for the answers, on the single sheet of the written exam (front and back sides), is limited to test the ability of the student to summarize the concepts. The request of oral exam is possible only above the mark 24/30 in the written exam. The oral exam deals with the whole program of the course. During the oral exam it is not possible to use any document.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Written exam, 2 h duration, with theoretical questions for a total of 20 points (short discussions, drawings and formulas) and numerical exercises regarding the classroom exercises for a total of 10 points. During the written exam it is possible to use a pocket electronic calculator, but it is not permitted to use handouts or notes regarding the program of the course. The space at disposal for the answers, on the single sheet of the written exam (front and back sides), is limited to test the ability of the student to summarize the concepts. The request of oral exam is possible only above the mark 24/30 in the written exam. The oral exam deals with the whole program of the course. During the oral exam it is not possible to use any document.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
Exam: Written test; Group project;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
Exam: Written test; Group project;
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Hybrid photovoltaic and wind systems)
The written test lasts 1,25 h and consists of two theoretical questions regarding the knowledge of multiple topics (each one with 10 points) and one exercise regarding the skills and abilities of the "Expected Learning Outcomes" (7 points), like the sample written tests on the portal. The theoretical questions for a total of 20 points require short discussions, drawings and formulas, while the numerical exercise regards the skills and abilities acquired during the classroom exercises for a total of 7 points. Up to additional 4 points may be given by the exam commission as a result of the project-work assessment. The exam is passed if the students reach 18 points as a summation of the scores in the two theoretical questions and in the exercise, without any constraint regarding a minimum score in each of the three parts (theoretical questions and exercise), including the project-work assessment. The "30/30 cum laude" grade can be obtained only if the exam commission gives the maximum grade (4 points), regarding the project-work, and the written test is perfect. It is possible to use a pocket electronic calculator, but it is not permitted to use handouts or notes regarding the program of the course. NO oral test is possible to improve the grade. The space at disposal for the answers, on the single sheet of the written exam (front and back sides), is limited to test the ability of the student to summarize the concepts.
Photovoltaic and wind system operation and design (Renewable energy systems)
The written test lasts 1.25 h and consists of two theoretical questions regarding the knowledge of multiple topics (each one with 10 points) and one exercise regarding the skills and abilities of the "Expected Learning Outcomes" (7 points), like the sample written tests on the portal. The theoretical questions for a total of 20 points require short discussions, drawings and formulas, while the numerical exercise regards the skills and abilities acquired during the classroom exercises for a total of 7 points. Up to additional 4 points may be given by the exam commission as a result of the project-work assessment. The exam is passed if the students reach 18 points as a summation of the scores in the two theoretical questions and in the exercise, without any constraint regarding a minimum score in each of the three parts (theoretical questions and exercise), including the project-work assessment. The "30/30 cum laude" grade can be obtained only if the exam commission gives the maximum grade (4 points), regarding the project-work, and the written text is perfect. It is possible to use a pocket electronic calculator, but it is not permitted to use handouts or notes regarding the program of the course. NO oral test is possible to improve the grade, The space at disposal for the answers, on the single sheet of the written exam (front and back sides), is limited to test the ability of the student to summarize the concepts.