Solar Energy - A Review
Credit: 1 PDH
Subject Matter Expert: Jayachandra N. Sakamuri, Electrical Engineer
In Solar Energy - A Review, you'll learn ...
- Residential solar power applications
- The operating principle of parabolic troughs and solar power towers
- How photovoltaic photocells work
- How a Stirling Engine converts heat energy into usable power
Overview
Solar energy is quickly growing in significance, and for engineers wanting to understand solar power more thoroughly, it may be difficult to find a place to start. This course offers an introduction to the primary source of solar energy, the sun, and the primary ways that the sun’s energy is harvested.
The course explains methods for harvesting the sun’s energy, including solar heated water, parabolic troughs used as solar energy collectors, solar power towers, Stirling engines, and photovoltaic cells. After completing this course, you will have a foundational knowledge of the methodology and the potential for humans to channel the sun’s power into useful work.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain how much of the sun’s energy reaches the Earth.
- Describe how solar energy is used to heat water and homes.
- Explain how parabolic troughs are used to collect solar energy.
- Describe how solar power towers are used to generate electrical energy.
- Explain how Stirling engines are used to generate electrical energy.
- Describe how photovoltaic systems generate electrical energy.
- Compare various electrical energy generation systems.
- Explain how the cost of generating electrical energy changes over time.
Certificate of Completion
You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Area of Practice) |
| Georgia (P.E.) | Idaho (P.E.) | Illinois (P.E.) |
| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
| Kansas (P.E.) | Kentucky (P.E.) | Louisiana (P.E.) |
| Maine (P.E.) | Maryland (P.E.) | Michigan (P.E.) |
| Minnesota (P.E.) | Mississippi (P.E.) | Missouri (P.E.) |
| Montana (P.E.) | Nebraska (P.E.) | Nevada (P.E.) |
| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
| Pennsylvania (P.E.) | South Carolina (P.E.) | South Dakota (P.E.) |
| Tennessee (P.E.) | Texas (P.E.) | Utah (P.E.) |
| Vermont (P.E.) | Virginia (P.E.) | West Virginia (P.E.) |
| Wisconsin (P.E.) | Wyoming (P.E.) | |



