Solar Cell Technology

This course is under review for 2023 entry and we will provide an update in early 2023. Contact the department for further information: postgradphysics-enquiry@sheffield.ac.uk.

Support the shift to renewable energy and develop skills to help meet the demand for scientists with expertise in solar. You'll cover the fundamental materials science and analyse photovoltaic system data.

Course description

This course is designed to train physical science and engineering graduates to develop new photovoltaic devices and test their effectiveness as a global energy resource. It spans fundamental materials science through to PV system deployment. This means you can learn how to fabricate and assemble solar technologies, and how to measure their effectiveness, in a range of operating conditions and at various scales.

Lecture modules are designed to teach you the concepts behind photovoltaic materials and solar energy generation. In practical sessions, you will learn how to characterise materials used in solar cells and build them into devices. You will also have access to our rooftop solar testbed, where solar cells can be assessed in real-world conditions. Computer programming classes will teach you how to analyse solar energy systems, drawing on expertise from the scientists at Sheffield Solar, who run the largest database of photovoltaic systems in the UK.

Our dedicated enterprise module will show you how the solar technology business works in practice, and how companies get devices out of the lab and plugged into the energy network. The biggest part of your degree will be your research project. You'll be able to choose from a range of topics, from solar device fabrication to photovoltaic system analysis.