Solar Thermal Energy Technology (CAS)

Institution

University of Freiburg
Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering - INATECH

Location

Online

Target Audience

Working professionals with:

• Existing knowledge of the energy sector
• Professional experience in the photovoltaic industry

Prerequisites

• Eagerness to study with some of the most experienced solar energy instructors and leaders of the world.
• Academic level English proficiency.
• Bachelor’s degree (or similar) or professional diploma in relevant fields

Admission Documents

• Application form (must be filled out on a computer and signed with applicant's original signature.)
• Short curriculum vitae with a presentation of professional career in English
• Diplomas and degrees (in English or German - translated by a sworn translator) – if available

Content

This Certificate provides a comprehensive overview of solar thermal systems, their main components, and system engineering with the application of solar thermal energy in buildings, industry, and power plants. The course covers the following topics:

• Principles of Solar Thermal Collectors
• Radiation Characteristics of Selective Materials
• Solar Optical Characteristics of Collector Components: Cover Glazing, Mirror
• Heat Exchange and Transport: Heat Transfer Fluid, Heat Exchangers
• Flat-plate and Vacuum Collectors
• Collector Efficiency: Collector Performance Testing
• Linearly Concentrating Collectors: Parabolic Trough, Linear Fresnel
• Point Concentrating Collectors: Dish and Reflectors, Solar Tower, and Heliostats
• Solar Water Heating and Room Heating
• Thermal Energy Storage
• Solar Thermal Collector Fields
• Agriculture: Food Preservation, Irrigation, Drying
• Water Treatment and Desalination
• Cooling: Climatization and Refrigeration

Programme Details

• E-learning via online video lectures accompanied by readings, exercises, and online meetings with tutors and lecturers. Important questions regarding content or organization are asked and answered in the course forum.
• Written exam with online supervision, course exercises, project work, written assignment, and oral presentation.

Learning Objectives

After successful completion of CAS students should be able to:

• Comprehend the physical principles behind any solar thermal system.
• Describe different collector technologies and understand their operation.
• Evaluate essential parameters influencing the energy balance.
• Explain solar water heating and room heating.
• Differentiate thermal energy storage methods.
• Distinguish solar thermal collector fields based on the concentration method and application.
• Design and dimension the solar thermal energy systems concerning demand and economic considerations.
• Analyze the energy flow and control issues in a complex solar thermal system for optimized energy production and storage.
• Understand the multi-stakeholder approach for solar energy solutions in agriculture (water-energy-food nexus).
• Assess the solar energy application for desalination.
• Understand the different concepts of refrigeration and air conditioning.

Course Format

Online

Workload

450 hours (Lehrveranstaltungen + Selbststudium)

Creditpoints (ECTS)

15

Language

English

Course Dates

For the participants, the program is flexible in terms of time and location so that they can organize their studies individually. The fixed dates for online sessions are set by group poll (e.g., dfn-Terminplaner), taking into account the time zones of the participants.

Prof. Dr. Werner Platzer
Director of the Division “Solar Thermal and Optics” at Fraunhofer ISE and Honorary Professor at the University of Freiburg