Masterclass “Energy transition: the role of solar energy”

By Arno Smets, Professor in Solar Energy in the Photovoltaics Material and Devices group at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

The faster we move away from fossil fuels as our main energy source and to wind, solar and biomass, the better it is for our planet, climate, health and welfare. Complementary to this energy transition, the masterclass touches on integrating these latter sources in an energy system and engineering solutions for a 100% sustainable energy system. It will then hone in on solar energy in the context of transitioning to more sustainable sources of energy generation.

To understand the principles of photovoltaic conversion in greater depth, the masterclass will take you through some of the solar cell technologies that convert solar energy into electricity. These technologies include crystalline silicon solar cell technology, thin film solar cell technologies and the latest solar cell concepts that are being tested in laboratories.

It goes without saying that no technology is perfect. Solar conversion too faces challenges such as variances in solar intensity, limited effective production times, limited effective conversion and environmentally-unfriendly hazardous materials and substances used in the production of panels and cells. The masterclass will go into some of the current challenges and efforts being made to address these challenges.

Apart from teaching, Arno Smets, winner of the prestigious EdX Prize for exceptional contributions in online teaching and learning, is putting most of his energy into processing thin silicon films, innovative materials and new concepts for photovoltaic applications.