Solar PV Power Plants: Design & Operation

Overview

Solar photovoltaic power has become one of the cheapest sources of new electricity in much of the world, and utilities, industrial users and oil and gas companies are building plants at every scale. Getting a solar project right, however, depends on many technical decisions: site selection, module and inverter choice, array layout, electrical design, grid connection and long-term operation. This course covers those decisions from resource assessment to decommissioning. Participants learn how solar irradiance is measured and modelled, how PV modules and inverters work, how to size arrays and estimate energy yield, and how to design the DC and AC systems safely. The programme also covers battery storage integration, commissioning tests, operation and maintenance, performance monitoring and the economics that determine whether a project succeeds.

Objectives

• Assess solar resource and site suitability for PV plants
• Explain PV module and inverter technologies and their selection
• Size arrays and estimate annual energy yield
• Design DC and AC electrical systems in line with standards
• Describe grid connection requirements and battery storage integration
• Plan commissioning, operation and maintenance of PV plants
• Evaluate project economics using LCOE and financial indicators

Who should attend

Training methodology

Each design step is taught through worked examples and then applied by participants to a sample utility-scale and a sample commercial project. Participants use irradiance data and simplified yield tools, size strings and inverters, and prepare a basic single-line diagram. Field photographs, commissioning reports and monitoring data illustrate real performance issues such as soiling, mismatch and inverter faults. The week ends with a project economics exercise and an assessment. Design templates and checklists are provided for later use.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Fees are in GBP. per delegate.

Certificate

Frequently asked questions