J. de la Casa

Changing photovoltaic array interconnections to reduce mismatch losses: a case study

Partial shading of photovoltaic (PV) modules can affect a wide variety of plants ranging from utility-sized solar trackers to residential building-integrated PV, resulting in lower energy production yields. The traditional series-parallel interconnection scheme of solar arrays is sensitive to disparate solar irradiation levels on modules of the plant. By using alternative topologies, the effects of unavoidable partial shade can be decreased. In this paper, module interconnections inside a PV array are modified to reduce mismatch losses caused by partial shading. Results from a measurement campaign on a 2.2kW plant carried out on Jaén Universitys campus using various interconnection schemes are presented.

Video-sharing educational tool applied to the teaching in renewable energy subjects

The impact and evaluation of an educational tool Renewable Energy Video sharing, based on videocast techniques is presented in this paper. This tool arose from a learning innovation project developed in the Electronics and Automation Engineering Department at the University of Jaen. This experience consists of the elaboration of multimedia materials showing different ways of obtaining thermal energy and electricity from renewable resources as well as the equipment and the technology implicated in these process. Thus a video channel, implemented in YouTube(TM) platform, and an online space were implemented where these multimedia materials can be found and played, bringing technological reality closer to the final user - to the students in this specific case - in an easy, interactive and free way from any device with an internet connection. This learning tool was applied and used as a support in two ambits, face-to-face and non face-to-face education, in two different educational levels: Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education. Three subjects in the field of photovoltaic solar energy experienced the e-learning tool, obtaining a high degree of general satisfaction among students. After analyzing the impact of the implemented tool through personal final questionnaires among students, an improvement of the understanding of the theoretic concepts previously studied as well as the facility of access to the contents being the most appreciated benefits.

Pilot scheme of a tutorial action plan for industrial engineering students

The aim of the Tutorial Action Plan, designed in this experience, is to guide the students in the process of admission to the chosen degree and to the academic life. This Pilot Scheme of a Tutorial Action Plan (PS-TAP), at the Polytechnic University School of Jaén (PUSJ), has been designed following the guidelines of the University of Jaén (UJA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to support and guide engineering undergraduates. To be precise, this PS-TAP is focused on the first course of Industrial Electronic Engineering students. In order to support and guide these students, a number of activities have been carried out such as: student-tutor meetings and several workshops oriented to meet the students needs.

Software tool for the extrapolation to Standard Test Conditions (STC) from experimental curves of photovoltaic modules

A key aspect for the teaching of the photovoltaic technology is that the student perform experimental practices of measure the characteristic Current-Voltage (I-V) under natural sunlight of a photovoltaic cell, module or generator and, later, being able to extrapolate the extracted results into Standard Test Conditions (STC). This paper presents a software tool (gotoSTC) to facilitate the acquisition of this knowledge and support the learning process of our students. gotoSTC allows processing experimental data from I-V curves and applies some of the accepted methods by the scientific community. The program has two functional options: on the first one, the characteristic parameters of one curve will be obtained from its I-V curve and STC extrapolation methods are applied to it; in the second option, a set of I-V curves of the same module are necessary to obtain the characteristic parameters and then applies the extrapolation methods. Graphical representations of the data are showed in order to present some of the existing relations between the parameters characterizing the device behavior.