Teaching renewable energy systems by use of simulation software : experience at iniversities of applied sciences, in in-service training, and from international know-how transfer

Experience in using simulation software for teaching solar energy and heat pump applications are presented and discussed in this publication. The authors present suitable didactic concepts specifically developed for teaching renewable energy and energy efficiency topics. Two main advantages of applying simulation software in solar education are identified: 1. simulation can provide an understanding of data that is otherwise not accessible (e.g. cumulated operating hours and number of starts of a heat pump depending on control strategy); 2. use of simulation software in teaching have a positive influence on the motivation and attitude of the students. These benefits typically come with costs of some additional effort in lecture preparation. Finally, different international teaching programs are discussed, in which simulation software currently plays a major role. It is analyzed how education programs might have to be adjusted for different cultures and industries

Understanding the dynamics of solar energy systems by using simulation narratives

In this paper, we discuss the application of modern didactic approaches to solar energy education. We focus on the dynamics of decentralized energy systems and solar thermal applications. In order to bridge the gap between theory and practice, students are engaged in investigating solar systems in numerical analysis combined with hands-on laboratory exercises. Our learning material includes simulation software and state-of-the-art analysis tools for the post-processing of log data. We recognize similarities in the students’ cognitive processes when they do simulations in one part of their practical work and hardware experiments in the other part. In both cases, the narrative nature of the processes are a key to a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. For both the simulation approach as well as the hardware experiments, students train to explain the physical processes in words: Simulation software and hardware laboratory equipment are the “story worlds” and a specific simulation run or a measurement experiment is the “story” (Fuchs 2015). Consequently, students at the same time practice clearly phrasing their observations and extend their expertise in solar energy. They also train abilities like system modeling, parameter validation, and practical skills like the handling of large data amounts typically produced by logging devices. We conclude that a narrative approach helps to thoroughly understand the controller strategies in solar systems with all its consequences and at the same time enables solar engineers for successful communication with the various players

Comprehensive Simulation of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers: Inclusion of a Many-Body Gain Model

This paper describes a comprehensive simulation technique for semiconductor lasers. In particular, a many-body calculation of optical gain for the quantum-well region is integrated into a multi-dimensional electro-opto-thermal simulator. Simulation results of material gain and DC device data of a commercial 850 nm Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) are compared to measurements. They illustrate the validity of the approac

SolNet:PhD-scholarships and courses on solar heating

AbstractSolNet, founded in 2006, is the first coordinated International PhD education program on Solar Thermal Engineering. The SolNet network is coordinated by the Institute of Thermal Engineering at Kassel University, Germany. The network offers PhD courses on solar heating and cooling, conference-accompanying Master courses, placements of internships, and PhD scholarship projects. A new scholarship project, “SHINE”, will be launched in autumn 2013 in the frame work of the Marie Curie program of the European Union (Initial Training Network, ITN). 13 PhD-scholarships on solar district heating, solar heat for industrial processes, as well as sorption stores and materials will be offered, starting in December 2013. Additionally, the project comprises a training program with five PhD courses and several workshops on solar thermal engineering that will be open also for other PhD students working in the field. The research projects will be hosted by six different universities and five companies from all over Europe

BIM use-case : model-based performance optimization

This contribution demonstrates the application of a building information modeling (BIM) use case including solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics (PV) and passive solar heating. It aims to close the performance gap that results from inconsistencies between the individual planning phases. Furthermore, it is shown how the pairing of the building project with a digital twin allows to set up predictive maintenance services and minimize the downtime of heating systems. Simulation software is used to create coupled models of the building and its facilities. For a case of PV combined with a heat pump and passive solar heating, this paper shows how the digital model is continuously and automatically updated as conditions change. With a focus on the building’s energy demand, control parameters are optimized in alignment with the hardware. Thus, the energy demand is kept within the close range of the original estimation throughout the standard planning phases