Direct Solar/Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion Technologies
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this advanced mechanical engineering course on converting heat directly into electricity using solid-state devices. The first half covers thermoelectric energy conversion and materials, thermionic energy conversion, and photovoltaics. The second half turns to solar thermal technologies, reviewing various solar heat collection systems before introducing solar thermophotovoltaics and solar thermoelectrics. Spectral control techniques, essential for managing solar thermal systems, receive dedicated attention. Materials follow the standard MIT OCW format of lecture notes and course readings, published under a Creative Commons license, free to access with no certificate offered. The course suits students who already have a physics or engineering background, since it moves quickly through device physics and materials science rather than introducing renewable energy concepts from scratch.