Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems
MIT's Edgerton Center offers this course on how photovoltaic solar energy systems behave, with particular attention to stand-alone (off-grid) installations. Materials cover the design of stand-alone photovoltaic systems, including how to estimate costs and benefits while factoring in available government subsidies. An introduction to the hardware elements involved, such as panels, batteries, and charge controllers, explains how each component behaves within a working system. The course is delivered through MIT OpenCourseWare, meaning lecture materials, assignments, and course notes are freely available for self-study, though no formal certificate is offered. It suits learners wanting a technical grounding in solar system design rather than a general survey of renewable energy policy.