Solar Energy Systems
Learn how solar power works, and how to design, size, install, and maintain photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Course overview
Solar power has gone from a niche technology to one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity almost anywhere in the world. This course explains how it actually works — from sunlight hitting a cell to power reaching a wall socket — and how real systems get designed, sized, and installed.
You'll work through the physics of PV cells, the major components of a solar system, on-grid vs. off-grid design, and the sizing calculations installers actually use, before finishing with installation practice, wiring and safety, and ongoing maintenance.
By the end, you'll be able to read a solar system diagram, size a basic system for a given load, and speak confidently about installation and safety practices — whether you're heading into the trade, project management, or just want to understand your own rooftop system.
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Explain how a photovoltaic cell converts sunlight into electricity
- Identify the major components of a solar system and what each one does
- Compare on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid system designs
- Perform a basic load calculation and size a PV system to match it
- Describe safe, standards-compliant installation and wiring practices
- Read a simple solar system wiring diagram
- Diagnose common faults and describe routine maintenance tasks
- Complete a practical system-design project
Complete syllabus
0 / 10 modules complete
Tick off each module as you finish it — your progress is saved on this device.
1. Introduction to Renewable Energy and Solar Power
Where solar fits among renewable energy sources, and why it's grown so fast.
2. Solar Radiation and Site Assessment
Sun hours, irradiance, shading, and how to assess whether a site is a good candidate for solar.
3. Photovoltaic (PV) Cell and Panel Technology
How a PV cell generates electricity, panel types, and the specs on a panel's datasheet.
4. Solar System Components
Inverters, batteries, and charge controllers — what each does and how they're specified.
5. On-Grid vs. Off-Grid vs. Hybrid Systems
How the three system types differ, and which fits which situation.
6. System Sizing and Load Calculation
Working out a household or site's energy demand and sizing panels, inverter, and battery to match.
7. Solar Installation Practices and Safety
Mounting, orientation, tilt, and the safety practices that are never optional on a real job.
8. Wiring, Mounting, and Electrical Codes
Series vs. parallel wiring, string sizing, and an overview of the electrical codes installers must follow.
9. Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Monitoring
Routine upkeep, common faults, and how monitoring systems flag problems early.
10. Practical Projects and Final Assessment
Apply everything in a system-design project, then take the final quiz to unlock your certificate.
Required skills & prerequisites
- No prior electrical or solar experience required
- Comfortable with basic arithmetic (multiplication, division, unit conversion)
- An interest in renewable energy or the electrical trade
- Basic understanding of electricity (voltage, current) is helpful but not required — module 4 covers it
Tools & technologies
Practical projects
Site assessment report
Assess a sample rooftop for shading, orientation, and suitability, and write up your findings.
Load calculation worksheet
Calculate the daily energy demand for a sample household and size a system to cover it.
System design diagram
Draw a wiring diagram for a complete PV system, labelling every major component.
Capstone: full system proposal
Combine site assessment, sizing, and wiring design into one complete system proposal.
Instructor
The AI Tutor Team
Course design & AI tutoring
This course was built by the same team behind AI Tutor's step-by-step tutoring approach. Every module is paired with an AI tutor you can question directly — ask it to re-work a sizing calculation with your own numbers.
Frequently asked questions
No. The course introduces electrical basics (voltage, current, power) in module 4 before you need them for sizing and wiring.
No — this course teaches the underlying knowledge and calculations. Installer licensing requirements vary by region and require separate, region-specific certification.
Work through the modules, then pass the short final quiz on this page (70% or higher). Your certificate becomes available to download immediately.
Yes — every module links to the AI Tutor chat, pre-set to the Solar Energy subject, so you can ask follow-up questions any time.
Yes — batteries and charge controllers are covered in module 4, and battery sizing is part of the sizing module and the capstone project.
Final quiz & certificate
Score 70% or higher to unlock your certificate. You can retake the quiz as many times as you like.
1. A photovoltaic (PV) cell converts:
2. In a solar system, an inverter's main job is to:
3. A system that stays connected to the utility grid and has no battery is best described as:
4. "Sun hours" for a location refers to:
5. Which of these is a genuine, non-optional safety practice during installation?
6. A charge controller's main role in an off-grid system is to:
Ready to start Solar Energy Systems?
Free to start. Enroll, then jump straight into module one.