MicroMaster: Solar Energy Engineering

MicroMasters Program

A credit-eligible series of Master’s-level courses to advance your career. May be applied to accelerate a Master’s Degree at TU Delft.

4 Courses in program
9 - 12 weeks per course
9 - 12 hours per week
English language

Solar energy technology use is expanding rapidly. The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) sector is the largest and fastest growing renewable energy employer worldwide with an increasing need for experts that can support this growth.

In this MicroMasters® program you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the solar energy field and become a successful solar energy professional. This program will teach you what is expected from solar experts, and will prepare you for employment in various capacities including:

Systems design and engineering.
Solar systems installation.
Device fabrication and characterization.
QA and reliability testing.
Project management and consultancy as well as (technical) sales.

The program includes diverse learning activities, including videos, readings, exercises and real-world applications. You will be guided through the content in an inspiring, hands-on, but rigorous manner. It is designed so knowledge is built gradually. We therefore recommend that students follow the courses in the suggested order. However, you may choose to enroll in any course of your choice based on your background knowledge or experience.

The program is taught by photovoltaics research experts from TU Delft with many years of experience working with industry partners. Among these experts is Professor Arno Smets , the first ever recipient of the edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions to Online Teaching and Learning.

"In line with our mission to support engineers world-wide in gaining new competencies, our foundation made a substantial contribution to the development of the TU Delft MicroMasters Program in Solar Energy Engineering. We are convinced that this programme offers new skills to engineers and helps to find solutions for one of the world's grand challenges." - Dutch Foundation PATO

The physics of and how to model all aspects of a working solar cell: performance, efficiency limits and design rules.
Design concepts and fabrication processes of various photovoltaic (PV) technologies and applications.
How to evaluate components of a PV system: PV modules, inverters, DC-DC converters, batteries, charge controllers and cables.
Application techniques for designing a PV system ranging from a residential rooftop system to a utility scale solar farm.
Design concepts of microgrids that include PV systems.
How to assess the economics and ecology of PV systems and communicate these accordingly.

Solar energy adoption is growing at a surprisingly fast rate with predicted falling costs and new technologies resulting in solar generating 20% of electricity by 2027 (Research Policy, 2016)
Estimated annual salary of engineers working in the solar energy industry amounts to $85,000 (USA Department of Labor)
Solar photovoltaic was the largest renewable energy employer with 3.4 million jobs in 2017, an annual increase of more than 10% over the previous years (IRENA, 2018)
Job opportunities include engineering and consultancy roles at renewable energy companies, specialized solar engineering companies, leading consultancy firms, oil and gas companies that are preparing for the transition to renewables, and non-profit orgs.

What is a MicroMasters Program?
MicroMasters programs are a series of graduate level courses from top universities designed to advance your career. MicroMasters program certificates showcase deep learning and in-demand skills to employers and can help you get started on a path toward completing an advanced degree.

How to Earn a MicroMasters Program Certificate
To earn the program certificate, learners must complete and successfully earn a verified certificate in all four MicroMasters program courses, as well as the Comprehensive Exams.

From Program Certificate to a Master's Degree
MicroMasters programs are designed to offer learners a pathway to an advanced degree and can count as credit toward completing a Master's degree program. Learners who successfully earn this MicroMasters program certificate may apply for admission to a Master's program, and if accepted, the MicroMasters program certificate will count towards the degree.

Learners who successfully earn the MicroMasters program certificate may apply to the Master of Science program Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) or the Master of Science program Electrical Engineering (track: Electrical Power Engineering) at TU Delft. You will need to go through the regular admission procedures for MSc students and meet the entry requirements for those MSc programs. If you are admitted and you would like to be exempted from courses in the aforementioned MSc programs, you are required to send a formal waiver request. Campus courses that can be waived (up to 16-18 credits) are courses that are equivalent to the solar energy courses of the MSc program in question:

Customized Degree from RIT
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) offers a pathway to credit for MicroMasters program certificate holders toward RIT's Master of Science in Professional Studies. This is an interdisciplinary degree program that allows students to strategically combine multiple, complementary in-demand fields of study.

Microcredentials
After completing each course and its related exam, you are eligible to receive a microcredential. A microcredential is a digital certificate that allows learners to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired after successfully completing a small unit of education. It describes the learning outcomes, educational level and scope of the course or program – and adds a quality mark, as it is bound to a recognized quality framework.
For more information, please read the FAQ below.

If you successfully complete this program you will earn a MicroMasters Program Certificate.

"At Trina Solar, our mission is to develop smart energy for the benefit of mankind. Skilled engineers are essential to sustain the rapid growth in the solar energy industry and drive innovation to reduce the cost of solar power. Education and training of young engineers is therefore critical in this new industry. The Solar Energy Engineering MicroMasters Program is extremely relevant for anyone who would like to pursue a career in this sector." - Pierre Verlinden, Vice-President and Chief Scientist, Trina Solar

Mohammed El Makkaoui
"I was motivated to widen my knowledge of PV by taking on an engineering approach."
Read full Story

Bertram Peterson
"At the time, the cost was considerable, but the investment was definitely worth it, both academically and professionally."
Read full Story

Willem van der Kerkhof
"All the materials, such as pdf's, animations, pictures, etc. are of high quality and professionally made."
Read full Story

How many exams are in the program?
The program consists of four proctored exams, each corresponding to a specific course in the program. You must enroll in each exam separately, like you enroll in a course. For each proctored exam you will have two attempts. You will also be given preparation material to help you prepare.

In addition to the proctored exams, in each course you need to pass 3 exams (not proctored).

To read more about proctored exams and to review the technical requirements, please review edX's help page: https://support.edx.org/hc/en-us/articles/207249428-How-do-proctored-exams-work-

What are Microcredentials and how do I obtain them?
A Microcredential (hereafter: "MC") is a digital certificate that allows learners to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired after successfully completing a small unit of education. It describes the learning outcomes, educational level and scope of the course or program – and adds a quality mark, as it is bound to a recognized quality framework.

You will receive your MC as a digital certificate (called "Edubadge"), offered by the Dutch institution SURF. The certificates are publicly available (via an URL), can be easily shared, and can be instantly verified by other educational institutions or employers.

MCs are only used for courses or programs that comply with the Dutch national quality framework for microcredentials. MCs were recently launched in The Netherlands, with the aim to be recognized as accreditation-worthy education, specifically for continuing education programs. MCs do not have an expiration date and are managed online by the learners themselves (through the Edubadge platform of Surf).

Even if you do not live in The Netherlands, you will benefit from this MC since it will give an additional quality mark to the certificates issued by edX.

Note that the MCs do not replace the certificates issued by edX, and can be obtained in addition. Moreover, there is no MC for the full Micromasters program, only per course (for the full program you will still receive the certificate issued by edX.)

How to obtain the MC?
A learner qualifies for a MC per course after successfully completing a course and the exam associated with this course (for example, after completing PV1 course and PV1 exam you are eligible for one MC).

To obtain your Microcredential you will need to create an EduID and connect to the Edubadges platform. After that you can access your “Edubadges backpack” in which you can store and manage your Microcredentials. For more information please visit this page: https://wiki.surfnet.nl/display/Edubadges/Aanmaken+backpack#English

More information about obtaining the MCs will be given during the course.

What do MCs mean for my personal data?
Please note TU Delft uses personal data in issuing Microcredentials. Learners need to create a “backpack” on Edubadges.nl which is managed by SURF to be able to claim and manage their Microcredentials. To learn more about how TU Delft uses your personal data in relation to Microcredentials read the privacy statement.