Introduction - Sun-Earth relationships- solar constant- solar radiation at the earth surface- depletion of solar radiation- measurement of solar radiation- solar radiation data- solar time- solar radiation geometry- solar radiation on tilted surfaces-Sun as the source of energy- sun angles - overview of applications

Types and classification of solar collectors - terminology related to flat plate collectors - evacuated collectors-Heat transfer processes and efficiency of a solar collector -solar drying- solar desalination- solar mechanical cooling- solar desiccant cooling- heat pump

Tracking systems - compound parabolic concentrators - parabolic trough concentrators - concentrators with point focus - Heliostats- comparison of various designs - central receiver systems - parabolic trough systems - solar performance analysis - solar power plant - solar furnace

Fundamentals of solar cells- - types of solar cell- P-N junction photodiode- description and principle of working of a solar cell- cell structure- solar module and panel- I-V characteristics of a PV module- maximum power point- cell efficiency- fill factor- Manufacturing of solar cell - Case study on Evaluation of Solar Photovoltaics

Storage of solar energy - thermal storage-sensible and latent heat storage-Economic Analysis: Initial and annual costs- definition of economic terms for a solar system- present worth calculation-repayment of loan in equal annual installments- annual savings- cumulative savings and life cycle savings- payback period- clean development mechanism -solar vehicle -BIPV(Building Integrated photo voltaic ) - house hold appliances - case study.