After completing the module, the student will be able to:
- Critically analyse the international policies relating to photovoltaics and other energy technologies focusing on the strategic, environmental and economic implications of these policies
- Perform an economic and/or environmental analysis of a photovoltaic system.

1. Economic Analysis
- Economic theory - net present value, effect of interest rates, definition of capital and recurrent costs
- Production economics - definition of production costs, economies of scale, projected manufacturing costs
- Subsidies and tariff issues - effect of electricity supply costs on system viability
- Financing mechanisms - review of international financing mechanisms for purchase and operation of systems
2. Policy Issues
- Market development and projections
- Review and appraisal of government policies and market development schemes
- Security of supply
- Climate change issues
- Energy for development - role of photovoltaics
3. Environmental Impact Assessment
- Process definition for module production
- Hazard assessment
- EC environmental directives
- Embodied energy calculations
- Energy payback times and ratios
- Calculation of associated CO2 and other emissions

Journal of "Progress in Photovoltaics"
Proceedings of European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conferences
Proceedings of IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conferences
IEEEXplore database
Environmental data sources
Government literature (including European Commission and international) on renewable energy promotion
IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme reports

At the end of the semester

Written report (essay, approximately 3,000 words) and Presentation (10 minutes)