MTE6884 Advanced photovoltaics and energy storage
Faculty of Engineering
MTE6884 Advanced photovoltaics and energy storage is a level 6, 0-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 0
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 3 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before MTE6884
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After MTE6884
No unit lists MTE6884 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be enrolled in the Engineering PHD program or with permission from the Faculty of Engineering. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
Materials and principles for energy production, storage and conversion will be covered in detail. Topics include light harvesting materials, solar power conversion efficiency, interaction of light with matter, commercial and emerging photovoltaic technologies, concentrator PV, primary and secondary batteries, supercapacitors, water splitting (e.g. for green hydrogen production), fuel cells, and hydrogen storage.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Online pre-class quizzesQuiz / Test10%
- Project30%
- Laboratory workWritten20%
- Final assessmentExamination40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Appreciate why the energy landscape is changing and the role materials will play in alternate energy technologies in the broad areas of energy production, storage and conversion.
- 2
Apply the theory behind the operation of photovoltaic devices to predict and quantify the performance of solar cell materials.
- 3
Appraise various energy storage technologies including batteries, capacitors, and hydrogen storage, and discuss the benefits and shortcomings of each.
- 4
Assess novel electrochemical technologies such as water splitting and hydrogen fuel cells.
- 5
Design experiments to assess the performance of energy storage and conversion devices.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories6 hours
- Practical activities24 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Chris McNeill
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Chris McNeill
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for MTE6884?
MTE6884 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is MTE6884 offered?
In 2026, MTE6884 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is MTE6884?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does MTE6884 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.