Integrating Microelectronic Solutions in Renewable Energy Education: A Course Development Initiative

This paper discusses the development of a curriculum designed to address the growing need for education in energy harvesting and renewable energy technologies. The course offered by the Laboratory of “Thin-film electronics” (Dept. of Microelectronics, Faculty of Electronic Engineering and Technology at TU-Sofia) enables students to leverage their existing knowledge in power electronics, control systems, and materials science within this emerging domain. Additionally, it introduces them to cutting-edge methods and trends across various scales of energy harvesting applications with a focus on the small scale. The curriculum covers diverse techniques such as solar, thermal, vibration, electrostatic, radiofrequency, and both passive and active human power generation methods, along with their underlying operational principles. Students participate in research, simulation, and experimental projects focusing on microelectronics for energy harvesting systems. Detailed descriptions of the course content and key concepts, supported by project results, highlight the educational approach and practical insights gained.