What is 'Solar power' or 'Photovoltaic System'?
By: Paul Crossley
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Unlike solar thermal systems, photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sun directly to electricity.
Contrary to solar thermal systems for heating water, Photovoltaic doesn't use the sun's heat to produce electricity. Rather, electrons released by the interaction of sun with semiconductor materials in Photovoltaic cells are captured in an electric current.
Photovoltaic allows you to produce power with no noise or air pollution from a clean, renewable resource. A Pv system never runs out of fuel, and it will not increase oil imports. A number of Pv system components are produced in North America. These characteristics may make Pv technology become the energy source of choice for this century.
The basic building block of Photovoltaic technology is the solar cell. Multiple Pv cells are connected to form a Pv module, the smallest Photovoltaic component sold commercially.
Modules vary in power output from roughly 10 watts to 300 watts. A Pv system connected to the power grid has these components:
-- One or more Pv pieces, which are connected to an inverter
-- the inverter, which changes the system's direct-current (DC) power to alternating current (AC)
-- Batteries (optional) to provide energy storage or backup power in the event of a power interruption or outage onboard become the grid.
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