THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT THAT STRIKES THE EARTHS SURFACE IN AN HOUR AND A HALF IS ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE ENTIRE WORLDS ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR

A WHOLE YEAR!

Solar technologies convert this sunlight into electrical energy through photovoltaic (PV) panels. This energy can then be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries for use later.

What is photovoltaic (PV) technology and how does it work?

PV materials and devices convert sunlight into electrical energy. A single PV device is known as a cell. An individual PV cell is usually small, typically producing about 1 or 2 watts of power. These cells are made of different semiconductor materials and are often less than the thickness of four human hairs.

In order to withstand the outdoors for many years, cells are sandwiched between protective materials in a combination of glass and/or plastics.

To boost the power output of PV cells, they are connected together in chains to form larger units known as modules or panels. Panels can be used individually, or several can be connected to form arrays.

One or more arrays is then connected to the electrical grid as part of a complete PV system. Because of this modular structure, PV systems can be built to meet almost any electric power need, small or large.

PV panels and arrays are just one part of a PV system. Systems also include mounting structures that point panels toward the sun, along with the components that take the direct-current (DC) electricity produced by panels and convert it to the alternating-current (AC) electricity used to power all of the appliances in your business.