Category: Learn

If you are considering clean energy-a transition highly encouraged-you have probably come across the term “solar PV system” numerous times. Without necessarily having to be an expert-that would be our job!-a little background about how a solar PV system works will help you make the right choice for your home or business.

In this article, we will cover:

• What a solar PV system is
• How a solar PV system works
• What is Solar PV System?

Solar PV systems are the perfect way to garner energy from the sun and reduce your carbon footprint.

The second thing to do is to understand what they are and how they work. “PV” is an abbreviation of “photovoltaics.” A solar PV system is a power system that converts sunlight into electricity with the use of the photovoltaic effect.

Basic Principles of Solar PV System

Solar PV panels convert sunlight into electricity with the help of cells. Sun falling on a cell produces an electric field between its layers and allows the flow of electricity. Greater the intensity of light, greater will be the volume of electricity produced.

Although the energy generated by a single panel is quite small, the combining of several such panels yields a significantly higher output.

Components of a Solar PV System

A solar PV system is an integrated collection of two or more solar panels interconnected with an inverter and other electrical and mechanical components:

• Photovoltaic modules
• Module mounting structures
• Inverter
• Electrical cables

Of course, different-sized systems do exist: rooftop installations and portable systems up to utility-scale generation plants.

How a Solar PV System Works

A solar PV system may operate in the following manner:

• They can be an off-grid stand-alone systems, completely disconnected from the traditional power grid.
• They can be connected to the utility grid.
• They can be grid-tied, the most common type of residential solar system worldwide.

To know more about the types of Solar PV systems, read our article on Types of Residential Solar Energy Systems.

How a Solar PV System Works

One of the first things to learn about how solar PV systems work is the difference between direct current and alternating current.

Solar panels are designed to generate DC electricity, which implies that electrons move in only one direction. However, homes and buildings operate by using AC, where the electric charge periodically reverses direction for efficiency and minimum losses in transmission. Therefore, this DC electricity will have to be converted into usable AC electricity by an inverter.

Any building on the electrical grid has some sort of utility meter that is used for measuring and feeding power. So, when the installation of solar panels is done on your roof, they tie into your home’s utility meter, thereby giving you access and visibility into the energy your solar system produces.

When your solar power system produces more electricity than what you consume, the excess goes back onto the grid.

If you are interested in solar batteries, we have one post discussing the ins and outs on surplus energy.

How a Solar System Works in 6 Steps

• The photovoltaic cells within your solar panels absorb sunlight and convert solar energy into electricity.
• These cells are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon.
• Sunlight absorbed by the semiconductor; that is exactly what enables it to dislodge electrons from their positions.
• The electrons that are freed consequently carry a negative charge and flow towards the front surface of the cell.
• This results in the back becoming positively charged relative to the front, thereby creating a voltage potential between the front and back of the cell, in a manner of speaking similar to battery terminals.
• The current that is collected by wires can be used immediately or stored in a solar battery for later.
• Contrary to the myths people have regarding solar, the cells can generate electricity during cloud cover days, though not as compared to sunny days, as shared in our article, “10 Solar Myths and Facts You Need to Know.”

Advantages of a Solar PV System

A significant advantage of a solar PV system is that it operates on its own. It doesn’t need to be turned on and off at all times; the sunlight does this job automatically.

You also do not have to switch in and out of solar power and grid power; your solar system automatically switches when this happens, depending on how much energy you consume. Another added advantage is that solar systems hardly require any maintenance, and hence you might not even notice they are present.

Conclusion
The takeaway from that would be that the photovoltaic cells on your solar PV system absorb sunlight and convert it into DC electricity. The inverter then converts the DC electricity into AC so that it is at its most efficient when being transmitted. Congratulations, you now understand a fair amount about solar PV systems!