What constitutes a complete PV system?
There is no single answer to this question. It depends upon your circumstances and what you are trying to do. A backwoods system running off the grid will be different from an urban grid tied system; a standalone installation will be different from an integrated construction PV shingle system. That being said, the following sections will give you an idea of some of the elements which constitute various PV systems. 03A) What is an Inverter? An electric device which converts direct current [DC] to alternating current [AC]. Solar cells produce a direct current. Unfortunately, most of the electrical devices we commonly use expect a standard AC power supply. [Different standards apply in different countries, ~120 volt 60 Hz in North America.] An inverter takes the DC from the solar cells and creates a useable form of AC. Besides doing this, an Inverter may also be connected to the electric grid and/or a battery backup system. See also: • What does this TLA (Three Letter Acronym) mean? • Wha
