What is a Solar or Photovoltaic Power Generation System?
Solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) systems convert energy from the sun to direct current (DC) electricity by collecting electrons freed by the interaction between sunlight and the silicon-based semiconductor materials in a PV cell. A photovoltaic “array” is a collection of these silicon “chips” wired together and then enclosed in a glass and aluminum-framed panel which can be mounted on a roof or standalone rack. The electricity commonly used by homes and businesses is alternating current (AC). An “inverter” is a small piece of equipment usually located near the circuit-breaker panel that is used to convert the DC into AC. The AC output from the inverter is wired to the circuit-breaker panel, where a new circuit breaker is introduced leading to the PV system. Unlike other circuit breakers, this new breaker can provide electricity into the system, first providing power to devices and then sending any extra available electricity back to the utility company through the electric meter. Wh
