Although day lighting and solar water heaters are more efficient in using the sun’s energy, a solar electric [PV] system has two advantages:
Solar electric systems use photovoltaic technology [commonly referred to as PV] to create electricity from the sun
A solar module consists of 60 to 96 photovoltaic cells wired together, high-transmission glass front, and anodized aluminum framing.
A group of solar modules are wired together into a solar array. This group of modules sends Direct Current [DC] current to an inverter. The inverter changes the Direct Current to Alternating Current [AC] so it can be used within your home or business.
The most common type of photovoltaic system is called grid-tie or grid direct. This system does not use batteries to store the power. Any electricity that is available is first used by the home or business and any excess electricity is sent back to the grid and credited by the utility.
In addition to traditional central inverter systems as diagrammed above, distributed inverters are gaining popularity. Decentralized inverters or micro-inverters convert the DC to AC at the module level which allows for improved performance, faster installation, and enhanced system monitoring available to the owner on their phone, tablet and computer
There are also grid-tie systems with battery backup and stand alone systems which store all the electricity produced in batteries. Battery backup and stand alone systems are more complex and have higher initial and ongoing maintenance costs. Whenever our customer has access to a reliable electric utility, we recommend grid-tie systems due to the lower cost and complexity.
Fill out our contact form for a Solar Site Analysis, call us, or email today. We’re here to help you learn.
