A photovoltaic installation consists of photovoltaic modules (solar panels), inverter/s, photovoltaic structure and other electrical and mechanical components that uses the energy from the Sun to generate electricity.
A photovoltaic installation consists of photovoltaic modules (solar panels), inverter/s, photovoltaic structure and other electrical and mechanical components that uses the energy from the Sun to generate electricity.
Depending on the installed capacity, photovoltaic installations range from small or portable systems to massive power plants.
Depending on the method of connection, photovoltaic installations can be for own consumption, for sale and combined - for own consumption with sale of excess energy.
Depending on the photovoltaic construction, photovoltaic installations in standard cases can be roof-mounted (mounted on the roof of a building) or ground-mounted (built "in the field").
According to the type of inverters, photovoltaic installations can be networked - they work when connected to the grid or they can work independently, in the so-called "island mode" (off-grid).
Light from the Sun, made up of photons, hits the solar panel and creates an electric current through a process called the photovoltaic effect*. Each panel produces a relatively small amount of energy, but can be connected together with other panels to produce larger amounts of energy as a solar array (string). The electricity produced by a solar panel (or array) is in the form of direct current (DC). Although many electronic devices use direct current, including your phone or laptop, they are designed to operate using the electrical grid that provides (and requires) alternating current (AC). Therefore, for solar electricity to be useful, it must first be converted from direct current to alternating current using an inverter.
* photovoltaic effect
The photovoltaic effect is a process that generates a voltage or electric current in a photovoltaic cell when it is exposed to sunlight. It is this effect that makes solar panels useful, as this is how the cells in the panel convert sunlight into electrical energy. The photovoltaic effect was first discovered in 1839 by Edmond Becquerel. When doing experiments with wet cells, he noticed that the cell's voltage increased when its silver plates were exposed to sunlight.
