How Does Solar PV Work

How does Solar PV Work

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is the generation of electricity by harnessing the suns light. A common misconception is that it uses the heat which is incorrect, therefore even in a cold winter month you may experience a good day of sunshine and good generation levels.

That said, the large part of generation comes from the summer months when the light intensity is much stronger and daylight hours are longer. When designing a Solar PV system the generation profile is a very important factor and must be considered carefully. Click here to find out more about the profile of Solar PV generation.

A solar PV system comprises of the 4 main system components, these are:

• Inverters

  The device which converts the DC power generated by the solar panels to standard AC power to be used on your farm or business

• Mounting System

  This is the framing system that holds the panels to the roof or fixes them to the floor

• Generation Meter

  This is the meter that records every unit of power generated by the solar PV system and is what you claim the feed in tariff off

In addition to the above core components there will of course be all of the relevant isolators, fused protection, distribution boards and cabling.