Photovoltaic power, PV, or solar electric energy, harnesses the power of the sunlight to supply your dwelling with electricity. Photovoltaic systems produce electricity from sunlight through cells that are installed on your roof or elsewhere on your property. It’s reliable and dependable, and it’s renewable, no pollution, and no noise. So it makes good sense for the environment.
The basic building block is the PV cell, which is connected to other cells to create larger units called modules. Modules are connected together to form panels or strings. The desired resulting voltage; will determine the number of modules in a string. The number of strings will determine the capacity of your system. The total system is called an array.
The size of your roof, will determine the size of the array that can be installed. The direction and tilt of your roof will affect the efficiency of the system, a roof that faces East or West or any direction in between will produce sufficient electricity to make any investment a sensible one. Shade of course is not a friend to PV.
The DC electricity produced by the array is brought to an inverter where it is changed into AC electricity at a voltage that will match the voltage of the utility company. The inverter is installed most often along side of the Service Panel or Switch.
During daylight hours the electricity the array produces is used to satisfy your electrical needs first. If your system is producing more electricity then you are consuming the extra electricity is going back to the utility company, and your meter turns backwards
