Figure 1. A photovoltaic system comprised of a solar panel array, inverter and other electrical hardware. [1] A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of one or more solar panels combined with an inverter and other electrical and mechanical hardware that use energy from the Sun to generate electricity. PV systems can vary greatly in size from small rooftop or portable systems to massive utility-scale generation plants. Although PV systems can operate by themselves as off-grid PV systems, this ... Learn about solar energy, semiconductors, solar cells, modules, arrays, batteries and more from this comprehensive online resource. Explore topics such as solar radiation, photovoltaic effect, solar cell design, manufacturing, characterization, simulation and materials. Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics What is photovoltaic (PV) technology and how does it work? PV materials and devices convert sunlight into electrical energy. A single PV device is known as a cell. An individual PV cell is usually small, typically producing about 1 or 2 watts of power. Photovoltaics, commonly referred to as PV, is a technology that converts sunlight into electricity. This process involves the use of solar cells to capture
