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What Are the Components of a Solar PV System?

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Advanced Solar Technology

Solar PV systems reduce your energy bills by generating electricity and supplying it to the grid when not in use. You can then reap the financial benefits of this, including your rebates and feed-in tariffs.

Install a charge controller between the panels and batteries to control power flow. This will also prevent the batteries from overcharging and potentially damaging your system.

Solar Panels

PV cells convert sunlight into electricity using the photovoltaic effect, which occurs when light hits a semiconductor material and knocks electrons loose from their atoms. These free electrons flow through a panel and create an electric current. The larger the solar panel, the more electricity it generates.

A solar tracker can help maximize energy output by constantly adjusting to follow the sun across the sky. This can be done manually on fixed systems or through more complex tracking mechanisms on ground-mounted arrays.

Other components of a solar PV system include combiners, disconnects, breakers and electric meters. A combiner connects multiple electrical wires together, and a disconnect allows you to easily shut off your PV system when working on it. Breakers protect the system from surges and are designed to trigger automatically or be operated manually as needed. An electric meter records both the incoming electricity from the utility grid and the outgoing electricity generated by your solar PV system.

Mounting Structure

The mounting structure supports and uplifts solar panels to ensure they are properly exposed to sunlight for the longest period of time. It also provides a stable base for the BOS (balance of system) components.

There are many different solar panel mounting structures, including roof-mounted racks. These are ideal for locations with a flat roof, since they reduce the distance between the modules and the inverter. This can help avoid DC losses and maintain a high efficiency.

A ground-mounted mounting structure requires a thorough site assessment and geotechnical analysis of the soil to determine its strength. This will then dictate whether a concrete foundation, helical piles or ground screws are required.

Ballast mounts, which use a pre-cast concrete block anchored to the ground, are another option. These are often used for residential systems, as they are costeffective and simple to install. They also offer good tilt variability. They don’t require a perforation of the ground, which makes them well-suited for capped landfills.

Batteries

Solar batteries come in various sizes and capacities. It is important to understand your usage and safety requirements in selecting your battery bank. The capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh). Watt-hours are the total current (amperage) delivered over an hour. The formula for calculating a battery’s watt-hour capacity is current times voltage.

Batteries are typically sized based on the size of your PV system and energy usage. Choosing the right size of battery is key to ensuring you use all of the power your solar system produces, and also avoid overcharging your batteries.

Battery storage is a great option for homes that want to take advantage of lowercost off-peak electric rates. It allows you to avoid sending electricity back to the utility company during the middle of the day, and save money on your energy bill with time-of-use billing. It is also an excellent backup option in case of grid outages. There are several types of solar batteries available, including lead-acid, lithium-ion, and nickel cadmium.

Inverter

Essentially, the inverter turns the DC electricity produced by solar panels into the AC power your home can use. This is important because the North American electric grid runs on alternating current at 60 hertz, and it’s the inverter’s job to convert your DC power to match that standard.

It’s also the inverter’s job to track your Photovoltaic system modules’ performance and maximize their energy output. It does so by searching and continually monitoring for the optimal operating point on a module’s power characteristics curve, which is highly dependent on both radiation and temperature.

Some inverters also come with battery chargers, which can be useful for those who have a hybrid solar system. It’s also worth checking an inverter’s certification, like IEC 62116-Anti-islanding and EC 62109-Safety. And, of course, a CEC approved inverter is always best. They typically have longer warranties and lifespans than string inverters. They are also a little more expensive than their counterparts, but are generally well worth the investment.



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