| If you want information on solar electric systems, | | | | power. Also the environmental impact is minimal at |
| you've come to the right place. The environmental | | | | most and the system requires no water for cooling |
| importance of alternative forms of energy production | | | | and generates no by-products that are harmful to the |
| is extremely important in today's world. The use of | | | | environment. |
| solar power, wind power and micro-hydro power | | | | Photovoltaic cells, or photovoltaic devices (PV devices) |
| should be actively encouraged to every consumer and | | | | as they are called are very much like batteries and |
| home owner alike everywhere. Solar power, wind | | | | they generate direct current (DC) which is generally |
| power and micro-hydro power are non-polluting, | | | | used for small loads used for light electronic equipment. |
| renewable and sustainable forms of energy. | | | | When DC from photovoltaic cells is used for |
| The sun has produced free energy for years and | | | | commercial applications or sold to electric utilities using |
| solar energy can be converted into other forms of | | | | the electric grid, it must be converted to alternating |
| energy, such as heat and electricity. It can be used to | | | | current (AC) using a device call an "inverter". Inverters |
| heat water for use in homes, buildings, or swimming | | | | are solid state devices that convert DC power to AC |
| pools. It can also be used to heat spaces such as | | | | which in needed in the stead of DC for some |
| inside homes, offices and other important buildings. | | | | applications, especially commercial uses. |
| Solar energy can be converted to electricity and there | | | | The performance of a photovoltaic array is absolutely |
| are two different ways of doing that. First, photovoltaic | | | | and totally dependent upon sunlight and climate |
| devices, also known as PV devices or solar cells, can | | | | conditions. Climate conditions, including clouds and fog, |
| change sunlight directly into electricity. They are often | | | | have a significant effect on the amount of solar |
| used in remote locations that are not connected to | | | | energy received by a photovoltaic device and its |
| electrical grids. They are also used to power smaller | | | | performance. Most current technology photovoltaic |
| devices such as watches and calculators. They are | | | | modules are about 10 percent efficient in converting |
| even used to power road signs that we often see | | | | sunlight. Further research is being conducted to raise |
| everywhere. The other way is more of an indirect | | | | this efficiency to 20 percent. |
| method used in solar power plants. They generate | | | | Understanding and installing your own solar electric |
| electricity by heating a fluid from power collected from | | | | system will give you a feeling of confidence and |
| the use of photovoltaic devices then using the heated | | | | self-reliance. It will make you feel better about harming |
| fluid to generate steam which is in turn used to power | | | | the environment less. |
| generators. | | | | The author, Mike Dodd, has studied the field of |
| Some advantages of photovoltaic systems are that | | | | renewable energy sources and know the advantages |
| the conversion from sunlight to electricity is direct and | | | | of using solar energy. Renewable energy sources is |
| bulky mechanical generator systems with moving parts | | | | one of his specialties. |
| are not necessary in order for the system to produce | | | | |