Solar Basics

Solar power is the technology of obtaining energy from the light of the sun. Solar cells take the energy from the sunlight and covert it to energy. This is done with semiconducting materials like silicon that have the properties of both a metal and an insulator. These solar cells can’t produce usable energy by themselves, so they have to be connected to other systems to carry the electricity generated.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are grid-tied or off-grid systems. The difference is that a grid-tied system can feed energy back into the power grid, utilizing the grid for storage. The off-grid system’s energy must be used as it is produced or stored via on-site battery.

While the sun is shining, the photovoltaic panels generate direct current (DC) electricity, which is converted to alternating current (AC) electricity by an inverter. With grid-tied systems, when the sun isn’t out, your electrical demand will be automatically provided by the utility. Off-grid systems depend on energy stored in on-site batteries to deliver power when the system is not producing enough power.