|
|
 |
 |
| How Solar Energy Works |
|
When you understand how
solar electricity works,
you can appreciate it even more. |
|
|
|
At SunEdison, we believe in the power of the sun and we want everyone to understand how it works, so they too can benefit from the power of photovoltaic electricity.
How Solar Energy Works
Photovoltaic (PV) literally means “light” and “electric.” Photovoltaic technologies are used to generate solar electricity by using solar cells packaged in photovoltaic modules.
The most important components of a PV cell are the two layers of semiconductor material. When sunlight strikes the PV cell, the solar energy excites electrons that generate an electric voltage and current. Extremely thin wires running along the top layer of the PV cell carry these electrons to an electrical circuit.
A photovoltaic module is made of an assembly of photovoltaic cells wired in series to produce a desired voltage and current. The PV Cells are encapsulated within glass and/or plastic to provide protection from the weather. Photovoltaic modules are connected together to form an array. The array is connected to an inverter which converts the Direct Current (DC) of the PV modules to Alternating Current (AC).
Connecting to the Grid:
SunEdison’s photovoltaic systems are interconnected to the electric grid, so that customers can get energy from their utility when the PV system isn’t providing all of their facility’s electricity needs.
SunEdison's Approach:
SunEdison uses many types of solar panels (solar modules). We are unique in that we are “technology neutral.” In other words, we do not manufacture any photovoltaic technologies, we simply select the technologies that provide the most reliability and value, and then we customize our systems to meet our customers’ financial, power production and facility needs.
Want to learn more about solar electricity?
There are excellent industry resources that provide a wealth of information about solar energy, and photovoltaic solar specifically. Here, we've identified some of the most applicable sources.
US Department of Energy: Clean Energy Technology
http://www.eere.energy.gov
Environmental Protection Agency: Clean Energy
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/index.html
Sandia National Laboratory Photovoltaic Solar Research and Development
http://www.sandia.gov/pv/
You can also check out our interactive glossary.
|
|
|
