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There has never been a better time to take advantage of the free resources of the sun and the generous Feed in Tariffs (FiTs).

Solar Photovoltaic Explained

Photovoltaic electricity generation.

The process of converting light (photons) directly to electricity (voltage) is known as photovoltaic's (PV). When photovoltaic materials absorb sunlight the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. Photovoltaic material is used to build solar cells, which are usually packaged in photovoltaic modules (also known as solar panels). Modules can be grouped together and connected to form a photovoltaic array. The energy produced by the array is converted from DC to AC current via an inverter which is then fed into the consumers electrical distribution for use or export to gain financial credit.

PV requires only daylight, not direct sunlight to generate electricity and so can still generate some power on a cloudy day. Although PV generators will produce more electricity during the summer months because of the longer days it will still produce in the winter months as well.


     More information from the Energy Savings Trust.



The power of Light.