If you are interested to get a reliable and pollution free source of electrical power for your home or office then you can go for small solar electric system or photovoltaic (PV) system. Small PV system will not only provide cost effective power supply, but also they are quite suitable for places where it is very difficult to supply conventional power supply lines.
PV system uses the technology that you are able to use direct as well as scattered sunlight source to create electrical energy. Therefore, you can find plenty of solar power systems installed in number of homes in the USA. However, you must remember that the amount of power generated at any location depends upon how much sunlight is available at that particular location. Therefore, PV technology is more efficient in the south-western parts of the USA.
As the system is available in modular form, it is possible to design PV system for any kind of electrical need which may be either too small or too big. You can also interface them with grid connected power distribution system or any stand alone power source. PV technology can also be used for providing outdoor lights.
Solar Cell Types
PV solar cells mainly consist of different kinds of semiconductor materials. As soon as sunlight falls on them the electrons are released from the atom due to solar energy. This is called photoelectric effect. With the help of these free electrons the electronic circuitry gets activated to produce necessary electrical current. In order to produce efficient electrical power, you need certain special wave lengths of sunlight. With the help of PV system, you can produce electricity even during cloudy climate, which may be little less than any sunny day.
Performance of any PV solar system can be measured with its efficiency of converting sunlight into electrical power. There are many different types of solar cell materials available whose efficiency may vary.
Modules of Solar cells
If you take any single PV or solar cell then it will deliver very small amount of power. If you are interested to get more amount of power then you have to connect number of solar cells to create panel or also known as modules. Modules can produce power between 10 to 300 watts. In order to get more amount of power you have to connect number of modules to form an array.
Also any typical module of PV or solar cell will consist of following components.
- Transparent surface which is usually made of glass
- Encapsulant which is used to hold top surfaces
- Rear layer which protects from water or gasses
- Frame around its outer edge
Components for Home Solar Power Source
There are numbers of Los Angeles solar power consultation companies available, who can help you to install solar electric system at your home. Any typical solar system will consist of following components.
- Solar cells
- Panel modules
- Arrays
- Balance of system parts
Your balance of system parts will depend upon the type of system you want to install. These may include following
- Hardware for panel and mounting racks
- Wiring materials
- Inverters
- Batteries
- Stand by generator