What is Solar Power?

Solar power is the process of turning the sun's energy into electricity. Photovoltaics are solid-state semiconductor devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. They are usually made of silicon with traces of other elements and are first cousins to transistors, LEDs and other electronic devices.

Simply put, photovoltaic (PV) systems take the reliable energy from the sun and convert it to electrical energy which can be used to power your home or business.

This is accomplished by taking advantage of the unique characteristics of silicon, the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Depending on the types of impurities associated with the silicon, the material can either be flush or deficient in electrons (implying a negative or positive charge). By joining two of these pieces, an electric field is created between them. By attaching wires to make a complete "circuit" and introducing solar energy to free up the excess electrons, DC (Direct Current) power is generated.

A photovoltaic "array" is a collection of these silicon "chips" wired together and then enclosed in a glass and aluminum-framed panel which can be mounted on a roof or standalone rack. Typically, several of these arrays are attached together and then wired to inverter(s).

Devices called "inverters" are employed to convert the DC electricity into the Alternating Current (AC) typically needed to power your lights, appliances and machinery. They also serve an important function of optimizing how much power (i.e. wattage) is being generated by the collection of solar arrays by continuously monitoring and controlling the voltage to get the most watts out of the system depending on how much sunlight is available. They are generally small and mounted close to the circuit-breaker (distribution) panel. Selection of the type and number of inverters plus how many solar arrays are attached to each inverter is an optimization process and is determined during the design phase.

The AC output from the inverters is wired to the buildings circuit-breaker panel, where a new circuit breaker is introduced leading to the PV system. Unlike the other circuit breakers which go to devices which consume electricity, this new breaker generates electricity into the system, first powering devices attached through the breaker box and then sending any excess back to the utility company through the meter (see "Net Metering").

It's that simple!