PV Science - The Physics of PV

What is meant by photovoltaics? First used in about 1890, the word has two parts: photo, derived from the Greek word for light, and volt, relating to electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta. So, photovoltaics could literally be translated as light-electricity. And that's what photovoltaic (PV) materials and devices do — they convert light energy into electrical energy  or the Photoelectric Effect, as French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered as early as 1839.

Commonly known as solar cells, individual PV cells are electricity-producing devices made of semiconductor materials. PV cells come in many sizes and shapes from smaller than a postage stamp to several inches across. They are often connected together to form PV modules that may be up to several feet long and a few feet wide.  Typically, Solar Modules are made up of 36 or 72 Solar Cells connected together to form a complete Module, in turn, the module can be combined and connected to other modules to form a PV array (several modules) to power a load.

The size of a solar array depends on several factors, such as the amount of sunlight available in a particular location and the needs of the consumer. The modules of the array make up the core component of a PV system, which can also include electrical connections, mounting hardware, power-conditioning equipment, distribution and batteries that store solar energy for use when the sun isn't shining.

To learn more about the science behind PV.