Photovoltaic effect is production of an electric current in a material when exposed to the sun. So how does photovoltaic technology work? Well, it works by generation of electric energy by turning solar radiation energy into electricity by using material that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Manufacture of solar cells has grown rapidly due to high demand.
Many cells are put together to form solar modules which are then assembled to form a panel, which is usually installed on roofs or on the ground. This system always contains modules, an inverter and a battery all linked to one another by wiring.
These panels are used predominantly to produce electricity to light up homes, and also provide energy for environmental friendly factories, as well as street lighting. Can also be used in other many situations which include electronic gadgets such as watches and calculators. Solar powered mobile phones have also been produced. Remote rural electrification has been made possible by use of these devices. This is normally where cost of connection to the main electricity grid is prohibitively high. Space satellites also use this technology to produce energy to keep them running.
PV installations are a pollution free source of energy compared to fossil or nuclear power plants. Can work for a very long time without needing maintenance or replacement, making them a very cost effective way of energy production.
These gadgets cannot produce electricity at night. The intensity of the sunlight available largely determines the amount of current produced. This means that this technology can come in handy during the UK summers, but be utterly useless during the winter months. This is also the case during cloudy or rainy days.
To reduce this problem, PV systems are made to move to maintain optimum orientation to the sun. This can be achieved by use of solar trackers for mobile systems or analysis of the sun path before installing a fixed PV installation.
A prospective customer should be able to answer the question, how does photovoltaic technology work, before deciding if it suits him or her economically to install.