What is Solar PV?
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity from daylight. The panels are made from extremely thin layers of silicon, protected by a cover layer of glass.
Solar PV works most efficiently in direct sunlight, but it continues to generate power in daylight, even when it is cloudy. Ideally, the panels are mounted to face due south, at an angle of 35 degrees to the horizontal, although variations in angle and direction do not radically reduce performance and output.
The form of electricity produced by the panels is direct current (DC); like a battery. In order for the power to be used in a building, or fed into the electricity network, an inverter is used to convert it to alternating current (AC).
A typical Solar PV panel is 1.0metre x 1.6metre and produces around 240 Watts of electricity.
Panels can be mounted directly onto roofs, or on the ground using support frames.