Energy school - RE - Solar - Photovoltaic

Photovoltaics (or solar cells) are used to generate electricity from solar energy in either stand-alone systems for individual buildings or as grid-connected power plants with several megawatts capacity. They are also familiar as power sources for small consumer products such as watches and calculators. Solar PV modules have become commercially attractive and their price has decreased rapidly in the past few years.

Estimates indicate that by 2020 solar electricity could provide energy to over 1 billion people worldwide, and in the process create more than 2 million jobs in production, installation and maintenance. In the EU, Spain, Germany and Italy are leaders in the photovoltaic market.

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Can generate power even on cloudy days Does not produce noise, harmful emissions or polluting gases Equally well suited for installation in high density urban areas and in rural areas Minimal maintenance required to keep systems running Modular systems can be quickly installed anywhere and easily expanded as requirements or financial resources increase	Solar cells have a relatively low conversion efficiency of between 10 – 15% for converting sunlight to electricity. Nonetheless, the conversion efficiency is increasing as research leads to commercialization of improved solar cells.