Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

As of 2010, solar photovoltaics is the fastest growing power-generation technology in the world. Between 2004 and 2009, grid-connected PV capacity increased at an annual average rate of 60 percent.  Driven by advances in technology and increases in manufacturing scale and sophistication, the cost of photovoltaics has declined steadily. Along with net metering and financial incentives, our Solar PV Systems are generating returns far better than traditional investments.

The photovoltaic effect is the basic physical process through which a PV cell converts sunlight into electricity. Sunlight is composed of photons–packets of solar energy. These photons contain different amounts of energy that correspond to the different wavelengths of the solar spectrum. When photons strike a PV cell, they may be reflected or absorbed, or they may pass right through. The absorbed photons generate electricity.

The energy of a photon is transferred to an electron in an atom of the semiconductordevice. With its newfound energy, the electron is able to escape from its normal position associated with a single atom in the semiconductor to become part of the current in an electrical circuit. Special electrical properties of the PV cell a built-in electric field provide the voltage needed to drive the current through an external load.

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