In this video, we will look at the various components making up a photovoltaic system.

For the
sake of clarity, we need to get acquainted with the terminology used in the field as well as the
necessity of each component. Later in the course we will elaborate on the working principles
of the individual technologies, their roles in a photovoltaic power plant and how to model and
design an entire photovoltaic system. The term photovoltaic, which is often abbreviated PV, is
a combination of the Greek word phōtós, that means light, and the last name of the Italian
physicist Alessandro Volta, who discovered the first functional electrochemical battery. A
direct translation of the word would be "light battery", but it refers to the direct conversion of
sunlight into electrical energy. A solar cell is the most basic component that converts light into
electricity. In most cases, solar cells are made of the semiconducting material silicon, and
deliver voltages of approximately 0.5 volts. The current depends on the cell area as well as the
level of radiation. So it varies between 0 and 10 amps. Solar cells are connected in series to
achieve more usable voltages in the range of 20 to 50 volts. This is done in a solar module
where the cells are protected against mechanical damage as well as environmental factors
such as moisture. Now let us consider a residential building with domestic loads such as a
washing machine and some lighting. We want to build a photovoltaic system. So let's start out
by introducing photovoltaic modules onto the rooftop. To build up the voltage, several
modules must be connected in series into a string. In this case we have multiple strings in
parallel which is also known as a solar array. However, our domestic loads require an
alternating current (AC) and the solar panels deliver direct current (DC). Therefore we need an
inverter to convert the DC into AC. At the end of the 17th century, the invention of the
transformer allowed converting alternating currents to higher voltages which facilitated the
transport of electric power over long distances with significantly reduced losses. Combined
with the invention of the AC motor the public grid settled for AC power lines, and we can
therefore only feed power into the public grid after converting DC into AC. However, the
power distribution company needs to know how much electricity we fed into and out of the
public grid and at what time. We therefore install a meter which comes in various
configurations, but nowadays most meters are bidirectional, meaning that they cannot only
read the current flowing but the direction as well. There are, however, many components
which we have not considered in this very simple example and a very important one is the
mounting structures which of course varies significantly from installing a solar array on a
rooftop compared to the ground or on water, or even on a satellite in space. Another common
component is a combiner box that brings the DC output of multiple strings together into a
single set of cables. As we only had two strings in our example, a combiner box wasn't really
necessary, but in larger projects where we may have thousands of strings, distributed
combiner boxes reduce the length of the very expensive DC cables we would need. To figure
out how many modules we would need in our solar system, we would need to know how well
the individual module performs. However, the performance of a solar cell and therefore also of
a solar module varies with varying conditions. Therefore, a set of standard testing conditions
have been agreed upon to properly compare different solar cells or modules from different
manufacturers. The standard test conditions often abbreviated STC, consist of three
specifications. The first is that the level of irradiance must be 1000 watts per square meter.
This irradiance level is also known as 1 Sun. The second condition is that the spectrum of the
light we use to illuminate the solar cell or a module must correspond to the solar spectrum
known as air mass 1.5 global (AM1.5G). The spectrum of the Sun will be elaborated in course
module two. The third and final condition is that the temperature of the solar cells must be 25
degrees Celsius. However, the standard for testing PV performance does not reflect typical
operating conditions as the solar spectrum and level of irradiance change throughout the day,
and the temperature of a solar panel is typically much higher than 25 degrees Celsius.
Nevertheless, these conditions are used to evaluate how efficiently solar cells and modules
convert optical power from the Sun into electrical power. We may write the optical power
from the Sun as the irradiance level multiplied by the area of the module. The electric power
delivered by the module at these conditions is also known as the rated power of the module
and is given in watt-Peak, where peaks simply specifies that these conditions are optimal.
There are many other PV system components that we have not covered so far. Trackers are an
example of a performance enhancing component as they serve to reposition the photovoltaic
modules to maximize the incident optical power from the Sun. Tracking systems are usually
classified by the number of rotational axes and the single axis tracker is usually configured to
rotate the solar array from east to west. One could also go in and actually tilt the mounting
structure itself while still having the east-west tracker rotating the array, such a configuration
is known as a one and a half axis tracker. The two-axis tracking system is able to reposition the
photovoltaic modules to be directly facing the Sun at all times. However, such tracking systems
are usually rather expensive and not necessarily compatible with the photovoltaic system that
you're trying to build. Another performance enhancing component is the maximum power
point tracker, also abbreviated MPPT. Solar cells and modules have a continuous range of
operating points that has to do with the voltage output of the device. By resistively loading the
module, the voltage at which we operate shifts. The maximum power point tracker finds the
operating point that gives the highest electric power output of the module and loads the
module accordingly. The maximum power point changes with conditions such as irradiation
and temperature, and in this case, the module is actually partially shaded, which has a
significant impact on the operating points. Finally, we have to consider a few safety
components as well. One of the more common components is a DC breaker designed to
interrupt the DC electricity in case you for example, need to do maintenance. Another
important type of component is the residual current device that switches off the electricity
automatically if there is a fault. This is a protective measure against electrocution as well as
fires caused by earth faults. The relevant system components depend on what kind of PV
system you are designing. We may divide photovoltaics into grid-connected and standalone
systems where product-integrated PV would fall on the stand alone applications. This includes:
outdoor lighting products, vehicles, solar-driven rescue ladders and harbors, and even pocket
calculators. As you can see, I have also divided the grid-connected systems into three
categories, that is; residential, commercial, and utility-scale system. The residential and
commercial systems are most often simply installed on rooftops, whereas utility scale covers
the PV power plants and solar parks. From standalone systems, I have included microgrids.
Grid connection refers to the public distribution grid, whereas a microgrid often refers to a
local distribution grid, generally not connected to the main grid. A microgrid produces and
distributes electricity independently in a smaller area. Rooftop installations have historically
been realized by applying photovoltaic modules onto existing roof constructions. However, PV
modules may be integrated into the building and thus serve two purposes, producing energy
and contributing as a building material for instance, as a cladding material. This type of system
is known as building integrated photovoltaics, or simply BIPV. Developers of BIPV systems have
successfully created architecturally and aesthetically pleasing systems in a variety of colors,
which enables the conservation of the building's architectural appearance. On the utility scale,
there's a large variety of PV power plants, and this includes tracking systems and bifacial
modules, where the light is absorbed from both sides of the module, floating PV, where the
modules are located on water, agrivoltaics, where the agricultural use of land is combined with
the use of land for photovoltaics and the list goes on. Actually, all the applications marked in
red are examples of optimizing area resources, such as the rooftop systems, where the
photovoltaic system doesn't take up any additional land area. In this video, we learned that the
word photovoltaic refers to the direct conversion of light into electrical energy. The solar cell is
the most basic component responsible for this energy conversion process, and several solar
cells are connected in series to obtain usable voltages. This is done in a solar module that
protects the cells from mechanical impacts as well as the environment. However, a solar
module delivers a direct current, whereas most of our domestic appliances, as well as the
public grid requires an alternating current. We therefore use an inverter to convert DC into AC.
Furthermore, we also have to monitor the flow of electricity to and from the grid, which is
done using a meter. Today, most meters are bidirectional. We have also learned that the
performance of a solar cell, as well as a photovoltaic module varies with varying conditions.
Therefore, a set of standard test conditions known as STC, have been agreed upon to properly
compare devices from different manufacturers. This includes an irradiance level of 1,000 watts
per square meter, the solar spectrum known as AM1.5G, and a solar cell temperature of 25
degrees Celsius. A photovoltaic system may also include performance enhancing components
such as tracking systems and we also need to consider some safety components, such as DC
current breakers and residual current devices. However, the relevant components depend on
the type of PV system that you're designing. We therefore, looked into the applications of PV,
which included rooftops where we had building applied and building integrated PV. We also
looked into microgrids, floating PV, agrivoltaics, product integrated PV, bifacial PV, and the list
goes on.