TrueWay Tec has compiled frequently asked questions regarding PV. Kindly read below:
Q: What is PV?
Answer:
PV is short for photovoltaics (photo=light, voltaics=electricity). PV is a semiconductor-based technology used to convert light energy into direct current (dc) electricity, using no moving parts, consuming no conventional fuels, and creating no pollution.
Q: How much PV do I need for my house?
Answer:
How much PV you need depends on your power loads and their duty cycles. If you wanted to completely replace your current electrical purchases from the utility with a PV system, you could look at your kWh usage on your electric bills for a year, calculate a daily average, and divide that by the number of average daily sun hours for your location. (3600 kWh/yr divided by 365 days/yr equals approximately 10 kWh/day, divided by 5 sun-hours per day (for locations in middle America), equals 2 kW. This would indicate that a 2-kW system would, over the course of an average year, produce enough energy to replace the power you are currently using.
However, if you design an energy-efficient home, you could cut the annual electricity usage dramatically, reducing the size of the system. In the real world, the majority of home systems range from 1 kW to 2 kW. Where you live, if you are on the grid or off, and how you live, will dictate the size of your system, and its ultimate cost and value.
Q: How long will PV last?
Answer:
PV modules have been tested in controlled settings and in the field, with results showing module lifetimes in excess of 20 years. Other system components have varied lifetimes (batteries can last 2-15 years, and power electronics are the most sensitive components).
Q: What makes up a PV system?
Answer:
A PV system comprises the PV modules and the balance of systems (support structure, wiring, storage, power electronics).
Q: Where is PV used?
Answer:
PV is used in space, in consumer products, in remote communications, in village power systems, in traffic signs and lights, in cathodic protection systems, in roadside emergency call boxes, in grid-connected systems (residential or grid support), in remote homes, and many other applications.
Q: What are the markets for Solar?
Answer:
The largest market for Solar today is in developing countries, in village power and remote communications systems (estimates indicate that more than 2 billion people worldwide have no access to conventional electric power; if they have electricity, they use batteries or diesel generators). There are projections of large markets for utility grid support and for building-integrated Solar systems in developed countries.
For other materials, estimates for amorphous silicon are just more than a year for making up their energy cost; I’ve not heard any numbers on the polycrystalline thin films (CdTe, CuInSe2), but their energy payback would also be quite short, and I am unsure of the payback for concentrator systems.