PHOTOVOLTAIC

(area of impact: Energy)

Photovoltaics – commonly known as “solar panels” generate Direct Current (DC) power at the source, which is generally converted to Alternating Current (AC) power by an inverter, which allows the power to be used by standard appliances and allows the power to be interconnected with the utility grid. Direct DC power can be used for DC lighting and powering DC devices such as cell phones and other battery operated appliances. Use of Photovoltaics decreases the amount of energy that needs to be purchased from the Utility, and transferring power onto the grid can result in a savings to be applied against the utility bill. Certain systems involve storage batteries to allow use of the stored energy on-site. In some systems the electric car battery can be used for storage.