Our Future
Solar power is an important part of our planet’s future—it’s part of a greater effort to incorporate renewable energy into our lives. The basics of solar technology are straightforward.

Photovoltaics
Energy from the sun is converted into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells. Cells are assembled into modules, which are often then connected in arrays. Arrays connect to an inverter, which converts DC electricity into AC.

How to Measure Solar Energy
Solar energy is measured in a kilowatt (kW) hour (1 kW = 1000 watts). When we speak of solar energy system sizes, we speak in terms of kW or MW (megawatts; 1000 kW, or 1,000,000 watts). The kilowatt hour (kWh) is the unit of measure used to indicate the amount of electricity consumed over time (one kW of elecyricty supplied over an hour).

Putting it All Together

1. Solar panels use the sunlight to generate direct current (DC) electricity, which then flows to a combiner box where all wires from all panels come together.

2. Larger solar systems usually have several combiner boxes that consolidate all wires into a higher capacity wire that transfers the DC power to the inverter.

3. The inverter’s main job besides adjustment of power and safety is to condition the DC power to alternating current (AC), the form of electricity that is used most commonly.

4. Once converted to AC power, the electricity runs through the Utility AC Disconnect where the solar system can be disconnected manually from the grid electricity system. A data acquisition system records real time data and sends to system management team.

5. The final station before the power flows into the building or gets fed into the utility grid is the main switch gear of the building. This is also the place where net metering takes place.

Download this in PDF: How a Distributed Commercial Solar System Works