Solar Electricity
Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Solar Photovoltaic panels (or PV for short) convert sunlight directly into electricity weithout any need for moving parts and produces no noise or emissions.
A PV cell is made up from 2 or more thin layers of semiconducting silicon which when exposed to
light generates an DC electrical charge. The charge produced by a single cell is small so multiple cells are connected together to produce a larger, useful output - generally 12 or 24 volts. Multiple panels can be connected together to further increase the output.
The electrical output of a PV cell is dependent upon the intensity of the light to which it is exposed. So PV cells will tend to generate more electricity on bright days than when skies are overcast. However, photovoltaics do not need to be in direct sunlight to work, so even on overcast days a PV cell will be generating some electricity.
Prices: exc VAT
What can I do with my electricity?
There are two options here.
Firstly you can power DC equipment (garden lights, pond pumps etc) directly from the panels or store the electricity in a leisure battery (similar to a car battery) for use later. See DC solutions for further information.
The second option is to convert the DC electricity to AC (this is what you get from your household power sockets) and connect to the national electricity grid. See AC solutions for further details.
How long will a system last?
The average lifetime of a PV panel is in excess of 20 years and require very little maintenance. The other parts of a system have varied lifetimes for example batteries last between 2 & 15 years.


