Photovoltaics

Solar electric (photovoltaic)

 

Solar electric power (photovoltaics, or PV) is the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. The most common, basic solar power source is a semiconductor cell made of crystalline silicon, which collects heat and transforms it into electric charge that is then transmitted into a grid.  Panels of solar cells can be installed on rooftops, hillsides, lamp posts, roadway right-of-ways and many other locations.  New materials and structures are expanding the range of opportunities.  Building Integrated Photovoltaic tiles are designed to be built directly into walls and windows.  Thin-film solar materials bring new flexibility and cost-effectiveness to a growing range of applications.

 

PV is the fastest-growing source of electric power.   Worldwide capacity is less than 1% of global demand – but it has doubled since 2007.  Because solar electric systems have up-front costs for the consumer - unlike conventional centralized power plants -- there is an economic hurdle for the scaling-up of the industry.   If this hurdle is overcome by creative financing strategies, solar PV could scale up rapidly.  One helpful strategy in use in New York is “net metering,” which allows customers to sell their excess electricity back into the grid.   Another promising new approach is called the power purchase agreement.  In this model, an investor pays for the system in exchange for a customer’s agreement to buy the power for an extended period. 

 

Installing photovoltaic systems on the rooftops of homes and businesses is a growing job opportunity.  Systems are designed to deliver a desired electrical load, and to best accommodate the shading and angle of a given rooftop.  Installation work requires understanding of electrical systems and of safety requirements.  NABCEP has identified ten skill sets for certified PV installers:

 

 

  1. PV Markets and Applications
  2.  Safety Basics
  3.  Electricity Basics
  4.  Solar Energy Fundamentals
  5.  PV Module Fundamentals
  6.  System Components
  7.  PV System Sizing
  8.  PV System Electrical Design
  9.  PV System Mechanical Design
  10. Performance Analysis and Troubleshooting

 

PV installers are certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).