Products — PV Encyclopedia

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Photovoltaics (PV): a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.

Crystalline silicon: includes monocrystalline silicon and polysilicon, used for the manufacture of semiconductor devices, solar cells, etc.

Solar cell: an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly or indirectly into electricity by the photoelectric or photochemical effect. The most prevalent material for solar cells is silicon.

Solar photovoltaic system: composed of solar cells, solar controller and battery (group); classified into off-grid, on-grid and distributed PV power generation systems.

Photovoltaic inverter: also called a power supply regulator, converts the variable DC output of a PV solar panel into utility frequency AC that can be fed into a commercial electrical grid or used by a local, off-grid network. Based on purpose, inverters are divided into stand-alone and grid-tie types.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV): photovoltaic materials used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope, combining solar power generation with buildings.