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New mounting technology is opening up even more areas for solar power

Solar Investors Guide – Innovations for mounting

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Energy crises and rising fossil and nuclear prices are making solar and battery storage more attractive than ever, driving demand across industrial rooftops, open land and car parks – find out more in the latest guide.

Hybrid systems are now standard in the majority of applications

Solax Power: new systems for residential and commercial buildings

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PV Guided Tours: The market expects complete and well-integrated systems that are intelligently managed and, increasingly, supported by AI. We find out what makes it possible to build smart energy systems of this kind.

EU leaders around the table, with energy prices again a top concern

Solar saves EU €40 billion in gas as leaders back the switch

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Seven months into the Middle East war, the solar industry is pushing an emergency package of rooftop solar and large-scale batteries to make those savings last, and EU leaders appear to be listening.

Cells made in Europe: the signatories want wafers and polysilicon to follow

Europe’s solar sector urges EU to rebuild the PV value chain

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More than 75 module assemblers operate across the continent, against just one ingot-and-wafer project and one polysilicon producer. Now over 35 industry players want the Industrial Accelerator Act to fill the gaps.

A virtual power plant pools scattered assets and trades them as one

Lithuania – Ignitis gears up its batteries for grid balancing

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A new module from Oldenburg-based emsys VPP opens the way for the utility to offer its batteries as frequency reserves, twenty months after the Baltic states joined the continental European grid.

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What is photovoltaics?

Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the generation of electrical energy from sunlight. At the heart of this process are the solar-active semiconductors known as solar cells, which capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity.

From a technical standpoint, a PV system or solar installation functions as a generator. Here, individual solar cells are combined into a solar module, which is protected from the elements. These modules are then assembled into a larger solar generator, which can be mounted on rooftops, façades, open ground or specially designed structures. The electricity generated is direct current (DC), which is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter. This AC power can be used directly on site or fed into the public grid via the building’s connection. The electricity is typically supplied to the local utility or grid operator.

Larger PV systems installed on open land are often called solar parks. These feed power into the grid via dedicated transformers and switchgear. In many countries special Acts and regulations govern remuneration for solar power, whether via feed-in tariffs or market premiums for direct sales to third parties.

Self-consumption can be increased by using solar power for heating water, room heating, air conditioning or refrigeration. Battery storage systems help by storing surplus solar electricity for later use. These so-called solar batteries improve system reliability, especially when solar output dips.

Not all incoming sunlight is converted into electricity. The conversion rate depends on the intensity and wavelength of the incoming light spectrum. This ratio between usable electrical output and the maximum available solar radiation is known as efficiency.

The performance of a solar generator or storage system is defined by its output. When multiplied by the number of sunshine hours, this gives the solar yield – the amount of electricity generated per day, month or year. In addition to charging and discharging power, solar batteries are also rated by their capacity, or the amount of energy they can store. Power is measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW), while energy and yield are expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh). (HS)