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Photovoltaic system

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Solar string inverter and other BOS components in Vermont, U.S.Solar array on rooftop in Hong KongBIPV on balcony in Helsinki, Finland
Solar rooftop system in Boston, United StatesWestmill solar park in the United Kingdom
Dual axis tracker with CPV modules in Golmud, ChinaTopaz Solar Farm, one of the world’s largest PV power station, as seen from space
Large commercial flattop systemSolar farm at Mt. Komekura, JapanPV system on Germany's highest mountain-top
Photovoltaic power systems and components:
Top: solar string inverter and other BOS components · Solar array on rooftop in Hong Kong, China · BIPV on balcony in Helsinki, Finland
Middle: rooftop system in Boston, United States · Westmill solar park in the United Kingdom · Dual axis tracker with CPV modules · Topaz, one of the world’s largest solar power station, as seen from space
Bottom: commercial rooftop PV system of about 400 kWp · Power plant on Mt. Komekura, Japan · Solar PV system on Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain-top

photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is a power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mountingcabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. It may also use a solar tracking system to improve the system’s overall performance and include an integrated battery solution, as prices for storage devices are expected to decline. Strictly speaking, a solar array only encompasses the ensemble of solar panels, the visible part of the PV system, and does not include all the other hardware, often summarized as balance of system (BOS). As PV systems convert light directly into electricity, they are not to be confused with other solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power or solar thermal, used for heating and cooling.

PV systems range from small, rooftop-mounted or building-integrated systems with capacities from a few to several tens of kilowatts, to large utility-scale power stations of hundreds of megawatts. Nowadays, most PV systems are grid-connected, while off-grid or stand-alone systems account for a small portion of the market.

Operating silently and without any moving parts or environmental emissions, PV systems have developed from being niche market applications into a mature technology used for mainstream electricity generation. A rooftop system recoups the invested energy for its manufacturing and installation within 0.7 to 2 years and produces about 95 percent of net clean renewable energy over a 30-year service lifetime

link to the Wikipedia page 

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