PV Basics

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed
Solar Panels And Solar

Photovoltaics Basics Exposed
Your First Guide To Solar Electricity
By Lacho Pop, MSE and Dimi Avram, MSE
www.solarpanelsvenue.com
Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved
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Basics Exposed, hereinafter referred to as the eBook, make no
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THE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS REQUIRES CERTAIN
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Table of Contents
How can this book help you? .............................................................. 6
Basics of solar electric technology ....................................................... 7
Solar panels .................................................................................. 9
Monocrystalline panels ................................................................. 9
Polycrystalline panels ................................................................... 9
Thin-film (amorphous) panels ..................................................... 10
Solar systems and their components ................................................. 12
Photovoltaics In Summary: Pros And Cons ......................................... 18
Why would you be interested in solar panels and solar systems? ..... 20
What can you find in our solar packages? .......................................... 21
The Silver Solar Package ............................................................... 22
The Silver Package calculators ..................................................... 24
You can use Silver Package calculators to: .................................... 24
The Gold Solar Package ................................................................ 26
The Gold Package calculators ...................................................... 28
Comparison between the Silver and the Gold Package .................... 31
Glossary of Terms ........................................................................... 32
Page 5 of 33
How can this book help you?

This book has been created as an answer to widely spread
misleading, rehashed or low quality information about solar power
and solar panels written by some unqualified authors.
Building or installing a solar electric (photovoltaic, PV) system

for your home is a complex project, and there are a lot of
different issues involved.
Whether you plan to do it yourself or hire a professional to do it
for you, you will need to know the correct terminology to use to
research, design, purchase and communicate about it. You will
also have to decide whether you want a system that is tied to
the electrical grid or an off-grid solar system.
This ebook is not intended to be a comprehensive guide either
to solar panels or residential solar electric systems. It is rather
meant to be a handy resource instead. The ebook simply
provides an overview of the basic components needed in each
type of system, and provides explanations of the main technical
terms.
It is important to note that many of these issues are known by
more than one name, for example, solar panels are also
known as PV- or photovoltaic panels, and an AC breaker
panel can also be called a breaker box. It is quite common for
terms to be slightly different depending on the city, state or
country where you are likely to have your system built.
The way that a solar electric system functions however is the
same no matter what names are used for its components.
Therefore it is important to double-check the name of the
component with its function when you are buying parts or
services, or making your own research about them.
Print this guide out to use as a reference while you are planning
your PV system. Write on it and take notes when you are
surfing the web pricing parts, and when you are talking with
solar vendors and installers. And bests of luck with your
project!
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Basics of solar electric technology

A solar photovoltaic (PV) system converts sunlight into
electricity (electrical energy). Such a system can generate a
part of or all of your electricity demand.
A solar electric system can either reduce the amount of power
you consume from your utility, or replace the utility grid at all,
in case you live far from any utility infrastructure.
The main component of every photovoltaic system is
photovoltaic (solar) module. A solar module consists of solar
cells connected together. Further solar modules can be
connected into arrays to achieve higher energy yield.
On the picture below you can distinguish between the main
types of photovoltaic units.
PV cell
PV panel
PV module
PV array (PV generator)
PV Cell -> PV Module -> PV Panel -> PV Array -> PV System
Photovoltaic cells and modules are made of

semiconductor material (silicon) capable to
produce electricity when exposed to
sunlight. Such an ability is called
photovoltaic effect.
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More energy is generated in sunny days, while less energy is

generated in cloudy/rainy days, or when the photovoltaic array
is shaded by obstructions (trees, lamp posts, buildings, etc.).
Some types of solar cells and modules however are capable of
providing more electricity in cloudy days since they react more
heavily to ultraviolet component of sunshine spectrum which is
higher in such days.
The generated electrical energy can:
Be used right away,
Stored in a battery for later use, or
Converted to AC electricity (most of devices in your home
or office operate on AC power) and then either used by
home electrical appliances or exported to the utility grid.
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Solar panels
Monocrystalline panels
Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient but also the most
expensive ones. They come in blue or black color.
The less solar panels you need to produce certain amount of

power, the higher the efficiency. Normally if there is not enough
free space on your roof, you choose panels with higher
efficiency.
Polycrystalline panels
Polycrystalline panels are slightly less efficient and cost 30-50%
less than monocrystalline ones when intended to produce the
same amount of power.
Polycrystalline panels have a lifecycle of about 25 years.
Practice has shown however that polycrystalline panels installed
more than 25 years ago are still perfectly operational.
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Polycrystalline panels are typically blue and can be easily

distinguished by their multifaceted, kind-of-shimmering
appearance.
Thin-film (amorphous) panels
Thin-film panels are the least expensive panels with the lowest
efficiency usually twice less than monocrystalline panels
efficiency. This means that to generate the same amount of
power you need twice more thin-film panels than
monocrystalline ones.
Thin-film panels have a dark surface usually colored in brown,

grey or black. Thin-film modules are used in solar calculators.
Crystalline (mono- or poly-) PV panels are the most common
for home and business photovoltaic systems.
Crystalline panels come in a variety of size and shapes.
Rectangular shape is the most common.
Every solar panel has nominal power rated in watts-peak (Wp)
or kilowatts-peak (kW), also known as installed WpDC power
or watts-peak direct current power. Here is a comparison
between solar panel efficiency according to the area needed to
install a solar panel of Nominal Power = 1 kWp:
PV cell material
Panel efficiency
Area needed for 1 kWp
Monocrystalline silicon
13-15%
7 m2 (75 sq.feet)
Polycrystalline silicon
12-14%
8 m2 (86 sq.feet)
6-7%
15 m2 (161 sq.feet)
Amorphous silicon
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Why is it important to know more not only

about the solar panels but also about the rest
building blocks of a solar power system and
the system as a whole?
The efficiency of solar panels to convert sunlight
into electricity plays an important role and plays a
key role in delivering solar electricity.
To produce the electricity used by your appliances
a solar system needs not only solar panels but also
additional components. Usage of such components
introduces unavoidable additional losses in the
system, which in turn reduces the amount of
electricity produced by the solar panels.
By carefully designing the solar system and
skillfully selecting all its building block these losses
could be minimized. Moreover, upon everything
else being equal, by using special buildings blocks
you may squeeze more power up to 30% more
from the solar system while maintaining its price
relatively the same.
What is more, there are different types of solar
system depending on whether a solar system is
connected to a utility grid or not. Those different
types of solar systems comprise different
components. You can find out more about them on
the next pages.
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Solar systems and their components

There are two main types of photovoltaic (solar electric)
systems connected to the grid and disconnected from the
grid.
Connected to the grid
Not connected to the grid
(grid-tied)
(off-grid)
(with or without
Stand-alone:
Hybrid:
power backup)
purely solar
solar with backup generator
Grid-tied systems allow you to offset a part of or all of your

electricity demand to photovoltaics thus reducing your
electricity bills.
Most of the existing photovoltaic systems are connected to the
local utility grid or are grid-tied.
A typical grid-tied (also known as grid-connected, grid-direct
or grid-on) PV system generally does not provide electricity
storage. Such a PV system generates electricity to provide part
of the energy needs of a building in daytime.
Grid-tied systems can be with or without option for power
backup.
A simplified view of a grid-tied solar system without power backup
Here are the main components of a grid-tied system which does

not provide any power backup:
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Photovoltaic array generates DC electricity from sunlight

DC disconnect disconnects the solar array from the rest
of the system
Inverter converts DC electricity into AC electricity
Main distribution panel the connection point between
home electrical network and utility grid
AC loads the devices operating on AC electricity
Net meter measures the electricity imported from and
exported to the utility grid.
The above picture do not show any Balance of System (BoS)
equipment all mounting and wiring systems and components
needed to integrate the PV system in the existing building
infrastructure. The BoS equipment comprises various cables,
jumpers, boxes, protection devices, etc.
When power generated by the PV system exceeds the buildings
energy needs, the surplus power is exported to the grid. This is
called net-metering. It provides you with the opportunity to
get paid for the electricity you supply to the grid.
A grid-tied system does not operate during a utility power
outage unless it has a power backup.
Grid-tied PV systems without power backup have the

following advantages:
Require almost no maintenance
Seasonal changes in solar radiation are not so important
for their operation
Are easier to design and are less expensive than standalone systems.
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In cases where frequent grid outages happen for relatively long

periods, a grid-tied system with power (battery) backup is
recommended:
A simplified view of a grid-tied solar system with power backup
The components of such a system are:

Photovoltaic array generates DC electricity from sunlight
Charge controller regulates battery charging, thus
increasing battery lifespan
Battery bank stores the electricity generated by the PV
array
Inverter converts DC electricity into AC electricity
Backuped loads all the AC and DC devices provided with
power backup
Non-backuped loads those electrical devices which are
not provided with power backup
Net meter measures the electricity imported from and
exported to the utility grid.
Another main type of solar systems are off-grid ones. They
can be stand-alone (purely photovoltaic) and hybrid ones.
Off-grid solar electric systems are not connected to the grid.
They are preferred in remote areas where buildings are far from
any utility infrastructure. In such a situation it is cheaper and
easier to install a PV system to meet your daily electricity needs
rather than pay for utility interconnection.
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First lets describe in brief stand-alone solar systems.

The simplest kind of a stand-alone PV system can be obtained
by directly connecting a DC load to the PV array:
The load might be, for example, a DC fan or a DC water pump.

Such devices use electricity right away after it is generated (i.e.
in daytime), without any need to store it for later use.
Off-grid systems are usually provided with battery backup to
store the generated energy in case it is not used right away:
The load might be, for example, a TV set or a laptop. Since

such devices operate not only in daytime, a battery is needed
to ensure their operation during night hours.
Here is an example of a stand-alone system designed to replace
utility grid for remote buildings:
A simplified view of a stand-alone solar electric system
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Here is a list of components of a stand-alone system:

Photovoltaic array - generates DC electricity from sunlight
DC disconnect disconnects the solar array from the rest
of the system
Main DC breaker connects the inverter to the battery
and charge controller
DC loads all devices operating on DC power
Charge controller regulates battery charging, thus
increasing battery lifespan
Battery bank stores the electricity generated by the PV
array
Inverter converts DC into AC electricity
AC loads all devices consuming AC power.
Stand-alone systems are photovoltaic-only systems. They
contain no additional power generator apart from the solar
array.
The second subtype of off-grid systems are hybrid systems.
A simplified view of a hybrid off-grid system
A hybrid system is actually a stand-alone solar electric system

with an alternative power source added wind generator or
fuel generator.
Page 16 of 33
Hybrid systems are preferred in cases where too high energy

consumption and/or long periods of cloudy days require a too
bulky battery bank which is expensive both to buy and to
maintain.
Whether to choose a stand-alone or a
hybrid system depends on:
How much total daily energy you need
What kind of electrical applications you use
whether they are critical or not.
In every solar system the solar panel energy generating
capabilities are mainly responsible for solar electricity
production and correspondingly for solar electricity production
cost.
By carefully engineering and designing the rest of the
components of a solar system however, you can squeeze up to
the 30% more power under same conditions while keeping the
price of your solar installation almost the same.
Furthermore in case of an unprofessional system engineering
and design you may not only lose these additional 30% of
energy, but you may lose even more energy at the output of
your system. Thus it would turn out that you have bought the
most expensive solar panels on the earth!
How is that possible? Can you really increase the production
yield of your solar system, even if you have no technical
background and you dont know very much about solar power?
Yes, you can. Even if you are not technologically inclined, our
informational How to solar packages can help you build, install
evaluate fast and easy a cost-effective solar electric system.
Click here to discover how to build or have built the most
efficient, low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar electric
system for your home or business:
http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/solarpackagesfe.php
Page 17 of 33
Photovoltaics In Summary: Pros And Cons

Pros:
Independence
You gain independence from your utility

company.
Environment friendly
Solar energy is clean, sustainable and renewable

unlike gas, coal and oil that most utility
companies use.
It does not produce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, mercury or carbon dioxide as byproducts,
so it makes no air pollution.
Since it does not emit greenhouse gases, it does
not contribute to the global warming.
No noise pollution
PV systems operate silently, with no moving

parts.
No fuel costs
There is no fuel source, so there are no costs

related to buying, transporting or storing fuel.
Low maintenance cost
This is valid for all kinds of PV systems, and is

not valid for conventionally-fueled electric
systems.
Easy to expand
You can add more modules thus having more

electricity generated.
Highly reliable
Photovoltaics have proven as a reliable

technology for years, especially in tough climatic
conditions.
Long life duration
Most solar modules are guaranteed to generate

power for 25 years, and afterwards they still
perform well.
Safe
Photovoltaic systems do not work with

combustive fuel, so they are safe when properly
designed and installed.
Add value to property
You can expect that the value of your property

to increase by 20 times your average utility
savings.
Government incentives
Governments give incentives to people who use

alternative form of energy provided that the
system being installed complies with
government standards.
Prices going down
The price of photovoltaic cells is steadily

decreasing, with new types cost-effective solar
modules being developed and introduced to
market.
Worldwide applicable
Photovoltaic panels and systems can be installed

almost everywhere. The only requirement is that
the site would have access to direct sunlight.
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Cons:
Solar electricity might
not be economically
beneficial for everyone
Although prices of photovoltaics are steadily

going down and electricity prices rise gradually
in the USA on average with 5% per year (in
other countries with highest percentage), the
cost effectiveness of solar systems installation
depends not only on solar panels prices but also
on current electricity price at your location and
hardware installation cost. The cost of a PV
system can be further reduced by solar rebates
and other incentives.
Therefore each case is different and needs
careful evaluation. Replacing even partially
your utility grid with a solar system
however can be beneficial for you.
Variability of solar
radiation
Unfortunately the sun does not deliver the same

amount of energy over different locations and
different seasons.
In winter season energy generated by a PV
system could not be enough to meet daily
energy needs. This imposes use of either a large
battery bank or additional power source, which
brings certain drawbacks and higher costs.
Specific orientation
To provide maximum energy yield, roofs where

solar systems are installed should face South (or
North, if you live in Australia or New Zealand),
and a certain elevation angle is recommended
for mounting the PV panels.
Otherwise the system will not perform well and
the whole investment gets pointless.
Site must not be

shaded
Every shade has a negative impact on solar

panels and as a consequence solar systems
performance drops dramatically. Shades and
solar systems cannot coexist together.
While some manufacturers claim that their
panels are shade tolerant, do have in mind that
if only 1/4 of the panel cell area is shaded, the
generated electrical power will be virtually nil.
Only produce energy in

daytime
Solar panels only produce energy during daytime

and the amount of energy provided is different
during that period. What is more a solar system
can generate excessive energy during given
hours when you do not need it.
The solution to such a problem is using an
energy storage system (battery bank).
Page 19 of 33
Why would you be interested in solar panels and solar

systems?
Probably because:
You are tired of paying for energy and be dependent of
energy monopolies
You are interested in buying solar system but you dont
know what type of system is suitable for your home or
business
You are interested in designing and installing a DIY solar
panel system for your home
You want to find out if you could afford solar as alternative
energy
You want to find if there is any opportunity to start a solar
business in your area
You want to get the fundamentals of solar electrical energy
and apply them to your solar project
You want to go solar and thus save yourself tons of time
and missteps, and therefore a lot of money
You want to fully understand solar power generation and
installation possibilities at your home
You are convinced that a solar photovoltaic system is a
good fit for you but you are either afraid of or just dont
know how to avoid little sneaky solar installer tricks that
could turn your solar investment into an expensive and
underperforming acquisition
You are fond of solar energy and want to be a model for
the area where you live with the aesthetically pleasing and
efficient solar system you are going to buy or build.
Whatever your reason might be, we can help you build or have
built the most efficient, low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar
electric system for your home or business by means of our easy
to follow informational Silver and Gold Solar Packages.
Page 20 of 33
What can you find in our solar packages?

Our Silver and Gold Solar Packages comprise:
An easy to follow How to ebook
Video guides
Calculators for efficient and cost-effective solar system
building, installation and fast-and-easy evaluation.
These packages can help you get free from energy
monopoly and constantly rising energy prices. Each of
these packages is a simple step-by-step system written by
experts for those who cant get started. This simple system is
solar vendor- and solar installer-neutral and, whether you
are a DIY solar enthusiast or a potential solar buyer, this
system will help you get rid of your electrical bill
worries.
The Silver package is our quick start low-price introductory
offer. The Gold Package includes the entire Silver
Package plus much more at an attractive price!
Discover more details below how our Silver and Gold

Solar Packages can help you about your solar project,
whether your project is related to building DIY solar
panels or solar panel system or is related to buying and
installing your solar system by a solar company!
Page 21 of 33
The Silver Solar Package

The Silver Solar Package helps you become within 4 hours an
expert in Solar Panels and Solar Electric Systems, and build or
have built the most efficient, low-cost, aesthetically pleasing
and safe solar electric system for your home or business, save
money from electricity, get free from energy monopoly and
become independent from constantly rising energy prices, even
if you dont have any engineering background and you are not
a technical savvy or technically inclined.
Thanks to the proven tips, tools and tactics, the Silver
Package makes you able to:
- Decide whether to benefit from photovoltaics
- Be in clear about anything on the way to going solar, i.e
solar panels, solar system building blocks, how to connect
them, solar systems types and much more
- Choose the solar system type matching best your energy
needs, available budget and roof area
- Decide what type of solar panels to select and how to
connect and operate with them
- Perform load analysis of your building
- Orientate solar panels to produce more power
- Improve the performance of your solar electric system
- Get the basics of main system components, like solar
panels, inverters,charge controllers, batteries and etc.,
thus avoiding being ripped off by a solar vendor/installer
- Perform a basic evaluation of the solar system fitting best
to your specific case by getting calculated:
o Daily energy target to be generated by the solar
system
o Whether you need any additional power generator or
a photovoltaic-only system will be enough to meet
your daily needs
o Peak solar power, a.k.a installed Wdc power, needed
to meet your energy target
o Inverter recommended power rating
o Required battery capacity if needed
o Area needed for solar panels to install
o Annual solar electricity production
Page 22 of 33
o Amount of diesel fuel needed to generate your annual

energy target by a diesel generator instead
o Total (initial) system cost
o Annual maintenance costs
What you get:
- Solar panels-types, best ways of connecting them, pros,
cons
- Solar electric systems basic description, benefits and
drawbacks, applications
- Solar system components essential practical info, tips
and tricks, what to look for and what to avoid
- What kind of solar electric system would best meet your
energy needs, available budget and roof area
- How performance of a solar system can be improved
- A guide for basic evaluation of main types of solar electric
systems
- and much more!
The Silver Package is targeted to everyone who is
interested in:
- Buying solar panels or solar electric system either for their
home or business
- Designing and installing a DIY solar panels and DIY solar
panel system for their home or office
- Starting solar photovoltaic business
- Getting fast practical and actionable knowledge about
solar panels and solar power.
All information and data is provided in Silver Package in an
easy-to-read and concise manner comprehensible even by a 7th
grade student.
The Silver Package includes:
1) The ebook Save Money On Electricity: Solar Panels And
Solar Power Systems Basics Exposed.
This is your essential guide to getting the most efficient,
low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar electric system
for your home or business.
Page 23 of 33
2) 11 highly informative, condensed short videos

highlighting the key moments from the ebook
3) Easy to use calculators for basic evaluation of the
three main types of solar electric systems: grid-tied
without power backup, grid-tied with power backup and
off-grid.
4) Additional tools needed for a basic evaluation of a solar
electric system: solar maps, solar units converter, load
analysis tool and loan calculator.
What makes the Silver Package unique?
- The basics of electricity are revealed in an easy-to-get,
straightforward way
- Solar Panels essentials are presented through vendorneutral descriptions
- Sophisticated issues are explained through lots of
examples and practical, easy-to-follow tips
- The ebook and the evaluation tools are supported by a set
of videos providing you with comprehensive explanation of
photovoltaics
Click here to discover how to build or have built the most
efficient, low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar electric
system for your home or business by the Silver Package:
The Silver Package calculators
The Silver Package calculators perform basic evaluation of the
main types of solar electric systems:
- Grid-tied without power backup
- Grid-tied with power backup
- Off-grid
You can use Silver Package calculators to:
Estimate the size of the system, needed to meet your
energy target
Get an idea about the price of a solar system
Tune input data to obtain the configuration matching best
your energy needs, available budget and roof area.
Page 24 of 33
Here are the results of the basic system evaluation of solar

system without power backup:
And with power backup:
The Silver Package contains also a calculator for basic

evaluation of off-grid solar electric systems:
Click here to get the Silver Package now and have the most
efficient, low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar system:
http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/silverpackagefe.php
If you need more info about solar power or a step-bystep guide to selecting the right solar vendor,
Our Gold Package includes the entire Silver Package plus
much more at an attractive price!
Page 25 of 33
The Gold Solar Package

The Gold Solar Package helps you become within 4 hours an
advanced expert in Solar Panels and Solar Electric Systems,
and build or have built the most efficient, low-cost,
aesthetically pleasing and safe solar electric system for your
home or business, save money from electricity, get free from
energy monopoly and become independent from constantly
rising energy prices, even if you dont have any engineering
background and you are not a technical savvy or technically
inclined.
The Gold Package is an advanced version of the Silver Package.
The Gold Package consists of entire Silver Package plus
additional proven tips, tacticts and advice jam packed in the ebook Save Money On Electricity: The Ultimate Buyers
Guide To Solar Panels And Solar Power Systems Your
complete step-by-step guide to getting the most efficient, lowcost, safety and aesthetically pleasing solar electric system for
your home or business and advanced version of all the
calculators in the Silver Package.
The Gold Package delivers more important solar information
and solar how-to tips saving you even more money for the
lowest possible cost. The Gold Package is our best offer in
terms of price as compared to delivered value.
The solar gold package is written by experts for those who cant
get started.
No technical or engineering background is required.
What more you get in the Gold Package:
- All the info you need upon buying a solar electric system
- Tips, tricks and catches you should know as a solar system
buyer
- A step-by-step guide for solar vendor selection
- A methodology for advanced evaluation of photovoltaic
systems, proving the reasonability of your investment
- An easy-to-work-with evaluation tool based on important
economic estimates, such as:
Page 26 of 33
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
System cost rebate

Feed-in tariff rate
Feed-in tariff validity
Grid electricity price
Grid electricity price annual increase rate
Solar electricity production cost
Grid electricity cost savings
Cost of utility interconnection
System payback period
Thanks to the proven tips, tools and tactics the Gold

Package makes you able to:
- Evaluate whether it is worth investing your hard earned
money in a solar electric system
- Assess whether your building is solar-ready
- Compare different types of solar panels
- Choose the solar system configuration matching best your
specific case
- Select the proper solar vendor by distinguishing between
various offers and choosing the best one among them
- Be prepared for a solar installers visit
- Be warned for some common tricks of solar
vendors/installers thus avoiding any unpleasant surprises
The Gold Package includes the entire Silver Package plus
much more!
The Gold Package includes also:
The ebook Save Money On Electricity: The
Ultimate Buyers Guide To Solar Panels And Solar
Power Systems.
This is your complete step-by-step guide to getting the
most efficient, low-cost and aesthetically pleasing solar
electric system for your home or business
6 Videos highlighting the key moments from
the ebook
Easy to use calculators for advanced
evaluation of the three main types of solar
Page 27 of 33
electric systems: grid-tied without power

backup, grid-tied with power backup and offgrid
Additional tools needed for a basic evaluation
of a solar electric system: solar maps, solar
units converter, load analysis tool and loan
calculator.
Click here to get the Gold Package now and get started to
build or have built the most efficient, low-cost and aesthetically
pleasing solar electric system:
http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/goldpackagefe.php
You get more practical cost saving info about solar power at
attractive price!
To see how results of an advanced evaluation of a solar electric
system look like, please, read the following pages describing in
brief the Gold Package calculators!
The Gold Package calculators

Our Gold Package calculators perform advanced evaluation of
solar electric systems. Advanced evaluation is a combination of
technical evaluation and economic assessment. Weve built our
calculator to help you perform such evaluation fast and easy
without the need of any engineering or economic background.
The Gold Package calculators help you:
Decide fast whether it is worth investing in solar electric
system
Tune input data to obtain the system configuration
matching best your energy needs, available budget and
roof area
Be prepared for a solar installers visit
Select your solar vendor.
Page 28 of 33
Technical assessment is the output you get by the Silver

Package calculator. Economic evaluation however presents
things from completely different point of view:
Advanced evaluation details are presented for two cases

without maintenance costs included:
And with maintenance costs included, respectively:
The Gold Package includes also a calculator for advanced

evaluation of a grid-tied system with power backup:
Page 29 of 33
The Gold Package includes also a calculator for advanced

evaluation of an off-grid solar electric system:
Click here to get the Gold Package now and get started to
build or have built the most efficient, low-cost and aesthetically
pleasing solar electric system:
http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/goldpackagefe.php
Page 30 of 33
Comparison between the Silver and the Gold Package
Here are Silver Solar System Package and Gold Solar System
Package Compared:
Silver Solar System Package
Product
Gold Solar System Package

Product
Ebook Save Money On Electricity:

Solar Panels And Solar Power
Systems Basics Exposed
Ebook Save Money On Electricity:

The Ultimate Buyers Guide To Solar
Panels And Solar Power Systems
Silver Solar Silver Package

SW calculators + SW Video Guides
and pdf-Help Guides
Gold Solar Package advanced SW

calculators + SW Video Guides and
pdf-Help Guides
11 x 5 min Solar Panel Basics Video

Tutorials
6 Solar System Buyers Guide Video

Tutorials
Additional tools needed for a basic

evaluation of a solar electric system:
solar maps, solar units converter,
load analysis tool and loan calculator
The Entire Silver Package
Heroic Support
Free
Click here to get the Silver Solar
Package now and get started saving
from electricity bills:
Heroic Support
Click here to get the Gold Solar
Package now and get started
saving from electricity bills:
http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/silv http://www.solarpanelsvenue.com/out/gol
erpackagefe.php
dpackagefe.php
Page 31 of 33
Glossary of Terms
Alternating current (AC) electrical current changing its
direction at a given interval.
Balance of system (BoS) equipment all the equipment
apart from the solar array, which is needed for a solar electric
system to operate.
Battery a device capable to produce DC electricity and store
it for later use.
Battery bank a combination of batteries connected together.
Capacity of a battery the amount of electricity a battery
can store. Capacity is measured in Amperes-hours (Ah).
Charge controller a device managing the process of battery
charge and discharge.
Current directional movement of electrons upon certain
voltage applied.
Conductor a stuff where electric current can occur.
Disconnect (breaker) an electric switch protecting an
electric circuit from overload.
Direct current (DC) electric current flowing always in the
same direction.
Distribution panel (distribution board) a device dividing
electrical power supply into several electrical circuits.
Energy the work that can be done within certain period.
Energy efficiency a set of measures resulting in electrical
consumption reductions.
Fuel generator a generator working on combustive fuel,
able to generate AC electricity.
Grid-tied (grid-direct, grid-connected, grid-on) system
a solar electrical system producing electricity that can be both
used in your home/office and exported to the grid.
Hybrid system an off-grid system which combines
photovoltaics with additional power sources (e.g. combustive
fuel generator, wind generator, etc.) to produce electricity.
Page 32 of 33
Insulator a stuff in which no electric current can flow.

Inverter a device converting DC into AC electricity.
Load a device consuming electricity to do some useful work.
Net metering the process of measuring the solar electricity
exported to the grid by a solar system owner, credited by the
local utility company.
Off-grid (autonomous) system a solar electrical system
disconnected from the grid and producing electricity for
home/office use only.
Photovoltaic (solar) cell the smallest semiconductor unit
producing electricity when exposed to sunlight.
Photovoltaic (solar) generator solar array with all its
cabling and disconnects
Photovoltaic (solar) module a combination of solar cells
connected together.
Photovoltaic (solar) panel a combination of solar modules
connected together. Often, although not fully correct, terms
solar panel and solar module are used interchangeably.
Photovoltaic (solar) array a combination of solar panels
connected together.
Photovoltaic (solar) system a combination of solar
modules and other equipment connected to produce electricity
for practical needs.
Power the rate of consuming/generating energy.
Semiconductor a stuff where electric current can only occur
under certain conditions. Solar panels are made of
semiconductor (silicon) material.
Stand-alone system an off-grid system that uses solely
photovoltaics to produce electricity.
Voltage a difference in the potential (hidden) energy
between two points, causing current to flow upon free electrons
available.
Page 33 of 33

PV Basics

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Solar Panels And Solar

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

This ebook, available on the website www.solarpanelsvenue.com, is

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

How can this book help you?

Building or installing a solar electric (photovoltaic, PV) system

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Basics of solar electric technology

PV array (PV generator)

PV Cell -> PV Module -> PV Panel -> PV Array -> PV System

Photovoltaic cells and modules are made of

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

More energy is generated in sunny days, while less energy is

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

The less solar panels you need to produce certain amount of

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Polycrystalline panels are typically blue and can be easily

Thin-film panels have a dark surface usually colored in brown,

Area needed for 1 kWp

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Why is it important to know more not only

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Solar systems and their components

Not connected to the grid

solar with backup generator

Grid-tied systems allow you to offset a part of or all of your

A simplified view of a grid-tied solar system without power backup

Here are the main components of a grid-tied system which does

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Photovoltaic array generates DC electricity from sunlight

Grid-tied PV systems without power backup have the

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

In cases where frequent grid outages happen for relatively long

A simplified view of a grid-tied solar system with power backup

The components of such a system are:

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Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

First lets describe in brief stand-alone solar systems.

The load might be, for example, a DC fan or a DC water pump.

The load might be, for example, a TV set or a laptop. Since

A simplified view of a stand-alone solar electric system

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Solar Panels And Solar Photovoltaics Basics Exposed

Here is a list of components of a stand-alone system:

A simplified view of a hybrid off-grid system

A hybrid system is actually a stand-alone solar electric system

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