The Scale of Photovoltaics

A photovoltaic system is made up of several components that collectively capture sunlight and translate it into an electrical charge. The central piece in this system is the photovoltaic panel, which is made up of cells and can be connected together to form an array. We have seen how cells work, how panels are built, and the different types of panels available.

In an array, panels are connected to feed their collective electricity to a building or other large-scale user of electricity. One of the unique features of photovoltaics is that arrays can be assembled at any scale, powering a home, a factory, or even a town through its local utility.

How large an array is needed to power these different things? Follow this link. to see How Many Panels do I Need to Power...

*These examples are shown only to give a general sense of the scale needed to meet different electricity needs. In practice, the amount of electricity used at each of these scales can vary significantly from what is shown, and the number of panels needed for applications can also vary depending on which panel type is used. In planning to install a photovoltaic system, the correct amount of photovoltaics needs to be determined on a case by case basis.