Residential Photovoltaic

A residential photovoltaic system is a system which uses solar cells to convert light into electricity.

A residential photovoltaic system consists of multiple components, including cells, mechanical and electrical connections and mountings and means of regulating and/or modifying the electrical output.

With a growing DIY-community and an increasing interest in environmentally friendly "green energy" ,there are guides and video instructions available that show you exactly how to construct you own PV solar energy system. These systems are inexpensive and are high efficiency systems so generating your own power with ease.

 As a result, the DIY-systems end up cheaper than their retail and fully fitted counterparts saving you $1000's on your system and $100's on your annual electric bills. Often, the residential photovoltaic system is also hooked up unto the regular power grid to repay part of the investment via net metering. These systems usually generate power amount of ~2kW or less.

Plans to construct a DIY residential photovoltaic system and become part of a growing trend toward building them for domestic requirements, are part of this recommended package.

The DIY-PV solar systems are now also being used to power residences and small businesses.

A solar cell is a device that converts the energy of sunlight directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar panels, solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays.

Resisdential photovoltaic cells (PVs) are a very different technology from solar water heating, and use light to generate electricity. They are particularly well suited to sites where a grid connection would be difficult or expensive or that are only used in the summer.

For an independent power supply, solar works well with wind as there is a good balance of both over the year.

Solar electricity, like electricity from other renewable energy sources, doesn't produce carbon dioxide or harm the environment.

Check out the  "Green Eco Club" where like minded people can get all the information you need to build your own system.

Residential photovoltaic systems have key advantages:  there are no moving parts to fix so they are relatively easy to install and maintain they can be sited in urban areas and are not restricted in the way that wind power systems are.

They can replace other roofing materials, for example tiles. The cells are embedded in a flat, waterproof material to form 'modules', which make ideal cladding material for walls and roofs so they need not take up any additional land space.