What is Solar PV?
Solar PV is short for solar photovoltaics. It is the process of converting energy from sunlight into usable electricity. This is accomplished with the use of “solar modules” or “solar panels”. Sunlight contains a massive amount of energy. Solar PV enables us to harness that energy and put it to practical use.
Solar PV systems can be lumped into two broad categories – off-grid and grid tied. The off-grid PV systems are used in remote sites where electricity is not available. They consist of solar panels that make the electricity, batteries that store the electricity, and inverters that convert the electricity into usable AC electricity – just like you have in your home.
Grid tied solar PV, which is the category of system utilized in the Solarize Anchorage & our Anchorage Solar Project programs, normally bypasses the battery storage. It consists of solar panels that make the electricity and special inverters that convert the electricity from the solar panels into usable AC electricity that is fed directly into your home’s electrical system, where it is then used by the appliances in the home. The solar PV electricity that you produce is electricity that you don’t have to buy from your electrical utility.