Photovoltaic Installation

A photovoltaic installation is a particular electrical installation capable of producing energy from a renewable and inexhaustible source such as solar.

There are basically two types of photovoltaic installations:

• Installations connected to the  local electrical network (in English “grid connected”) that coexist with traditional electrical installations (residential/industrial), therefore their use can be opportunely alternated with the traditional electrical network even in case of availability of the solar source , in order to meet the customer’s energy requirements.
• Installations isolated from the network  (in English “stand alone”) designed so that, in addition, a battery system is necessary in order to guarantee the “continuity of service”, that is, the supply of electrical energy also during the night or when the solar source is insufficient or unavailable.

The main components of a photovoltaic system are:

Photovoltaic modules :

A photovoltaic installation captures the energy radiated by the sun thanks to the use of special components called photovoltaic modules, built with a material (silicon) capable of producing electricity when exposed to sunlight.

Module support structures :

They are the structures that support the modules, fixing them to the ceiling and, in the case of flat ceilings, they also provide their orientation, optimizing their exposure by tilting them towards the sun’s rays.

Inverter

It is the electronic device that transforms the energy produced by the modules (called direct current) into the same type used by residential users (appliances, etc.) or industrial users (called  alternating current ).
For greater system security, the inverters incorporate protection devices that turn them off in the event of a power outage or grid disturbance.

Electric cables :

The cables that carry the energy from the installation to the users.

The increasingly widespread additional components that contribute to improving the efficiency of the installation are:

Monitoring system :

It is the system that allows remote control of the installation itself. It monitors the progress of production and self-consumption and verifies the status of the inverter.

Energy Storage:

It is an innovative system that improves the efficiency of the installation itself by accumulating the energy produced during the day to use it even when the installation is not producing. In this way, self-consumption of the energy produced is maximized without changing consumption habits.