Solar power / Photovoltaics

Solar power means using energy from the sun to produce electricity. These pages show how that energy is turned into electricity, the components needed and various possible types of systems.

How it works

Part 1 - From the sun to the panels

Part 2 - From the panels to the inverter
(and an explanation of AC and DC electricity!)

Types of systems

Solar power systems can be configured in a variety of ways to meet different needs. The following are the most common configurations.

• Off-grid - getting all your power from solar power with an optional generator as backup
• Feed-in tarriff (or solar premium or standard offer program) - selling power to the grid/being a mini-power utility and being paid for it while also using power from the grid. This is a form of grid-tied system.
• Net metering - feeding power to the grid and using power from the grid, paying for only the difference. This is a form of grid-tied system.
• Solar backup (or grid interactive) - getting power from the grid with solar power as a backup
• RV solar - powering a recreational vehicle (RV) or motorhome with solar power
  

  Harvey's motorhome solar power system using a Harbor Freight kit.
  

  Full off-grid solar power system on a motorhome.
• Mobile solar - solar power system on mobile platforms to be towed, like a trailer
  

  Full mobile off-grid solar power system installed on a trailer.
• Arnprior Solar Farm - a solar farm is a collection of a huge number of solar panels, typically for feeding power to the power grid. This Arnprior solar farm consists of 312,000 solar panels.

Setting solar panel angle

It's optional, but if possible you can adjust the angle of your solar panels either a few times a year, or constantly using a tracker. This page talks about what angles to use as well as some suggestions for how to implement it.

Damaged solar panels and repairing them

Examples of solar panels damaged by having their glass shattered or by lightning, along with some info about repairability.

Solar panels with shattered glass often do still work, though with varying degrees of reduced output. The only repair you can do is to weatherproof them. See here how to repair a solar panel whose glass has been shattered.

Fun solar experiments

Here's step-by-step how I made a very simple solar panel from just a few solar cells that I needed for a video.

You can make your own solar cells using copper but they don't give enough power to be useful. They are a fun experiment though.

The easiest solar cell to make is to use a transistor as a solar cell (in this case a 2N3055 power transistor) by simply cutting it open. Five of them in series will power a small 1.5 volt calculator.

A solar panel made of five transistor solar cells producing enough power to run a small calculator.

Concentrated solar power tests using a large fresnel lens to concentrate sunlight onto a single solar cell.

Mini solar tower powered using concentrated sunlight from a large fresnel lens.

Sample installed systems

Here's a small sample of solar power systems I helped install with Ottawa Solar Power.

Just another day installing solar power in the Ottawa, Ontario area...

... but then, not all days are snowy.