Solar Photovoltaic systems allow you to generate cheap electricity from sunlight (the renewable source). The electricity is generated by the modules that contain photovoltaic cells that are situated on your roof, wall or other structure. The cells capture the energy from the sun to convert the sunlight into electricity which is then used within the house to run appliances and lighting. Many people think that you must live in a hot country for the systems to work but it is in fact the daylight that the cells use. Whilst your system will generate more electricity on the hotter, longer days in the summer when the sun is at its strongest, you will still generate electricity all through the year, even on cloudy days as direct sunlight is not needed.

The cells within the modules are made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, often silicon. When the cell captures light, an electric field is created along the layers. The stronger the irradiance the more electricity the cells produce. The strength of a cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp) and the more modules you have installed, the higher the kWp and the more electricity is produced. 

The electricity produced by the cells is a direct current (D.C.). This current is then routed into an inverter which converts the D.C. current into an alternating current (A.C.) for use within your home or business. The system will not generate electricity at night so you would rely on your grid supply. It is important to note that the supply switches automatically and seamlessly so that once the sun sets, or if your consumption exceeds the generation, your electricity supply switches to over to the grid without any interruption. Solar Photovoltaic installations are eligible under the FiT scheme (implemented 1 April 2010).

Solar Photovoltaic systems allow you to generate cheap electricity from sunlight (the renewable source). The electricity is generated by the modules that contain photovoltaic cells that are situated on your roof, wall or other structure.