How do you make solar electricity?

Solar electricity means turning daylight directly into electricity. It does not have to be direct sunlight, although the more intense the light, the higher the electrical power produced at any time.

To make the best use of solar modules, they must be placed outside, preferably in sunlight, where there is a lot of daylight. The light must fall on the active side with the photovoltaic cells showing. The best results are obtained when light falls in a uniform manner over this area. If even one of the photovoltaic cells is shaded, the performance of the module will be reduced considerably.

Key benefits of photovoltaics:

• There are no moving parts
• There is no 'fuel', apart from daylight, the systems work with both direct sunlight and indirect daylight (more light = more power)
• The modules need no maintenance therefore operating costs are low
• The modules have a long lifetime
• Solar electricity systems permit a free selection of site locations