Protecting Photovoltaics from Lightning Strikes - Thesis Example

However, it was not until 1954 that scientists at Bell Labs created a solar cell, but the efficiency was only 4.5% and when manufactured in Europe in 1955 by Western Electric, a division of Bell, the cost at 2% efficiency was $1500 USD per watt. However, by 1959 Explorer 6, a communications satellite was launched with a coating of 9600 1x2cm cells that operated at 10% efficiency [1]. Over the next two decades efficiency was increased and many satellites were launched with a coating of photovoltaics, and research continued to improve them until power generating stations were actually built and put into service.

Government support for projects started in 1977[1]. When low-cost silicon wafers went into production the cost of photovoltaics fell and many projects were launched, with US government research institutes opening in the early 1990s. 6Photovoltaic systems have four basic parts. The one most people think of is the photovoltaic module array, which is a group of mounted and interconnected photovoltaic cells. These are mounted on a pole, in a frame or on another suitable flat surface. The inverter is also usually needed unless the power need is only for direct current (DC), which is what photovoltaic cells generate.

If alternating current (AC) is needed, most cases, the inverter converts the current. This is absolutely critical if the system is connected to a building or to the local power grid, as AC is what is used in most application and buildings, and it is what the grid supplies. Most installations of any size are grid-connected, as the owner can get paid for excess power production. Systems that are not grid-connected or are in locations where the grid is highly unreliable will also have a storage system, either battery, the most common, or a heat storage system.

Finally, any system needs meters and control indicators from simple displays to wireless data accumulators, in order to provide current data on inspection and accumulated data for analysis.