PV Systems: Clean Energy

A photovoltaic system (PV system, solar system) is a system which uses one or more solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. It consists of multiple components, including the photovoltaic modules, mechanical and electrical connections and mountings and means of regulating and/or modifying the electrical output.

It is estimated that the time it takes a solar module to recover the amount of energy it requires for its manufacturing and transport is between 18 and 36 months. Most solar modules are warranted for 25 years and may have an engineered design-life of 45 or more years. This illustrates that solar modules truly do provide energy that is "free" in terms of the economy of our carbon footprint. In 30 years of operation, each kilowatt of electricity generated by a solar electric system will offset approximately 40 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That equates to approximately 120 tons for a typical residential system and approximately 40,000 tons for a one megawatt commercial scale solar system. Using the carbon offset benefits of trees as a metric, a typical residential system can be equivalent to planting 600 trees and a one megawatt commercial system can be equivalent to planting 200,000 trees*. The advantages of renewable energy are clear. Let us help you make a positive impact on our environment.

[Footnote] *Tree planting equivalent figures calculated from USEPA values, http://www.epa.gov