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Glossary

In an active solar system, sunlight generates electricity with the aid of a solar module consisting of many photovoltaic cells also known as PV cells. These cells are commonly made of silicon and small amounts of boron and phosphorus.  Most PV systems consist of two or more modules mounted on your roof, the ground, a pole, or a special tracking device that follows the sun across the sky from sunrise to sunset.

When sunlight hits a PV module, it causes the production of tiny electrical currents in each solar cell. These currents combine to produce a much larger electrical current.

Electricity produced in this manner is used in your home. Extra electricity produced by your panels is stored in one of two manners.

1. Transmitted and into the utilities (the "grid").

2. Transmitted to batteries for your later use.

This leaves homeowners with an important decision to be made: Do you store your electricity with batteries, called a stand-alone system, or do you feed it into the grid, called a grid-tied system?

Solar Panel
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