Solar Photovoltaic Electricity

Abstract

The importance of green energies is continuously growing in our societies not only due to environmental concerns but also to solve the problem of access to electricity in a number of rural areas in developing countries. Photovoltaic energy is one of the most promising environment friendly sources of electricity. It does not involve any moving mechanical part and is one of the most reliable sources of renewable energies. It is a real opportunity for developed countries to lower their carbon print and for developing countries to grant access of electricity to their populations in remote rural areas.

The objective of this chapter is to present comprehensively, the fundamentals of photovoltaic electricity as well as some applications such as the use of LEDs for lighting. The main focus of this chapter is on standalone photovoltaic systems. It presents the study of the individual solar cell, their association in solar panels, the operation and performance of the different other components such as the batteries, charge controller and inverter. It aims to present the basics of photovoltaic systems sizing through applications in lighting.