Photovoltaic (PV) cells – also called solar cells – produce electricity from sunlight. A small, but growing amount of PV generation is connected to the power-delivery grid in 36 states.

 

The photovoltaic cell is the basic unit in a PV system. The cell is made from semiconductor materials similar to those used in computer chips. Sunlight is absorbed by the materials, freeing electrons from their atoms, and allowing the electrons to flow through an external circuit to generate electricity. The greater the intensity of the sunlight, the more power generated in the cell.

 

Because photovoltaic systems have no moving parts they offer durability, low maintenance, high reliability and low environmental impacts. Because their basic building block, the module, is small, photovoltaic systems are suitable for both large and small electricity supply applications. For example, systems of several hundred kilowatts in size have been built in a number of locations.

 

In 2006, Buckeye Power and Butler Rural Electric Cooperative installed a demonstration 2.3-kilowatt solar array at the Butler Cooperative office near Oxford, Ohio. Miami University students are studying the unit and monitoring production. Real-time data can be viewed at http://www.buckeyepower.com/.