Photovoltaic modules are high-tech products engineered for extended use in environments with extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions, Solar electric or photovoltaic systems convert some of the energy in sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made primarily of silicon, the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Electrons in the silicon are excited by the light and then move out of the silicon. This is known as the photovoltaic effect and results in direct current (DC) electricity. PV modules have no moving parts, are virtually maintenance-free, and have a working life of at least 30 to 40 years. We carry Outback PV control systems, and Evergreen solar panels , both manufactured and imported from the U.S. Our panels are waranteed for 25 years by the manufacturer.

The inverter is the heart of all but the smallest power systems. It is an electronic device the converts direct current DC power from batteries or solar modules into alternating current AC power to operate lights, appliances or anything that normally operates on power supplied by the utility grid. Inverters come in many varieties, sizes and qualities and offer various features that specialize them for particular applications

Off-Grid Inverters

Off-grid, or standalone, inverters convert DC power stored in batteries to AC power that can be used as needed. Select an inverter for your power system based on the maximum load you will be powering, the maximum surge required, AC output voltage required, input battery voltage and optional features needed. High quality standalone inverters are available in sizes from 100 watts, for powering notebook computers and fax machines from your car, to 60 kilowatts, for powering a commercial operation.

Grid-Tie

Inverters Grid-tie, or utility intertie, inverters convert DC power from PV modules into AC power to be fed into the utility grid. There are two major types of grid-tie inverters; string inverters and low voltage input inverters. The name “string” comes from the way the PV modules are wired together, in series to achieve a higher voltage. These inverters are designed to run at voltages up to 600 VDC. String wiring is faster to install, more efficient and allows the use of smaller gauge wire. DC voltage this high can be very dangerous and life-threatening, so string inverters should be installed and serviced by qualified electricians. A grid-tie PV system uses the utility company, in effect, as its storage battery. When the sun is shining, your electricity comes from the PV array, via the inverter. If the PV array is generating more power than you are using, the excess is sold to the power utility company through your electric meter, by making the meter run backward. When you need more power than the PV array can supply, the utility makes up the difference. This type of system makes the most sense in most cases where you have utility power, because there are no batteries to maintain or replace. Unfortunately, if the utility power goes down, this type of inverter will go off, too, regardless of whether or not the sun is shining

All standalone and battery-backup PV systems require battery storage. Photovoltaic modules charge the batteries during daylight hours and the batteries supply the power when it is needed, often at night and during cloudy weather. Utility grid-tie systems supply power directly to the utility grid; no battery storage is needed. The two most common types of rechargeable batteries in use today are lead-acid and alkaline. Lead acid batteries have plates made of lead, mixed with other materials, submerged in a sulfuric acid solution. We do not list nickel-cadmium batteries in this catalog because of their high cost and environmental problems related to disposal. Nickel metal hydride and lithium ion batteries look promising for the future, but at this time their price is much too high for the size needed for all but the smallest of remote lighting systems.