WHAT CAN SOLAR PV POWER?

Of recent, there has been so much conversation on renewable energy with the most available and easy to deploy being solar PV systems.

A solar PV module is made up of solar cells which many of us are familiar with. We see them on miniature devices, and probably don’t give them much thought.

The highlight for me is its dynamicity, a technology so flexible it can be applied across a range; from the  tiny seemingly insignificant things like wristwatches and calculators to basic needs like lighting and fans.

Besides devices. We see it being applied in homes, businesses, hospitals, religious institutions for residential, commercial and health purposes, as well as Micro -grids serving underserved communities.

As you would observe, the capacity of what needs to be powered determines how big your solar PV should be; the solar cell on your calculator is definitely much smaller compared to that on your solar lamp, or power bank. And even these are nothing compared to the array required for a spaceship or an off-grid community.

Being a technology which depends on the insolation of the sun, the surface area exposed to the sun determines how much of its energy can be trapped for use. It would interest you to know that the power produced by the sun hourly is an estimated 170 terawatts, which is about seven times the estimated yearly world total electricity consumption, estimated as 23 terawatts as in 2018. 😱

It is obvious that the Solar PV technology is one not to be underestimated as innovations keep springing up to find more creative and affordable ways to maximize this enormous potential, it offers.

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