Photovoltaic Systems

Solar electricity systems capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV cells do not need direct sunlight to work - you can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day.

There are many competing technologies, including 14 types of photovoltaic cells, such as thin film, mono crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and amorphous cells, as well as multiple types of concentrating solar power. It is too early to know which technology will become dominant.

The following links below provide additional information:

Solar PV - California

California Solar Energy Association
http://www.norcalsolar.org/
The Northern California Solar Energy Association (NorCal Solar) is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to foster the development and application of solar energy through the exchange of information.
California Solar Energy Industries Association
http://www.calseia.org/
CALSEIA is the CALifornia Solar Energy Industries Association. It’s mission is to expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future.
American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
http://www.ases.org/
American Solar Energy Society (ASES) claim’s to be the nation's leading association of solar professionals and advocates. It’s mission is to promote energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. They claim to advance education, research, and policy.
Go Solar California
http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/
The Go Solar California! campaign is a joint effort of the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. The goal is to encourage Californians to install 3,000 megawatts of solar energy systems on homes and businesses by the end of 2016, making renewable energy an everyday reality.
Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)
http://www.solarelectricpower.org/
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar energy into their portfolio. From facilitating peer-to-peer interaction between utilities and the solar industry to hosting one of the industry’s leading educational forums on utility solar, SEPA see itself as the “go-to” resource for unbiased utility solar information.
Solar energy
http://www.seia.org/
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry.
Solar Frontier Americas
http://www.solar-frontier.com
Solar Frontier's mission is to create the most economical, ecological solar energy solutions on Earth--on the world's largest scale. Our proprietary CIS technology (for key ingredients copper, indium, and selenium) combines compelling economics and energy conversion efficiency today--and greater potential for tomorrow--with superior reliability, stability, sustainability, non-toxicity, design, and lower overall energy consumption in the manufacturing process to yield a faster energy payback time.

Technology Development Operation - Solar PV

CanSIA
http://www.cansia.ca/
The Cansia web site is about the photovoltaic energy in Canada. The data for Government and some regulatory issues are available on the site. The referent links to different solar systems and functionality can be found.
Photovoltaic applications and technologies
http://www.pvresources.com/
The site contains information about different photovoltaic cells technologies and their application in electricity production. Information in different standards for photovoltaic cells production is also presented.
Solar Energy Technologies Program: Photovoltaics
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photovoltaics_program.html
The information in this website is about renewable energy with focus on solar energy. Some data about different programs and initiatives related to the solar energy is presented.
renewables connection
http://renewablesconnection.com/home
The web site represents the Global Database for Renewable Energy. The website provides detailed contact information of numerous companies and individuals that are involved in wind energy around the Globe.

Solar Parameters - PV

NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center
http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/
The Atmospheric Science Data Center of NASA is free online web database providing general information about wind potential all over the world.
PVWatts Calculator
http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php
PVWatts® Calculator, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), estimates the electricity production.
RETScreen International
http://www.retscreen.net/ang/home.php
The free-of-charge RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software under the web site can be used to evaluate the energy production and savings, costs, financial viability and risk for wind energy projects. It includes also the summarized wind data.
Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS)
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/
Joint Research Center of European Commission is Photovoltaic Geographical Information System database providing interactive access to solar resource and photovoltaic potential at representative point all over the world. The database contains information for solar potential for over 25 year's period.

Advanced Web Search

Provider:

Search Provider

Go to Global

Photovoltaic Systems

Advanced Web Search