How to Understand Microgeneration - Solar PV

from the websites http://www.howto.tv and http://www.npower.com/web/video_guides/microgeneration/index.htm

Presented by Oliver Heath

This short film on behalf of n power details all you need to know about photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. How they use solar energy to generate electricity for your own home, how the surplus energy they generate can be sold back to your supplier and how their use can drastically reduce the number of power stations in the UK. In the film our presenter Oliver Heath talks to eco-first, a company who assist n power in supplying and installing PV panels. Oliver discovers just how easy and simple the installation process is and how twice a year you can phone up for a meter reading to cost up the energy your panels have put back into the grid. The payment for this energy will then be put straight into your bank account by your supplier. Oliver also discovers that if 25% of the country used PV panels, they would generate the same amount of electricity as 3.25 power stations!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• howto.tv
• oliver heath
• npower
• microgeneration
• sola power

[russg22]

Hi Bahurim.

I've spoken to npower for you and the official response from their Sustainable Technology Unit is as follows:

"solar PV panels generate electricity in the form of DC (Direct current), this electricity is first sent though an inverter which converts the DC electricity into AC (Alternating current) for use in the home. This is the box on the wall that Pete refers to in video 3 (Solar PV). FYI, npower do not install off-grid solar PV systems (I.e. battery systems). "

[Bahurim]

These produce DC electricity? If so, do you not need a battery bank? Maybe the power is changed straight over to AC by one of those boxes on the wall?