Solar arrays are a collection of solar panels and other devices connected together with the aim of using the power of the sun to generate electricity. As the oil industry has entered a long decline, and renewable energies have skyrocketed in popularity, more and more countries around the world are adopting solar as the next big shift in generating the power necessary to keep global industries going.

While the technology behind solar arrays is fairly complicated, building and maintaining them is fairly simple, whether at a large or small scale. These are the items needed to get a solar array working as quickly as possible.

Batteries

While the sun is out and the solar panels are able to draw in sunlight and generate electricity, a household or factory can easily keep everything running. But when the sun dips below the horizon, this becomes more difficult to achieve.

The answer to this, then, is using batteries to keep everything powered. While battery technology is constantly evolving, the most common type of batteries used today tend to be made of lithium-Ion, meaning that they’re able to hold charge for a number of hours.

The Solar Cells

While we most commonly know them as solar panels, solar cells are the technical term, and refer to the cells within the panel that use sunlight to create electricity, through a photovoltaic process. The solar cells are able to create a range of volts and amperes depending on how they are arranged together and how much sunlight they’re being exposed to. It’s possible to combine multiple sets of solar cells to generate more electricity.

An Inverter

There are two main types of electrical currents used in modern systems: AC and DC. A lot of solar panels will create a DC output, meaning that the electrical current is only able to move in a single direction.

This can create a problem if the grid they’re connected to makes use of AC, which is where an inverter comes in. An inverter converts DC to AC, making the electricity usable for the household or grid. Without an inverter, circuitry can be severely or permanently damaged, and can even be a fire hazard, such as a computer, reducing the user’s ability to use it for tasks like election betting online.

Charge Controller

Throughout the day the sun moves from one point to another. When a solar engineer or homeowner installs a solar array, they will want to make sure the array is pointed in a direction that will maximise the amount of sunlight coming in.

When the sun moves out of that perfect spot, the amount of electricity being generated will begin to lower, and as this happens, fluctuations will occur. Without a charge controller in place, these fluctuations can cause disruptions to how much power is being sent to the batteries or the inverter and may even lead to damage. With a charge controller properly installed, the amount of electricity coming through will automatically be adjusted in order to not cause any long-term damage.