Definition and History of Photovoltaic Power Systems

Photovoltaic, that is, photovoltaic power generation system, is a power generation system that uses the photovoltaic effect of semiconductor materials to convert solar radiation energy into electrical energy. The energy of the photovoltaic power generation system comes from the inexhaustible solar energy, which is a clean, safe and renewable energy source. The photovoltaic power generation process does not pollute the environment and does not damage the ecology. 
Photovoltaic power generation systems are divided into independent photovoltaic systems and grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic power generation system is composed of solar cell phalanx, battery pack, charge and discharge controller, inverter, AC power distribution cabinet, sun tracking control system and other equipment.

Heinrich Hertz first discovered the photoelectric effect in 1887, and Albert Einstein explained it in 1905. Photovoltaic (PV) systems utilize the photoelectric effect of semiconductor materials to directly convert light into electrical energy. Both the composition of the semiconductor and the intensity and wavelength of the effective solar radiation received by the photovoltaic device affect the amount of electricity generated by the photovoltaic device (Hertz, 1887; Einstein, 1905). In 1954, three researchers at Bell Laboratories developed the first practical "solar cell." The cell can convert 6% of incident solar energy into electricity (Pedin, 2004). As research and development continues to progress, the conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices has also increased.