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What are the components of a solar PV system?
The main components of a solar PV system are the solar panels, the mounting system that attaches the solar panels to the ground or building, and the DC to AC inverter. The other items in the system are the conductors, conduit, connectors disconnects and panelboards that make up the electrical balance of system or EBOS.
There are different types of these components as mentioned below:
| Attachment | Application | Limits |
| Ballasted | Flat Roof or Ground | 130mph Wind, Dead load |
| Stanchion or Stand-off | Flat or sloped roof | Roof warranty, cost, leak mitigation |
| Pile or Helical | Ground (With or without concrete foundation) | Soil type, rock |
| Pole | Ground | Soil type, rock, water table |
| Parking Canopy | Grade level or Parking Deck | Cantilever, Weight, Soil Conditions, Water Table |
Modules:
Type
Poly crystalline
Mono crystalline
BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics)
Power Class (DC Watts)
60 cell: 260 to 365 watts dc
72, 90, 128 cell: solar panels up to 430 watts dc
Efficiency
Ratio of module power output (actual) and available power (solar irradiance).
Range between 16%-22% Ex. 300W / (.8 x 2000 W/m2) = ~19%
UL 1703 Standard
Impact testing: Hail, modules are tested for 1” hail @ 52 mph
Load Testing: Wind loading & snow loading tolerances
Electrical Testing: Characteristics & temperature tolerances
Fire Testing
Inverters:
| MICRO INVERTER | STRING INVERTER | CENTRAL INVERTER | |
| Power Rating | 200-300W | 2-125 kW | 500-2000+ kW |
| Phases | Single | Single, 3 Phase | 3 Phase Only |
| Efficiency | 96% | Up to 98.5% | Up to 99% |
| Utilization | Residential, Small Commercial | Residential, Commercial, Utility | Utility |