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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Small Solar Electric System Components

A typical small solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), system consists of these components:

An illustration of a solar cell, a photovoltaic module, and a photovoltaic array. The solar cell is octagon-shaped with three black, thick horizontal lines and several gray vertical lines running through it. The module, to the right of the solar cell, is a vertical-standing rectangle containing 36 solar cells. The array, to the right of the module, is square-shaped and contains 10 modules.

Download high-resolution diagram JPG (ZIP 2.3 MB) | EPS (ZIP 840 KB)

See our information about how small solar electric systems work to better understand these system components.

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