ABSTRACT
Photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been receiving considerable attention as one of the more promising energy alternatives. The reasons for this rising interest lie in PV's direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, the non-polluting nature of the PV conversion process, and PV's non-dependence on fossil and nuclear fuels. Several factors have emerged in years that place PVs in a more favorable economic position. First, the energy crisis of 1973 has dramatized the dependence of the United States on foreign oil supplies and has forced a general reevaluation of energy policy, sparking a search for viable energy alternatives. Second, federal government sponsorship of PV technology developments in recent years, principally directed toward cheaper solar cell production processes, has shown a potential for achieving low-cost objectives. Widespread non-isolated application of PV electric power generation raises a large number of issues, both technical and economic. PV systems pose many of the same issues as other solar energy systems.
