Opportunities and Challenges in the Balance of Systems for Photovoltaic Energy-Video

Abstract: For years photovoltaic systems were all about the cells – specifically their cost and efficiency. It can be said that today’s cells are good enough and cheap enough. This talk examines the other costs and performance issues in photovoltaic systems – the so called balance of systems - to explore other technologies and considerations that warrant attention if photovoltaic systems are truly to become ubiquitous. Topics that will be explored include module vs string level power processing, aging of components, electrical hazards including arc detection – an emerging UL 1699B standard.