Photos Courtesy of Juan Pablo Ochoa

Photovoltaics is another name given to solar energy, also known as photovoltaic solar energy. This energy production has been rising in recent years and is a renewable energy model that does not harm the environment.

What is photovoltaic energy?

Photovoltaic energy is electricity produced from sunlight and can be generated even on cloudy or rainy days. The greater the solar radiation, the greater the amount of electricity produced, it is considered an alternative, renewable, clean, and sustainable energy source.

photovoltaics

What are photovoltaic panels used for?

The photovoltaic panel is the equipment used to capture the sun’s energy and transform it into electricity.

How is solar energy produced?

Solar energy is converted into electricity through the photovoltaic effect, which occurs when particles of sunlight collide with the atoms present in the solar panel, generating electron movement and creating the electric current we call photovoltaic solar energy.

To be used in homes and businesses, it is necessary to convert the direct electric current generated into alternated current, which is the low-voltage current. The solar inverter is responsible for this conversion, transforming the electric current and making it ready for use on-site.

Largest photovoltaic energy markets

Photovoltaic power generation has long been seen as a clean and sustainable energy technology, based on the most abundant and widely available renewable energy source on the planet – the sun.

China, followed by the United States and Japan, are currently the fastest-growing photovoltaic energy markets. According to a survey carried out by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

According to Irena data, 2022 ended with approximately 295 GW of global renewable energy generation capacity, 9.6% more than the previous year.

Almost half of the growth in 2022 took place in Asia, with the largest contribution coming from China, with 141 GW. Renewables grew by 57.3 GW and 29.1 GW in Europe and North America, respectively. In South America, the expansion was 18.2 GW.

Photovoltaic energy is already the third most important.

After hydro and wind, photovoltaics is now the third most important renewable energy source in terms of installed capacity worldwide. The worldwide market for solar energy is growing rapidly, as is evident from the high year-on-year (YoY) growth rate of cumulative installed capacity between 2006 and 2026.

However, the trend shows that Latin America is not taking advantage of this inexhaustible source of clean energy, which is a factor that encourages us to overcome this situation because there is a high potential in terms of solar radiation that exceeds the countries located in the north of the hemisphere, consequently, there is a great option to generate business, trade, and work for our society.

Thanks to its location, Ecuador has great potential for the generation of photovoltaic solar energy. To operate an electric power plant of this type requires 5.2 hours of perpendicular light per day on average per year.

Ecuador has areas with up to 6.3 hours according to the National Electricity Regulatory Council (Conelec)