Abstract

Due to environmental policies and the advancement of solar technology, the generation of electrical energy based on photovoltaic cells has become an important contributor to the renewable energy resource mix. In recent years, the development of photovoltaic cells has increased conversion efficiencies and, along with the advancement of power electronics, this has allowed the efficient integration of these photovoltaic systems into the electricity supply grid as well as in stand-alone applications. This paper presents an overview of photovoltaic solar energy, presenting topics such as solar energy, configuration and types of photovoltaic cells, the sizing of photovoltaic panels, and maximum power point tracking algorithms.