Photovoltaics 101: The hands-on beginner's guide for designing an on-grid or off-grid

Are you looking for a simple and understandable introduction to the basics of photovoltaics for beginners? Or do you simply want to become independent of the power grid and electricity prices? Are you interested in planning and installing a do-it-yourself photovoltaic system to generate self-sufficient electricity? Would you like to learn all this and more from a professional hand (from an engineer)?

Then you are well advised with this book, no matter if you are looking for a book on planning a stand-alone photovoltaic system (off-grid) or grid-connected system (on-grid) with or without battery storage! Even if you only want to get an overview, i.e. you are interested in the topic purely for information purposes, this book is useful.

As an engineer (M.Eng.), I would like to explain to you in this book step by step and in detail, how you can plan and install a photovoltaic system or solar system both for feeding electricity into the grid and for your own consumption for your home, garden house, Tiny House, motor home, garage, workshop, car, camping, … quickly and easily.

For this purpose, we distinguish in this book off-grid and on-grid (grid-tied) solar systems. Using two practical step-by-step examples (PV system for Tiny House and PV system for your own home), you will learn in this book how to plan, build and install a solar system or PV system yourself.

What does Wp mean? What is the difference between monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules? Why do you need an inverter or a PWM or MPP charge controller and how do you connect these components? How to add a battery storage to the PV system? All these questions and many more topics are explained step by step and in detail in this book. This book is very hands-on, i.e. we will work with many pictures and practicable instructions. However, the theoretical basics will not be neglected. Especially on the first pages of the book you will get to know the most important electrotechnical basics concerning photovoltaics.

In addition to these basics, special terms used for photovoltaic modules (e.g.: MPP, nominal power, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, …) will be explained to you. Furthermore, the parallel connection and series connection of PV modules and battery storage and their effect on current and voltage will be explained. Of course, we also take a look at the possibilities of mounting the PV modules on a roof.

So this handy book contains everything you need to know to be able to plan and install your own photovoltaic or solar system.