GEUS Renewable Energy Project

The sun’s radiant energy is absorbed by (1) Solar Photovoltaic Cells and is converted to the electricity. When the sun is shining, the Solar Photovoltaic Cells produce a stream of (2) Direct Current (DC) electricity. An (3) Inverter changes the DC electricity to (4) Alternating Current (AC) electricity that is used to power your school.

The (5) Electric Meter tracks the energy produced by the Solar Photovoltaic System and sends information to the (6) Data Acquisition System. The Data Acquisition System, also known as a data logger, receives signals from the Electric Meter. It runs a computer program to calculate the electrical output of the system and allows you to log in and download information. Log on to watch how your Solar Photovoltaic System powers your school.

Solar Photovoltaic Cells convert the sun’s radiant energy into electricity. "Photo” refers to light and “voltaic” is energy. Individual cells are packaged into modules. The modules are wired together to form arrays.

The Direct Current Disconnect Switch allows professional electricians to disconnect the solar array from the other parts of the photovoltaic system. When the switch is in the "off" position, workers can safely perform maintenance on the inverter.

The inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity generated by the array into alternating current (AC) electricity that powers the school building.

The Alternating Current Disconnect Switch allows GEUS linemen to disconnect the solar photovoltaic system to perform maintenance on the utility lines safely.

The Electric Meter keeps track of the amount of electric energy produced by the solar photovoltaic system and sends electronic signals to the data acquisition system.

The Data Acquisition System receives signals from the electric meter. A computer program calculates and records the electrical output of the system. This information is posted on the Internet.

Teachers and students can see how much electricity is being produced by looking at statistics for their school online.

Renewable Energy brought to you by:

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Illustrations by David L. Shackelford