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Solar power
The energy in the sunlight can be used to produce electricity. The sunlight is received by solar cells and conversed to electricity. This conversion is called a 'photovoltaic' process. 'Photo' refers to light and 'volt' to electric potential in which the energy is converted. Therefore solar energy for the electricity production is often referred to as 'pv'.
Solar cells are combined to solar modules. Solar modules can be put on roofs of houses or other buildings and connected to the grid. Solar modules can be used detached as well, for example to pump up water in drinking troughs in the fields, or for the electricity supply on ships.
On clouded days solar modules also produce electricity, but the more sunlight falls directly at solar cells, the more electricity is generated. In full light the density of solar radiation is about 1 kilowatt (kW) per square meter.
The most common types of solar modules have a capacity of about 1 square meter and a peakload of 100 wattpeak (Wp). The actual production of such a module is about 80 kWh per year.
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