The industry standard for a PV module is ___.

The industry standard for a PV module is ___.

• A. 12 PV cells
• B. 24 PV cells
• C. 36 PV cells
• D. 40 PV cells

Answer: (C)

A PV module’s output voltage comes from the number of solar cells wired in series. Each silicon cell contributes only a small voltage, so adding more cells in series increases the module’s voltage to a practical level for common systems. The industry settled on a configuration that uses about three dozen cells in a module because it yields a usable voltage in the mid-teens to low-twenty volts range under typical conditions. That voltage lines up well with charging a 12V battery bank and with the input ranges of many inverters and charge controllers, while keeping current and the physical size of the module economical. If you used far fewer cells, the voltage would be too low for reliable charging and operation of standard equipment. If you used noticeably more cells, the voltage would ride higher, requiring different equipment and often larger, more expensive systems. So, this three-dozen-cell configuration became the practical, widely used standard.

A PV module’s output voltage comes from the number of solar cells wired in series. Each silicon cell contributes only a small voltage, so adding more cells in series increases the module’s voltage to a practical level for common systems. The industry settled on a configuration that uses about three dozen cells in a module because it yields a usable voltage in the mid-teens to low-twenty volts range under typical conditions. That voltage lines up well with charging a 12V battery bank and with the input ranges of many inverters and charge controllers, while keeping current and the physical size of the module economical.

If you used far fewer cells, the voltage would be too low for reliable charging and operation of standard equipment. If you used noticeably more cells, the voltage would ride higher, requiring different equipment and often larger, more expensive systems. So, this three-dozen-cell configuration became the practical, widely used standard.