A solar power plant — also called a PV plant — is a facility that converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic modules. A 10 kWp array on a house roof and a 5 MWp installation on open land carry the same name; what differs is scale and the depth of engineering behind them.
Converts sunlight into direct current (DC). Its rating is measured in Wp; 550-700 W is the common range in commercial projects today.
Converts DC electricity into the alternating current (AC) the grid uses. String and central types exist; its efficiency feeds straight into yield.
Tables on open land, rail systems on roofs. It sets the module's tilt and orientation and is sized for wind and snow loading.
DC and AC cabling, protection panels, earthing and a bi-directional meter. Netting is measured by that meter.
Light striking the module sets electrons moving in the semiconductor layer and produces direct current. The inverter converts that current to alternating current, which passes through the switchboard into the site's internal network.
If the site consumes less than it is generating at that moment, the surplus flows to the grid; if it consumes more, the difference is drawn from the grid. A bi-directional meter records each direction separately, and netting is settled from those records.
On a roof the area is limited and the geometry is already given: parapets, chimneys and vents shape the layout. The investment usually targets self-consumption, and payback tends to be shorter.
On open land the area is larger, but inter-row shading distance, slope and topography come into play. A transformer, access roads and the grid connection point must also be planned; the engineering runs deeper.
The steps below run as a single workflow inside SolarSimPro; each step's output is the next one's input.
PV is short for photovoltaic — the effect that turns sunlight directly into electricity. A PV plant, or solar power plant, is any facility built on that principle; both rooftop and ground-mounted installations count.
For rooftop systems built for self-consumption the process runs through a grid connection application and the approvals of the local network operator. Ground-mounted plants bring further permits depending on capacity and connection point. Requirements differ by country and change over time — check with your network operator for current rules.
If your consumption falls during daylight and your roof is suitable, a rooftop system usually pays back sooner; if you have land and your aim is export revenue, ground-mount comes to the fore. The decision is made by calculating both scenarios on the same assumptions and comparing them.
Modules are typically supplied with a 25-30 year warranty and retain most of their output over that period. Inverters generally have a shorter life, and one replacement is usually allowed for in the investment plan.
One workflow, from drawing the site to the feasibility report. Runs in the browser, no installation.