A typical small solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), system consists of these components:

   * Solar cells
   * Modules or panels (which consist of solar cells)
   * Arrays (which consist of modules)
   * Balance-of-system parts



An illustration of a solar cell, a photovoltaic module, and a photovoltaic array. The solar cell is octagon-shaped with three black, thick horizontal lines and several gray vertical lines running through it. The module, to the right of the solar cell, is a vertical-standing rectangle containing 36 solar cells. The array, to the right of the module, is square-shaped and contains 10 modules.

See our information about how small solar electric systems work to better understand these system components.