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Solar Photovoltaic

The words “solar photovoltaic” are redundant. Solar refers to something having to do with our sun. Photovoltaic is a term that has Greek roots photo and volt. Photo stands for light, in this case sunlight. And volt is Greek for power, in this usage electricity. Put the terms together and you get sunlight electricity, or in English power from the sun.

So if you say solar photovoltaic, you are really saying solar sun power. Saying sun twice in a row is more than just cumbersome, it’s poor grammar. So, if you’re looking for all things solar, search for that, or if you’re looking for photovoltaic arrays, search for those instead.

            What is a photovoltaic array? It’s a solar panel, the kind made famous by NASA and growing in residential popularity. They are the leading use of solar power in America. They have also recently been the subject of several studies. One of these found that the market price for solar panels is comparable to burning fossil fuels over the span of 5 years. That means that as long as a solar array lasts longer than 5 years, it will have paid for itself.            

 

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