What is photovoltaic?

Photo: Michael Paetzold, Lizenz: Creative Commons by-sa-3.0 de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73871439

The term photovoltaics (PV) consists of the word parts phos (Greek: light) and volt (unit of measurement of electrical voltage). Photovoltaics is therefore the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy with the help of solar cells.

A distinction must be made between photovoltaics and so-called solar thermal energy: solar thermal energy is used to generate thermal energy, i.e. heat, from solar energy rather than electrical energy. So-called solar collectors are used for this, in which a heat transfer medium (e.g. a water-glycol mixture) is heated by the solar energy. Solar thermal energy is used to heat buildings and to produce hot water.