a solar cell bank constant regardless of sun angle. Once a constant voltage is available, an inverter converts the solar power to ac so it can be fed into the power grid.Photovoltaic current is now more than ever becoming a growing source of power. Thanks to recent developments in thin film photovoltaics, the cost per kilowatthour is not far above a target level of US $0.10/kWhr.FutureThroughout the world, electric power is used at an average rate of 12 billion kilowatts every hour of every day of every year. With few exceptions, the majority of this electrical power is not used in the form in which it was initially produced. Rather, it is re-processed to provide the type of power needed in the technology that is being employed. Power electronics is the engineering discipline that is utilized when converting electrical power from one form to another. In terms of commerce, the impact of power electronics is huge. Sales of power electronics equipment exceed $60 billion each year and affect another $1 trillion in hardware electronics sales. The prospect of improvements in the technology of such a dynamic market is exciting. Industrial firms could introduce products that are more powerful, more dependable, more durable, smaller in size, lighter in weight, and less costly to the consumer. The impact of power electronics is perhaps equally striking in terms of our environment. Power electronics systems are expected to control up to 80 percent of all electricity used by the year 2010. With the improvements in power electronics technology that the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) has planned, the U.S. will be able to reduce its energy consumption by 30 percent. Recognizing the tremendous challenges involved in realizing these types of improvements in power electronics technology, five universities and more than 80 corporations joined forces in 1998 to create CPES. In order to achieve vision, many active countries are working on ...
