Solar PV Free Image Gallery

All of the images on this page have the Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license. This means you’re free to use them for any purpose, even commercial, as long as you give credit to energyd.ie.

60-Cell Solar PV Panel Illustration. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar PV Free Image Gallery 27

72-cell Solar PV Panel Illustration. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Standard, power optimiser and microinverter solar PV system schematics. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Water heating costs by fuel source. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Posing with a utility-scale solar PV array and a wind turbine. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

There are two groups of panels facing different directions on this roof. It’s important that either power optimisers, microinverters, or two separate strings are used in a case like this. Simply putting all seven panels on one standard string would lead to poor performance. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

The solar thermal panels seen here are recessed into the roof. This works well for solar thermal panels which are designed to capture and retain as much heat as possible. On the other hand, it’s better for solar PV panels to be fitted a few centimetres above the roof to allow air to circulate and cool the panels. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Flat plate solar thermal panels can sometimes look a lot like solar PV panels. However, the pipes carrying the heat transfer fluid are the clue to let you know that these are in fact solar thermal panels. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar thermal panels for hot water on a sunny day. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

This is a vacuum-tube solar thermal panel system. Vacuum-tubes are more efficient than flat-plate systems because a vacuums help to trap heat (like a Thermos flask). These panels are facing East and here you can see them catching the morning sun. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Large solar thermal vacuum-tube system. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

These solar PV panels are East facing. This means they will perform best in the early part of the day. An East-facing array like this works well in conjunction with day/night metering and battery storage. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Neighbours using two kinds of solar energy. Solar PV (left) and solar thermal (right). This image shows the contrast in size between a typical solar PV system and a typical solar thermal system. Solar PV systems tend to have a larger surface area. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar PV panels and flat-plate solar thermal panels on the same roof. It generally makes more sense to use solar PV for both electricity and hot water. However, if a homeowner already has solar thermal and then installs a solar PV system at a later date then it makes sense to leave the solar thermal in place, as seen here. Read about the differences between solar PV and solar thermal. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar thermal vacuum tube system on a relatively steep South-facing roof. This steep angle of this roof will help to boost performance in the Winter months when the sun is lower in the sky. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar PV is generally a better investment than solar thermal where both options are available. However, solar thermal can sometimes be the only viable option when roof space is severely limited. The combination of hipped roof, relatively small footprint, and an unavailable gable roof meant that very little roof space was available on this house. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Vacuum tube solar thermal panel. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

More vacuum-tube solar thermal panels. Note that the heat transfer fluid does not flow through the tubes. Instead, the tubes contain clever devices called “heat pipes” which carry heat up to the heat exchanger at the top of the panel. Heat transfer fluid also flows through heat exchanger and carries heat from the panel to the hot water cylinder. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Solar thermal vacuum-tube system on the roof of a house. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

This panel is easy to identify as a solar thermal panel based on the vacuum tubes and the pipe running from the top of the panel down through the roof. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Just enough space for three solar PV panels here. Irish regulations state that solar panels, whether PV or thermal, need to be at least 50 cm away from the edge of the roof. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

It can be challenging to find space for solar PV panels on houses with hipped roofs. Never the less, the designers here found space for three South-facing panels and three West-facing panels. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Sketching a solar panel system design for the roof of a house, as part of a site survey. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

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Solar photovoltaic system on the roof of a house. This system qualifies for a solar energy planning permission exemption because it’s less than 12 square metres in size. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

It’s possible to install both solar thermal and solar PV panels on flat roofs. Usually, a ballast system is used to keep the panels in place. Image License: CC-BY. Credit: energyd.ie

Most new houses in Ireland come with solar PV panels installed. Installing solar panels helps developers meet the part L planning requirement for renewable contribution. Image License: CC-BY, Credit: energyd.ie