The subject of alternative energy power supplies has become a popular topic for discussion in the consumer sector in the recent past. This topic, however, is not a new one to the industrial sector. The problem of providing reliable, efficient, and practical distributed energy sources has been addressed by various sectors of industry for many years. As recent as the early 1970s, the only practical solutions to this problem were utilizing batteries, thermal electric generators (TEGs), or natural gas or diesel-fired engine generator sets. In the early seventies, the first photovoltaic systems designed for terrestrial applications were offered to the industrial market. The applications were not new, but the advent of solar energy systems opened the door for more widespread utilization. The technology of photovoltaics is ideal for remote applications providing high reliability and low maintenance, two key factors for this type of use.

Subject
Electric current, Materials, Electrochemical cells, Voltage, Batteries, Manufacturing, Arrays, Storage, Constants, Silicon, Generators, Equipment, Engineers
© 1979 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1979
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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