Photovoltaic cell physics, module technologies (mono, poly, thin-film), system topologies (string, microinverter, power optimizer), array configuration basics, and the real-world factors that separate a nameplate rating from actual field performance.
Every solar PV system, regardless of size, rests on the same physical foundation: the photovoltaic effect converting sunlight to DC electricity inside a semiconductor cell. This module builds from that foundation up through module technology choices, the string-versus-microinverter-versus-power-optimizer topology decision, and the array configuration basics — voltage-temperature limits, orientation grouping, DC-to-AC ratio — every later design module assumes you already understand.
By the end of this module you should be able to explain why one shaded module can drag down an entire string's output far more than the shaded area alone would suggest, and why a module's open-circuit voltage actually rises in cold weather — two ideas Module 9's layout design and Module 10's string sizing content each build on directly.