A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of one or more solar panels combined with an inverter and other electrical and mechanical hardware that use energy from the Sun to generate electricity.

PV systems can vary greatly in size from small rooftop or portable systems to massive utility-scale generation plants. Although PV systems can operate by themselves as off-grid PV systems, this article focuses on systems connected to the utility grid, or grid-tied PV systems.