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During my brief career of technical sales I have realized how difficult it can be to explain systems in words as opposed to diagrams.  The old adage that a picture is worth a 1000 words is true, especially when it comes to systems that include electricity (solar PV or Wind power) or plumbing (solar thermal or geothermal).

Being able to see a schematic of how "this" hooks into "that" helps users get a mental picture of how the system works.  When you can trace wires or piping with your finger, it helps to ensure no component of the system is forgotten.

If you ever decide to install any kind of alternative power generation like solar PV or a wind turbine, make sure you are ablet to see a simple schematic of how the system will be laid out so you can begin to get an intuitive feel for how it operates.

Below is a simple solar PV schematic of a grid-tied Solar PV system.  The key components are obviously the PV panels and the inverter.  The inverter is necessary because solar PV panels generate DC power, but your house runs off AC power.  Notice this system is devoid of any batteries, because it is a grid-tied system. This is a cheaper and more efficient set up than having to rely on batteries.

Solar PV Schematic