Solar photovoltaics (PV) is technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor cells. Unlike solar thermal systems, which collect heat, PV produces electrical current that can be stored, inverted, or fed into a grid. In practice, PV systems include panels, inverters, charge controllers, batteries, and monitoring software.
In cyber security, PV matters because modern solar installations are digital control systems as well as power systems. Attackers may target exposed management portals, weak passwords, insecure remote access, or vulnerable inverter and monitoring devices to disrupt generation, alter settings, or move deeper into an operational network. Defenders reduce risk with network segmentation, strong authentication, firmware updates, asset inventory, and logging. As a result, PV is both an energy technology and a cyber-physical attack surface.