Interested in learning more about solar energy, but find yourself overwhelmed by technical jargon? Technical terms such as these often come up in discussions of solar power. For your reference, here is a collection of definitions for some of the most commonly used solar energy terms.
A form of electrical current of which the magnitude and direction varies.
Alternating current is currently the standard form of electrical current used to deliver electricity to businesses, houses and other structures.
Amorphous silicon is the non-crystalline allotropic form of silicon.
It can be deposited in thin films at low temperatures onto a variety of substrates, offering unique capabilities for a variety of electronics and Solar Panels.
The standard measurement unit for electrical current passing through a circuit.
A series of interconnected photovoltaic panels used to provide a single electrical output.
A roof-mounted PV array.
The angle between the point on the horizon directly below the sun and true south. The azimuth angle is used to position solar panels for optimum solar energy collection.
The average amount of electricity a utility company must supply to meet consumer electricity demand.
A single unit of a photovoltaic panel capable of converting sunlight into direct electrical current.
A form of electrical current of which the magnitude and direction is constant.
Solar panels capture sunlight energy in the form of direct current. To be utilized, direct current must then be converted to alternating current using an inverter.
A solar power system connected to the local utility power grid and feeds excess generated electricity into the grid.
A solar power system that is built on a ground anchored frame instead of mounted to a roof.
An inverter is an electrical device designed to convert the direct current output of solar panels to usable alternating current.
A solar electrical inverter.
A kWh is the unit of energy used to quantify the production of a photovoltaic system.
1 kWh = 1,000 watts generated over a period of one hour.
The energy consumption demanded by any device that uses electricity. Usually quantified in amperes or watts.
1,000 kilowatts/1 million watts. The standard unit of measurement for electrical power.
The smallest, self – contained protective, physical structure housing interconnected
photovoltaic cells.
May also be called: A solar panel, photovoltaic panel, PV panel
An electricity meter that tracks how much electricity is drawn from/added to the utility grid.
A net-metering agreement is an agreement with the utility company that allows a PV system’s excess generated power to be sold back to the utility grid at peak prices in the form of electric credits. When the PV system is not producing energy, the system owner can elect to use these credits to buy back power.
The placement of a solar system in relation to the cardinal directions: N, S, E, W.
A Photovoltaic System converts sunlight and ultraviolet light into electricity.
The mechanical structuring that attaches a solar array to the roof of a building, or to the ground.
A solar power system that is anchored to a roof of a building. Most solar systems are roof mounted.
Any material with a limited ability to conduct electrical current. Semiconductor materials include: copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride gallium arsenide and silicon.
Silicon, not to be confused with the silicon-containing synthetic polymer Silicone, is the base material used to construct solar cells.
A solar power system that is not connected to the local utility power grid and instead utilizes batteries to store excess power generated during the day for use at night.
Used to build solar cells built from a layer of thin, flexible semiconductor material no more than a few microns in thickness.
A thin film solar cell.
The angle at which a solar array is set to face the sun and produce maximum power. Tilt angle may be flat or adjusted seasonally.
Unit of measurement of the force or pressure, given the electrons in an electric circuit that is required to drive a steady electrical current.