Glossary of Terms Alternating
Current: Electric
Current in which the direction of flow is reversed at frequent
intervals, 60 cycles per second.
The type of electrical supplied by utility companies. Ampere:
A measure of
electric current; the flow of electrons. Amorphous:
The condition of a
solid in which the atoms are not arranged in an orderly pattern. Atoms:
The smallest particle of
an element that can exist either alone or in combination. Battery:
Rechargeable
electric storage unit that operates on the principle of changing
electrical energy into chemical energy by means of a reversible
chemical reaction. Break-even:
The
cost of a photovoltaic system at which the cost of the electricity
it produces exactly equals the price of electricity from a competing
source. Concentrators:
A
photovoltaic module that includes an optical component such as a
lens or focusing mirror to direct incident sunlight onto a solar
cell or panel. Direct
current: Electric
current that always flows in the same direction: positive to
negative. Batteries and photovoltaic cells are all DC devices. Efficiency:
The percentage of
available sunlight converted to electricity by a module or cell. Electric
current: The
volume of electricity propelled by the voltage; a flow of electrons. Electrons:
An elementary
particle consisting of a charge of negative electricity. Grid-connected:
A house or device
that receives power from a utility company. Inverter:
This appliance
converts independent DC-power into AC power, or regular household
current. Load:
The lights or
appliances run by your electrical system. The amount of electrical
power being consumed at any given moment. Kilowatt:
A thousand watts Megawatt:
One
million watts, 1,000 kilowatts Off-grid:
See stand-alone. Peak
watts: The
amount of power a photovoltaic device will produce at noon on a
clear day with sun approximately overhead when the cell is faced
directly toward the sun. Photovoltaic:
Capable of
producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy, especially
light. Photovoltaic
array: A
group of solar electric panels connected together. Photovoltaic
cell: The
basic building block in photovoltaic systems. Sometimes called
“Solar Cells.” Photovoltaic
effect: The
conversion of sunlight absorbed by a solar cell directly into
electricity. Photovoltaic
module:
A solar electric panel Semiconductor:
Any
material that has limited capacity for conducting an electric
curre. Stand-alone:
An isolated photovoltaic system not connected to a grid. Voltage:
A measure of the force or “push” given the electrons in
an electric circuit, a measure of electric potential. Voltage
regulator:
An electrical device used to keep voltage at predetermined
levels. Watt-hours: Sometimes called watt. The amount of watts used by an appliance is an hour.
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