Glossary of Terms

AC is the electric current that your home uses for powering electrical appliances. It is an electric current in which the flow of electric charge periodically reverses direction, whereas in direct current (DC, also dc), the flow of electric charge is only in one direction.

a semiconductor that is not made out of crystalline silicon. It is used to make some thin film solar panels. It’s less efficient than traditional crystalline semiconductors.

 set of photovoltaic panels. A home solar electric system might include several arrays on different parts of the roof.

It is a horizontal angle measured clockwise from any fixed reference plane or easily established base direction line an important measurement (usually in degrees) used to optimize the placement of photovoltaic panels. The azimuth angle is the compass direction from which the sunlight is coming, and therefore where solar panels should optimally face for the most solar power production. A positive azimuth angle generally indicates the sun is east of south, and a negative azimuth angle generally indicates the sun is west of south.

the amount of electric power a utility must supply constantly to meet the demand for energy. It is the minimum level of demand on an electrical supply system over 24 hours. Base load power sources are those plants, which can generate dependable power to consistently meet demand.

a battery back up for a solar electric system stores the extra power the solar system makes. A home can use that power when the solar system isn’t producing enough energy, at night, or in a power outage.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or facades. It is also a type of solar electric panel that uses silicon as a semiconductor and acts like a part of your roof. They’re also known as solar roof shingles. BIPV can be done on new or existing roofs.

the smallest part of a solar panel that converts light into solar electricity.

a type of low voltage electrical current. DC electricity is produced by solar cells and must be converted into AC before it’s usable in a house.

one billion watts.

 system of high-tension cables in a region that distributes electricity to homes, businesses, and other buildings.

a solar system that is connected to the power grid and uses the grid as a backup source of power.

a solar electrical system that is mounted on the ground instead of on a roof.

he physical and bureaucratic process of getting your system connected to the energy grid. Governed by sometimes nonsensical rules imposed by state governments and utility companies.

A piece of equipment that converts DC electricity generated by solar panels to AC electricity used by your home.

Internal Rate of Return. Used to show the relative performance of an investment. Allows you to compare the potential return on solar to other investments.

A unit of measurement equal to one thousand watts. Solar panels are rated according to how many kW they produce at any given moment.

 A unit of measurement of electricity generation equal to one kilowatt of generation (or consumption) operating for one hour.

A unit of measurement equal to one million watts.

A type of inverter that changes DC electricity to AC electricity on a per-panel basis. The output from several microinverters is combined and often fed to the electrical grid.

a solar panel, or a group of solar cells.

a solar panel that’s made from a large, single silicon crystal and has a patchwork pattern. Monocrystalline panels are more expensive and more efficient than multi- or poly- crystalline panels.

Also known as STC, or Standard Test Conditions – Nameplate rating refers to the performance of a piece of electricity-generating equipment under ideal laboratory conditions.

a “packet” of light energy

The generation of electric energy from light.

also multicrystalline) a solar panel that’s made from small silicon crystals oriented in lots of different directions. Polycrystalline panels are less expensive and less efficient than monocrystalline panels.

a contract between a power producer and a power consumer, which states that the consumer will purchase a certain amount of power from the producer. In this type of solar agreement, a company installs a system on a homeowner’s property and then sells the energy to the homeowner at sub-market prices for a defined period of time.

Performance Test Conditions – This type of measurement of electrical output from a solar panel accounts for real-world conditions, including energy losses from wiring, and more.

Usually a direct, lump sum payment given to a homeowner or installation company when they install solar panels on a home. Utility companies most often pay rebates to homeowners because the utilities can count the homeowners’ generation as clean energy toward their goals under an RPS law.

Renewable Portfolio Standard. An RPS law (often simply called an “RPS”) sets goal for renewable energy generation as a percentage of total output in a state. Most states have enacted RPS laws to spur development of renewable energy, and an RPS is the primary tool used to mandate rebates, tax exemptions, and tax credits for solar and other renewables.

 material that has a limited ability to conduct electric current. Semiconductors used in different types of solar panels include copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride gallium arsenide, and silicon.

a dark gray, semi-metallic, chemical element. Silicon is the material most commonly used semiconductor used in solar cells and computer chips.

the average amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s upper atmosphere, equal to 1353 watts per square meter. Solar Lease – a financial agreement, in which a company installs a solar generation system on a homeowner’s property, then leases the panels to the homeowner over a given period. At the end of the lease’s term, the homeowner is often given the option to renew the lease or purchase the panels for the remainder of the cost, minus interest.

the time of day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. This time divides the daylight hours for that day exactly in half. Solar noon may be quite a bit different from ‘clock’ noon.

The part of a solar power generation system that takes in photons from the sun and turns it into electrical energy, to be sent to the inverter and used in the home or transmitted to the utility company.

a solar electric system that is not connected to a power grid and which may or may not have a battery.

Standard Test Conditions – Laboratory conditions under which solar panels are tested

The degree of elevation of a solar panel relative to the ground. Tilt can either be fixed or adjustable by manual or automatic means. Tilt is one of two necessary orientation variables used to get maximum possible production from solar panels.

A system that adjust the azimuth and tilt of solar panels to maximize the production of energy from solar panels.

A unit of energy equal to one joule per second.

A type of solar cell that uses a chemical layer instead of a silicon crystal as the method of converting solar energy to electrical energy. Thin-film is, as the name implies, thinner and less bulky than traditional solar cells, but not necessarily cheaper on a per-watt-generated basis.