Glossary

AC: The abbreviation for Alternating Current

 

AC Disconnect: A switch that disconnects your solar photovoltaic system from your breaker panel.

 

Alternating Current (AC): The normal electrical current used to power businesses and homes.

 

Ambient Temperature: Normal surrounding air temperature.

 

Amp: The measure of the amount of electrons passing a point in one second. (Water pressure analogy: The amount of water flowing from a hose in a given amount of time).

 

Ballasting: Using heavy material for or placing weights on racking systems to hold them down.

 

Battery Bank: Multiple batteries connected together in series or parallel used to store DC electrical power.

 

Blocking: Structural material attached to roof trusses or rafters to provide support for Racking System.

 

Bonding: Establishing an electrical connection.

 

Breaker Panel: The electrical panel in your business or home that protects and distributes electricity throughout.

 

Building Codes: National, state and local rules required for the safety of electrical installations.

 

Cell: (Solar Cell) The basic part of a solar panel that generates electrical energy when exposed to light.

 

Charge Controller: The device that regulates battery charging from the solar array on stand-alone systems.

 

Combiner Box: A junction box used to protect and interconnect the electrical wiring of the system.

 

Collector: A generic term used for solar array.

 

DC: The abbreviation for direct current.

 

DC Disconnect: A switch used to disconnect the solar array and/or charge controller from the inverter.

 

Declination: The difference between true (geographic) north and magnetic north at any particular longitude.

 

Direct Current: The electrical current produced by the solar array which must be converted to alternating current for normal business and home use.

 

Electrical Panel: Also breaker panel The panel in your business or home that protects and distributes electricity throughout.

 

Equinox: Earths orbital position when the sun is directly over the equator (approximately March 21 and September 21).

 

Grid: The electrical utility system that supplies electrical energy to your business or home.

 

Grid-Tie System: A system which uses the electrical utility system for storage of power produced but not used. This is the system most used in our area today. It does not require batteries for storage of excess electrical power.

 

Hybrid System: A system that contains more than one electrical power generation source and your utility system; for example a solar array, a wind generator and your utility system.

 

Inverter: The component that converts the DC power produced by the solar array into the AC power used by our businesses and homes.

 

Interconnect Agreement: A contract between an independent power producer (you) and your electric utility establishing the terms and conditions of the interconnection.

 

Independent Power Producer: A person, business or corporation that generates electrical power separate from the electrical utility.

 

Junction Box: A box used to protect and interconnect the electrical wiring of the system.

 

Kilowatt: 1000 watts.

 

Kilowatt Hour: 1000 watts used or produced for one hour. (Example: 10 100 watt light bulbs burning for one hour or 5 100 watt light bulbs burning for two hours).

 

Load: Any device that uses electricity.

 

Module: Also solar panel A collection of solar cells housed in a panel assembly to facilitate assembly.

 

Monitoring: A system installed to aid the owner in gathering and storing power production data for owner use.

 

Net Metering: A metering agreement that provides for excess power produced by independent power producers (you) to be offset against power purchased from the utility.

 

Pay Back Period: The amount of time required for cost of the power produced by a system to equal the cost of the system minus all incentives and tax credits.

 

Photovoltaic: Producing electrical power from light.

 

Pole Mount System: A method of mounting a solar array on a pole at an elevation.

 

PV: An abbreviation for photovoltaic.

 

PV System: The entire photovoltaic system of the independent power producer.

 

Racking System: The system or framework that holds secure the solar array at a beneficial angle to the sun. This system may be on a roof, pole, ground or other structure. The system may contain components that provide for the solar panels to move to track the sun’s relative movement across the sky.

 

Service: The point at which the utility attaches its power conductors to the building or structure.

 

Site Survey: A site assessment that determines the physical demands, viability, and requirements of the Photovoltaic System.

 

Solar Array: A collection of solar panels, racking system(s), and/or mount(s).

 

Solar Cell: The basic component that when exposed to light produces electrical power.

 

Solar Noon: The time of day locally when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

 

Solar Panel: A collection of electrically interconnected solar cells housed together in a frame and protected from the elements.

 

Solar Photovoltaic System: The entire system that produces electrical power from sunlight.

 

Solstice: The time of year when the sun is at its northernmost and southernmost angles (approximately June 21 and December 21).

 

Stand-Alone System: A PV system that uses batteries and a charge controller to store electrical power and does not attach to the utility grid.

 

Utility: A company that distributes and/or produces electrical power in regions of the country.

 

Volt: The measure of the amount of pressure in an electrical circuit. (Water hose analogy: The amount of pressure the water flowing from the hose is under).

 

Watt: The unit of power derived by multiplying volts times amps.