Solar Terms A - Z

Acid Rain

Rain that contains high levels of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and other types of acids. Released through emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, studies have shown that it is extremely harmful to various ecosystems.

Alcohol Fuels

Types of alcohol, such as methanol and ethanol, that can be used as fuel when combined with gasoline.

Alternate fuels

Any fuel that can viably act as a substitute to conventional fuels.

Amorphous Silicon

A noncrystalline, particularly flexible form of silicon.

Biomass

Organic material used as a renewable energy resource.

Clean Energy

Renewable energy resources that do not generate harmful byproducts.

Concentrator

A mirror or lens that directs and concentrates the sun's rays onto a photovoltaic surface.

Conservation

Achieving the reduction of energy usage through increased efficiency or reduced waste.

Deep cycle battery

A battery that can discharge 80% of its capacity.

Distributed Generation (Distributed Energy Resources)

Electricity generated by or near end users.

Emissions

Gasses that are released as a result of burning fuel.

Energy Efficient

A description of energy products that requires relatively little energy to operate with little to no energy loss.

Energy

The fuel necessary to do work.

Energy Sources

The means to generate energy. Currently, fossil fuels, renewable resources, and nuclear fission are used as energy sources.

Fossil fuels

Oil, coal, and gasses that develop as a product of decaying animals and vegetation that are now fossilized.

Fuel Cell

A device that uses two chemicals react with one another at two separate terminals to produce electricity.

Gaia Hypothesis

Greek for "Mother Earth," Gaia refers to the theory that Earth is a living organism.

Geothermal

Heat contained within or produced by the Earth.

Global warming

Increases in the Earth’s overall temperature as a result of the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse effect

The gradual increase of temperature in given space as a result of a layer, membrane, or material that renders it easier for light to enter it than to escape.

Grid

A system of wires and generators to disseminate electricity.

Grid-Interactive System.

A Utility interactive or Grid-inter-tied system.

Heat Pump (Geothermal)

A heat pump that uses heated or cooled water to manipulate the temperature of a residence or commercial facility.

Insolation

Used to describe an instance during which a region or area is substantially affected by the sun’s radiation.

Lead-acidbattery

A battery that contains lead or lead alloy plates submerged in sulfuric acid used for solar and wind energy systems.

Nuclear fusion

The generation of energy by fusing two nuclei together. The sun is powered through nuclear fusion, whereby the nuclei of hydrogen atoms are fused to result in the release of immense energy and the byproduct helium.

Ozone

A protective layer of dense oxygen that surrounds the Earth like a corona; industrial processes and automobile emissions has increased the ozone layer, inciting the greenhouse effect.

Parabolic Dish

A dual-axis thermal concentrator that operates over 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Parabolic Trough

A single-axis solar thermal concentrator that operates over 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Passive Solar

A system for energy generation that uses solar power exclusively.

Photovoltaic (PV )

The ability to produce energy or electricity from light.

Photovoltaic cell

A Solar cell.

Renewable energy

Energy procured from a source that cannot be exhausted.

Renewable energy devices

Devices that procure or generate energy from a source that cannot be exhausted.

The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)

An American legislation that stipulates a certain amount of energy that must be derived from renewable resources.

Silicon

A material derived from silica that is used for photovoltaic cells and instruments.

Single Crystal Silicon

A form of crystalline silicon manufactured using the Czochralski method, which requires dipping single small crystal into molten silicon, then slowly withdrawing a solidifying single rod of crystal silicon that can be used to manufacture photovoltaic cells.

Solar cell

A small area of an instrument that absorbs light to generate electricity.

Solar cooling

An instrument that absorbs light or heat in order to cool an object or area.

Solar electricity

Electricity produced using a photovoltaic instrument.

Solar energy

Energy radiated from the sun in the form of heat and light.

Solar modules

A collection of solar cells used to generate a substantial amount of power.

Solar panels

Solar modules.

Solar Thermal collector

An instrument that absorbs energy radiated by the sun in order to raise the temperature of water. Solar Thermal energy systems A collection of solar thermal collectors.

Stand-Alone system

A system used to generate energy that is not connected to a power grid. Thermal Refers to the movement of heat. Thermosiphon System A solar thermal collector that uses heated water to promote circulation through its system.

Thin-Film Silicon

Non-crystalline silicon used for photovoltaic cells.

Tracker

A device used to follow the suns trajectory.

Uninterruptible power supply

An instrument that uses a backup power source, usually in the form of a battery, in order to ensure that there will be no pauses in power generation.

Utility-Interactive System

An instrument used to generate energy that is connected to a grid.

Voltage regulator

An apparatus used to control the voltage containment of a photovoltaic instrument.

Wafer

A thin sheet of crystalline material used for solar cells.