Download vocabulary - Solar 4R Schools

VOCABULARY
Vocabulary
ambient temperature
The temperature of the air in the vicinity of the solar-electric system is measured in degrees Celsius (°C)
and reported on the Solar 4R Schools website.
array
Any number of photovoltaic modules connected together to provide a single electrical output at a
specified voltage.
atom
An extremely small part, quantity, or amount.
battery
Two or more cells electrically connected for storing electrical energy.
building data
On the Solar 4R Schools website, this page provides details about how much energy has been used by
the facility’s solar-electric system.
cell temperature
The actual wafers of silicon (i.e., the photovoltaic [PV] cells) within the solar panel that is generating
electricity. If cell temperature gets too high, it can adversely affect the solar-electric system output.
Cell temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (°C).
circuit
The circular path that electrons move around.
communications gateway
A piece of equipment in a Solar 4R Schools (S4RS) solar-electric system that keeps track of how much
electricity the system is producing and sends that data to the internet, where it can be viewed from the
S4RS website.
current
A flow of electric charge.
direct gain
The process by which sunlight directly enters a building through the windows and is absorbed and stored
in massive floors or walls.
electric grid
An integrated system of electricity distribution that usually provides power for a large geographical area.
electricity
The energy of a moving stream of electrons; the physical phenomena arising from the behavior of
electrons and protons that is caused by the attraction of particles with opposite charges.
electron
A negatively charged particle that whizzes around the nucleus of an atom.
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VOCABULARY
electromagnetic radiation
An emission of photons, which exhibit both particle and wave attributes, as well as electrical and magnetic
field properties.
energy
The ability to do work.
energy source
Solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels in the form of renewable or nonrenewable resources.
fossil fuels
Fuels formed in the ground from the remains of dead plants and animals. It takes millions of years to form
fossil fuels. Oil, natural gas, and coal are fossil fuels.
gigawatt (GW)
One billion watts.
grid-tied system
A solar-electric system in which the solar-electric system acts like a central generating plant, supplying
power to the grid.
heat
Total amount of kinetic energy in a substance.
inverter
Device that converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity (single or
multiphase) for stand-alone or grid-tied solar-electric systems.
irradiance
(W/m2) The amount of power from the sun irradiance on Earth’s surface at any instant in time. The
maximum typical irradiance on a square meter on Earth is 1000 Watts.
kinetic energy
The energy of motion.
light
A form of radiant energy, or electromagnetic energy, which moves in transverse waves.
nonrenewable resource
Resources that exist in fixed amounts within Earth such as coal and oil. Once these resources are used up,
they are gone forever or it takes the planet an extreme amount of time to replace them.
passive solar
Utilizing non-mechanical, non-electric methods for heating, cooling, and/or lighting a space.
pasteurization
The process of heating liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, protozoa, molds, and yeasts.
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VOCABULARY
peak power
Power generated by a utility unit that operates at a very low capacity factor; generally used to meet
short-lived and variable high demand periods.
photon
The elementary particle responsible for the electromagnetic phenomena. It is the carrier of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths, including gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared
light, microwaves, and radio waves.
photosynthesis
The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from
carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen
as a byproduct.
photovoltaic (PV) cell
A photovoltaic device that converts solar energy into electrical energy using an electrochemical reaction
in which electrons are caused to move, creating an electrical current. Photovoltaic cells are the building
blocks of solar modules.
photovoltaic (PV) effect
The process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage).
photovoltaic (PV) output
The amount of electricity produced by a solar-electric system. The output is measured in kilowatts DC
(kWDC).
renewable resource
Materials that can be replaced through natural and/or human processes.
semiconductor
Any material that has a limited capacity for conducting an electric current. Certain semiconductors,
including silicon, gallium arsenide, copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride, are uniquely suited
to the photovoltaic conversion process.
silicon (Si)
A chemical element, atomic number 14, semi-metallic in nature, dark grey, an excellent semiconductor.
solar energy
The electromagnetic radiation received in photons from the sun, primarily in the forms we perceive as
heat and light, which drives all of life on our planet.
solar radiation
Refers to the amount of energy from the sun striking Earth’s surface. Solar radiation strikes Earth at 1,000
watts per meter squared (W/m²).
solar thermal
Energy in the form of heat produced by the sun.
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sound
The back-and-forth vibration of substances in longitudinal waves.
sun
Star at the center of the solar system. Earth orbits around the sun and receives solar energy, which is the
energy that supports life on Earth.
sun angle
The angle that measures the height of the sun in the sky from the horizon.
temperature
A measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance or a measure of the hotness or
coldness of a substance.
volt (V)
A measure of the force, or push, given the electrons in an electric circuit. One volt produces one ampere of
current when acting against a resistance of one ohm.
watt
Unit of power in electricity, watts equal amps of current multiplied by volts of electromotive force. Power is
a rate of instantaneous consumption.
watt hours
A unit of energy. If in the form of electricity, it is defined as Amps (current) multiplied by volts (potential
energy) multiplied by hours (time).
wavelength
The distance from the top, or crest, of one wave of energy to the top of the next. The wave energy we see
is made of many colors. Every color has a different wavelength. The longest wavelengths are reds. The
medium wavelengths are yellows. The shortest wavelengths are violets. All of the colors mixed together
make white light.
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