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This is a section of our website we dedicate to the list of technical terms, expressions, phrases, jargon, lingo used in the solar and other renewable energy area.

As for all of our specialized resources and articles, please do feel welcome to comment with suggestions for improvements, additions, reference to your business etc.

Array – also Solar Array, Solar Photovoltaic Array or  Photovoltaic Array – a set of solar photovoltaic modules or panels, mechanically assembled together combining also devices to mount the array or position it, to create a single unit to serve same role as a panel – transform solar energy to electric but with combined characteristics of the array – combined voltage or current rating. An array is also one step up from a module in the process of building a solar photovoltaic system in the way of having the panels mounted and positioned, connected to a single (if we treat ground lead separately) output lead, eventually through blocking diodes, that further is to be connected to some sort of a junction box to output leads from other solar arrays and from there to an inverter, charge controller and, or a DC load circuit. According to the the National Electric Code (NEC) (see entry here in this glossary) in the hierarchy of the design of a solar photovoltaic system solar panel falls between solar panel and solar photovoltaic system. I.e. a solar system includes among other components one or a set of arrays (if not a single panel)  and an array is a set of panels (again along other components to combine these panels and provide for the functionality of the array).

National Electric Code (NEC) – a document (book) published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that is used by most States with very little changes (usually a couple of pages of amendments for specific state) as their electric code. The the document specifying how in practice the professionals should identify different electric systems and component – hence the important reason to mention such book in a glossary like this.

Solar Battery – … to be added ..

Solar Cell – solar cell is the most elementary photovoltaic device that transforms light energy to electric power. Solar cells are assembled in sets and encapsulated and protected from the environment (mechanically) to make a solar module. Solar cell is the level of the building hierarchy if the photovoltaic system at which the main photovoltaic technologies differ – for example the most popular ones – mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline, thin film, amorphous silicon etc.

Solar Charger – … to be added ..

Solar Companies – … to be added ..

Solar Energy – … to be added ..

Solar Electricity – … to be added ..

Solar Farm – … to be added ..

Solar Field – … to be added ..

Solar Generator – … to be added ..

Solar Heating – … to be added ..

Solar Inverter – … to be added ..

Solar Industry – … to be added ..

Solar Insolation – … to be added ..

Solar Installers – … to be added ..

Solar Irradiance – … to be added ..

Solar Irradiation – … to be added ..

Solar Module – often solar panels and solar modules are being used as interchangeable terms, but in this glossary we are going to treat them as different terms. According to the the National Electric Code (NEC) (see entry here) solar panels and solar modules are strictly different terms and  and in the hierarchy of the design of a solar photovoltaic system solar module falls between solar cell and solar panel. I.e. a panel is a set of modules and a module is a set of cells. A solar module in addition to simply being a set of cells s defined to be an environmentally protected unit able to generate DC power when exposed to sunlight.

Solar Panel – often solar panels and solar modules are being used as interchangeable terms, but in this glossary we are going to treat them as different terms. According to the the National Electric Code (NEC) (see entry here) solar panels and solar modules are strictly different terms and  and in the hierarchy of the design of a solar photovoltaic system solar panel falls between solar module and solar array. I.e. an array is a set of panels and a panel is a set of modules. In addition to simply being a set of modules a panel is mechanically configured and electrically connected to be a device ready to be installed for practical use. Potentially, practically often, one panel only includes one module and the rest of the configuration to make it a filed installable device.

Solar Photovoltaic System – see Solar System.

Solar System – more often refers to the astronomical, science term for the complex of the Sun and its planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, etc.) but in the solar and renewables industry may also mean an electrical complex with solar photovoltaic components, like an electricity generating system for a home, a business or a solar power station. More often the second meaning will be covered by the more specific and less ambiguous term Solar Photovoltaic System or Photovoltaic System. The National Electric Code (NEC), the document published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that is used by most States with very little changes (usually a couple of pages of amendments) as their electric code, and the document specifying how in practice the professionals should identify different electric systems and components, refers to such systems specifically as “Solar Photovoltaic System”. The NEC further goes to define the term and all the installation recommendations and details of its components and most general schematic. But the general definition for a Solar Photovoltaic System is a set of components and sub-systems that in their specific configuration are used to convert radiated energy from the sun in to electric one.

As for all of our specialized resources and articles, please do feel welcome to comment with suggestions for improvements, additions, reference to your business etc.

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