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luminous:glossary [2008-02-23 13:10] – takufoam | luminous:glossary [2008-02-23 19:08] – 218.186.8.12 |
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**Balance of System** (components): the complete system minus the modules. | **Balance of System** (components): the complete system minus the modules. |
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**Base load electricity:** the smallest amount of electricity consumed by a utility's customers. Base load is provided **Clean energies:** Clean describes any energy source the exploitation of which does not generate significant amounts of pollution, and therefore negatively impact the health of human populations and the biosphere as a whole. | **Base load electricity:** the smallest amount of electricity consumed by a utility's customers. Base load is provided by slow-to-start, relatively inexpensive-to-operate generators, while peak-load is provided by quickly dispatchable sources. |
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| **Clean energies:** Clean describes any energy source the exploitation of which does not generate significant amounts of pollution, and therefore negatively impact the health of human populations and the biosphere as a whole. |
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**Current:** flow. In a river, the current is usually strongest near the center where the river is deepest. In electrical terms, current means the electrons flowing through a conductor, and is measured in amperes, one amp meaning 6.02x1023 electrons. | **Current:** flow. In a river, the current is usually strongest near the center where the river is deepest. In electrical terms, current means the electrons flowing through a conductor, and is measured in amperes, one amp meaning 6.02x1023 electrons. |
**Solar (ir)radiation:** radiant energy emitted by the sun, particularly electromagnetic energy. About half of the radiation is in the visible short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The other half is mostly in the near-infrared part, with some in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum [1]. The portion of this ultraviolet radiation that is not absorbed by the atmosphere produces a suntan or a sunburn on people who have been in sunlight for extended periods of time. | **Solar (ir)radiation:** radiant energy emitted by the sun, particularly electromagnetic energy. About half of the radiation is in the visible short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The other half is mostly in the near-infrared part, with some in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum [1]. The portion of this ultraviolet radiation that is not absorbed by the atmosphere produces a suntan or a sunburn on people who have been in sunlight for extended periods of time. |
- Daily total solar irradiation: describes the radiant energy emitted by the sun over all wavelengths that falls each second on 1 square meter outside the earth's atmosphere--a quantity proportional to the "solar constant" observed earlier in this century. It measures the solar energy flux in Watts/square meter. | - Daily total solar irradiation: describes the radiant energy emitted by the sun over all wavelengths that falls each second on 1 square meter outside the earth's atmosphere--a quantity proportional to the "solar constant" observed earlier in this century. It measures the solar energy flux in Watts/square meter. |
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**Solar wind:** A stream of particles, mostly electrons and protons, flowing out from the Sun at speeds of 5-10 km/s. As it flows out, the solar wind accelerates and can reach speeds as high as 900 km/s. The solar wind is the result of the hot solar corona expanding into space. | **Solar wind:** A stream of particles, mostly electrons and protons, flowing out from the Sun at speeds of 5-10 km/s. As it flows out, the solar wind accelerates and can reach speeds as high as 900 km/s. The solar wind is the result of the hot solar corona expanding into space. |
Sun-Earth distance: varies during the year, but on average it is approximately 150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles. | Sun-Earth distance: varies during the year, but on average it is approximately 150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles. |
**Ultra Violet-Light (UV):** means "beyond violet", from Latin ultra. UV-light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, with violet being the color of the shortest wavelengths of visible light, but longer than soft X-rays. | **Ultra Violet-Light (UV):** means "beyond violet", from Latin ultra. UV-light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, with violet being the color of the shortest wavelengths of visible light, but longer than soft X-rays. |
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**Wp - Watt-piek:** Max. theoretical power of a solar panel with a surface of 1m², measured at a temperature of 25°. A standard measure (unit) being used to compare the power of different solar panels. In practice a solar panel reaches in general only 80% of the Watt-piek power. | **Wp - Watt-peak:** Max. theoretical power of a solar panel with a surface of 1m², measured at a temperature of 25°. A standard measure (unit) being used to compare the power of different solar panels. In practice a solar panel reaches in general only 80% of the Watt-peak power. |
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www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photovoltaics.html | www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photovoltaics.html |
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www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_glossary.html | www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_glossary.html |
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www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/IRRADIANCE/irrad.html | www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/IRRADIANCE/irrad.html |
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www.q-cells.com/cmadmin_2_500_0.html | www.q-cells.com/cmadmin_2_500_0.html |
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www.sciencedaily.com | www.sciencedaily.com |
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www.suntrek.org | www.suntrek.org |
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www.wikipedia.org | www.wikipedia.org |
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Numerous glossaries on the internet | Numerous glossaries on the internet e.g.: |
e.g.: www.bigfrogmountain.com/glossary.cfm | www.bigfrogmountain.com/glossary.cfm |