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luminous:glossary [2008-02-23 13:10] – takufoamluminous:glossary [2008-02-24 15:33] (current) – nik
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 ===== PhoEf glossary ===== ===== PhoEf glossary =====
 +
 +**1 megawatt peak of pv-modules:** is the amount that delivers 1 MW of electric power under standard illumination conditions (1,000 W/m2, 25 or 28 C)).
  
 **3D-Solar Cell:** capture photons from sunlight using an array of miniature “tower” structures that resemble high-rise  **3D-Solar Cell:** capture photons from sunlight using an array of miniature “tower” structures that resemble high-rise 
 buildings in a city street grid. Animation on: www.gatech.edu/news-room/flash/CNTpv.html buildings in a city street grid. Animation on: www.gatech.edu/news-room/flash/CNTpv.html
  
-**Amp:** short for ampere, the unit used to measure the instantaneous flow of electrons, theoretically, 6.02x1023 electrons.+**Amp:** short for ampere, the unit used to measure the instantaneous flow of electrons, theoretically, 6.02x10^23 electrons.
  
 **Amp-hour:** measure of a batteries ability to sustain a flow of energy over time; 60 amp-hours indicated a battery can deliver one amp for sixty hours. **Amp-hour:** measure of a batteries ability to sustain a flow of energy over time; 60 amp-hours indicated a battery can deliver one amp for sixty hours.
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 **Balance of System** (components): the complete system minus the modules. **Balance of System** (components): the complete system minus the modules.
  
-**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.  
 + 
 +**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. 
  
-**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 6.02x10^23 electrons. 
  
 **Distributed energies:** Distributed describes any energy source that can be deployed – often rapidly - on small, medium or large scales close to the point of consumption.  **Distributed energies:** Distributed describes any energy source that can be deployed – often rapidly - on small, medium or large scales close to the point of consumption. 
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 **Inverter:** a device that converts DC electricity, as produced by PVs and stored in batteries, into AC house current, the kind used by most familiar household devices.  **Inverter:** a device that converts DC electricity, as produced by PVs and stored in batteries, into AC house current, the kind used by most familiar household devices. 
  
-**KW:** kiloWatt.  1 kiloWatt=  1000 Watt – Unit of power. 1000 kW= 1 megaWatt (mW), 1000 megaWatt = 1 gigaWatt, 1000 gigaWatt = 1 teraWatt.+**KW:** kiloWatt.  1 kiloWatt =  1000 Watt (Unit of power). 1000 kW= 1 megaWatt (mW), 1000 megaWatt = 1 gigaWatt, 1000 gigaWatt = 1 teraWatt.
  
 **kWh – kiloWatt hour:** labor done by letting work 1000 Watt during 1 hour.  **kWh – kiloWatt hour:** labor done by letting work 1000 Watt during 1 hour. 
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 **Lumens:** an exact measure of quantity of light. A 60-watt incandescent light bulb and an 18-watt compact fluorescent light bulb each produce about 1,000 lumen.  **Lumens:** an exact measure of quantity of light. A 60-watt incandescent light bulb and an 18-watt compact fluorescent light bulb each produce about 1,000 lumen. 
- 
-**1 megawatt peak of pv-modules:** is the amount that delivers 1 MW of electric power under standard illumination conditions (1,000 W/m2, 25 or 28 C)). 
  
 **MPP- tracking - Maximum Power Point Tracking:** - a transformer has to deliver the max. power at all possible light circumstances which goes with a certain voltage delivered by the panel. This voltage depends on the amount of light falling on the panel. Power is the product of voltage and current and hence at a given voltage there is a specific current. At every voltage there is an optimal current (maximum power point). In the inverter the electronic parts look under every circumstances this optimal point: MPP-tracking **MPP- tracking - Maximum Power Point Tracking:** - a transformer has to deliver the max. power at all possible light circumstances which goes with a certain voltage delivered by the panel. This voltage depends on the amount of light falling on the panel. Power is the product of voltage and current and hence at a given voltage there is a specific current. At every voltage there is an optimal current (maximum power point). In the inverter the electronic parts look under every circumstances this optimal point: MPP-tracking
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 **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. 
-  +
 **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.
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 **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. 
  
-**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. 
  
 -------------------------------- --------------------------------
 Sources: Sources:
-www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photovoltaics.html 
-www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_glossary.html 
-www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/IRRADIANCE/irrad.html 
-www.q-cells.com/cmadmin_2_500_0.html 
-www.sciencedaily.com 
-www.suntrek.org 
-www.wikipedia.org 
  
-Numerous glossaries on the internet +  * [[http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/photovoltaics.html]] 
-e.g.: www.bigfrogmountain.com/glossary.cfm+  * [[http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_glossary.html]] 
 +  * http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/IRRADIANCE/irrad.html 
 +  * http://www.q-cells.com/cmadmin_2_500_0.html 
 +  * http://www.sciencedaily.com 
 +  * http://www.suntrek.org 
 +  * http://www.wikipedia.org 
 +  * http://www.bigfrogmountain.com/glossary.cfm
  • luminous/glossary.1203772208.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2008-02-23 13:10
  • by takufoam