Solar energy is on the rise. The benefits of lowering monthly bills and reversing climate change are increasing installations in residential and commercial areas. Investing in a solar system installation will introduce you to a new vocabulary of solar terms. To help prepare you, we have compiled a list of popular solar terms used in the industry. Let’s get started!
Photovoltaic(s) or PV -
This term is one that may come up in most solar system installations. Photovoltaics (PV) is the transformation of sunlight into electricity or energy. It is commonly used in many solar components and more. PV cells, Photovoltaic arrays, and PV devices all work to convert the light into electricity. The PV effect is the process of photons turning into voltage. Lastly, a Photovoltaic thermal system produces heat as well as electricity.
Battery -
Solar batteries store the unused energy your solar system produces. While researching solar setups, you may run across more battery information. For instance, battery cycle life refers to the number of cycles a battery has before declining in storage capacity and optimum efficiency. Whereas battery capacity deals with the electrical charge a battery can output under precise circumstances.
Kilowatt or KW -
A kilowatt (kW), is the measurement the solar energy field uses for measuring power. Another frequent term is a kilowatt-hour (kWh), which measures the energy produced per hour.
Off-Grid -
Off-grid refers to generating enough power to run a property without relying on any state or county electrical grid. An off-grid solar system produces and stores electricity using, inverters, solar panels, a battery bank, and a charge controller.
Inverter -
An inverter transfers direct current electricity into alternating current electricity. Inverters control the surge of electric power. A few different types of inverters are the central inverter, microinverter, and string inverter.
Peak Sun Hour -
For those who don’t live in sunny Florida but gray Ohio, concerns may arise that their climate isn’t correct for a solar system installation. But even on cloudy days, solar panels absorb the rays of the sun. A peak sun hour is when the sunlight is intense enough to achieve 1,000 watts of photovoltaic power per square meter.
Professional solar installers will walk you through every step of the installation. They will know the solar vocabulary inside and out and educate you on new terms and how they relate to the project. We hope you learned something new today and will check in with us for the latest in solar energy!
Yellowlite handles commercial and residential installations of all sizes. When you are considering a solar system installation, call on our friendly and knowledgeable team!
