Solar power

Solar power

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Industry: Energy

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Solar power

photovoltaic (PV) cell

Energy; Solar power

The smallest semiconductor element within a PV module to perform the immediate conversion of light into electrical energy (direct current voltage and current). Also called a solar cell.

absorber

Energy; Solar power

In a photovoltaic device, the material that readily absorbs photons to generate charge carriers (free electrons or holes).

photovoltaic (PV) conversion efficiency

Energy; Solar power

The ratio of the electric power produced by a photovoltaic device to the power of the sunlight incident on the device.

activated shelf life

Energy; Solar power

The period of time, at a specified temperature, that a charged battery can be stored before its capacity falls to an unusable level.

photovoltaic (PV) device

Energy; Solar power

A solid-state electrical device that converts light directly into direct current electricity of voltage-current characteristics that are a function of the characteristics of the light source and the ...

activation voltage

Energy; Solar power

The voltage(s) at which a charge controller will take action to protect the batteries.

photovoltaic (PV) effect

Energy; Solar power

The phenomenon that occurs when photons, the "particles" in a beam of light, knock electrons loose from the atoms they strike. When this property of light is combined with the properties of ...