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

substrate

Energy; Solar power

The physical material upon which a photovoltaic cell is applied.

dopant

Energy; Solar power

A chemical element (impurity) added in small amounts to an otherwise pure semiconductor material to modify the electrical properties of the material. An n-dopant introduces more electrons. A p-dopant ...

subsystem

Energy; Solar power

Any one of several components in a photovoltaic system (i.e., array, controller, batteries, inverter, load).

doping

Energy; Solar power

The addition of dopants to a semiconductor.

sulfation

Energy; Solar power

A condition that afflicts unused and discharged batteries; large crystals of lead sulfate grow on the plate, instead of the usual tiny crystals, making the battery extremely difficult to recharge.

downtime

Energy; Solar power

Time when the photovoltaic system cannot provide power for the load. Usually expressed in hours per year or that percentage.

superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)

Energy; Solar power

SMES technology uses the superconducting characteristics of low-temperature materials to produce intense magnetic fields to store energy. It has been proposed as a storage option to support ...