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

conduction band

Energy; Solar power

An energy band in a semiconductor in which electrons can move freely in a solid, producing a net transport of charge.

shunt controller

Energy; Solar power

A charge controller that redirects or shunts the charging current away from the battery. The controller requires a large heat sink to dissipate the current from the short-circuited photovoltaic ...

conductor

Energy; Solar power

The material through which electricity is transmitted, such as an electrical wire, or transmission or distribution line.

shunt regulator

Energy; Solar power

Type of a battery charge regulator where the charging current is controlled by a switch connected in parallel with the photovoltaic (PV) generator. Shorting the PV generator prevents overcharging of ...