Glossary
AC - alternating current
Alternating Current (AC) is the type of power that is considered standard household power. It is called AC because the voltage fluctuates on a sine-wave curve.
Amp
Amp is the unit to describe power flow.
Battery
Batteries are used to store energy for later use.
Combiner
Combiners are used to join multiple strings of solar electric modules together.
DC - direct current
Direct current (DC) is the kind of power that is found in vehicles and batteries. It is a constant linear power source with little or no fluctuation.
Grid
Grid refers to the electrical power infrastructure that supplies electricity to the greater part of our nation.
Grid interactive or "grid tie"
A solar electric system that interacts with the grid to turn your meter backwards when you are making more power than you are using.
Inverter
A device used to convert DC power to AC power.
Kilowatt
A unit used to measure power. One kilowatt is 1000 watts.
Modified Sine-Wave
Not a true sine-wave, sometimes referred to as a square wave. Modified sine-wave inverters will operate most loads fine but can cause problems with battery chargers, laser printers and copiers and other sensitive equipment. The harmonic distortion in a modified sine-wave inverter can be as high as 40%.
Off grid
Refers to systems that are "stand alone," not connected to any power infrastructure.
Photovoltaic cell
A cell that converts sunlight to electricity.
Photovoltaic module
A photovoltaic module is made up of many photovoltaic cells wired in series.
Photovoltaics
Technology used to convert sunlight to electricity.
Renewable energy
Energy that is created form a renewable source such as sunlight, wind, or biomass.
Sine-Wave
Describes the AC power curve. True sine-wave inverters produce a nice clean power curve, sometimes cleaner than the power you can get form your local utility.
Volt
The unit used for measuring electrical potential.
Watt
A unit used to measure power. Watts = Amps x Volts.