Solar Mango’s Solar Dictionary is a comprehensive, layman-friendly guide to solar energy terms. The Dictionary provides definitions for the key and most common terms used in the solar energy sector in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
| Thin Film Solar Cell
|
A thin-film solar cell is a second generation solar cell that is made by depositing one or more thin layers, or thin film (TF) of photovoltaic material on a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. A typical crystalline solar cell is made from silicon and contains an active semiconductor material layer that is about 300-micrometers (micrometer is a millionth of a meter) thick. For a thin film solar cell, the equivalent is about 10 micrometer. That is, a thin film cell uses just about 3% of the semiconductor material that a crystalline solar cell does. In addition to amorphous silicon, thin film solar cells are today also made from CdTe (Cadmium Telluride), CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) or CIS (Copper-Indium-Selenide). |
| Tracker
|
Solar trackers assist solar panels in keeping an orientation to enable them receive maximum sunlight. The sun moves from the east to west during the day. If the solar panels are fixed, they cannot have sunlight striking them perpendicular all the time of the day. Solar trackers assist the solar panels in keeping an orientation that enables them to be perpendicular to sunlight. |
| Three – phase supply
|
Three phase system is designed to supply or use simultaneously three separate alternating currents of the same voltage, but with phases differing by a third of a period. |
| Tariff |
A tariff is the pricing structure a retailer charges a customer for solar energy consumption. |
| Unit
|
Ampere-hour is a unit of electric charge. One ampere-hour is the electric charge that flow in electrical circuit, when a current of 1 ampere is applied for 1 hour. 1Ah = 1A · 1hour. One ampere-hour is equal to 3600 coulombs. |
| Voltage
|
Voltage, also called electromotive force, is a quantitative expression of the potential difference in charge between two points in an electrical field. The greater the voltage, the greater the flow of electrical current |
| Watt-hour
|
The watt-hour (symbolized Wh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt (1 W) of power expended for one hour (1 h) of time. The watt-hour is not a standard unit in any formal system, but it is commonly used in electrical applications |
| Zero down
|
Zero down refers to the amount of down payment required to finance the property which in this case is nothing. A Zero down mortgage will require a higher credit score, and may have a higher interest rate and a higher CMHC premium when compared to a conventional or high-ratio mortgage. |
| Zero Potential
|
The ideal potential of a point infinitely distant from all electrification |
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