Just like in any other line of work, the solar energy industry has it's own unique vocabulary. Below is a list of some common solar energy terminology -- you may find it helpful when considering a solar home energy system.
Balance of system
When you look at a proposal from one of our trusted solar installation partners, you may see something called "balance of system." This term refers to all the parts of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system that aren’t the solar panels or the inverter -- that is, all the wiring, racks, roof integration hardware and conduit needed to make for a professionally designed and installed system.
You may have heard the phrase "grid-tie" or "grid tied" before. It refers to solar electric systems that are connected to the electric grid. Grid-tied systems make up the vast majority of systems installed today -- and typically do NOT have batteries, which can be expensive and require periodic maintenance. The opposite of a grid-tied system is an "off-grid" or "stand-alone" system.
When you hear people talk about running their electric meter backwards, they have net metering to thank. With net-metering, if your solar energy system produces more electricity than you actually need, the utility credits you for that excess power that flows back into the grid. In most instances, this credit is issued at the prevailing retail price for electricity.
Inverter
As you may know, typical solar panels generate direct current (DC). But (also as you may know) the kind of power we use to run our homes is alternating current (AC). An inverter is the part of a solar home energy system that converts (or “inverts’) the DC power into AC power.
Solar cells
Solar cells are the building blocks of a solar panel -- or solar module. Solar cells are particularly easy to spot on a certain type of solar panels (monocrystaline panels) because they appear as small squares that are dark blue or almost black in color.
Solar panels
Technically speaking, solar panels are called "solar modules." You'll hear both "panels" and "modules" use interchangeably, however. Solar modules are comprise of solar cells, which are most commonly made from silicon.
Solar array
What do you get if you wire a bunch of solar panels together? A solar array, which refers to all the solar panels wired together in a given solar energy system. Technical Solar Energy Terms |
