Fun Renewable Energy Terms:
- Solar Cells: The electical building blocks for solar panels or modules. The blue or black squares are silicon cells producing about .5 Volts each. Smaller panels are usually 12V nominal, with 36 cells in series to produce around 17V at Standard Test Conditions, under load. The larger panels we sell are usually 24V nominal, with 72 cells in series, and produce around 35V at Standard Test Conditions, under load. Some panels are made with different numbers of cells and therefore have rated voltages which do not correspond to standard battery voltages. These panels are primarily designed for high voltage grid-connected systems, although they can be used for battery based systems as well. Generally we prefer the traditional voltages simply because it is a standard, which makes compatibility into the future more assured.
- Solar Array: A group of solar panels. A solar array produces about 10 Watts per square foot.
- Junction Box or "j-box": Some solar panels come with them, some have preattached leads instead. Some have both. They are handy for off-grid systems where panels are often in parallel. Preattached leads are best for quickly hooking many panels in series for high-voltage grid-tie systems.
- Combiner Box: An electrical junction box where small output wires from solar panels are combined into pairs of feeder wires leading to the batteries or power inverter. May include circuit breakers or fuses.
- Charge Controller: Electronic device which regulates the voltage from the solar cells to the correct voltage for a system's batteries. Also lowers the voltage and current as the batteries become full. Systems without batteries do not require a charge controller.
- Amp-Hour Meter: Measures cumulative energy going into or out of the batteries, to provide an estimate of state-of-charge.
- Flooded Batteries: Traditional Lead-Acid "Wet Cells". Capacity is measured in amp-hours. Requires periodic addition of distilled water to replace what is lost during heavy charging. Perform better if protected from extreme cold.
- Sealed Batteries: Also use Lead-Acid chemistry but do not lose water so do not need maintenance. May be Absorbed Glass Mat or Gel Cell. More expensive and require more careful charging than wet cells.
-Battery Box: May be required by code for wet cells for safety and to contain hydrogen gas which is then vented to the outdoors. Gassing and watering are minimal with a high quality charge controller.
- Overcurrent Protection: Fuses or circuit breakers. Should be on all circuits connected to batteries especially.
- USE-2: A type of single conductor wire rated for sun exposure and outdoor use, commonly used for wire on solar panels with preattached leads.
- Tray Cable: A type of multiple conductor wire rated for sun exposure and commonly used for interconnecting solar panels when conduit is not used. Also commonly used for RV and Marine solar kits.
- THHN: Standard single conductor wire used for building wire. Usually also rated THWN and useable inside conduit outdoors. Stranded is preferred.
- Solar Cells: The electical building blocks for solar panels or modules. The blue or black squares are silicon cells producing about .5 Volts each. Smaller panels are usually 12V nominal, with 36 cells in series to produce around 17V at Standard Test Conditions, under load. The larger panels we sell are usually 24V nominal, with 72 cells in series, and produce around 35V at Standard Test Conditions, under load. Some panels are made with different numbers of cells and therefore have rated voltages which do not correspond to standard battery voltages. These panels are primarily designed for high voltage grid-connected systems, although they can be used for battery based systems as well. Generally we prefer the traditional voltages simply because it is a standard, which makes compatibility into the future more assured.
- Solar Array: A group of solar panels. A solar array produces about 10 Watts per square foot.
- Junction Box or "j-box": Some solar panels come with them, some have preattached leads instead. Some have both. They are handy for off-grid systems where panels are often in parallel. Preattached leads are best for quickly hooking many panels in series for high-voltage grid-tie systems.
- Combiner Box: An electrical junction box where small output wires from solar panels are combined into pairs of feeder wires leading to the batteries or power inverter. May include circuit breakers or fuses.
- Charge Controller: Electronic device which regulates the voltage from the solar cells to the correct voltage for a system's batteries. Also lowers the voltage and current as the batteries become full. Systems without batteries do not require a charge controller.
- Amp-Hour Meter: Measures cumulative energy going into or out of the batteries, to provide an estimate of state-of-charge.
- Flooded Batteries: Traditional Lead-Acid "Wet Cells". Capacity is measured in amp-hours. Requires periodic addition of distilled water to replace what is lost during heavy charging. Perform better if protected from extreme cold.
- Sealed Batteries: Also use Lead-Acid chemistry but do not lose water so do not need maintenance. May be Absorbed Glass Mat or Gel Cell. More expensive and require more careful charging than wet cells.
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- Overcurrent Protection: Fuses or circuit breakers. Should be on all circuits connected to batteries especially.
- USE-2: A type of single conductor wire rated for sun exposure and outdoor use, commonly used for wire on solar panels with preattached leads.
- Tray Cable: A type of multiple conductor wire rated for sun exposure and commonly used for interconnecting solar panels when conduit is not used. Also commonly used for RV and Marine solar kits.
- THHN: Standard single conductor wire used for building wire. Usually also rated THWN and useable inside conduit outdoors. Stranded is preferred.
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