PV Mounting Glossary | Rooftop/Ground Solar Mounting | PV Mounting Solution

Glossary

Inverter

• solar/PV inverter
• converts DC to AC current
• 3 types:
  • stand-alone inverter: used in isolated systems where inverter draws DC energy from batteries charged by PV arrays. Doesn't require anti-islanding protection
  • grid-tie inverter: match phase w/ utility-supplied sine wave. Shuts down automatically upon loss of utility supply. Doesn't provide backup power during outages.
  • battery backup inverters: draws energy from battery, manages battery via onboard charger, and exports excess energy to grid. Capable of supplying AC energy to selected loads during outages. Has anti-islanding protection

maximum power point tracker (MPPT)

• • technique used by inverter to get maximum possible power from PV array

Anti-Islanding Protection

• injects small pulses slightly out of phase w/ AC electrical system in order to cancel any stray resonances that may be present when grid shuts down
• 2 types: passive and active

PV

• photovoltaic
• converts solar energy into direct current (DC) electricity
• solar cells

PV Array

• a linked collection of solar panels

I-V curve tracer

• device that traces the relationship between the DC current through an electronic device and the DC voltage across its terminals

Solar Charger

• employs solar energy to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries

Balance of System (BOS)

• encompasses all components outside of PV panels
• includes wiring, switches, racks/mounts, inverter, and/or batteries and/or land (w/ free-standing systems)

Solar Combiner Box

• electrical distribution box where DC circuit breakers are placed
• combines multiple DC inputs from panel terminations & converts these intone DC output

PV System

• consists of PV modules, connections, racks/mounts, and means of regulating and/or modifying electrical output

Single-Phase Electric Power

• electrical engineering
• the distribution of AC electricity using a system in which all voltages of the supply vary in unison. Used when loads are mostly lighting and heating, with few large electric motors

Ballast Mounts

• uses concrete or steel bases to secure panel system using weight alone and w/o drilling or boring

Micoroinverter

• solar microinverter
• converts DC from a single solar panel to AC
• electric power from several microinverters is combined and fed into an existing electrical grid

kW

• kilowatt
• equals to one thousand (10^3) watts
• typical used in expressing output power of engines and the power consumption of motors, tools, machines, and heaters

AC

• alternating current
• the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction
• the form in which electric power is delivered to businesses and residences

DC

• direct current
• unidirectional, constant flow of electric charge
• produced by solar cells, batteries, thermocouples, etc.
• can flow in a conductor, i.e. wires, semiconductors, insulators or even vacuums as in electron or ion beams
• used to be called galvanic current

sine wave

• mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation
• occurs often in mathematics, physics, signal processing, electrical engineering, etc.