Solar power

Solar power

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Industry: Energy

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Solar power

diffusion furnace

Energy; Solar power

Furnace used to make junctions in semiconductors by diffusing dopant atoms into the surface of the material.

Voltage at maximum power (VMP)

Energy; Solar power

The voltage at which maximum power is available from a photovoltaic module.

Full sun

Energy; Solar power

The amount of power density in sunlight received at the earth's surface at noon on a clear day (about 1,000 Watts/square meter).

Voltage protection

Energy; Solar power

Many inverters have sensing circuits that will disconnect the unit from the battery if input voltage limits are exceeded.

Vented cell

Energy; Solar power

A battery designed with a vent mechanism to expel gases generated during charging.

Vertical multijunction (VMJ) cell

Energy; Solar power

A compound cell made of different semiconductor materials in layers, one above the other. Sunlight entering the top passes through successive cell barriers, each of which converts a separate portion ...