“Install a 4KW grid-tied BIPV system and, with the current Fed ITC, expect an ROI of 12%. It's a great investment!”
As with any industry, we greenies sometimes tend to talk in a shorthand language nobody else can
understand. We’re not trying to keep secrets from you, we just work with this so much every day,
we sometimes think our audience understands the lingo as well as we do. We hope the list of terms,
abbreviations, and acronyms below will help you to translate our tech talk into plain English.
Term
|
Meaning
|
|
Absolute temperature
|
The temperature above the theoretical level of absolute zero, the temperature in which all molecular
activity ceases. Zero degrees on the Rankine scale is very close to absolute zero. Water would freeze
at about 459°R and boil at about 703°R.
|
|
Absorb
|
Process in which one or more chemicals dissolve into another. Paper towels do not
absorb water from the kitchen counter. See also adsorb.
|
|
Absorptance
|
The ratio of the amount of radiation absorbed by a surface to the amount of radiation incident upon it
|
|
Absorptivity
|
The capacity of a material to absorb radiant energy
|
|
AC
|
Alternating Current, electricity that reverses direction in a conductor, in the US typical household
current reverses direction 60 times per second, see "hertz." Note: May also indicate Air Conditioning.
|
|
Active
|
A reaction requiring input of energy from an outside source, such as photovoltaic cells
converting light radiation to electricity
|
|
ADECA
|
Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs,
www.adeca.alabama.gov/Energy/
|
|
Adsorb
|
Process in which one or more chemicals temporarily attach themselves to the exterior surface of another
chemical or material. Paper towels can adsorb water from a kitchen counter.
See also absorb
|
|
Amp, Ampere
|
Electrical power required to flow one volt through a resistance of one ohm
|
|
Angle of incidence
|
The angle between incoming sun radiation and the collector plate.
|
|
Array
|
Two or more solar collectors working together in parallel or series
|
|
ASA
|
The Alabama Solar Association, www.AL-Solar.org
|
|
ASES
|
The American Solar Energy Society, www.ASES.org
|
|
ASHRAE
|
The American Association of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers
www.ashrae.org
|
|
AWEA
|
The American Wind Energy Association,
www.awea.org
|
|
BIPV
|
Building Integrated Photovoltaics, photovoltaic systems integrated with an object's building phase so that
they are built or constructed along with the structure. This significantly reduces system costs.
|
|
Boyle's Law
|
The absolute temperature of an ideal gas rises in direct proportion to a decrease in volume and to an
increase in pressure. Sometimes stated as pressure times volume divided by temperature equals a constant.
Most gasses act very closely to an “ideal gas.”
|
|
Brand names
|
Specific brand names are intended as an example and not a recommendation. Our industry is changing so
rapidly, that any recommendation made today might be obsolete tomorrow. Get the very latest
recommendation from a Solarite or a solar pro before designing a system.
|
|
Btu
|
A British Thermal Unit, the heat energy needed to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit
|
|
Btu/hr
|
British Thermal Units per hour, the power equal to 0.293 watts
|
|
Building Envelope
|
The portion of a building that separates conditioned from unconditioned space.
See
ASHRAE Standard 90.1.
|
|
Carbon Dioxide
|
CO2, a greenhouse gas (GHG), a chemical compound composed of two oxygen
atoms bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in
Earth's atmosphere in this state. CO2 is a trace gas comprising 0.039% of the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is expelled by animals and used by plants to make sugars and allow plant growth.
|
|
Carbon Footprint
|
The total set of
greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product
including direct and direct processes
|
|
CH4
|
See Methane
|
|
Climate Change
|
Change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to
millions of years. In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate
change usually refers to changes in modern climate due to Greenhouse Gas or Carbon emissions.
See "global warming."
|
|
Closed Loop Indirect SHW
|
A Solar Hot Water system in which a water-glycol mixture is pumped through the solar collectors, through
a heat exchanger, and back to the collectors. Potable water is heated by the heat exchanger and is never
in direct contact with the fluid circulated though the solar collectors. This system works well even
in weather below freezing.
|
|
CO2
|
See Carbon Dioxide.
|
|
Collector
|
A device to receive solar radiation and convert it into electricity or heat energy
|
|
Compression
|
Reducing the volume of a gas, a process that also raises its temperature. See also
Boyle's Law
|
|
Condensation
|
Converting a gas to a liquid
|
|
Conditioned space
|
Space within a building that is heated, cooled, or both
|
|
Cooling
|
Removal of heat, or moving heat from a place that is too hot to an area where temperature is not so
important. Removing heat from a building and expelling it to the outside air or ground.
|
|
Conductor
|
A substance that conducts electricity or heat, such as a wire
|
|
Convection
|
A reaction in which warm portions of a liquid or gas rise above cooler portions of the same fluid
|
|
CSP
|
Concentrated Solar Power, using a system of lenses or mirrors to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto
a relatively small area to amplify the power. CSP may be used for creating high-temperature water, for
amplified photovoltaic collection, or other uses.
|
|
DC
|
Direct Current, electricity flowing in one direction, the electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) cells
|
|
DG
|
Distributed Generation, also known as on-site generation, DG is when electricity is generated close
to where it is used, such as your roof. Generally, DG reduces the amount of energy lost, size and
number of power lines and power plants necessary to transmit energy from generating stations.
|
|
DoE
|
The US Department of Energy, www.energy.gov
|
|
Electricity
|
Energy used to move electrons through a conductor
|
|
Emissivity
|
The ability of a material surface to give off radiant energy
|
|
Emittance
|
The ratio of the radiant energy emitted by a body to the energy emitted by a black body
at the same temperature
|
|
EnergyStar®
|
Appliances, equipment, or buildings that are certified by DoE and EPA to consume less energy and to
have a lower carbon footprint than at least 75 percent of similar products
|
| Environment
|
Our surroundings to include our air, water soil, and other natural elements
|
|
EPA
|
The US Environmental Protection Agency, www.energy.gov,
the agency designated to enforce US standards for clean air and water
|
|
Evaporation
|
Converting a liquid to a gas either by reducing pressure, by increasing temperature, or by doing both
|
|
Fenestration
|
Windows including their frames, hardware, shades, etc.
|
|
FEMP
|
The Federal Energy Management Program of the US Department of Energy,
www1.eere.energy.gov/femp
|
|
FSEC
|
The Florida Solar Energy Center, www.fsec.ucf.edu
|
|
FiT
|
Feed-in Tariff, a premium price paid for renewable energy during early year to help the technology
develop
|
|
Geothermal
|
Of or pertaining to the internal heat of the earth including heat stored near the surface from sunshine
striking the earth's surface daily, heat from decay of radioactive materials deep below the surface, and
heat left over from the creation of the earth.
|
|
Generation of energy
|
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Generation refers to converting energy from one form to
another.
|
|
GHG
|
An air pollutant Greenhouse gases absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range,
mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
and ozone
|
|
Global Warming
|
See "Climate Change."
|
|
Green
|
Good for the environment and future generations of life on earth, sustainable
|
|
Grid
|
The power network bringing electricity from a central generating plant to individual homes and
businesses
|
|
Grid-tied
|
Household or business electrical power connected to the power grid
|
GSREIA
|
Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association,
www.gsreia.org
|
|
Head
|
Pressure, usually measured in feet of water, i.e., the pressure exerted by a column of water "H" feet high.
To convert head to pounds per square inch (psi), take the weight of water (62.4 pounds per ft3)
divided by the number of square inches per square foot (144 in2 per ft2), or
62.4/144 = 0.43333 psi per foot of head.
|
|
Heat
|
Energy needed to raise or lower the temperature of a substance
|
|
Heat pump
|
A mechanical device which moves heat from one location to another using compression and expansion cycles. It may
be used to heat an interior area or reversed to remove heat from it.
|
|
Hertz
|
Frequency with which alternating current (AC) reverses direction within a conductor
per second. Most US household current is 60 hertz.
|
|
HTF
|
Heat Transfer Fluid, the liquid circulating through solar thermal collectors, associated piping, and heat
exchangers in a closed-loop or indirect Solar Hot Water (SHW) system.
|
|
HVAC
|
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems.
|
|
Hydronic
|
Of or pertaining to a heating system for a building in which the medium for carrying heat throughout
the structure is circulating water, esp. when the circulation is aided by a pump.
|
|
IAPMO
|
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials,
www.iapmo.org
|
|
ICC
|
International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention.
ICC develops the codes and standards used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including
homes and schools.
www.iccsafe.org
|
|
ICS solar water heater
|
The ICS (Integrated Collector Storage) or Batch Solar technology is much less used than solar
flat-plate and solar evacuated-tube technology, but in their essence it is an old, tested and…
very, very simple technology.
|
|
Incident Angle
|
See Angle of incidence.
|
|
Insolation
|
The total amount of solar energy reaching a surface per unit of time
|
|
ISES
|
The International Solar Energy Society, www.ISES.org
|
|
Kw
|
One kilowatt or1,000 watts
|
|
Latent heat of fusion
|
Heat needed to convert a solid into a liquid. 144 Btu/Lb are needed to convert ice to water.
|
|
Latent heat of vaporization
|
Heat needed to convert a liquid into a vapor. 971 Btu/Lb are needed to convert water to steam.
|
|
LEED
|
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an internationally recognized green building
certification system, providing third-party
verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at
improving performance including energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions
reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources. See also
the US Green Building Council, USGBC.
|
|
Life-Cycle Cost Analysis
|
An analysis of the total cost of two or more options considering all costs over the expected life
of the option from acquisition to disposal or recycling of components. Costs to consider might include
purchase price, operating costs, maintenance costs, energy costs, etc. "Green" options usually have a
higher initial cost but can save significantly on maintenance and energy costs. "Green" options are
usually life-cycle cost effective.
|
|
Methane
|
CH4, a greenhouse gas (GHG) composed of four Hydrogen atom bonded to one
Carbon atom and the principal component of natural gas
|
|
Microgrid
|
A localized grouping of electricity generation, energy storage, and loads that normally operates
connected to a traditional centralized grid
|
|
MW
|
A Megawatt, 1,000 kilowatts (Kw) or one million watts
|
|
NABCEP
|
The National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners,
www.nabcep.org, offers certifications to renewable energy professionals throughout North America.
To avoid any conflict of interest, NABCEP offers no training. NABCEP is a voluntary program widely accepted
and even required for some tax credits.
|
|
Net Metering
|
A system that allows utility meters to run backwards when the on-site generation system is
generating more electricity than the building is using, or a separate meter showing power
generated to be deducted from overall utility bill. NOTE: Some utilities, such as TVA, pay more
for "Green" energy than they charge to sell it to customers. Most utilities charge more for
the sale of electricity than they pay customers to generate "Green" energy. "Net Metering" does not mean
that customers who generate more electricity than they use will have a net zero electric bill.
|
|
N2O
|
See “Nitrous Oxide.”
|
|
Nitrous Oxide
|
N2O, Commonly known as laughing gas, at room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable
gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste, but at elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is
a powerful oxidizer. Nitrous oxide reacts with ozone and depletes the Earth’s protective ozone layer.
Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas.
|
|
Nocturnal Radiation
|
Loss of energy by radiation to the night sky
|
|
O3
|
See "Ozone."
|
|
Off-grid
|
Completely isolated from the grid. All power used is generated onsite.
|
|
Open-loop Direct SHW
|
A Solar Hot Water system in which potable water is pumped through the solar collectors, through the
storage tank, and then distributed directly to outlets in the home or business. This system offers
no freeze protection.
|
|
Ozone
|
A highly unstable compound consisting of three oxygen atoms bonded together. An air pollutant in
the lower atmosphere, a greenhouse gas (GHG), Ozone forms a protective layer at
higher altitudes preventing potentially damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth's surface.
|
|
PACE
|
Property Assessed Clean Energy, allows people to borrow money from municipalities for energy efficiency
upgrades and pay it back through their property taxes. Available in 19 states, but not in Alabama.
|
|
Passive
|
Reactions occurring naturally with little or no action by people. Passive solar would include
convection and shading.
|
|
Payback
|
Period of time needed to recover an initial investment through projected or actual savings.
Download an Excel spreadsheet designed by the Alabama Solar Association to help you calculate
Payback and other financial indicators at
www.al-solar.org/tech/ROI.xls or use a RETScreen analysis.
|
|
PPA
|
Power Purchase Agreement, a long-term contract between a renewable energy company and you by which
the company will serve as your renewable energy provider.
|
|
PV
|
Photovoltaics, conversion of light energy into electricity
|
|
R, R-value
|
Resistance to heat flow. Designers and code writers may specify a minimum R-value for various
parts of the building envelope. "R" is the reciprocal of "U", R = 1/U. See also "U-value
|
|
Radiation
|
The complete process in which energy is emitted by one body, transmitted through an intervening medium
or space, and absorbed by another body. Also the decay of unstable atoms.
|
|
Refrigeration
|
Reducing the temperature of a space or substance. See “Cooling.”
|
|
Renewable energy
|
A naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, such as solar, wind, tidal,
wave, hydroelectric, and biomass, that is not derived from fossil or nuclear fuel.
|
|
RETScreen
|
A Canadian suite of software allowing engineers to accurately estimate costs and payback of energy
projects almost anywhere in the world. See
www.retscreen.net
|
|
ROI
|
The rate of profit or return, is the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment relative
to the amount of money invested. Solar energy may have a long payback but an attractive ROI.
Download an Excel spreadsheet designed by the Alabama Solar Association to help you calculate
ROI and other financial indicators at
www.al-solar.org/tech/ROI.xls or use a RETScreen analysis.
|
|
RPS
|
Renewable Portfolio Standard, a regulation that requires the increased production of energy
from renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass
|
|
SDHW
|
Solar Domestic Hot Water, water heated by solar collectors and used for cleaning but not for pools or spas
|
|
SEER
|
Season Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating system used by the US Government to establish the efficiency
level of cooling equipment. The higher the SEER rating, the less electricity the equipment uses and
the more efficient it is. SEER is determined by dividing the cooling capacity, measured in BTUh, of a
continuously operating air conditioner by the electric power input, measured in WATTs, of power
consumed. The current standard for equipment in the United States is that they must function at a
minimum of 10 SEER.
|
|
SEIA
|
The Solar Energy Industries Association,
www.seia.org.
|
|
SHW
|
Solar Hot Water, water heated by solar collectors and used for any purpose
|
|
Shading loss
|
The loss of collector efficiency caused by the shading of the absorber plate by collector edges, other
components, or adjacent trees and structures. The shading loss usually varies with the angle of incidence
of insolation.
|
|
Si
|
Silicon, see below.
|
|
Silicon
|
Si, the eighth most common element on earth with the atomic number 14, a semiconducting material
found in most solar cells. It absorbs photons in sunlight and converts the energy to electricity.
|
|
SMACNA
|
The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association,
www.smacna.org/
|
|
Solar Collector
|
An assembly of components intended to capture solar energy
|
|
Solar farm
|
A large collection of PV panels, usually grid-tied and usually 1 MW or larger, intended
to convert sunlight to electricity for regional or area homes and businesses
|
|
Solar garden
|
A collection of PV panels intended to convert sunlight to electricity for
neighborhood homes and businesses, often tied to a microgrid
|
|
Solarite
|
A solar professional that supports the Alabama Solar Association and solves your energy problems,
See our our Solarite page for names,
websites, and contact information
|
|
Solar power
|
Energy derived from the sun as either light, heat, or electricity.
|
|
SRCC
|
Solar Rating and Certification Corporation, an independent certifier of solar water and
swimming pool heating collectors,
www.solar-rating.org
|
|
Sustainability
|
The capacity of the system being designed to provide vital goods and services to humans and other organisms.
This may include reducing negative human impact and enhancing ecosystem services. A sustainable project will
no more non-renewable energy than it produces and will consume at least as much carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases as it produces. A sustainable design will have no long-term adverse impact on the quality
of life for organisms living on earth.
|
|
Ton (of air conditioning)
|
Cooling needed to convert 2,000 pounds of water into ice, or 12,000 Btu/h
|
|
Transmission
|
Movement of energy, usually electricity, from the source of generation to the point of use.
|
|
U, U-value |
Ease with heat is transmitted through a material. The U-Value is the reciprocal of the
R-Value. U = 1/R.
See also "R-Value."
|
|
Unconditioned space
|
Space within a building envelope that is neither heated nor cooled.
|
|
USEC
|
The Uniform Solar Energy Code
|
|
USGBC
|
The US Green Building Council, a non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings
available to everyone within a generation, www.usgbc.org/
|
|
Watt
|
Power needed to transmit one ampere of electricity across a voltage drop of one volt.
|
|
Xeriscaping
|
Conserving water through creative, appropriate plant selection and water management, includes plants,
irrigation, soil preparation, and maintenance.
|
|
Zero-Energy Building
|
A building that generates more energy onsite than it consumes from the grid, also known as a "Net-zero
energy building"
|
