F

FULL SUN

The full sun condition is the amount of power density received at the surface of the earth at noon on a clear day – about 100 mW/cm2. Lower levels of sunlight are often expressed as 0.5 sun or 0.1 sun. A figure of 0.5 sun means that the power density of the sunlight is one-half of that of a full sun.

G

GRID

Transmission line network used to distribute electric power.

GRID LINES

Metallic contacts fused to the surface of the solar cell to provide a low resistance path for electrons to flow out to the cell interconnect wires.

H

HYBRID SYSTEM

A power system consisting of two or more power generating subsystems (e.g., the combination of a wind turbine or diesel generator and a photovoltaic system).

I

INCIDENT LIGHT

The incident light is the amount of light reaching an object.

INVERTER

A device that converts electricity from DC to AC.

J

JUNCTION BOX

A PV generator junction box is an enclosure on the module where PV strings are electrically connected and where protection devices can be located, if necessary.

JUNCTION DIODE

A semiconductor device with a junction and a built-in potential that passes current better in one direction than the other. All solar cells are junction diodes.