AIC:
Amperage Interrupt Capability.
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Alternative Energy:
Energy generated in ways that are less harmful to the environment because they are not as dependent on finite natural resources, particularly fossil fuels such as oil, coal or natural gas. Examples are solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric.
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Beam Angle:
is the angle at which the light is distributed or emitted.
Most common is 120 Degree for LED Solar Lighting.
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CRI:
Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the measurement of how colors look under a light source when compared with sunlight. Having information on the CRI of a LED strip light is important because you want to make sure that the colors are being accurately represented by the light source. CRI is measured on a scale from 0-100. A CRI of 80+ is the industry-standard for most applications while a CRI of 90+ tends to be necessary for situations that need color accuracy.
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Crystalline Silicon:
Type of photovoltaic cell made from a slice of single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon
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Electrical Grid:
An integrated system of electricity distribution, usually covering a large area
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Electrical (or electric or utility) Grid:
The interconnected network of equipment that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers. Often called “the grid,” this infrastructure is made up of generating stations that produce electrical power; high-voltage transmission lines that carry power from distant sources to demand centers; and distribution lines that connect individual customers to the system. In other words, the poles and wires that transport electricity from where it’s made to your home or business.
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Federal Tax Credit:
There’s a 30% federal tax credit for installing a home solar system. That means you get a credit, not a deduction, of 30% of the total cost for installing solar panels. Being tax-related, it’s a little more complicated than just that, but that’s why we made a post dedicated to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar. The tax credit is temporary, so be sure to read about it before it’s gone
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Full Sun:
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
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Incident Light:
Light that shines onto the face of a solar cell or module
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Inverter:
A solar power system generates direct current (DC) electricity, yet homes and businesses use alternating current (AC) electricity to power electronic devices. A solar inverter takes the DC electricity from the solar system and uses it to create AC electricity. Inverters are like the brains of the solar system. Along with converting DC to AC power, they also provide ground fault protection and system stats including voltage and current on AC and DC circuits and energy production.
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IP Rating:
This is a rating system that defines the ability of a product to be able to work in different environments. IP is an acronym "Ingress Protection". It is a measurement of the protection an item will have against solid objects (dust, sand, dirt, etc.) and liquids.
An IP rating is comprised of 2 numbers. The first number refers to the protection against solid objects (dust, etc) and the second number refers to protection against liquids.
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Difference Between IP65, IP67, & IP68:
The differences between commonly sold IP65, IP67, & IP68 strips are slight, but very important. Using the above chart as a guide, we can see that all strips are protected at the highest level from solids and dust. The variations come with the protection against liquids.
IP65 = Water resistant. “Protected against water jets from any angle” *Do NOT submerge IP65 LED lights, these are not waterproof.
IP67 = Water resistant plus. “Protected against the events of temporary submersion (10 minutes)”*Do NOT submerge IP67 LED lights for extended periods, these are not waterproof.
IP68 = Waterproof “Protected against the events of permanent submersion up to 3 meters”
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Kelvin:
The color of light can be quantified by referring to its color temperature. White light is measured in Kelvins (K). Most white lights fall in a spectrum between 1800K and 6500K. When getting close to 3000K, the light is noticeably warmer. On the other end of the spectrum, the lights have a blue-ish tint and cooler tone when nearing 6500K.
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LiFeP04:
Lithium iron phosphate. A newer type of lithium solution, noncombustible, while allowing slightly lower energy density. A safer option with many advantages over other lithium chemistries, particularly for high power applications.
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Li-ion:
A rechargeable battery that uses lithium ions as the primary component of its electrolyte. Provides greater charge per pound than nickel metal hydride.
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Lumens (lm):
Lumen is the measurement of brightness as perceived to the human eye. Because of incandescent lighting, we are all accustomed to using watts to measure the brightness of light. Today, we use lumen
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mA or mAmp:
This is 1/1000 or 0.001 of 1 ampere. When using LED strips it is common that the current draw for the LEDs will be less than one amp. In this case milliamps are used to indicate the amp draw. An example of this would be that a draw of ½ amp would be equal to 500mAh.
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mAh (Milliamp Hours):
A unit for measuring electric power over time. Commonly used to describe the total amount of energy a battery can store at one time. A battery rated for more mAh will power for a longer amount of time, given the same usage pattern
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Monocrystalline Silicon Cell:
Refers to as silicon cells. The entire volume of the cell is a single crystal of silicon. it is the type of cell whose commercial use is more widespread
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Ni-CD Battery (Nickel Cadmium):
A rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. Nickel oxide as the positive element and cadmium as the negative
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Peak Sun Hours:
The equivalent number of hours per day when solar iridescence averages 1,000 w/m2. For example, six peak sun hours means that the energy received during total daylight hours equals the energy that would have been received had the iridescence for six hours been 1,000 w/m2.
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Photoelectric Cell:
A device for measuring light intensity that works by converting light falling on, or reach it, to electricity, and then measuring the current; used in photometers.
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Photovoltaic(s) (PV):
Pertaining to the direct conversion of light into electricity.
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Photovoltaic (PV) cell:
The smallest semiconductor element within a PV module to perform the immediate conversion of light into electrical energy (direct current voltage and current). Also called a solar cell.
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PIR:
The PIR on the solar light description stands for Passive Infrared referring to the motion sensors
Polycrystalline Silicon:
A material used to make photovoltaic cells, which consist of many crystals unlike single-crystal silicon.
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Rated Battery Capacity:
The term used by battery manufacturers to indicate the maximum amount of energy that can be withdrawn from a battery under specified discharge rate and temperature.
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Renewable Energy:
Energy generated from sources that naturally continually renew themselves, such as sunlight, wind, geothermal heat or tidal movement.
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Solar Batteries (or storage):
Solar storage systems are comprised of high-capacity rechargeable batteries (or battery banks) that can store excess energy generated by a solar system for use at night or as a backup during emergency grid outages or other times when the solar system cannot generate energy in real time. Batteries suited for solar incorporate a variety of technologies, including lead acid, lithium-ion or flow batteries.
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Solar Cell:
A single light-capturing unit in a PV solar panel; solar cells are made of silicon, like semiconductors. They are constructed with a positive layer and a negative layer, which together create an electric field, just like in a battery, and are extremely thin and light.
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Solar Energy:
Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). The amount that reaches the earth is equal to one billionth of total solar energy generated, or the equivalent of about 420 trillion kilowatt-hours.
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Solar Panel:
When solar cells are wired together to generate larger amounts of power — typically in a bundle of 36 to 40 cells — they form a solar panel. The term solar panel is often used interchangeably with solar panel. To accomplish desired current and voltage, solar panels are wired together to form an array.
The average household will require 20–25 solar panels in its solar array to cover 100% of its energy consumption — though you’ll want to use a solar calculator to determine how many panels your household’s average energy consumption will require.
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Solar Panel Efficiency:
The percentage of sunlight that solar panels can convert to electricity. The first solar panels had about 6 percent efficiency. Sun Power solar panels have the world record for efficiency of commercially available panels — 22.8 percent1, but a panel we recently developed in the lab was verified at 24.1 percent efficiency 2. Solar panel efficiency matters because high-efficiency panels can generate more power in less space over time than conventional panels, so you need fewer panels to get a higher return on your investment.
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Watt:
The rate of energy transfer equivalent to one ampere under an electrical pressure of one volt. One watt equals 1/746 horsepower, or one joule per second. It is the product of voltage and current (amperage).
