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SRML Glossary — "P"
Special thanks to NREL
We'd like to thank the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for
making available to us their glossary, which is the basis of ours. We've
edited and reformatted it, and linked it to our Web pages, and we'll continue
to add our own specialized terms, illustrations, and examples. Please note that
the Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory takes full responsibility for any
inaccuracies that may occur.
Links to other glossary sections:
A B
C D E F
G H I J
K L M N
O P Q R S
T U V W
X Y Z
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A system that tracks the path of the sun by pivoting on one axis (typically East-West or
North-South), using shiny parabolic troughs to heat the collector fluid that passes through
a tube at the focus. Below is an illustration from the
Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat Plate and Concentrating
Collectors.
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Technology for using sunlight to light and heat buildings directly, with no circulating fluid or
energy conversion system.
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The maximum
amount of power produced or demanded in a time
interval, measured in watts.
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The ratio
of measured bright sunshine to the total
possible bright sunshine in a given time period such as an hour or a day,
expressed as a percent.
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Pertaining
to the conversion of light (radiant energy) to
electricity.
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An instrument
that measures illuminance.
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The fundamental
particle or quantum of electromagnetic
radiation (radiant energy).
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Technology
for converting sunlight directly into electricity, usually with photovoltaic
cells.
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A single
semiconducting element of small size (for example, 1 cm2) that
absorbs light or other bands of the electromagnetic
spectrum and emits electricity.
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A unit comprised
of several photovoltaic cells that
is the principal unit of photovoltaic
array. A photovoltaic module's size is on the order of 1 m2,
although its size is governed by convenience and application.
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A photovoltaic
module or set of modules used for converting solar
radiation to energy.
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The Physikalisch-Meteorologisches
Observatorium Davos / World Radiation Center, at Davos, Switzerland.
PMOD/WRC determines and maintains world-wide standards for measurement of
solar radiation, including the World
Radiometric Reference (WRR), for the World
Meteorological Organization.
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A solar
power generator which uses a series of tracking mirrors (heliostats),
Fresnel lenses, or a paraboloid (3-dimensional parabola, or dish) of mirrors
to focus solar energy onto a single central receiver such as a boiler,
engine, or photovoltaic array.
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An instrument for determining the amount of polarization of light.
Ordinary light from the sun or a lamp is composed of disorderly waves that
vibrate in all directions perpendicular to the light beam. But polarized
light consists of orderly waves that vibrate in only one direction.
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The amount
of work or energy expended in a given amount
of time. For example, the watt is a unit of power,
which is defined as a joule per second.
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The amount
of water in a vertical column of atmosphere. The unit of measure is typically
the depth to which the water would fill the vertical column if it were condensed
to a liquid. For example, 6 centimeters of precipitable water (in the absence
of clouds) indicates a very moist atmosphere. Precipitable water is often
used as a synonym for water vapor.
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Precision
spectral pyranometer, a pyranometer with
an outer clear dome that can be replaced by colored domes that transmit
specific bandwidths of the solar spectrum.
The PSP is a specific instrument of Eppley Laboratory, Inc. Below is a picture
of a PSP.
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An instrument
with a hemispherical field of view, used for measuring total or global solar
radiation, specifically global
horizontal radiation; a pyranometer with a shadow band or shading disk
blocking the direct beam measures the diffuse
sky radiation, as is illustrated in the picture below. A picture of
the Eppley PSP pyranometer is included in the PSP
definition above.
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Instrument
with a narrow ( circumsolar) field
of view which measures direct normal
irradiance. Pyrheliometers are mounted on sun-following trackers so
that the instrument is always aimed at the sun. Below is a picture of two
(silver) pyrheliometers mounted on a (white) tracker.
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Links to other glossary sections:
A B
C D E F
G H I J
K L M N
O P Q R S
T U V W
X Y Z
© 2000, UO Solar Radiation Monitoring
Laboratory.
Last
revised: December 11, 2000.
Home page URL: solardat.uoregon.edu |
