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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Solar Energy

Solar panel

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/ˌsoʊlər ˈpænəl/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, solar panel means: A flat, framed unit made of many solar cells that turns sunlight directly into electricity. Many panels connected together form a solar array.

In Turkish: güneş paneli, PV modül, fotovoltaik panel

How it is used

The everyday word; datasheets and technical documents more often say PV module or solar module. Panels are installed, mounted on roofs or frames, cleaned and inspected. Their power is given in watts peak (Wp), for example a 550 W panel.

Example sentences

  1. The installers mounted 2,000 solar panels on the warehouse roof in two weeks.

  2. Dust on the solar panels can cut output noticeably, so we clean them every month.

Common collocations

  • install solar panels
  • rooftop solar panels
  • clean the solar panels
  • solar panel efficiency
  • panel array
  • photovoltaicDescribing technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials, as in solar cells and solar panels. It is usually shortened to PV.
  • solar cellA thin semiconductor device, usually made of silicon, that produces electricity when light falls on it. Many cells connected together make up a solar panel.
  • inverterA device that converts the direct current (DC) produced by solar panels or batteries into alternating current (AC) that buildings can use or that can be fed into the grid.
  • rooftop solarSolar panels installed on the roofs of homes, offices, factories or warehouses, mainly to supply the building's own electricity needs.
  • kilowatt peakThe power output of a solar system under standard test conditions, used to state the size of a PV installation. It is written kWp; larger plants use MWp.

More terms: Solar Energy

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