Glossary

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Alternating Current (AC)
Electric current which repeatedly changes polarity from negative to positive and back again. The most commonly used form of alternating current does so in a sine wave pattern.

Amperage (Ampere, Amp, A)
A unit of electrical current (I). The relationship between power, current and voltage is expressed in the Power Equation, P=IV. The relationship between voltage, current, and resistance is expressed in Ohm's Law, V=IR.

Amorphous Silicon
A non-crystalline semiconductor material. Easier and cheaper to make than crystalline, but less efficient and slowly degrades over time. Also called thin film.

Array
PV modules wired together in series and parallel to produce desired electrical characteristics. PV arrays connected to a single metering point constitute a system.

Azimuth
The orientation of a PV array relative to direction, in degrees, in which 180 refers to due South, 90 refers to due East, and 270 refers to due West.