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- I -

Incident Light
Light that shines onto the face of a solar cell or module.

Insolation
Sunlight, direct or diffuse; from 'incident solar radiation.' Not to be confused with 'insulation.' Equal to about 1000 watts per square meter at high noon.

Inverter
A device that converts DC electricity into AC electricity.

Inverter KWac (KWac)
A rating of the capacity of a system's inverter(s). The inverter capacity should be as large or larger than the System KWac, but is sometimes smaller than the System KWdc.

Inverter Wac
The rated AC capacity of an inverter, in Watts. Inverters are typically around 90% efficient, meaning they convert about 90% of DC input into AC electricity.

Irradiance
See Solar Radiation.

I-V curve
A graphical presentation of the current versus the voltage from a photovoltaic device as the load is increased from the short circuit (no load) condition to the open circuit (maximum voltage) condition. The shape of the curve characterized cell performance.