Glossary

absorberthe blackened surface in a solar collector that absorbs incoming solar radiation, converts it to thermal energy, and feeds it into the heat transfer fluid.
air changea measure of the air exchange in a building where one air change is an exchange of a volume of air equal to the interior volume of a building in question.
amorphous silicona type of silicon made up of atoms with no fixed order, as in glass, so it is not crystalline. Also known as thin-film silicon.
arrayan assembly of PV modules connected in series and/or parallel.
atmospherethe least massive, yet the most important part of the Earth for life. Through the atmosphere pass nearly all the elements that form living organisms. The atmosphere protects life from the rigours of space and establishes the climate.
auxiliary heatingthe conventional (i.e. non-solar) contribution to the total load (e.g. gas boiler, etc.).
black waterwastewater generated by a household, including toilet wastes, that is entirely non-useable. See grey water.
calorific valuedescribes the energy content of a unit mass or volume of a fuel (kWh kg-1, Jkg-1, kWh m-3, J m-3).
carbon dioxide, CO2a gas used by plants and produced by respiration and burning. It has a faintly pungent smell and is present in the air at 280 parts per million but in our breath at 4%. Carbon dioxide in the air helps, through the greenhouse effect, to keep the earth warm, but too much can lead overheating.
chimney or stack effectthe tendency of air or gas in a vertical passage, such as a duct, to rise when heated due to its lower density in comparison with that of the surrounding air or gas. In buildings, there is a tendency towards displacement caused by the difference in temperature between the internal heated air and external un-heated air, and therefore the difference in density of both air masses.
collector, flat platean assembly containing a panel of metal or other suitable material, usually a flat black colour on its sun side, that absorbs sunlight and converts it into heat (see absorber). It is usually in an insulated box, covered with glass or plastic on the sun side to take advantage of the greenhouse effect. In the collector, this heat transfers to a circulating fluid, such as air, water, oil or antifreeze.
conductionthe transfer of heat from a warmer region to a colder region within the same substance without mass transfer. The rate of transfer will depend on the thermal conductivity of the material.
convectionthe transfer of heat within gases and liquids, due to the free flow of particles. A convection current is where rising hot air is replaced by cold air die to its higher density.
crystalline silicona type of silicon in which the atoms have a regular diamond-like structure. Also know as single crystal or polycrystalline.
degree of efficiencythe ratio of useful energy (heat) to the energy used (solar radiation) - relating to a solar collector. The rate of energy lost will depend on the degree of efficiency. If a solar collector has a degree of efficiency of 0.6 - 60% of the radiation received is converted into useful heat, and 40% is lost in the form of optical and thermal losses.
diffuse solar radiationthe solar radiation as received on a surface with the exception of the solid angle subtended by the sun's disk (direct solar radiation). Solar radiation reaches the Earth indirectly through scattering in the atmosphere.
ecotoxicitypollutants that are toxic to humans.
energythere are several different forms of energy, including, thermal energy (heat), mechanical energy or electromagnetic energy (radiation). Energy is given in different units, for example as watt-hours (Wh), kilowatt-hours (kWh) or joules (J). One joule is one watt-second (Ws). 1kWh= 1000Wh = 3,600,000 J (=3.6 MJ).
global solar radiationthe full radiation impacting on a horizontal surface. Consists of direct radiation and diffuse radiation.
diffuse radiationthe energy from the sun which is scattered by molecules in the atmosphere and changes direction before reaching the earth's surface - thereby reducing direct radiation. As an annual average in northern Europe, diffuse radiation is between 50% and 60% of all global solar radiation. Diffuse radiation also heats up solar collectors.
direct radiationthe energy from the sun which reaches the earth without being absorbed or scattered by molecules, dust and clouds. With a clear sky, global solar irradiance consists only of direct radiation.

grey waterwastewater generated by a household from the sink, bath, shower and laundry but not the toilet. Grey water can be treated and recycled for use in the toilet flush or washing machine.
heat exchangera device through which heat is transferred from one liquid to another. It usually consists of a coiled arrangement of metal tubing.
heat loadthe total energy required for space heating.
heat lossheat flow through building envelope components (walls, windows, roof, etc.).
heat pumpa thermodynamic device that transfers heat from one medium to another. The first medium (the source) cools as the second (the heat sink) warms up.
heating seasonthe period of the year during which heating a building is necessary to maintain comfortable conditions. UK standard - approx 33 weeks a year.
hybrid solar heating systemsolar heating system combining active and passive techniques.
I-V curveplot of current versus voltage for a PV cell, module or array as a load is increased from short circuit to open circuit under fixed conditions of irradiance and cell temperature.
infrared radiationelectromagnetic radiation at the wavelengths emitted by a red-hot body, longer than the wave-lengths of visible light.
incident anglethe angle between the sun's rays and a line perpendicular (normal) to the irradiated surface.
insolationa contraction of 'incoming solar radiation' meaning the amount of solar energy incident on a given area over a certain period of time; a common unit of insolation is kW m-2 day-1, often referred to as peak hours per day.
internal gainsthe energy dissipated inside the heated space by people (body heat) and appliance (lighting, cooker, etc.). A proportion of this energy contributes to the space heating requirements (kWh).
ionospherethe upper layer of the air where some of the gas molecules have been ionized by high energy radiation or atomic particles from the Sun. Older forms of radio communication depended on its presence for transmission beyond the horizon.
kilowatt hourenergy unit equivalent to 1000 W used for 1 hour; also referred to as a 'unit' of electricity: 1 kWh=3.6 MJ.
open circuit voltagethe maximum voltage between the terminals of a PV cell or module when only connected by a voltmeter, so no current is flowing. Symbol is Voc.
orientationthe orientation of a surface is in degrees of variation away from solar south, towards either east or west. Solar or true south should not be confused with magnetic south, which can vary owing to magnetic declination.
ozone layera layer of air 15-50 km above the Earth's surface, where most atmospheric ozone is found. It absorbs some of the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun, and in doing so grows warmer and serves to lessen the ultraviolet received at the earth's surface. It is being depleted to some extent by a complex sequence of reactions involving man-made emissions from the Earth's surface of methane, chlorine and nitrogen compounds.
peak hours per dayan alternative unit to kWh m-2 day-1 for daily insolation.
peak powerthe maximum amount of power a PV module can generate under standard test conditions of irradiance and cell temperature; units of Wp.
pelletsmade from dry, unrefined scrap wood (sawdust and wood shavings). They ideally have a diameter of 6 mm and are 10-13 mm long. One kilogram of wooden pellets has a calorific value of about 5 kWh. They require only half the storage volume of bulk wood. Wooden pellet burners can be used as combination systems in connection with a solar thermal system for domestic water heating as well as for room heating support.
photosynthesisthe process by which plants use the energy from sunlight to synthesize organic compounds for their growth from carbon dioxide in the air and water. The process also produces oxygen.