1001 collector

4 stacked 10-01 collectors

4 side X side 10-01 collectors

Laing 12V circulator

differential control

digital twin temperature readout

floating ball check valve

freeze valve

SOLAR GLOSSARY

10-01 - (pronounced ten-o-one) a Skyline collector that covers ten square feet

20-01 - (pronounced twenty-o-one) a Skyline collector that covers twenty square feet

A

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absorber - the material in collectors that absorbs the sun's energy

AC - alternating current...the type of electricity used in homes...it changes voltage periodically, typically 60 times a second

active solar water heating - a system in which the sun's heat is absorbed by collectors and transferred by a pump to a storage tank for later use

ambient temperature - temperature of the surrounding area

ampere - unit of electric current equivalent to a flow of one coulomb per second or to the steady current produced by one volt applied across a resistance of one ohm

array - a series of two or more solar modules or panels

B

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Btu - (British Thermal Unit) One Btu is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1°F

boiler - an enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated, either as hot water or as steam, for heating or power

building permit - a requirement of a local jurisdiction for construction work whether it is new or an improvement of an existing structure

C

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circulating fluids - water in an open loop system or Propylene glycol in a closed loop system used to transfer collected energy in the form of heat to a storage tank

circulator - a device such as a pump that moves heating fluid through the solar loop

closed loop system - a solar water heating system in which the solar loop is separated from water pressure by a heat exchanger, used in hard freeze areas

collector - a solar panel that absorbs the sun's energy and converts it into heat

compression union - a copper connector that joins pipes together and creates a compression seal within the connector

concentrating solar power (CSP): solar power plants using multiple mirrors that collect the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity

CO2 - carbon dioxide (one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms), the most common greenhouse gas

convection - the transfer of heat in a gas or liquid by the circulation of currents from one region to another

cool feed - the tube allowing inflow of cool water prior to solar heating within a solar loop

copper tubing - used in solar water heating systems for heat transfer fluid to pass through

coulomb - the quantity of electricity transported in one second by a current of one ampere

D

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DC - direct current...the type of electricity that flows in one direction, such as in a battery

differential control - an electronic device designed to monitor collector and storage temperatures and to automatically turn a circulation pump on or off at the appropriate temperature differentials...the pump is turned on when heat is available or when freeze recirculation is needed and off when no energy is available

digital twin temperature readout - an electronic device that displays temperatures for cool feed and hot return

drain back system - a system with a heat exchanger in which the heat transfer fluid automatically drains into the tank

drain valve - a valve at the bottom of a tank that allows the tank to be drained

E

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electrical grid - a system that distributes electricity from a utility company over a large area

electron - a negatively-charged particle of an atom...the flow of electrons in an electrical conductor creates an electric current

electricity - energy produced from the flow of charged particles, such as electrons or ions

Ell bracket - a part used for mounting a collector

expansion tank - a small tank that absorbs the expansion and contraction of fluid in a closed loop system

F

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floating check valve - a device that allows forward or reverse water flow under certain conditions while preventing reverse flow under inappropriate conditions

flow rate - the amount of water that passes through a pipe for a given period of time (commonly measured in gallons per minute)

fossil fuels - materials from decomposed plant and animal matter buried under layers of earth over millions of years, supplying most of the world's energy in the form of oil, coal and natural gas

freeze protection - a strategy or design that prevents piping from freezing in the

winter...Skyline closed loop systems 4 and 5 are specifically designed for freeze protection

FSEC - Florida Solar Energy Center

G

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geothermal - a clean, renewable energy source using heat from the earth to generate electricity

glazing - the plastic or glass window on a collector that traps the sun's heat inside, creating what is similar to the greenhouse effect

greenhouse effect - a warming of the Earth and atmosphere caused by greenhouse gases and water vapor trapping heat from the sun

greenhouse gases - gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide that trap the sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere

H

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heat exchanger - a device such as a coiled copper tube inside a tank of water used to transfer heat from one fluid to another through a separating wall

heat pump - a device that moves heat from one place to another

hot return - a tube that goes into an open loop tank, returning solar heated water

hydropower - a clean energy system using flowing water to turn turbines, which generate electricity, usually in conjunction with dams

I

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inverter - a device that converts DC power into AC power

K

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kilowatt - (kW) a measure of electric power equal to 1,000 watts

kilowatt hour - (kWh) a measure of electric power equal to one kilowatt expended over one hour (kilowatt hours are used by utility companies for billing purposes)

L

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LEED points - LEED is an abbreviation for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, measuring a building's environmental quality.

M

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megawatt - a thousand kilowatts or one million watt of electric power...this output measurement is used by power plants

mixing valve - used to mix cold and hot water to extend capacity of water heater storage tanks and tankless heaters (also called tempering valve)

module - a separate and distinct unit that may be used as a component in a system, as in a unit composed of PV panels

N

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natural gas - underground deposits of gases consisting of 50 to 90 percent methane (Ch3) and small amounts of heavier gaseous hydrocarbon compounds such as propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10)...source: Environmental Protection Agency


O

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OG100 - An SRCC testing and rating system based on "Operating Guidelines for Certifying Solar Collectors"

OG300 - A solar water heating system rating and certification program established by SRCC that can qualify a system for utility rebates and state incentives

oil - a liquid fossil fuel containing carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, lead and arsenic used for producing energy

open loop system - a solar water heating system open to water pressure, used in

areas where freezing does not occur (such as in areas having tropical or temperate climate)


P

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passive solar water heating - a solar heating or cooling system that uses natural energy instead of an external mechanical device to transfer heat

peak hour demand - the maximum water usage in gallons per hour during the time when a household uses the greatest amount of hot water.

photon - a particle of light that acts as an individual unit of energy

photovoltaic - a system that absorbs the sun's energy to produce electricity (commonly referred to as PV)

pipe run - the path of pipes used for the solar loop

potable water - water that is safe to drink

Power Rod - an external heat exchanger used with 80 gallon Rheem tank

pressure relief valve - a safety valve that releases water (which relieves pressure) if either the temperature or pressure in the tank gets too high

propane - a manufactured gas used for cooking or heating

proton - a basic particle in the nucleus of an atom having a positive electrical charge equivalent to the negative charge of an electron

Propylene Glycol - a petroleum derivative used as a heating fluid in a closed loop solar system

public utility district - a publicl- owned energy producer or distributor

pump - a device that circulates heating fluid through the solar loop

PV - abbreviation for photovoltaic

Q

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quad flow diverter - a valve used at a junction of a pipe tree to change flow from one branch to another

quick connect - a coaxial adaptor that replaces the drain at the bottom of a tank that

allows the solar collector feed and return line to share the same hole

R

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renewable energy - clean energy that can be replenished on a human time scale, such as solar, wind and biomass

retrofitting - the application of conservation, efficiency or renewable energy technologies to existing structures

Rheem - brand name of tanks used for Skyline solar water heating systems

ridgeline - a line marking or following the top of a roof


S

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sensor - an electronic device that detects certain conditions, such as temperatures in a solar water heating system

side by side - a configuration aligning collectors horizontally

siding - a pre-installation survey of the job site where installation will be done

sizing - a process of determining the number of collectors needed for a solar system based on the number of people that will be using the solar hot water

Skyline - brand name of SolarRoofs.com's solar water heating systems

snap switch - a device that will turn a pump on or off to protect against certain temperatures (a 45 degree F snap switch will protect against freeze and a 180 degree F snap switch will protect against overheating)

solar cell - the smallest basic solar electric device which generates electricity when exposed to light

solar electric energy - same as photovoltaic: a process that absorbs the sun's energy and produces electric power

solar loop - a circular or repeating path that includes a series of solar components such as collectors, piping and a tank

solar space heating - the use of solar energy to heat all or part of a building or dwelling

solar thermal energy - a process that harnesses energy from the sun, typically for heating purposes

solder - an alloy which easily melts and is used to join pieces of metal

Southern Orientation - collectors usually face South to effectively absorb the sun's energy

SRCC - Solar Rating and Certification Corporation

stacked - a configuration aligning collectors vertically

storage capacity - the amount of gallons of water a tank can hold

storage tank - a tank that stores water; for a Skyline system you need at least one gallon of storage for each square foot of collector area

sustainable energy - energy that replenishes itself within a human lifetime without damaging

the environment

T

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tank - a storage unit for hot water

tankless - a water heating system that produces hot water on demand without a storage tank

tempering valve - used to mix cold and hot water to extend capacity of water heater storage tanks and tankless heaters (also called mixing valve)

thermal freeze valve - used in open loop systems to protect against freezing

tilt - the angle of a solar collector facing the sun (an effective tilt should be at least 15° up from horizonal)

tilt kit - a device used to adjust the tilt of a collector

top connect - a series of valve connections at the top of a tank

transformer - an electrical device that lowers or raises the voltage of electricity

U

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utility - a company that supplies energy or water to customers over a large area

UV - an abbreviation for ultraviolet, which is invisible electromagnetic radiation the Earth receives from the sun in which the wavelength is shorter than visible light


V

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volt - the potential difference or force that will cause current of one ampere to flow through the resistance of one ohm.



W

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watt - a measuring unit of electric power equal to volts multiplied by amps

windload - the force exerted on a surface by moving air

PV panel

quad flow diverter

two port top connect

tilt kit

Rheem tank

12V freeze snap switch

tempering valve

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