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panel</title></head><body>
<div><br></div>
<div>Not really wrench talk, but as long as you guys are talking about
one of my pet peeves...</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I think the phrase "solar panel" is what editors would
call a "skunked term" -- abused and confused so much that
it's better to not use it. It's not understood by many audiences in
many situations; it's ambiguous in many situations.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>"Solar panel" can mean:</div>
<div>* PV module</div>
<div>* Solar hot water collector</div>
<div>* Subarray (by silly NEC definition that almost no one in the
real world uses...)</div>
<div>* Breaker panel that handles PV</div>
<div>* Richard Perez, Windy Dankoff, and Cully Judd sitting up on the
stage at MREF</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I like to use "solar-electric module" and "solar
hot water collector", and "PV" and "SHW collector"
for short.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Back to wrenching words,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>;-)</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Ian</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 7:51 AM -0800 2/9/11, Joel Davidson wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>Hi Bill,</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>The module operated at approximately
450 degree F. When the flame became yellow, the PV cell
would conduct more and the light power would change the orifice
size to get the flame back to blue.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>There are lots of unusual ways to use
cells, modules, and panels. Solar modules used as desks, tables,
and conference room tables by several PV contractors. From my
office, I can see a nearby office building with vertically mounted
solar panels in portrait mode used as screens to hide
roof-mounted air conditioners. Not very efficient mounting panels at
34 degrees latitude, but it's always nice to see more
PV.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>Here's an interesting solar module as
a piece of art. With Valentine's Day coming up, you might want to give
your honey a solar rose. Tell them Joel sentcha. They may give
you a discount. See</tt> <a
href="http://www.sunbrothers.com/portfolio/flower.htm"><tt
>http://www.sunbrothers.com/portfolio/flower.htm</tt></a></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>Joel Davidson</tt><br>
<blockquote>----- Original Message -----</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a
href="mailto:solar1online@charter.net">Bill Loesch</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>To:</b> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a></blockquote
>
<blockquote><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, February 09, 2011 5:02
AM</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] module /
panel</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Hi Joel,</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Interesting applications.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>I'm not trying to be pedantic but (in the '93
application) did you mean the module was seeing the flame and
keeping the _gas valve_ open? Do I understand correctly that it was
capable of keeping the electromagnet energized on only pilot flame?
Essentially substituting for a thermocouple or
thermopile?</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Not exactly an ideal cold temperature
application.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>TIA,</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Bill Loesch<br>
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar<br>
314 631 1094</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> <br>
<blockquote>----- Original Message -----</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a
href="mailto:joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net">Joel
Davidson</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>To:</b> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a></blockquote
>
<blockquote><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, February 08, 2011 10:01
PM</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] module /
panel</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Cells? Modules? Bell Labs use to call them solar
batteries. Call them what you will, but please buy and use
them.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Nomenclature from micro to macro: Cell > Module >
Panel > Sub-array > Array > Power Field.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>From Solar Photovoltaic Applications Seminar: Design,
Installation and Operation of Small, Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems,
July 1980, DOE/CS/32522-T1 (with thanks to Jim Fortenberry for his
copy when the DOE shut down the PV Division of the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in 1984):</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>A PV array is composed of many subarrays, panels,
modules, and cells in various series, parallel, star, and delta
combinations. Individual cells are wired together and mounted to
produce a module.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>From UL 1703:</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>2. Glossary</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>2.13 Module (Flat-Plate) - The smallest
environmentally protected, essentially planar assembly of solar cells
and ancillary parts, such as interconnects and terminals, intended to
generate dc power under unconcentrated sunlight. The structural
(load-carrying) member of a module can either be the top layer
(superstrate), or the back layer (substrate), in
which:</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>a) The superstrate is the transparent material forming
the to (light-facing) outer surface of the module. If load-carrying,
this constitutes a structural superstrate.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>b) The substrate is the material forming the back out
surface of a module. If load-carrying, this constitutes a structural
substrate.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>2.15 Panel (Flat-Plate) - A collection of modules
mechanically fastened together, wired, and designed to provide a
field-installable unit.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Cell/Module/Panel factoids:</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>There are such things as non-solar PV
cells and modules. In 1983, a UCLA researcher used a silicon
solar cell to measure the contractions (beats) of a heart cell.
The heart cell was viewed on a television screen that was
connected to a microscope. The solar cell was taped to
the TV screen. When the cell contracted, the photons emitted by
the TV screen changed causing the solar cell to generate current that
was then recorded.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>In 1993, while at Solec International, I had a
customer who used a small custom solar module mounted near the
combustion chamber of a natural gas heater. The solar module used
the photons emitted by the combusted gas to power the gas flow
regulator.</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>In 1994, while at Solar Integrated Technologies, I got
the first UL listing for a photovoltaic panel (not
module).</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt>Joel Davidson</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> <br>
<blockquote> <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<hr></blockquote>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
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<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Ian Woofenden <ian.woofenden@homepower.com>, Senior Editor,
Home Power magazine<br>
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