I
Idling absorption
When functioning, stand-alone inverters absorb power from the batteries and the PV generator, even with no load in output. This power, called idling absorption, depends basically on the inverter size and it can vary from few to some dozens of Watts. Also grid-connected inverters in series present a certain idling absorption (from the grid); this happens when the power supplied by the PV generator drops under the minimum value, necessary to trigger the power transfer between the sections DC and AC of the inverter. Anyway, these power levels are extremely modest.
Incident light
Light that shines onto the face of a solar cell or module.
Insolation
The amount of energy in sunlight reaching an area. Usually expressed in watts per square meter (W/m^2), but also expressed on a daily basis as watts per square meter per day (W/m^2/day).
Inverter
Device that converts DC electricity into AC electricity (single or multiphase), either for stand-alone systems (not connected to the grid) or for utility-interactive systems.
Ion accelerator
Device similar to a particle accelerator which bombards the silicon surface of the PV cell with high-speed phosphor ions. This procedure (called sputtering) allows to examine carefully the depth of ion penetration on the silicon surface.
I-V characteristic
Graphic of the current characteristic as a function of the voltage of a PV device.
I-V curve
Graphic showing the features of current as a function of voltage in a PV device.
