M
Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT)
A power conditioning unit that automatically operates the PV generator at the maximum power peak point of the I-V curve under all conditions of temperature and radiance.
See: follower of the max power point
Metallization
Process of laying and fixing electric contacts on the cell surface.
Metallurgical grade silicon
Fairly cheap silicon having 99.8% of purity and normally employed in many industrial uses, but usually not in PV cells.
Module
A number of PV cells connected together, sealed with an encapsulant, and having a standard size and output power; the smallest building block of the power generating part of a PV array. Also called panel.
Monocrystalline silicon
Silicon having a single crystal.
MOS-FET
Metal-Oxide-Silicon Field effect transistor; used as semiconductor power switch in charge regulators, inverters etc.
Mounting structure
With the rapid growth of grid-connected distributed systems, a wide range of products have been developed for installing PV modules on buildings. These include mounting structures for PV facades, roof profiles, flat roofs and even 'PV tiles' that can be used to replace conventional roof tiles. New products are addressing the need for ease of integration into the building envelope and aesthetic appeal.
Multicrystalline
Material that is solidified at such as rate that many small crystals (crystallites) form. The atoms within a single crystallite are symmetrically arranged, whereas crystallites are jumbled together. These numerous grain boundaries reduce the device efficiency. A material composed of variously oriented, small individual crystals. (Sometimes referred to as polycrystalline or semicrystalline).
