Alternating Current
An electric current that reverses its direction at regularly recurring intervals. Commonly used in most household appliances.
Centrifugal Pump
A type of pump that uses an impeller to spin water and push it out by centrifugal force.
Diaphragm Pump
A type of pump in which water is drawn in and forced out of one or more chambers, by a flexible diaphragm.
Direct Current
An electric current flowing in one direction only and substantially constant in value.
Flowrate
The amount of fluid that flows in a given time, normally expressed in units of cubic meters per hour or gallons per minute in the US.
Foot Valve
A check valve that prevents water from flowing back down the pipe. It is placed in the water source below a surface pump.
Friction Loss
The loss of pressure due to flow of water in pipe due to distance covered, fittings, and other factors.
Inverter
An electronic control device that produces AC output from DC input.
kWh
A unit of energy that is the multiplication of power in kilowatts (kW) and time in hours.
Linear Current Booster
An electronic device that conditions the voltage and current of a PV array to match the needs of a DC-powered pump, especially a positive displacement pump. It allows the pump to start and run under low sun conditions without stalling. It is also called a pump controller.
Peak sun hours
The equivalent number of hours available in a certain location per day when the intensity is enough to produce 1 kW of energy. Usually in the range of an annual average of 3 to 7 hours per day.
The amount of sunlight falling on a specific area for a given period of time. Also known as solar irradiance and given in kWh/m2 /day.
Suction Lift
The vertical distance from the surface of the water in the source, to a pump located above surface pump located above.
Surface Pump
A pump that is not located on ground level to suck out water from lower level sources.
Dynamic Head
The summation of vertical lift and friction loss in piping.
Watt Peak
The maximum capacity of the PV panel(s), also known as the rated power of the panel. It is the maximum amount that can be produced under standard test conditions.
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