Glossary

Array (photovoltaic)
modules wired together in series or parallel form an array.

BOS or Balance of System (photovoltaic)
the parts of a photovoltaic system other than the array. For instance: switches, controls, meters, power conditioning equipment, supporting structure for the array, storage components, etc.

CD-ROM (CD-Read Only Memory)
a type of data-storage media using a CD format with pre-recorded data that cannot be recorded by the user.

CD-RW (CD-Rewritable Memory)
a type of data-storage media using a CD format employing ECD Ovonics' proprietary phase-change rewritable optical memory technology capable of being recorded and re-recorded many times.

Cell (photovoltaic)
the smallest unit of a solar module.

CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
a type of semiconductor. CMOS semiconductors use both NMOS (negative polarity) and PMOS (positive polarity) circuits.

Crystalline
having a repeating atomic structure in all three dimensions.

Cycle Life
the number of times a device can be switched or can be charged and discharged.

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Disordered
minimizing and lifting of lattice constraints, which provide new degrees of freedom, permitting the placement of elements in multi-dimensional spaces where they interact in ways not previously available. This allows use of multi-elements and complex materials where positional, translational, and compositional disorder remove restrictions so that new local order environments can be generated to control the physical, the electronic, and the chemical properties of the material, thereby permitting the synthesis of new materials with new mechanisms.

DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
a type of semiconductor memory device used for the main system memory in most computers.

Electrode (battery)
the chemically active portions of a battery.

Energy Density
the amount of energy stored in a specific volume or weight.

EV (Electric Vehicle)
a vehicle propelled exclusively by an electric drive system powered by an electrochemical energy storage device, typically a rechargeable battery.

FLASH
a type of semiconductor memory device that retains stored data even with the power off.

FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle)
an electric vehicle that derives its electricity from a fuel cell.

FCHEV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle)
a vehicle that is propelled both by a fuel cell and an electrochemical energy storage device coupled to an electric drive.

FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)
an integrated circuit having thousands of logic gates that can be programmed by an end user to perform complex functions.

Fuel Cell
a device that produces electric power by oxidizing hydrogen and exhausting only water and heat as byproducts.

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Grid-Connected (photovoltaic)
a photovoltaic (PV) system in which the PV array supplies power to the grid. Systems can be operated by the utility or by individual buildings.

HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle)
a vehicle that is propelled both by an electrochemical energy storage device coupled to an electric drive and an auxiliary power unit powered by a conventional fuel such as reformulated gasoline, direct injection diesel, compressed natural gas, or hydrogen.

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Module (photovoltaic)
cells wired together in series to form a module.

MOS Logic
integrated circuits utilizing conventional MOS (Metal Oxide Silicon) transistors that perform logic functions.

Nonvolatile
a property of some types of computer memory which retain stored data even when power is removed.

Optical Memory
a computer memory technology that uses lasers to record and play back data stored on a rotating disc.

Ovonic
[after S.R. Ov(shinsky) + (electr)onic] - the term used to describe our proprietary materials, products, and technologies.

Ovshinsky effect
The effect by which a specific glassy thin film switches from a nonconductor to a semiconductor upon application of a minimum voltage.

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Peak Power
the maximum rate of energy output available for a sustained period of time, typically 10 to 30 seconds.

Phase-Change Rewritable
an optical memory technology invented by Ovshinsky in which data is stored or erased on memory media by means of a laser beam that switches the structural phase of a thin-film material between crystalline and amorphous states.

Photovoltaic (PV)
direct conversion of light into electrical energy.

Regenerative Power
the process of restoring energy to the battery by absorbing kinetic energy of the vehicle as it slows down.

Roll-to-Roll Process
a process where a roll of substrate is continuously converted into a roll of product.

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Semiconductor
a class of materials with special electrical properties used to fabricate solar cells, transistors, integrated circuits, and other electronic devices.

Specific Energy
the amount of energy available for a sustained period of time divided by the weight of the battery.

SRAM (Static Random Access Memory)
a type of very fast semiconductor memory device used for high-speed transfers of relatively small data blocks to the main processor in a computer.

Stabilized Energy Conversion Efficiency
the long-term ratio of electrical output to light input.

Thin-Film
a very thin layer of material formed on a substrate.

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