Glossary
Agrivoltaics / Agri-PV / Agricultural photovoltaics
The practice of generating photovoltaic power on agricultural land. The terms are commonly used for both commercial operations and research and development activity. Commercial systems principally aim to make use of the large land areas that agriculture offers, whilst R&D efforts are largely geared towards enhancing agricultural productivity alongside electricity generation.
Balance of System (BOS)
The additional components required to allow a PV system to operate such as inverters, cabling, and mounting structures.
Circular economy
An economic system in which products and materials are shared, leased, reused, repaired, refurbished, and recycled to keep them in circulation as long as possible, minimising waste and retaining valuable materials in production processes. This is in contrast to a linear economic model where products are consumed and discarded at the end of their life.
Climate literacy
Climate literacy is an understanding of the Earth’s climate, how humanity has caused the climate crisis, and in turn how the climate impacts us. It is also about recognising the social and economic impact of the climate crisis alongside the environmental impact.
Community engagement / involvement / participation
Community engagement: Exchanging knowledge and fostering dialogue.
Community involvement: Collaborating with people to shape processes and decisions.
Community participation: Enabling people to influence decisions that affect their lives.
Critical Raw Materials (CRMs)
Raw materials that are of high importance to the EU economy and of high risk associated with their supply. You can find out more about critical raw materials here.
Decentralised renewable energy (DRE)
Decentralised renewable energy is electricity generated from renewable sources that are located close to the point of use. Since the electricity does not have to travel is far, it cuts costs and power loss.
Delphi survey
A Delphi survey builds expert consensus through several anonymous rounds of surveys, where those who take part refine their views based on collective responses.
Dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs)
An early 3rd generation solar technology that acted as a precursor to perovskite solar cells.
Energy justice
Energy justice is an approach that seeks to ensure that the benefits, costs, risks, and opportunities associated with energy systems are distributed fairly, that affected communities can participate meaningfully in decision-making, and that the needs and rights of marginalised groups are recognised and respected
GEDSI
Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion. See our GEDSI statement here.
Just energy transition
A transition from one energy system to another (such as from fossil fuels to renewables) in a way that ensures equity and justice for everybody involved.
kW (kilowatt)
A kilowatt is a unit of power equivalent to 1000 watts.
kWh (kilowatt hour)
A kilowatt hour is a measure of energy, either generated or consumed. 1 kWh is equivalent to 1kW continuously for 1 hour, 2kW for 30 minutes, or other multiples of power and time.
Leave No One Behind
‘Leave No One Behind‘ is the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It represents the unequivocal commitment of all UN Member States to eradicate poverty in all its forms, end discrimination and exclusion, and reduce the inequalities and vulnerabilities that leave people behind.
Levelised cost of electricity (LCOE)
Levelised cost of electricity is a measure of the average cost of electricity generation over the lifetime of an energy generator.
Low and middle income countries
Currently classified by the World Bank as countries with a GNI per capita lower than $14,005. A full list of low- and middle-income countries can be found here. Where possible, we will refer to specific countries or regions instead.
Mesoscopic / mesoporous solar cells
Mesoscopic refers to a size range between microscopic and macroscopic, or measuring between nanometres and micrometres. At this scale objects consist of multiple atoms or molecules, so they retain quantum mechanical properties.
Mesoporous describes a material that contains pores or cavities between 2-50 nanometres in size. A mesoporous material will typically have a very high density of such pores.
Mesoscopic solar cell: A solar cell architecture where nanostructured and mesostructured layers work together as an integrated 3D system rather than as simple stacked flat films. A mesoscopic cell will typically contain multiple mesoporous layers.
Mesoporous solar cell: A solar cell built around a mesoporous scaffold, typically a nanocrystalline metal-oxide layer with pores in the nanometre range. This porous scaffold greatly increases the internal surface area for light absorber (dye or perovskite) loading. It is the physical substrate that makes a mesoscopic architecture possible.
Next-generation solar / next-generation PV
As yet uncommercialised but potentially transformative solar energy technologies, alleviating many of the concerns associated with current solar energy technologies and systems.
ODA countries / ODA recipients
Countries and territories that are eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA). The DAC list of ODA Recipients consists of all low and middle income countries (see above), with the exception of former G8 members, EU members, and countries with a firm date for entry into the EU. You can see the current DAC list of ODA recipients here.
Organic photovoltaics (OPV)
Organic PV uses organic electronics. Organic electronic materials are constructed from carbon-based molecules or polymers.
Participatory video
A community involvement method of supporting a group or community to create their own film. Participants decide what story to tell and then they plan, produce, and edit the film so they have complete control of the narrative. Read the SUNRISE Participatory Field Guide here.
Perovskite solar cells
A type of solar cell that uses a perovskite compound material as a light absorber.
Photovoltaics (PV)
Technologies that convert light into electricity using semiconducting materials.
Planar solar cells
A solar cell architecture built from flat, uniform stacked layers rather than a porous or mesostructured scaffold. It differs from mesoscopic/mesoporous designs because it doesn’t have a nanoporous metal-oxide layer.
Public engagement / involvement / participation
Seen entry for community engagement / involvement / participation.
Solar cell / module / device
Solar cell
The basic photovoltaic unit that converts light directly into electricity via the photoelectronic effect. A solar cell is the smallest functional building block in both commercial and research settings.
Commercially, it usually refers to a single, standardised, fully packaged silicon (or thin-film) cell manufactured at scale and wired into modules.
In research, ‘solar cell’ more often refers to a small-area test device (sometimes just a few square millimetres to centimetres) used to measure and report a new material’s efficiency before any packaging or scale-up.
Solar module
An assembly of multiple solar cells, connected in a series, encapsulated and framed (or laminated) into a single weatherproof unit. A module is what is typically installed on a roof or in a field and is collectively called an ‘array.’
Commercially, ‘module’ (often used interchangeably with ‘panel’) means a certified, standardised product with a defined power rating, dimensions, and warranty.
In research and development, the use of the term ‘module’ is rarer and typically signals a step up from single-cell testing to a small prototype that explores how a lab-stage technology can be interconnected and laminated to avoid major efficiency loss.
Solar device
The broadest term, covering any construct that performs photovoltaic conversion, regardless of scale or packaging. Commercially it’s used loosely and sometimes interchangeable with ‘cell’ or ‘module,’ or to describe an integrated product. In research and development, ‘device’ is the preferred generic term precisely because it doesn’t imply a finished, standardised form factor, e.g. it can refer to a single experimental cell, a stack of layers on a test substrate, or an early prototype not yet built to any commercial spec.
Solar value chain (SVC)
The Solar Value Chain (SVC) is a complex system encompassing all the necessary activities bringing solar PV products or services from their initial conception through their end-of-life management. It is defined as the full range of activities undertaken from raw material sourcing, through production/manufacturing, distribution, end customer use, and finally to end-of-life management, leading to circular economy considerations.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Tandem solar modules
Tandem solar cell
A device that stacks two (or more) sub-cells with different bandgaps so that each layer absorbs a different part of the solar spectrum. This raises the achievable efficiency above that of a single cell (the single-junction limit). How the sub-cells are electrically connected defines the terminal architecture, and that choice determines both performance ceiling and how close a design is to commercial manufacture.
Tandem solar module
A packaged, framed assemble of interconnected tandem cells sized for field installation.
2-terminal (2T) tandem
The sub-cells are grown monolithically as one stack connected internally through a tunnel junction, with a single pair of external terminals, resulting in the same footprint and wiring as a conventional module The 2T approach requires precise current-matching between sub-cells.
4-terminal (4T) tandem
Two fully independent solar cells (each with its own two terminals) are mechanically stacked rather than electrically joined, avoiding current-matching constraints and allowing the bottom cell to come from an existing, unmodified production line.
3-terminal (3T) tandem
An intermediate architecture with a shared middle contact between sub-cells, giving three total terminals. The 3T approach relaxes current-matching requirements compared with 2T while keeping more of the compact, integrated form factor associated with 4T. It remains an early-stage research concept.
Thin-film photovoltaics
A class of solar cells and modules using thin layers of photovoltaic material rather than wafers. Often referred to as 2nd generation PV.
Transdisciplinarity
Collaboration between disciplines to create a holistic approach to addressing complex issues.
Transforming Energy Access (TEA)
Transforming Energy Access (TEA) is a research and innovation platform supporting the technologies, business models and skills needed to enable an inclusive, clean energy transition. TEA@SUNRISE is funded with UK aid from the UK Government, via the Transforming Energy Access Platform.