Solar Power Glossary

Accredited installer individual qualified to install solar PV panels through accreditation from the Clean Energy Council (CEC)

Agreed load production output that matches your budget

Array a collection of modules

Australian Standards mandatory electrical safety requirements

Battery bank group of battery cells

Compact fluoros electrically economical light globe

Configuration layout pattern

Data-logging system generated data

Electricity retailer company selling and buying electricity

Excess production power left over after your home’s consumption

Feed-in rate price paid for excess power

Generator petrol, diesel or LPG powered 240 V electrical source

Genset electrical generator powered by fossil fuels

Grid the poles and wires forming a city’s electrical network

Grid connected system installed to provide power directly to the electricity grid

Heat pump a device that reverses the refrigeration process by transferring heat from the air to water stored inside an insulated storage tank

Hybrid using more than one generating technology

Incandescent light element used in conventional light bulbs

Inverter device for converting from DC to AC

Kilowatt 1000 watts

Kilowatt hours power in kilowatts multiplied by time in hours

Load analysis analysis of power requirements

Loads power requirements

Meter meter recording electricity movement

MW a million watts of electricity or 1000 kilowatts

Off grid system installed to provide power mainly to a household or village not connected to the (main) utility grid

Off-peak tariffs incentive to delay power use for quiet time

Peak power demand maximum electrical power required

PV photovoltaic (panels) – a renewable energy device that generates electricity from sunlight

REC Renewable Energy Certificate - a tradeable certificate representing a unit of generated renewable energy

Solar access letting the sunshine in

Solar water heater hot water system heated by the sun’s energy

Solar panel converts solar energy into electrical energy

SPS stand-alone power system

Stand-alone solar PV system power system independent of the mains grid

Stand-by loads power to keep an appliance warmed up for a quick start

Surge additional power required to start motors

System design number of modules, size of inverter and cables

System voltage voltage of battery and inverter, usually 12V, 24V or 48V