Here’s a glossary of solar technology and related low-voltage power terms, suitable for residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems, including panels, inverters, batteries, and controllers.
☀️ SOLAR TECHNOLOGY GLOSSARY
A
AC Coupling – Connection method where solar DC power is converted to AC and fed into the main AC bus.
Ampere / Amp (A) – Unit of electric current.
Array / Solar Array – Group of solar panels connected together.
Azimuth / Solar Azimuth – Compass direction that solar panels face (0° = North).
Active Solar Panel – Solar panel with integrated electronics or trackers.
B
Battery Bank – Collection of batteries storing solar energy.
Bifacial Solar Panel – Panels that capture sunlight on both front and back sides.
Boost Converter / Step-Up – Device increasing DC voltage from panels or battery.
Balance of System (BOS) – All components of a solar system excluding PV panels (cables, inverters, mounting).
Backup Power – Solar system configuration that stores energy for use when grid fails.
C
Charge Controller / Solar Regulator – Device regulating battery charging from PV panels.
C-Si / Crystalline Silicon Panel – Most common solar panel type using silicon wafers.
Concentrated PV (CPV) – Uses lenses/mirrors to focus sunlight on small, high-efficiency cells.
Cell / Photovoltaic Cell – Smallest unit of a solar panel generating electricity from sunlight.
Current / Amperage – Electrical flow generated by PV panels.
D
DC / Direct Current – Electricity generated by solar panels before conversion to AC.
Degradation Rate – Annual loss of panel efficiency, usually 0.5–1% per year.
Diode / Bypass Diode – Protects panels from shading effects and reverse current.
Duty Cycle / Operational Load – Percentage of time a device can safely operate at full load.
Distributed Generation / DG – Solar power generation close to the point of use, often grid-tied.
E
Efficiency / Conversion Efficiency – Percentage of sunlight converted into electricity.
Energy Storage / Battery Storage – System storing solar energy for later use.
Electrical Isolation / Galvanic Isolation – Safety separation between circuits.
Earth / Ground / GND – Safety path to prevent electric shock.
Electrical Output / Power Rating – Maximum power a panel or inverter can deliver.
F
Fill Factor (FF) – Measure of a solar cell’s maximum power compared to theoretical power.
Flat-Plate Panel – Standard PV panel without concentration lenses.
Feed-in Tariff / FiT – Payment for surplus solar energy exported to the grid.
Frequency / Hz – AC grid output rate (50Hz in NZ, AU, EU; 60Hz in US).
Float Charging – Low-rate charging to maintain battery at full capacity.
G
Grid-Tied System / On-Grid – Solar system connected to the utility grid.
Ground-Mount / Solar Mounting – Panels installed on the ground rather than rooftop.
Gating / MPPT Tracking – Electronic adjustment to optimize solar panel output.
Grid Forming / Off-Grid Capability – Inverter mode allowing independent power generation.
Gigawatt / GW – Large-scale solar power unit.
H
Hybrid Inverter – Converts solar DC to AC and manages battery storage.
Half-Cut Cells / Module Design – Panels split cells to reduce resistance and improve shade tolerance.
Heat Coefficient / Temperature Coefficient – Effect of heat on panel output (W/°C).
High Voltage DC / HVDC – DC systems above 600V, often used in commercial PV.
Hour of Sun / Peak Sun Hour – Solar energy received per square meter per day.
I
Inverter / Solar Inverter – Converts DC from panels to AC for home or grid use.
Irradiance / Solar Radiation – Sunlight power received per unit area (W/m²).
Isolation Transformer – Electrical isolation for safety and voltage regulation.
IP Rating / Ingress Protection – Weatherproof rating for outdoor solar equipment.
Internal Resistance / Battery IR – Resistance inside batteries affecting efficiency.
J
Junction Box / PV Panel Box – Enclosure on a solar panel containing wiring and diodes.
Junction Temperature / Tj – Temperature at semiconductor junctions in panels or inverters.
Jack / Connector / MC4 – Standard solar panel connector for DC wiring.
Jobsite Wiring / Solar Cable Routing – Installation wiring for solar arrays.
Junction Losses / Wiring Losses – Power loss due to resistance in connectors or wires.
K
Kilowatt / kW – Unit of electrical power.
Kilowatt-Hour / kWh – Energy consumption or generation over time.
Kelvin / Color Temperature – Used in solar tracking sensors or PV monitoring systems.
Key Performance Indicator / KPI – System metrics like energy yield, uptime, efficiency.
L
Load / Consumer Load – Electrical devices powered by solar energy.
Lithium-Ion Battery / Li-ion – High-performance rechargeable battery type for solar storage.
Lead-Acid Battery / SLA – Traditional rechargeable battery for off-grid solar.
Low Voltage DC / LVDC – Common solar battery and controller voltage (12V, 24V, 48V).
Losses / System Losses – Reduction in energy due to wiring, conversion, temperature, shading.
M
Maximum Power Point / MPP – Voltage/current combination at which a panel delivers maximum power.
MPPT / Maximum Power Point Tracker – Device maximizing power extracted from panels.
Mono-Crystalline / Monocrystalline Panel – High-efficiency silicon solar panels.
Module / Solar Module – Assembly of multiple solar cells.
Mounting / Roof Mount / Tilt Angle – Angle and installation method for panels.
N
Nominal Voltage / Vnom – Standard voltage of PV panel or battery.
Net Metering – Accounting method for solar energy exported to grid.
Node / Solar Bus – Junction point in solar wiring.
Nighttime Loss / Self-Discharge – Battery energy lost during storage.
Neutral / AC Neutral – Standard AC wiring component.
O
Off-Grid / Standalone System – Solar system not connected to the utility grid.
Overcurrent Protection / Fuse / Breaker – Protects circuits from excessive current.
Open-Circuit Voltage / Voc – Maximum voltage of panel with no load.
Output Voltage / Rated Voltage – Voltage delivered to load.
Overvoltage / Surge Protection – Protects devices from spikes.
P
Panel Efficiency / Module Efficiency – Ratio of electrical output to solar irradiance.
Peak Power / Pmax – Maximum output a panel can produce under standard test conditions.
Parallel Wiring / Current Sharing – Connecting panels to increase current at same voltage.
Photovoltaic / PV – Converts sunlight directly into electricity.
Power Optimizer – Device maximizing power from individual panels, improving shade tolerance.
Q
Quality / Degradation – Long-term performance and efficiency loss.
Quick Connect / Plug-In PV Connector – Simplified connection method, usually MC4.
Quasi-Mono / Polycrystalline Panel – Silicon panel combining mono and poly characteristics.
R
Roof-Mount / Ground-Mount – Panel installation method.
Rechargeable Battery / Storage – Battery storing solar energy for later use.
Rectifier / AC-DC Conversion – Converts AC to DC in some hybrid systems.
Rated Current / Voltage – Maximum safe operating values for panels or devices.
Remote Monitoring / Telemetry – System for monitoring solar output and battery status.
S
Series Wiring / Voltage Addition – Connecting panels to increase total voltage.
Shading Loss / Partial Shading – Reduced output due to blocked sunlight.
Solar Irradiance / Sunlight Power – W/m² falling on PV surface.
String Inverter / Central Inverter – Converts DC from a string of panels to AC.
State of Charge / SoC – Battery energy level as a percentage of capacity.
T
Tilt Angle / Panel Orientation – Angle for optimal sun exposure.
Temperature Coefficient – Effect of temperature on panel efficiency.
Tracking / Solar Tracker – Mechanism to adjust panel angle to follow the sun.
Terminal / Junction – Connection point for wires or cables.
Transient / Surge – Short voltage or current spike.
U
UPS / Uninterruptible Power Supply – Backup system storing solar energy for continuous operation.
UV Resistant / Weatherproof Panel – Panels rated for outdoor exposure.
Utility-Interactive / Grid-Tie – Solar inverter connected to grid with synchronization.
Under-Voltage Protection / LVD – Prevents battery over-discharge.
Ultra-Efficient Cells / High-Conversion Modules – Panels with efficiency above 22%+.
V
Voltage / V – Electrical potential difference.
Voltage Drop / Cable Loss – Loss over wire length due to resistance.
Vmp / Maximum Power Voltage – Panel voltage at peak power.
Voc / Open Circuit Voltage – Voltage with no load connected.
Virtual Ground / Split Supply – DC reference used in electronics or controllers.
W
Watt / W / Power – Electrical power.
Watt-Hour / Wh – Energy produced or stored over time.
Weatherproof / IP Rating – Protection from water and dust ingress.
Wire Gauge / AWG – Determines current-carrying capacity.
Wi-Fi / Remote Monitoring – Connects inverter or battery to cloud systems.
X
X-Point / MPP Tracker Algorithm – Control algorithm for MPPT optimization.
Xtreme Efficiency / High-Performance Panel – Marketing term for high-efficiency modules.
Y
Yield / Solar Energy Output – Total energy produced over time.
Y-Connection / Star Connection – Wiring method for three-phase inverters.
Yellow Wire / Positive DC Convention – Color coding for solar wiring.
Z
Zero Export / Grid Limiting – Restricts excess solar energy from feeding grid.
Zener Diode / Voltage Clamp – Protects PV electronics from spikes.
Zone Monitoring / Sectioned Array – Monitoring output of individual solar strings.
Zenith Angle / Sun Elevation – Angle of sun relative to vertical; affects panel performance.
Published 17th Feb 2026