- Black out
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The loss of electricity supply to an area. Also known as a power cut, power failure or power outage.
- Current
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The flow of electrons in a power conductor. The flow of electrical energy (electricity) in a conductor is measured in amps.
- DC
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The abbreviation for 'direct current'
- Direct Current
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The unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries and solar cells.
- Electric circuit
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The path followed by electrons from a power source (generator or battery), through an electrical device.
- Electricity meter
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A device which measures and records the production or consumption of electrical energy. Induction disc meters have been used for over a century, but fully electronic meters are slowly becoming more popular.
- Grid-connect photovoltaic systems
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Grid-connect photovoltaic systems (also known as grid-tied, on-grid, or grid-interactive solar electric systems) generate electricity for your home or business and are connected to the main electricity grid to enable you to export excess power to the main grid, and also import power from the main grid when your solar system is not producing enough electricity for your needs (at night for example).
- Inverter
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An electronic device for converting direct current (DC) power generated from photovoltaic solar panels into alternative current (AC) power suitable for household appliances (and for export to the electricity grid if you generate excess power).
- Kilowatt
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A standard unit of electrical power equal to 1000 watts.
- Kilowatt hour
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Measurement of electrical energy equal to one kilowatt of power produced or used in one hour. A unit of energy commonly used on household electricity meters to determine energy usage for billing purposes. A typical Australian household will use several hundred kilowatt hours in one month, making it a convenient unit for billing.
- kWh
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Abbreviation for 'kilowatt'
- Megawatt
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A million watts of power or 1,000 kilowatts.
- Megawatt hour
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One megawatt hour equals 1,000 kilowatt hours, equals one million watt hours. This is the standard measure of electric power plant generating capacity.
- National grid
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The sum of all the connected transmission systems and distribution systems within the participating jurisdictions. In Australia the National Grid stretches from Queensland through NSW, the ACT and Victoria, to South Australia. The grid makes it easy to establish trading across state boundaries, which is done through the National Electricity Market (NEM).
- Passive solar heating
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The use of the sun to heat buildings. Careful design and positioning of buildings can ensure that sunlight in the winter months will warm them by day, with much of the warmth remaining during the night. Summer sunlight is usually kept out with shade from awnings and strategically planted deciduous vegetation. Passive solar heating does not involve the conversion or harnessing of solar energy like PV solar electricity or solar hot water.
- Photovoltaic
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Sometimes known as Solar Electric, PV is short for photovoltaics (photo meaning light, voltaics meaning electricity). Solar PV panels on your house can generate electricity for your home. PV is a semiconductor-based technology used to convert light energy into direct current (DC) electricity, using no moving parts, consuming no conventional fuels, and creating no pollution.
- Photovoltaic array
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A collection of Photovoltaic panels linked together to generate larger amounts of electricity from solar energy than is possible with a single PV solar panel.
- Photovoltaic cell
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A device where light energy is converted to electrical energy. Photo=light. Voltaic=electricity.
- Photovoltaic panel
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An interconnected assembly of Photovoltaic cells packaged together in a convenient panel (which is usually installed on your roof) to capture solar energy from sunlight and convert it to electricity.
- Solar energy
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Radiant energy emitted by the sun.
- Solar panel
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See 'Photovoltaic panel' above.
- Volt
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The basic unit of electrical potential. The higher the voltage, the greater the amount of electrical energy that can be transferred through a circuit.
- Watt
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A unit for measuring electric power. It is a measure of the rate at which an appliance uses electrical energy.