Solar Glossary

Microinverter

Individual inverter per panel — AC architecture

MPPT

Maximum Power Point Tracker — dynamic optimization

Power Optimizer

DC optimizer per panel with central inverter

Solar inverter

Central or hybrid DC→AC converter

String (PV string)

Modules connected in series

Network injection

Sale of surplus solar to the grid

Self-consumption

Directly use electricity produced on site

Self-consumption rate

% of solar production consumed on site

Self-sufficiency rate

% of consumption covered by solar

Solar ROI

Return on photovoltaic investment

Solar VAT

VAT rates to check on solar quotes in Switzerland

Network connection

Connection of the PV installation to the electricity network

Partial shading

Impact of shadows on solar production

Solar building permit

Administrative authorization for PV installation

Performance Ratio (PR)

Performance normalized by capacity and solar resource

Solar irradiation

Solar energy received per m² per year

ESTI

Federal inspection of high-current installations

GRD

Distribution Network Manager

One-off subsidy (RU)

One-time federal grant

Pronovo

Manager of the federal single remuneration

Swissolar

Swiss Association of Solar Professionals

Battery cycle

Battery aging unit

EMS

Energy Management System — intelligent flow manager

Island mode

Autonomous operation without network

LFP battery

Lithium Iron Phosphate — residential reference storage

SOC (State of Charge)

Battery charge level in %

Bifacial module

Panel producing on both sides

BIPV

Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics — integrated photovoltaics

HJT

Heterojunction Technology

IBC

Interdigitated Back Contact — integral back contact

N-Type vs. P-Type

Types of photovoltaic silicon doping

PERC

Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell

Photovoltaic module efficiency

% of solar energy converted to electricity

TOPCon

Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact

kWh

Kilowatt hour — unit of electrical energy

kWp

Kilowatt-peak — nominal power of a system