A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SIMPLIFYING SOLAR INDUSTRY JARGON.

SOLAR BASICS – THE KEY TERMS TO KNOW

Solar PV (photovoltaic)
When you hear “solar PV,” it simply means solar panels that generate electricity (not hot water). PV = photovoltaic – the tech that turns sunlight into electricity.

Kilowatt (kW)
This is a measure of power – how much electricity something can produce or use at a single point in time. 
For example:
A 4 kW solar system can generate up to 4 kilowatts of power at peak.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
A kilowatt-hour measures energy used or generated over time. 
It’s what you see on your electricity bill. 
Example: If your home uses 10 kWh per day, that’s 10 units of electricity.

Inverter
Your solar panels generate DC electricity, but your home runs on AC electricity. 
An inverter converts DC into AC so you can use it. 
It’s a key part of any solar system.

Battery storage
A battery stores surplus solar energy so you can use it later e.g. at night, or during peak grid times. 
Modern batteries are safe, compact and smart, saving you money and reducing reliance on the grid.

Feed-in Tariff (FiT)
An older UK scheme where you were paid for generating solar power. 
Newer systems use Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) instead (see below).

Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
This is what pays you for exporting surplus solar energy back to the grid. 
You’ll typically get paid a few pence per kWh you export.

Annual generation estimate
An estimate of how much electricity your solar panels will produce in a year – usually shown in kWh per year. 
We calculate this carefully based on your roof, location and shading.

Payback period
How long it will take for your savings (from lower energy bills + any export payments) to cover the cost of your solar system. 
Most systems in Scotland now pay back in 6–10 years, depending on size and battery choice.

Efficiency
How well your solar panels convert sunlight into usable electricity. 
Today’s premium panels achieve 20–23% efficiency – very impressive for a technology with no moving parts!

Performance warranty
A guarantee that your solar panels will still generate a certain percentage of their original output after 20-25 years.

MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking)
An advanced feature in your inverter that ensures panels operate at their most efficient level, even in changing weather. 
You don’t need to worry about this as modern inverters do this automatically.

BATTERY JARGON – SIMPLIFIED

Battery capacity
How much energy your battery can store – measured in kWh. 
For example, a 10 kWh battery can store 10 kWh of electricity (enough to run an average home for most of the day).

Depth of discharge (DoD)
How much of the battery’s energy can be safely used. A good battery offers 90-100% usable capacity, so you get full value.

Cycle life
The number of charge/discharge cycles a battery can complete before its capacity starts to fade. Modern lithium batteries last 4,000–6,000 cycles – which means 10-15 years of daily use.

Hybrid inverter
An inverter that manages both your solar panels and your battery…keeping everything working smoothly. 
This is now standard on most premium systems.

COMMON SOLAR MYTHS (AND THE TRUTH!)

“Solar doesn’t work in Scotland”
It does! Modern PV panels generate plenty of power even in cloudy conditions. Scotland is a great market for solar.

“Batteries aren’t worth it”
Not true – battery prices have come down, and they help homes cut grid use by up to 90%. They also boost energy independence.

“Solar needs lots of maintenance”
Solar panels are low-maintenance – rain keeps them clear, and systems are designed to last decades.