Glossary of Electrical Terms
The terms and language used by electricians can sometimes be confusing and is often un-familiar. We belive that it is important that all our customers should underatsnd exactly waht we are talking about all the time. Our glossary of terms is designed to help.
- AC
- Alternating Current
- BS7671
- British Standard for the Wiring Regulations of Electrical Installations. This standard ensures electricians follow the Electricity at Work Regulations.
- Consumer Unit
- A consumer unit is a box of fuses or circuit breakers, usually arranged in a single row. This is where electrical circuits can be isolated if necessary by switching off the MCB or removing the fuse for a circuit.
- DC
- Direct Current
- Feed in Tarrif
- The Feed-in-Tariff provides payments from the energy suppliers to the system owner. Payments are made for each kWh generated by a renewable energy system, including PV systems. After you have registered, your supplier will pay you a set rate for every kWh of electricity you produce. The current rate is 41.3pence per kWh generated. This rate is guaranteed for 25 years, tax free and linked to the Retail Price Index.
- Inverter
- A device to convert DC current produced by Solar Panels into AC current that is used in homes and businesses.
- kWh (Kilowatt hour)
- A measure of energy usage equivalent to 1000 watts of energy used for one hour. For example, a 100 watt lightbulb switched on for 10 hours equals 1kWh.
- MCB (Mini Circuit Breaker)
- The MCB is the modern version of a fuse. Commonly found in Consumer Units.
- Microgeneration Certification Scheme
- This scheme covers certification for the installation of small scale energy generation. Types of energy generation covered include:
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Wind
- Small Hydro-Electric systems
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
- Solar Thermal Systems
- Photovoltaic Panel
- A device consructed out of a large number of solar (photovoltaic) cells. Groups of Solar Panels can be combined to generate and supply electricity for both commercial and domestic uses.
Solar panels use light from the sun (photons) to generate electricity via the photovoltaic effect. - Residual Circuit Breaker (RCD)
- The RCD constantly monitors the current flowing through it. It will automatically break the circuit if there is a 'leak to earth', for example if current leakage occurs through the body of a person who is grounded and accidentally touching a live circuit.
- Ring Main
- Also known as a Ring Circuit. This type of circuit is most commonly used for domestic plug sockets.
- Solar Cell
- A solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Multiple solar cells are combined to form Solar Panels.
- Solar Panel
- Can refer to either:
- Photovoltaic Panel
- Solar Thermal Collector
- Solar Thermal Collector
- A device designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The term is most often applied to solar hot water panels. Different types are Flat plate collectors and Evacuated tube collectors.
Find out more about Solar Thermal Panels
