Solar glossary

ALMM

Approved List of Models and Manufacturers: the government list of solar modules eligible for subsidised projects.

Anti-islanding

A safety feature that shuts a grid-tied inverter down when the grid fails, so it never feeds power into a line that workers believe is dead.

BESS

Battery energy storage system: batteries plus the electronics that charge and discharge them, sized in kWh.

Bi-directional meter

A meter that records both the units you draw from the grid and the units you export. Net metering needs one.

Connected load / sanctioned load

The maximum load, in kW, that your KSEB connection is approved to draw. It limits the size of system that can be connected.

DBT

Direct Benefit Transfer: how the PM Surya Ghar subsidy is paid, straight to your bank account.

DCR

Domestic Content Requirement: subsidy projects must use modules made with domestic cells and modules.

Depth of discharge (DoD)

The share of a battery's capacity that can be used. LiFePO₄ batteries are typically used to about 90%.

DISCOM

Distribution company: in Kerala, KSEB.

Fixed charges

The standing part of your electricity bill, charged for your connection regardless of how many units you use. Solar does not remove it.

Grid-tied (on-grid) system

Solar connected to the grid with net metering and no battery. It shuts down in a power cut.

Hybrid system

Solar with a battery and a hybrid inverter: it can store energy and keep essential loads running in an outage.

Inverter

The device that converts the DC power from panels or batteries into AC power for your home.

kW and kWp

kW is power. kWp is a solar array's rated peak power under standard test conditions: the number used to size a system.

kWh (unit)

Kilowatt-hour: the energy unit on your bill. One unit is one kW used for one hour.

LiFePO₄

Lithium iron phosphate: a battery chemistry known for thermal stability and long life, used in our battery systems.

Net metering

An arrangement where the units you export are credited against the units you draw from the grid.

PM Surya Ghar

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana: the central scheme subsidising rooftop solar for homes.

Scout

SOLAR CONNECT's feasibility check for transformer headroom, connected load and approval likelihood.

Specific yield

How many kWh a kW of panels generates per day or year at your location. In Kerala, about 3.8–4.2 kWh per kWp per day.

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