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====== SOLAR SID'S NO-BS GUIDE: 36 SOLAR TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW ======

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If a salesman says it, it's in here.

Lads, I'm sick of the jargon. If you're getting solar in Ireland, you need to know these - save this post!
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☕ **Help keep Solar Sid independent**

Hi, I'm Dale McWilliams (Solar Sid). This site has no ads and no installer sponsors — it's 100% independent. If the guides helped you, you can [[https://buymeacoffee.com/solarsid|buy me a coffee]] to help cover domain and hosting and keep it free for everyone.

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===== THE BASICS: =====

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    * **kW = HOW FAST (power)** - How much muscle your system has at any one second. Your kettle is 3kW.
    * **kWh = HOW MUCH (energy)** - What you're billed for, what fills your battery. If your 5kW system runs full whack for 1 hour, you made 5kWh.
    * **kWp = max power** in perfect lab conditions. Never happens in Ireland!
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===== THE GEAR: =====

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    * **Solar Panel** - turns sun into DC.
    * **String Inverter** - one big brain for all panels. One shaded = all sulk.
    * **Hybrid Inverter** - solar + battery in one. Get this if you EVER want a battery.
    * **Microinverter** - one tiny inverter per panel. Great for shade but more to go wrong.
    * **Battery Storage** - your bucket of kWh for nighttime (10 kWh min but 15kWh needed for most Irish homes to get the full benefit).
    * **DoD** - Depth of Discharge - how much battery you can actually use.
    * **Charge/Discharge Rate** - how fast it fills/empties.
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===== THE ROOF BIT: =====

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    * **MPPT** - Maximum Power Point Tracker - squeezes max power every second (this is in the inverter).
    * **String** - panels wired like Christmas lights.
    * **Azimuth** - which way the roof faces. South is king. 180 = South, 90 = East, 270 = West.
    * **Tilt** - angle. 30-35° is sweet spot for Ireland.
    * **Shading** - Enemy No.1. Chimneys, aerials, Mick's tree (also see optimisers).
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===== THE PAPERWORK (Irish bit): =====

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    * **BER Cert** - needed AFTER install, no BER, NO GRANT.
    * **SEAI Grant** - €1,800 back.
    * **NC6 Form** - to ESB Networks to get PAID for export. No NC6 = No cash.
    * **Export** - leccy you sell back. 13-19c/kWh.
    * **Self-Consumption** - how much of your own solar you use. Aim for 45-55%.
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===== THE SAFETY & DETAILS: =====

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    * **MC4 Connector** - joins panels. Cheap ones MELT. Staubli is the original and the best.
    * **Bird Mesh** - stops pigeons setting up an Airbnb under your panels.
    * **Isolation Switches** - big red (AC) & a big grey (DC) off switch. Mandatory.
    * **Fireman Switch / Rapid Shutdown** - safety switch so fire brigade can kill DC on the roof in an emergency. Mandatory.
    * **Generation App** - addictive, you'll check it 20 times a day.
    * **Degradation** - -0.5%/yr. Still 88% after 25 years.
    * **Grid-Tied** - normal system, off when ESB goes off.
    * **EPS/Backup** - Emergency Power Supply - keeps lights on when ESB is down.
    * **Shunt** - See Fireman Switch / Rapid Shutdown
    * **ESB Smart Meter** - what ESB bills you from. Import + Export.
    * **Solar Meter** - measures ONLY what solar made.
    * **CT Clamp** - little clip in fuse board that tells inverter what house is using. Fitted backwards = chaos.
    * **Battery Breaker / DC Fuse** - big fuse that stops a fire. Non-negotiable.
    * **Optimiser (Tigo / SolarEdge)** - panel-level box so you can see each panel in app, needed if you have shading.
    * **CCA** - little box that collects all optimiser data and sends it to your router. No CCA = no Tigo monitoring.
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Sid ☀

If a salesman baffles you with jargon, send him this page.
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☕ **Solar Sid's Tip:** Got your head around the terms? Now run your real numbers in my [[https://solarsid.eu/Irish-solar-calculator.html|Irish Solar Calculator]].

**[[https://buymeacoffee.com/solarsid|☕ Buy Solar Sid a coffee to keep the site independent]]**
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[[start|☀ Back to Start]] | [[tech-explained:kw-vs-kwh|← kW vs kWh]] | [[tech-explained:solcast|What is Solcast? →]]

{{tag>solar glossary solar terms ireland solar jargon explained kwh kw mppt azimuth ber seai nc6 export self-consumption optimiser tigo solaredge hybrid inverter}}