Plain English

The words you will see while researching.

Short definitions for the technical and regulatory terms used across Solar2Socket.

AC: Alternating current: the form of electricity used by normal household circuits.
DC: Direct current: the electricity a solar panel produces before the inverter converts it.
DNO: Distribution Network Operator: the company that runs the local electricity wires.
Final circuit: The part of the installation supplied from one protective device in the consumer unit, such as a ring or radial socket circuit.
G98: The engineering recommendation used for connecting small-scale generation to the distribution network.
Microinverter: A small inverter that converts panel DC into grid-compatible AC.
Rated AC output: The maximum continuous AC power assigned to the generating equipment. This is not the same as total panel DC wattage.
Self-consumption: The share of solar generation used in the property at the time it is generated.
SEG: Smart Export Guarantee: a scheme under which participating electricity suppliers pay eligible generators for measured exports.
Type Test Register: The ENA database of generating equipment that has submitted type-test information for G98 or related routes.
UKCA / CE: General product-conformity markings. They do not alone establish compliance with every plug-in-solar requirement.
Whole-kit declaration: The supplier’s statement tying compliance to the exact complete product and configuration placed on the market.