Solar & Solar Software Glossary
Clear, working definitions for the solar industry. Hardware, software, finance, regulation, and the roles that make installations happen.
- Solar Physics & Hardware
Agrivoltaics
Agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same parcel of land simultaneously for solar PV power generation and crop or livestock production, improving land-use efficiency, reducing crop heat stress in hot climates, and creating a secondary revenue stream for landowners and farm operators.
APVagri-PVagrisolar - Solar Software
AI in Solar
AI in Solar refers to the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence across the solar energy lifecycle, from automated rooftop detection and yield forecasting to lead scoring, sales automation, and anomaly detection, enabling installers to design faster, convert more leads, and maintain systems more reliably.
solar AIartificial intelligence in solarAI for solar
- Solar Physics & Hardware
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is an electrochemical installation that stores electricity from a solar array or the grid and discharges it on demand, enabling installers to offer self-consumption optimization, backup power, and grid-export control as part of a solar project.
BESSsolar battery storagebattery storage - Solar Physics & Hardware
Bifacial Module
A PV module that generates electricity from both its front and rear surfaces, capturing light reflected off the ground or a rear-facing surface in addition to direct sunlight on the front.
Bifacial panelDouble-sided PV module - Solar Physics & Hardware
Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) refers to photovoltaic materials incorporated directly into the building envelope, replacing conventional construction elements such as roof tiles, facades, glazing, or brise-soleil rather than being added on top of them, allowing the building skin to generate electricity while fulfilling its structural and weatherproofing role.
BIPVbuilding-integrated PVbuilding integrated photovoltaics
- Solar Physics & Hardware
Microinverter
A small inverter installed on or near each individual solar module, converting DC to AC at the module level rather than at a central string inverter, which improves yield under partial shading and enables panel-level monitoring at the cost of higher per-watt hardware spend.
Solar microinverterModule-level inverter - Solar Physics & Hardware
Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPE)
Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPE) is the umbrella category covering microinverters and power optimizers: devices that perform DC-to-DC or DC-to-AC conversion at each individual solar module, enabling per-module maximum power point tracking, partial-shading mitigation, and panel-level monitoring rather than string-level management.
MLPEpower optimizersolar optimizer
- Regulatory & Standards
Net Billing
Net billing is a solar compensation policy that prices exported energy and imported grid electricity at separate rates, unlike net metering's one-to-one credit. Because export rates sit below retail import rates, net billing favors self-consumption over generation volume and raises the value of battery storage.
net billingsolar net billingfeed-in remuneration - Regulatory & Standards
Net Metering
A billing policy that credits solar owners at the retail electricity rate for the surplus energy their PV system exports to the grid, offsetting what they consume from the grid at other times.
Net energy meteringNEM
- Finance & Business
Power Purchase Agreement
A long-term contract in which a solar asset owner sells the electricity generated by a PV system to an offtaker at a fixed or indexed per-kWh price, letting the offtaker use solar power without buying the hardware outright.
PPASolar PPAOff-site PPA - Solar Software
PV Design Software
Engineering software used to model a photovoltaic system before installation, covering irradiance simulation, panel and inverter selection, stringing and electrical layout, shading losses, and annual energy yield, typically for commercial and utility-scale projects.
Photovoltaic design softwarePV system design toolSolar PV modeling software
- Solar Software
Shading Analysis
The engineering process of calculating how obstructions such as trees, chimneys, HVAC units, and neighboring buildings cast shade on a PV array through the year, then quantifying the resulting loss in energy yield so the array can be laid out to minimize it.
Shade analysisSolar shading studyShading loss analysis - Solar Physics & Hardware
Solar Carport
A solar carport is a canopy structure built over a parking area that supports a photovoltaic array, generating electricity while providing shade for vehicles. It combines structural and electrical engineering in a single asset, and is a natural site for EV charging integration, making it a high-ROI option for commercial and institutional parking lots.
solar canopyPV carportsolar parking canopy - Solar Software
Solar CRM
A customer relationship management system purpose-built for solar companies, tracking leads, site surveys, proposals, contracts, and installations through the stages unique to a solar sale rather than a generic B2B pipeline.
CRM for solar installersSolar sales CRM - Solar Software
Solar Design Software
Tools that let solar engineers and installers model a photovoltaic system digitally before construction, covering roof capture, panel layout, tilt and azimuth, shading analysis, electrical stringing, and production simulation.
PV design softwareSolar system design toolSolar layout software - Industry Roles
Solar Developer
A solar developer identifies, permits, finances, and brings a solar project to construction-ready status, then either sells the completed asset or operates it long-term as an independent power producer. The developer orchestrates the project but hires a separate EPC contractor to perform the actual build.
solar project developerPV developerrenewable energy developer - Operations & Services
Solar Feasibility Study
A structured assessment that answers whether a specific site can host a solar installation that is technically sound, economically viable, and regulatory compliant, combining resource analysis, shading, grid access, financial modeling, and permitting review into a decision-ready report.
Solar feasibility analysisPV feasibility reportSolar viability assessment - Finance & Business
Solar Financing
The set of capital structures a customer can use to pay for a solar installation, spanning cash purchase, secured and unsecured solar loans, operating leases, power purchase agreements, and on-bill or PACE financing, each with different ownership, tax, and monthly payment implications.
Solar loanPV financingSolar system financing - Finance & Business
Solar Investment Tax Credit
A US federal tax credit that lets owners of a new solar installation deduct a percentage of the system's cost from their federal income tax liability, currently 30 percent of total installed cost for residential and commercial systems under the Inflation Reduction Act framework.
Solar ITCFederal solar tax creditSection 48 ITC - Solar Physics & Hardware
Solar Irradiance
Solar irradiance is the instantaneous power per unit area delivered by the sun, measured in watts per square metre (W/m2). It is the primary input for every yield model, determining how much energy a PV system can theoretically produce at any given moment under any given sky condition.
irradianceinsolationpeak sun hours - Sales & Marketing
Solar Lead Generation
The process of identifying and attracting homeowners or businesses that are likely to buy a solar installation, then qualifying those prospects into a structured sales pipeline through channels like paid search, inbound SEO, marketplaces, and partner referrals.
Solar lead genPV lead generationSolar customer acquisition - Finance & Business
Solar Lease
A financing arrangement in which a third-party owner installs a solar system on a customer's property and charges a fixed monthly payment for the use of the equipment, regardless of how much electricity the system produces, with the owner capturing all tax credits and depreciation benefits.
Residential solar leaseSolar panel leaseThird-party-owned solar - Solar Software
Solar Monitoring
The practice and platform of tracking a photovoltaic system's real-time production, inverter status, and performance against forecast, so that owners and operators can detect faults early, validate yield guarantees, and maintain optimal output over a 25-year asset life.
PV monitoringSolar performance monitoringSolar plant supervision - Operations & Services
Solar Operations and Maintenance
The ongoing work of keeping an installed solar system producing at its design yield for its 25 plus year life, covering monitoring, inverter replacement, module cleaning, vegetation control, electrical inspection, warranty management, and performance reporting.
Solar O&MSolar O and MPV O&M - Finance & Business
Solar Payback Period
Solar payback period is the number of years it takes for a solar installation's cumulative energy savings to equal the original system cost, after factoring in applicable incentives. Residential systems typically recover their investment in 6 to 10 years; commercial projects often reach payback in 4 to 8 years.
solar paybackpayback periodsolar return on investment - Operations & Services
Solar Performance Ratio
Solar Performance Ratio (PR) is the standard IEC 61724 metric that measures how efficiently a PV system converts available irradiance into AC energy, expressed as a percentage of theoretical maximum output, and used to benchmark system health, trigger O&M actions, and validate yield model assumptions.
PRperformance ratiosolar PR - Solar Software
Solar Permit Package
A solar permit package is the complete set of engineering drawings and documentation submitted to an Authority Having Jurisdiction to obtain a building and electrical permit, including a site plan, single-line diagram, structural attachment detail, equipment datasheets, and fire setback compliance, typically required before any residential or commercial PV installation can begin.
permit setplan setsolar plan set - Sales & Marketing
Solar Proposal
A customer-facing document that presents a proposed solar installation, covering system size and layout, production estimates, equipment list, pricing, financing options, incentives, savings projection, and terms, used as the primary sales artifact in a solar buying decision.
Solar quotePV proposalResidential solar proposal - Solar Software
Solar Proposal Software
A specialized sales tool that lets solar installers turn a qualified lead into a customer-ready proposal, combining 3D roof design, production simulation, equipment pricing, financing scenarios, and branded PDF output in a single workflow.
Solar quote softwarePV proposal toolSolar sales proposal platform - Solar Physics & Hardware
Solar Racking
Solar racking (also called a solar mounting system) is the structural framework that secures PV modules to a surface. Racking type, whether roof-mount rail-based, ground-mount driven-pile, or ballasted carport, determines wind and snow load compliance, installation labor hours, and can represent 20 to 30 percent of total system BOM cost.
mounting systemsolar mountingsolar module racking - Solar Software
Solar Sales Software
An integrated sales workspace that gives solar reps everything needed to move a lead from first contact to signed contract, usually combining CRM, proposal design, financing scenarios, e-signature, and real-time commission or payout tracking.
Solar sales platformSolar rep softwareSolar closer app - Operations & Services
Solar Site Survey
A physical inspection of a solar project site, usually conducted after a customer commits but before final design, covering roof condition and structure, electrical service, shading, obstructions, and safe access, so the as-built system can be installed without redesigns or change orders.
PV site surveySolar site assessmentSite visit - Solar Physics & Hardware
Solar Tracker
A solar tracker is a motorized mounting system that rotates PV modules throughout the day to follow the sun's position, increasing energy yield compared to a fixed-tilt array. Single-axis trackers rotate on one axis and are the standard for ground-mount projects; dual-axis trackers follow both azimuth and elevation for maximum output.
PV trackersolar tracking systemsingle-axis tracker - Solar Physics & Hardware
String Inverter
A solar inverter that converts DC electricity from a series-wired group of panels (a string) into AC electricity, typically sited at the edge of the array, delivering the lowest cost per watt for unshaded rooftop and ground-mount installations.
Central string inverterSolar string inverterPV string inverter
