wired in plain English
This solar glossary translates the 24 terms you’ll meet on a solar quote, a utility form or a sales call into plain English. Instead of an A-to-Z list, we wired every term onto a circuit, from your roof to your meter, so you can see where each word fits.
We’re a roofing family, so our solar glossary adds what most solar talk skips: the roof under the panels.
- Solar terms fall into five groups: collect, convert, measure, connect, pay.
- kW is system size; kWh is the energy your bill counts.
- Ohio credits extra power on future bills, not as cash.
- Check the roof’s condition, flashing and remaining life before the panels go up.
Inside the Solar Glossary
From Sunlight to Socket in Four Steps
Before the solar glossary definitions, the big picture. Every home system follows the same path.
- Cells make DC powerPV cells turn sunlight into direct current. Per the U.S. Department of Energy, one cell makes about 1 or 2 watts.
- The inverter converts itAn inverter changes DC into AC. DOE’s inverter guide compares the main types.
- Your panel box sends it outAC power feeds your electrical panel and circuits, just like grid power.
- The meter keeps scorePower you don’t use flows to the grid, and the utility tracks it.
Keep those three numbers handy; they return in the solar glossary, the Ohio rules and the roof checks.
The Solar Glossary, Wired Up
Each zone of this solar glossary is one stop from roof to bill. Tap a term to send it to the readout.
Photovoltaic (PV)
Material that turns sunlight straight into electricity. One PV cell makes only about 1 or 2 watts.
Solar panel (module)
PV cells wired together and sealed behind glass. Panel and module are the same thing.
Solar array
Every panel in one system, wired together: the full block of panels you see on the roof.
Rooftop solar
Panels on racking fastened through the roof, so the roof has to be sound first.
Ground-mounted solar
Panels on a frame in the yard. It needs open, sunny space and leaves the roof alone.
Solar shingles
PV built into a product that installs like roofing shingles, so the roof itself makes power.
Solar roof tiles
PV shaped like tile or slate roofing, made to blend in rather than sit above the roof.
Inverter
Converts the panels’ direct current (DC) into the alternating current (AC) your home uses.
String inverter
One inverter for a string of panels. Cost-effective, but shade on one panel drags down the string.
Microinverter
A small inverter on each panel, so shade on one won’t cut the others. It can cost more.
Hybrid inverter
One inverter that manages both the panels and a battery.
Watt (W)
A unit of power, the rate electricity flows at a moment. Panels are rated in watts.
Kilowatt (kW)
1,000 watts. System size is quoted in kW, describing peak output.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
1,000 watts for one hour. Your electric bill and production estimates count kWh.
Efficiency
The share of sunlight hitting a panel that becomes electricity.
Degradation rate
Yearly output loss. NREL research found a median of about 0.5% per year.
Battery storage
Stores extra solar power for the evening or, with the right equipment, an outage.
Grid-tied system
Connected to the utility: it pulls grid power when panels fall short and sends extras out.
Off-grid system
No utility connection. Batteries, and often a generator, carry the home through nights.
Hybrid system
Grid-tied with batteries. Designed for it, it can run without the grid during an outage.
Net metering
Billing that credits power you send to the grid against power you draw. Ohio’s rules are below.
Payback period
Years until bill savings equal the system’s cost. Ask to see the math.
Return on investment (ROI)
Savings compared with cost, as a percentage. It depends on usage, rates and how long you stay.
Federal tax credit
The Residential Clean Energy Credit. Per the IRS, it isn’t allowed for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and an expenditure counts when installation is complete.
Net Metering in Ohio, Decoded
The U.S. Energy Information Administration describes net metering as billing that lowers the grid power you’re billed for, based on what your system sent back. In Ohio, the details live in Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s net metering rule.
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| System size | The system can’t exceed 120% of your electricity requirements at interconnection. |
| Credit value | Extra power earns a bill credit at the energy component of the utility’s standard service offer. |
| Leftover credit | It carries forward on future bills. |
| Cash payout | Not required. Credit can be forfeited if you leave the utility. |
| Other suppliers | A competitive retail supplier can set its own credit terms by contract. |
Ask your utility which tariff applies and what the energy component is today. That rate drives every savings estimate.
Three Roof Checks Before Panels
Rooftop panels make your roof a mounting surface for decades. These checks matter more than any solar glossary entry.
Roof condition
Panels cover the roof for years, so it needs to be sound now. Ask for an inspection of shingles, decking and ventilation. Our roofing glossary decodes the report.
Flashing at penetrations
Mounts and conduit pass through the roof, and each opening needs flashing. Flashing is one of the seven roofing system components on a shingle roof.
Roof age vs. panel life
NREL notes modules are typically warrantied for 20 to 25 years. If your roof has fewer good years left, plan the reroof first with our roof replacement prep guide.
Racked panels must come off before a reroof and go back on after, so ask what that involves, in writing. With solar shingles or tiles, the roof and the power system are one product; ask who warrants each side.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Bring this solar glossary to every appointment, and get a clear answer to each question.
- What size is the system in kW, and how many kWh per year does it estimate?
- Which inverter type, and why for my roof?
- How many roof penetrations are there, and how is each one flashed?
- Who covers a leak at a mount, and for how long?
- What does removal and reinstallation cost if the roof needs work later?
- Which net metering tariff or supplier contract applies, and how was payback calculated?
The Takeaway Worth Sharing
Learn the words, check the math, and inspect the roof first. A solar glossary helps you read the quote; a sound roof keeps it working.
Know a neighbor collecting solar quotes? Send them this solar glossary before their next appointment.
Solar Glossary FAQs
What is a solar glossary for?
A solar glossary translates the terms on quotes, contracts and utility forms, so you can compare offers and ask sharper questions before you sign.
What’s the difference between kW and kWh?
A kW measures power at a moment, like system size. A kWh measures energy over time, which is what your electric bill counts.
How does net metering work in Ohio?
Under Ohio’s rule, extra power earns a bill credit valued at the energy component of the utility’s standard service offer. Credits carry forward; cash payouts aren’t required.
Should I replace my roof before installing solar?
If your roof has fewer good years left than the panels’ 20- to 25-year warranty, replacing it first can avoid removing the array later.
Is the federal solar tax credit still available?
No. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit isn’t allowed for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and an expenditure counts when installation is complete.
Thinking Solar? Start With the Roof
Thrush & Son, LLC has served Miami Valley homeowners since 1960 with roofing, siding, windows and gutters.
Done with the solar glossary? Before you sign, we’ll inspect the roof that will carry the panels and tell you how many good years it has left. See also our Solar Glossary on the Thrush & Son blog.
➡️ Schedule in Dayton ➡️ View All ServicesCall (937) 833-5136 · 115 Jefferson St, Brookville, OH 45309
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Further Reading
Official sources: U.S. Department of Energy (PV basics), DOE (inverters), NREL, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10-28 and IRS.
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Written by Corey Thrush, Vice President and third generation of Thrush & Son®.
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