Glossary
Every term on this site in one sentence each, and a diagram that shows where each one lives in a solar setup.
RidgeWatt uses a small set of terms again and again. Each one has a one-sentence definition. Wherever you see a term with a dotted underline on this site, tap it and the same sentence opens.
Where each term lives
Energy flows one way through a solar setup: from the panel, through the charge controller, into the battery, and out of the outlets. Tap a term to open its definition.
Solar panel
Makes power from light. Its label carries four numbers, and you can wire two or more together.
Charge controller
Inside the station. Pulls power from the panels into the battery.
Battery
Stores the energy.
Outlets
Power your devices.
A station turns battery power into wall-style power with a part called an inverter. The 15% we take off every runtime figure is mostly lost there.
All terms
- Wh
- Watt-hours. Battery size. How much energy is stored. 1,000 Wh runs a 100W device for about 8.5 hours after losses.
- W
- Watts. Power right now. The station has a maximum it can put out; each appliance has a draw.
- Voc
- Open-circuit voltage. The highest voltage a panel makes, with nothing connected. Rises in cold.
- Isc
- Short-circuit current. The most current a panel can push. Stations cap this.
- Vmp
- Voltage at maximum power. The working voltage when the panel is actually charging.
- Imp
- Current at maximum power. The working current when the panel is actually charging.
- MPPT
- Maximum power point tracker. The charge controller inside the station that finds the best voltage to pull from the panels.
- LiFePO4
- Lithium iron phosphate. The battery chemistry in most current stations. Rated for thousands of full cycles; check the manual for the exact number.
- Surge
- A short burst of extra output the station can deliver for a second or two, for motors starting.
- Pass-through
- Charging the station while it powers devices at the same time.
- Series
- Panels chained + to -. Voltages add, current stays the same.
- Parallel
- Panels joined + to + and - to -. Currents add, voltage stays the same.
- Cycle life
- How many full charge-and-discharge rounds before the battery holds about 80% of new capacity.
- UPS
- Uninterruptible power supply. Switches to battery in milliseconds when the wall fails. Check the switch time for computers.
Missing a term? Email [email protected] and it goes on the list.