C · Components
Components
Hardware: panels, inverters, batteries, chargers, heat pumps and fixed AC.
Solar generation and conversion
Bifacial PV modules
Rear-side generation, rating and site-specific yield.
Microinverter
Module-level conversion, MPPT, monitoring and roof access.
Monocrystalline PV modules
Crystalline-silicon cell architecture and module selection.
Power optimiser
Module-level DC conversion, mismatch control and compatibility.
PV diverter immersion control
Using surplus solar for hot water via immersion heaters.
PV generation meters
Total generation records, legacy FIT payments and monitoring boundaries.
Solar panel ratings and degradation
Nameplate power, electrical limits, temperature response and ageing.
String inverter
Central inverter design, string limits and failure implications.
Storage and backup hardware
AC-coupled battery architecture
Retrofit storage using a separate battery inverter.
Backup EPS output
Dedicated backup circuits, transfer behaviour and load limits.
BMS
Cell monitoring, balancing, estimation and protective control.
DC-coupled battery architecture
Shared solar inverter storage, conversion efficiency and backup constraints.
Energy gateway hardware
Isolation, metering, load shedding and backup control.
Grid-forming vs grid-following inverters
External-grid synchronisation, local island formation and terminology.
Hybrid inverter
One inverter coordinating PV, battery, grid import and export.
LFP battery chemistry
Safety, cycle life and cold-weather behaviour of LFP.
NMC battery chemistry
Energy density, thermal behaviour and the practical checks needed for NMC battery systems.
EV charging hardware
CCS rapid charging
How the CCS Combo 2 interface carries public DC charging, what limits a session and what it does not prove.
Dynamic load balancing CT clamps
How current sensing lets an EV charger respect a site import limit, and the installation details that decide whether it works.
EV charger cables
Choosing and caring for Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging leads without confusing connector fit with electrical capability.
ICCB on Mode 2 leads
What a Mode 2 in-cable control and protection device does, and what remains the responsibility of the socket and installation.
OCPP charger control
What OCPP standardises between a chargepoint and its management system, and what buyers must check beyond an OCPP label.
Tethered home chargepoints
Choosing and positioning a fixed-cable chargepoint for safe reach, handling and future vehicle use.
Type 2 connector
The UK AC charging interface, its signalling and the compatibility limits hidden by a common plug shape.
Untethered chargepoint sockets
Socketed chargepoints, detachable cable selection, locking and shared-use considerations.
V2G charging
Exporting energy from a compatible EV through an approved bidirectional charging system.
Vehicle-to-home backup charging
Supplying household loads from a compatible EV, including the extra design needed for power-cut operation.
Air-conditioning hardware
Air-conditioning indoor-unit types
High-wall, floor-console, cassette and concealed ducted units for homes.
Air-to-air heat pumps
Fixed systems that heat and cool rooms by moving conditioned air.
Portable air conditioners
Portable room AC, exhaust arrangements and evaporative coolers.
Single-split and multi-split air conditioning
The practical differences between one-to-one and shared-outdoor-unit split systems.
Heat pump and heating hardware
Air-to-water heat pumps
Outdoor units feeding wet central heating and hot water.
Backup immersion heater
Direct-electric backup, boosting and hot-water control.
Buffer tank
Water volume, hydraulic separation, cycling and defrost support.
Domestic hot water cylinders
Stored hot water, heat-exchanger performance, sizing and safety.
Fan convector emitters
Compact hydronic emitters using fans to increase heat transfer.
Ground source heat pumps
Buried loop systems, ground arrays and borehole considerations.
Heat networks and district heating
Communal heat, district heat, HIUs and heat-pump network designs.
Hybrid heat pump systems
Heat pump plus supplementary heat source, control and eligibility.
Monobloc ASHP units
Sealed outdoor refrigerant circuit with water pipes indoors.
Open-loop GSHP
Abstraction, discharge, efficiency, maintenance and permissions.
R290 propane refrigerant
Low-GWP refrigerant benefits, flammability and siting implications.
R32 refrigerant
Common HFC refrigerant, GWP implications and servicing requirements.
Rainwater harvesting for heat pumps
Whether harvested rainwater can supply or support a water-source heat pump.
Shared ground loop systems
Shared ground arrays, individual heat pumps, ownership and regulation.
Split ASHP units
Refrigerant pipework between outdoor and indoor units.
Volumiser
Adding active heating-water volume without hydraulic separation.