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Solar glossary: the terms you will meet on the Wirral

Quotes, council pages and network rules come with their own vocabulary. Here is each term in plain English, with what it means for a Wirral home where that matters.

Facts checked 3 November 2026 by SEO Dons. An independent guide: nobody here sells or fits panels.

Article 4 direction
A council order that removes particular permitted development rights in a defined area. In Wirral, the council says Bromborough Pool is the only conservation area with one.
Battery-ready (hybrid) inverter
An inverter that can run both solar panels and a battery, so a battery can be added later without a second inverter.
Conservation area
An area a council protects for its character. Wirral has 26. Panels on walls or balconies facing the road there need permission.
DNO (distribution network operator)
The company that runs the local electricity network. For the Wirral it is SP Energy Networks, through SP Manweb plc.
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
A rating of a home's energy efficiency from A (best) to G. The Warm Homes: Local Grant is for homes rated D to G.
Export tariff
What a supplier pays you for each unit of electricity your panels send to the grid. Under the Smart Export Guarantee every large supplier must offer one above zero.
G98
The connection process for small generators of up to 3.68 kW per phase: the installer connects the system and notifies the network operator.
G99
The connection process for larger generators: the installer applies to the network operator and waits for approval before connecting.
Generation meter
A meter that records everything your panels produce, for your own records and warranty.
IEC 61701
The international salt-mist corrosion test for solar panels. Severity 1 is the level meant for panels near the sea.
Inverter
The box that turns the direct current from the panels into the alternating current used in your home.
Isolator
A switch that safely disconnects the panels or battery, for maintenance or emergencies.
kW and kWp
The rated power of a solar system. A "4 kW" (or 4 kWp, kilowatt-peak) system can produce 4 kW in standard test conditions.
kWh
A unit of energy: what your bill charges for. A 4 kW system on the Wirral makes about 3,800 to 3,950 kWh a year.
Permission needed for work that affects a listed building, including solar panels. Nearly every building in Port Sunlight is listed.
A council order granting consent in advance for certain small works to listed buildings. Port Sunlight's, for 2025 to 2040, does not cover solar panels.
MCS
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme, which certifies installers and products. An MCS-certified installation is needed for export payments.
MCS 012
The MCS product standard for mounting kits on pitched roofs, covering wind uplift and weathertightness.
MIS 3002
The MCS installation standard for solar panels. Version 6.0 was issued in March 2026.
Permitted development
Work you can do without applying for planning permission, within conditions set nationally. Most roof panels on houses are permitted development.
Plug-in solar
A small panel kit of up to 800 watts that plugs into an ordinary socket, allowed in Great Britain since 27 August 2026.
Price cap
The maximum unit rate and standing charge suppliers can charge on default tariffs, set by Ofgem every three months.
PVGIS
The European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System, which models solar output anywhere from satellite data. The source of this site's output figures.
Self-use (self-consumption)
The share of your panels' output you use in your home as it is made, rather than export.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
The rule requiring large suppliers to offer an export tariff to small generators with an MCS installation and an export meter.
Solar Together
The city region's group-buying scheme for solar panels, run with iChoosr, which now trades as Switch Together.
Warm Homes: Local Grant
The government grant for upgrading less efficient homes of lower-income households in England. In Wirral it is administered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Warm Homes Loan Scheme
A government-supported loan scheme run through approved lenders for energy measures including solar panels and batteries. A loan, not a grant.
Workmanship warranty
The installer's promise to put right faults in their work. An insurance-backed one survives if the firm closes.

Missing a term from your quote? Send it through the form below and we will explain it by email, and add it here if others are likely to meet it.

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Sources for this page

  1. MCS standards and tools library (MIS 3002, MCS 012)
  2. SP Energy Networks: connecting to the grid
  3. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14
  4. Wirral Council: solar panels and planning permission
  5. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority: Warm Homes: Local Grant
  6. GOV.UK: Warm Homes Loan Scheme
  7. Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee
  8. PVGIS 5.3 photovoltaic estimates, European Commission Joint Research Centre
  9. SI 2026/848: plug-in solar devices

Figures were read at these sources on 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us through the form below.

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