Glossary

The words of the trade, in plain English.

113 terms, each with a one-paragraph definition and what it means in an installer's week.

A

AC coupled battery: An AC coupled battery connects to the home's AC wiring through its own battery inverter, separate from the solar inverter. It suits retrofits onto existing solar because the original inverter stays in place, at the cost of an extra conversion step.
AC-coupled battery: An AC-coupled battery is a battery with its own inverter that connects to the AC side of a property's wiring, alongside the existing solar inverter. It converts power from DC to AC and back, which makes it easy to add to existing solar but slightly less efficient.
Accredited certificate provider: An accredited certificate provider (ACP) is a business accredited under the New South Wales Energy Savings Scheme to create and register Energy Savings Certificates for eligible activities. Accreditation is a prerequisite for creating ESCs and PRCs under the NSW schemes.
Accredited person (VEU): An accredited person under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program is a business accredited by the Essential Services Commission to create VEECs for eligible upgrade activities. Only an accredited person can register the certificates and sell them to energy retailers.
AS/NZS 4777.2: AS/NZS 4777.2 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for grid-connection of energy systems via inverters. It sets the inverter's required behaviour, including voltage response modes and protection settings, so solar and battery systems stay stable on the network.
AS/NZS 5139: AS/NZS 5139 is the joint Australian and New Zealand safety standard for electrical installations with battery systems used alongside power conversion equipment such as inverters. It sets location, protection and ventilation rules that installers must meet.

B

Backup power gateway: A backup power gateway is the switching and control device that disconnects a home from the grid during a blackout and lets the battery and solar supply selected circuits. It then reconnects safely when the grid returns, and it is central to any whole-home or essential-loads backup design.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a complete system that stores electricity in batteries and releases it later, including the battery, inverter, controls and safety equipment. The term covers everything from a home battery to a grid-scale installation.
Battery STC tier: Battery STC tiers are bands of usable capacity that earn different shares of the STC factor. Since 1 May 2026, the first 14 kWh earn 100% of the factor, 14 to 28 kWh earn 60%, and 28 to 50 kWh earn 15%, with 50 kWh the most that counts.
Battery tier factor: The battery tier factor is the percentage applied to the STC factor for each band of a battery's usable capacity under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Since 1 May 2026 the first 14 kWh counts at 100%, 14 to 28 kWh at 60% and 28 to 50 kWh at 15%.
Behind-the-meter: Behind-the-meter describes equipment, such as rooftop solar or a home battery, on the customer's side of the electricity meter. Its output can be used on site before any energy passes through the meter to or from the grid.
BSTC (battery STC): A BSTC is the shorthand for a battery STC, a Small-scale Technology Certificate created for an eligible battery installed under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It is the same tradeable certificate as a solar STC, but created by a different formula.

C

CEC approved battery list: The CEC approved battery list is the Clean Energy Council's register of battery products that have been assessed as meeting the product requirements for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. A battery must be on the list for the installation to create STCs.
CER (Clean Energy Regulator): CER stands for Clean Energy Regulator, the Australian Government body that administers the Renewable Energy Target, including the REC Registry, the creation and surrender of STCs and LGCs, and compliance and audit activity.
Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW): A Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) is the document an NSW electrician lodges to confirm that electrical work meets the required standards. For solar and battery installs it is the compliance record that supports the STC claim.
Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES): A Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) is a compliance certificate an electrician completes after electrical work to confirm it has been tested and meets the wiring rules. The name and the lodging process vary by state, and the same document goes by other names elsewhere.
Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES), Victoria: A COES, or Certificate of Electrical Safety, is the compliance certificate a Victorian electrician lodges with Energy Safe Victoria after completing prescribed electrical work. Solar PV and battery installations in Victoria need one.
Certificate surrender: Certificate surrender is the act of a liable entity handing certificates to the regulator to meet its obligation under a renewable energy or energy efficiency scheme. Surrendered certificates are retired from the register and cannot be sold again.
Commissioning date: The commissioning date is the date a solar or battery system is tested, energised and operating after installation. It often follows the installation date by days or weeks if the network approval or the meter change is not ready, and it should not be used as the installation date.

D

DC coupled battery: A DC coupled battery connects on the DC side of the system, charging directly from the solar panels through a shared hybrid inverter. It avoids some conversion steps, so it is often slightly more efficient, and it suits new solar-plus-battery installations.
DC-coupled battery: A DC-coupled battery connects to the DC side of a solar system, normally through a hybrid inverter that handles both the panels and the battery. Solar energy reaches the battery without a double conversion, so it is more efficient, but the design is harder to retrofit.
Deemed savings: Deemed savings are fixed, pre-calculated energy or emissions savings that a scheme credits to a standard upgrade or installation, without measuring the actual result. The scheme sets the figure from the activity, product and location, which makes claims simple and quick.
Deeming period: The deeming period is the number of years of expected generation the Clean Energy Regulator credits up front when STCs are created for a small-scale solar system. It is five years for 2026 installs, four for 2027, and falls by one each year to one year in 2030.
Demand response: Demand response means changing when electricity is used, or discharged from storage, in response to a price signal, a network request or a market event. The aim is to cut load during peaks. Batteries, smart controls and hot water systems are common participants.
Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP): A Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP) is the business that owns and operates the local poles and wires delivering electricity to homes and businesses. It approves new solar and battery connections and sets rules such as export limits.
DNSP (Distribution Network Service Provider): DNSP stands for distribution network service provider, the business that owns and operates the local poles, wires and substations delivering electricity to homes and businesses. It approves solar and battery connections and sets the technical conditions that apply.
DoD (Depth of Discharge): DoD stands for depth of discharge, the percentage of a battery's capacity that has been used in a cycle. It is the mirror of state of charge. Manufacturers set a maximum DoD to protect cell life, and that limit is why usable capacity is smaller than nominal capacity.
Dynamic operating envelope: A dynamic operating envelope (DOE) is a limit set by the distribution network that tells a solar or battery customer how much power they can export or import at a given time. Unlike a fixed cap, it changes through the day as network conditions change.

E

Embedded generation: Embedded generation means power generators connected to the local distribution network, close to where electricity is used, rather than to the high-voltage transmission grid. Rooftop solar, small wind and on-site cogeneration are all examples.
Embedded network: An embedded network is a private electricity network that serves multiple customers within a site, such as an apartment building, retirement village or shopping centre, and connects to the main grid through a single parent meter run by an embedded network operator.
ESC (Energy Savings Certificate): An ESC (Energy Savings Certificate) is a tradable certificate created under the New South Wales Energy Savings Scheme. Each certificate represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in electricity savings achieved by an approved energy-saving activity.
ESS (Energy Savings Scheme): ESS stands for Energy Savings Scheme, the New South Wales program that creates Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs) for approved energy-saving activities and requires electricity retailers and other obligated parties to buy them.
ESS baseline: An ESS baseline is the estimate of how much energy a site or piece of equipment would have used if the energy-saving upgrade had not been done. Under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme, certificates are created for the gap between that baseline and actual consumption after the upgrade.
Export limit: An export limit is a cap, set by the local network, on how much power a solar or battery system may send into the grid at any moment. It is applied through the inverter's settings, and it limits export, not the size of the solar array or the STCs created.

F

Failed STC: A failed STC is a creation that did not pass the Clean Energy Regulator's validation or audit and therefore does not become a valid certificate. Installers lose the expected revenue unless the fault can be corrected and the claim resubmitted within the rules.
Feed-in tariff: A feed-in tariff is the rate, in cents per kilowatt-hour, that an electricity retailer pays a household for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid. It is separate from STCs, which are a one-off up-front benefit for installing the system.
Forward price (STC): A forward price is a price agreed now for certificates that will be delivered and paid for at a later date. In the STC market it lets a trader and an installer fix a price against future volume instead of taking whatever the spot market pays on the day.

G

Geotagged photo (STC evidence): A geotagged photo is a photograph whose file data records the GPS location and the date and time it was taken. Installers use geotagged photos as evidence that the system was installed at the address on the claim, on the date claimed.
GO (Guarantee of Origin): Guarantee of Origin (GO) is a federal scheme, administered by the Clean Energy Regulator, that issues certificates showing the emissions intensity of products such as hydrogen and the renewable origin of electricity. It lets buyers verify claims about how something was made.
Green energy trader: A green energy trader is a business that buys and sells environmental certificates, such as STCs, VEECs and LGCs, between the people who create them and the businesses that must surrender them. Traders supply liquidity, take price risk and often handle registry paperwork.
Grid connection application: A grid connection application is the request an installer or customer lodges with the local network operator to connect a solar, battery or other generation system to the distribution grid. The operator reviews it and approves, limits or declines the connection.
Gross cost and net cost (solar): Gross cost is the total price of a solar or battery system before any STC discount. Net cost is the price the customer actually pays once the STC value is deducted. Comparing quotes only works when both quotes show the same basis.

H

Heat pump hot water system: A heat pump hot water system uses a refrigerant cycle to move heat from the surrounding air into a storage tank, using much less electricity than a conventional electric element. Eligible systems can create STCs and, in Victoria, VEECs.
Hybrid inverter: A hybrid inverter is a single inverter that manages both solar panels and a battery, converting DC from the panels and storage to AC for the home and grid. It is the heart of a DC coupled system and simplifies adding storage when planned from the start.

I

Installation date (STCs): The installation date is the date a system is installed, as recorded on the STC claim. It decides which deeming period or battery factor applies, so a wrong installation date can change the number of certificates created or cause the claim to fail.
Installation date vs commissioning date: Installation date is when a system's physical installation is finished. Commissioning date is when it is tested and switched on to operate. They can fall days or weeks apart, and certificate rules and paperwork need dates that are consistent and correct.
Installer (STCs): For STC purposes, the installer is the Clean Energy Council accredited person who physically installs a solar or battery system, confirms it meets the standards and signs the compliance statement. Their accreditation and details must be valid on the installation date.
Installer written statement: An installer written statement is a signed statement from the accredited installer confirming key facts about an installation, such as the work done, the products installed and compliance with the relevant standards. It forms part of the evidence for an STC claim.
Inverter oversizing: Inverter oversizing means installing more solar panel capacity than the inverter's AC output rating, for example a 6.6 kW array on a 5 kW inverter. It captures more energy in the shoulders of the day and is common within manufacturer and network limits. STCs follow the panel rating.

L

Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET): The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) is the part of the Renewable Energy Target that requires electricity retailers to buy Large-scale Generation Certificates from accredited renewable power stations. It sits alongside the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which creates STCs.
LGC creation (Large-scale Generation Certificate): LGC creation is the process by which an accredited renewable power station registers its measured generation with the Clean Energy Regulator and receives one Large-scale Generation Certificate for each megawatt-hour of eligible output above its baseline.
LGC definition: An LGC (Large-scale Generation Certificate) is a tradable certificate created for each megawatt-hour of eligible renewable electricity generated by an accredited power station above its baseline, and bought by liable entities to meet the Renewable Energy Target.
Liable entity: A liable entity is a business, typically an electricity retailer or large electricity buyer, that is legally required to acquire and surrender renewable energy certificates each year to meet its obligation under the Renewable Energy Target or a state scheme.
LRET (Large-scale Renewable Energy Target): LRET stands for Large-scale Renewable Energy Target, the part of the federal Renewable Energy Target that drives renewable power stations to create Large-scale Generation Certificates. It set a fixed annual target of 33,000 GWh from 2020, which continues to 2030.

M

Metered baseline method: The metered baseline method is an Energy Savings Scheme calculation method that sets the baseline from a site's own historical metered energy data, then measures consumption after the upgrade and creates ESCs for the verified reduction, adjusted for factors such as production.
Mid-scale solar: Mid-scale solar is a commercial solar system above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. For installs from 1 October 2026 it creates STCs up front with a fixed five-year deeming period; before that date, systems above 100 kW registered as power stations and created LGCs.

N

Nameplate capacity: Nameplate capacity is the rated size shown on a product's label or datasheet, such as a panel's watts, an inverter's kilowatts or a battery's kilowatt-hours. It is a manufacturer's rating under standard conditions, not a guarantee of what the equipment will deliver on site.
National Metering Identifier (NMI): The National Metering Identifier (NMI) is a unique code, usually 10 characters long, that identifies an electricity meter connection point in Australia's National Electricity Market. It appears on the customer's bill and is used in network applications and compliance paperwork.
Net vs gross metering: Net metering measures only the difference between what a site consumes and what its solar system generates, exporting the surplus to the grid. Gross metering records all solar generation separately from consumption, which was how some older premium feed-in schemes were set up.
NETCC (New Energy Tech Consumer Code): NETCC stands for New Energy Tech Consumer Code, the consumer protection code for businesses selling solar, batteries and related energy technology in Australia. It sets standards for marketing, quotes, contracts and complaints, and replaced the Approved Solar Retailer program in 2023.
Nominal capacity (battery): Nominal capacity is the headline energy storage figure, in kilowatt-hours, that a manufacturer quotes for a battery before reserve limits are applied. It is not the figure used to calculate STCs under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which uses usable capacity.
NPV (Net Present Value) for solar: NPV stands for net present value, the total of a project's future cash flows discounted to today's dollars, minus the upfront cost. A positive NPV means the investment returns more than the chosen discount rate, which is why it is used to compare solar and battery options.

P

PDRS (Peak Demand Reduction Scheme): PDRS stands for Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a New South Wales program that creates Peak Reduction Certificates (PRCs) for activities that lower electricity demand at peak times, including incentives for connecting batteries to a virtual power plant.
Peak demand reduction capacity: Peak demand reduction capacity is the amount of electricity demand, measured in kilowatts, that an activity can reliably cut during peak periods. Under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme it is the quantity on which Peak Reduction Certificates are based.
Pending audit: Pending audit is a registry status showing that a creation has been selected for review by the Clean Energy Regulator and the review has not finished. The STCs usually cannot be settled until the audit concludes, so the money is on hold in the meantime.
PIAM&V (Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification): PIAM&V stands for Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification, an Energy Savings Scheme method that estimates a project's energy savings using an engineering model, then verifies them with measured data. It suits complex projects that fit neither deemed nor simple metered approaches.
Point-of-sale discount: A point-of-sale discount is a reduction in the customer's upfront price equal to the expected value of the STCs they assign to the seller. The customer pays the net price now, and the seller recovers the discount later by selling the certificates.
Power station accreditation: Power station accreditation is the Clean Energy Regulator's approval of a renewable generator under the Renewable Energy Target. An accredited power station can create Large-scale Generation Certificates for eligible output, subject to a baseline where one applies.
PPA (Power Purchase Agreement): PPA stands for power purchase agreement, a contract in which a buyer agrees to purchase electricity from a generator, often an on-site solar system owned by a third party, at an agreed price per kilowatt-hour over a set term. It can include who holds the certificates.
PRC (Peak Reduction Certificate): A PRC (Peak Reduction Certificate) is a tradable certificate created under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme for reducing electricity demand during peak periods, measured in kilowatts of peak demand reduction capacity.

R

RCTI (Recipient-Created Tax Invoice): An RCTI (recipient-created tax invoice) is a tax invoice issued by the buyer of goods or services instead of the seller, under an agreement between both parties. Certificate traders commonly use RCTIs so installers do not need to raise an invoice for every certificate sale.
REC (Renewable Energy Certificate): REC stands for Renewable Energy Certificate, the general term for a certificate representing renewable energy under the federal Renewable Energy Target. In Australia it covers both Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) and Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).
REC Registry: The REC Registry is the Clean Energy Regulator's online register where Small-scale Technology Certificates and Large-scale Generation Certificates are created, held, transferred and surrendered. Every STC has a serial number recorded in the registry.
Registered agent (STCs): A registered agent is a person or business registered with the Clean Energy Regulator to create and transfer STCs in the REC Registry on behalf of system owners. Registration lets the agent lodge claims, hold certificates and sell them to buyers.
Registered STC: A registered STC is a certificate that has passed the Clean Energy Regulator's validation and appears in the REC Registry as registered. Only registered STCs can be transferred to a buyer, and registration is the step that makes settlement possible.
REGO (Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin): REGO stands for Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin, a certificate under the federal Guarantee of Origin scheme representing one megawatt-hour of renewable electricity. It proves renewable supply for voluntary claims, rather than meeting a retailer's legal obligation.
RET (Renewable Energy Target): RET stands for Renewable Energy Target, the federal scheme that requires electricity retailers and other liable entities to buy renewable energy certificates. It has two parts: the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (STCs) and the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LGCs).
Round-trip efficiency (battery): Round-trip efficiency is the percentage of the electricity stored in a battery that can be retrieved later, after losses in charging, storage and conversion. A battery with 90% round-trip efficiency returns 9 kWh for every 10 kWh put in.

S

SAA (Solar Accreditation Australia): SAA stands for Solar Accreditation Australia, the body that now manages accreditation for solar installers and designers. Accreditation is a condition for installing systems that can create STCs and for batteries under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
Settled STC: A settled STC is a certificate that has been transferred to a buyer's registry account and paid for. Settlement is the final step in selling an STC and is the point at which an installer has the money, not just a registered certificate.
SGU (Small Generation Unit): SGU stands for small generation unit, a small renewable generator such as a rooftop solar system, small wind turbine or micro-hydro unit that can create STCs under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Solar SGUs are limited to 100 kW, with mid-scale systems now handled separately.
Shortfall charge: The shortfall charge is a penalty, set in legislation, that a liable entity must pay for each certificate it fails to surrender against its Renewable Energy Target obligation. It is not tax deductible, which makes buying certificates cheaper than missing the target.
Simple payback period: Simple payback period is the number of years it takes for cumulative savings to equal the upfront cost of a system, calculated as net cost divided by annual savings. It is quick and easy to understand, but ignores the time value of money and later system costs.
Small Generation Unit (SGU): A Small Generation Unit (SGU) is a small-scale renewable power system, such as rooftop solar of up to 100 kW, small wind or small hydro, that can create STCs under the Renewable Energy Target. Larger systems create LGCs instead, except mid-scale solar from 1 October 2026.
Small-scale Technology Percentage (STP): The Small-scale Technology Percentage (STP) is the annual percentage, set by the Clean Energy Regulator, that tells liable entities how many STCs they must surrender for each megawatt hour of electricity they acquire. It is the dial that converts scheme targets into certificate demand.
SOC (State of Charge): SOC stands for state of charge, the percentage of a battery's usable capacity that is currently stored. At 100% the battery is full and at 0% it has reached its lowest permitted level, so it works like a fuel gauge rather than a measure of size.
Solar designer: A solar designer is the person who prepares and signs off the design of a solar or battery system, covering components, layout, protection and compliance. Systems that create STCs generally need to be designed by an appropriately accredited designer, who is sometimes the same person as the installer.
Solar retailer: A solar retailer is the business that sells a solar or battery system to the customer, often taking the assignment of the customer's STCs and applying the STC value as a discount. It is a different role from the installer and from the electricity retailer.
Solar water heater: A solar water heater is a hot water system that uses roof-mounted collectors to capture heat from the sun and a storage tank to keep it, usually with an electric or gas booster for cloudy days. Eligible models can create STCs.
SPS (Stand-alone Power System): SPS stands for stand-alone power system, a self-contained supply of solar panels, a battery and usually a backup generator that powers a property with no connection to the distribution grid. Networks sometimes use SPS instead of rebuilding remote poles and wires.
SRES (Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme): SRES stands for Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, the part of the federal Renewable Energy Target that creates STCs for eligible small solar, hot water, heat pump and battery installations and requires retailers to buy them each year.
Stand-alone Power System (SPS): A stand-alone power system (SPS) is an off-grid electricity supply, typically solar panels, a battery and often a backup generator, that powers a property without connecting to the main network. Some networks also use SPS to replace long poles-and-wires lines.
STC assignment form: An STC assignment form is the signed document in which the owner of a small-scale system assigns the right to create the system's STCs to another party, usually the installer or a certificate trader, in exchange for an upfront discount on the system.
STC audit status: STC audit status is the label the REC Registry shows against a creation to indicate whether it has been reviewed by the Clean Energy Regulator and with what result. Typical states are not audited, pending audit, passed and failed.
STC clawback: STC clawback is the recovery of money already paid for STCs after the certificates are found to be invalid or are removed from the registry. It is a contractual arrangement between a trader and an installer, not a defined legal term, so the terms vary by agreement.
STC Clearing House: The STC Clearing House is a Clean Energy Regulator facility where holders can sell STCs at a fixed price of $40 each. It acts as a ceiling on the spot price, and is a last resort because sales queue until buyers purchase them.
STC creation date: The STC creation date is the date the certificates were created in the REC Registry for an installation. It is separate from the installation date and is recorded by the registry, so it shows how long after the job the claim was lodged.
STC definition: An STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate) is a federal certificate created under the Renewable Energy Target's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme for eligible solar PV, solar hot water, heat pump and battery installations. Each certificate is a tradable asset that electricity retailers must buy and surrender.
STC factor (battery): The STC factor is the per-kilowatt-hour multiplier that converts a battery's usable capacity into Small-scale Technology Certificates under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It is 6.8 for 2026 installs and steps down to 5.7 on 1 January 2027 and 5.2 on 1 July 2027, then every six months to 2030.
STC pre-approval: STC pre-approval is a review of an STC claim before the certificates are bought or transferred, intended to catch errors early. The term is used for checks made by the regulator or by a trader's compliance team, and the exact process depends on who is doing it.
STC spot price: The STC spot price is the price at which Small-scale Technology Certificates are currently trading in the market for immediate transfer. At the time of writing it has been roughly $38 to $40, with a ceiling of $40 set by the clearing house.
STC transfer list: An STC transfer list is the set of certificates, identified by serial numbers, that a registered agent selects to move from its REC Registry account to a buyer's account. Once the transfer is accepted, ownership changes and payment is settled.
STC validation: STC validation is the checking of a newly lodged STC creation by the Clean Energy Regulator before the certificates are registered. It confirms the system, installer, owner and dates are valid and consistent, and it decides whether the STCs can be traded.
Surrender (certificates): Surrendering a certificate means a liable entity gives it to the Clean Energy Regulator to meet its Renewable Energy Target obligation. A surrendered certificate is permanently retired and cannot be traded or used again.
System owner: The system owner is the person or business that owns a solar or battery system at the time of installation. The owner holds the original right to the STCs, and usually assigns that right to the installer or an agent by signing an assignment form.

T

Time-of-use tariff: A time-of-use tariff is an electricity pricing structure where the rate per kilowatt-hour depends on the time of day, typically peak, shoulder and off-peak. It rewards using power when the grid is quiet and makes a battery more valuable.

U

Unregistered STC: An unregistered STC is a certificate that has been created in the REC Registry for an installation but has not yet been validated and registered by the Clean Energy Regulator. Until it is registered it cannot be transferred to a buyer or settled.
Usable capacity (battery): Usable capacity is the amount of energy, in kilowatt-hours, that a battery can actually deliver after reserve limits and depth-of-discharge restrictions. Under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, STCs are calculated from usable capacity, not nominal capacity.

V

VEEC definition: A VEEC (Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate) is a tradable certificate representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent abated by an energy-saving upgrade under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. Victorian energy retailers must acquire and surrender VEECs to meet their annual targets.
VEU product registry: The VEU product registry is the Essential Services Commission's online list of products approved for activities under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. A product must appear in it, where the activity requires, for the installation to create VEECs.
VPP (Virtual Power Plant): A VPP (virtual power plant) is a network of home batteries and other distributed energy devices that a provider controls together, so they can supply electricity or grid services at peak times as if they were one power station.
VPP capable: VPP capable means a battery and its inverter can communicate with and be controlled by a virtual power plant operator, for example to charge or discharge on request. Under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program the battery must be VPP-capable, but the owner is not obliged to join a VPP.

Z

Zone rating (solar STCs): A zone rating is the expected annual generation per kilowatt of solar capacity for one of four climate zones, set by postcode. The ratings are 1.622, 1.536, 1.382 and 1.185 for zones 1 to 4, and they feed the STC calculation for small-scale solar.

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