Terms explained simply
Self-sufficiency, feed-in, kilowatt hour: here we explain the terms you come across in the portal, in the app and when talking to your installer. Short and free of jargon.
Jump to a letter: A · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · K · M · P · R · S
A
AC and DC
AC (alternating current) is the electricity from your sockets and the public grid. DC (direct current) is what solar modules and batteries supply. An inverter converts one into the other.
App Center
The App Center contains additional features for your SOLIO, for example for your charging station, your heating element or a dynamic electricity tariff. More under App Center.
C
Charging and discharging
Charging means electricity is flowing into your storage system. Discharging means your storage system is releasing electricity, usually to your home.
Charging station (wallbox)
The charging station for your electric car. With the SOLIO, it can charge preferably with solar power. See Charging station.
Combined heat and power plant (CHP)
A unit that generates heat and electricity at the same time, usually from gas. Your SOLIO can integrate a CHP plant, see Combined heat and power.
Consumption
The electricity your home needs right now, whether it comes from the solar system, the storage system or the grid.
D
Dimming under §14a EnWG
A German rule: for heat pumps, charging stations and storage systems installed since 1 January 2024, the grid operator may temporarily reduce the power they draw from the grid to prevent overloading. For storage systems, 4.2 kW always remains available. If dimming is currently active, you can see it in the Grid area.
Dynamic electricity tariff
An electricity tariff whose price changes over the course of the day, depending on the electricity exchange. With the Dynamic electricity tariff app, your SOLIO charges the storage system from the grid when prices are low, or saves stored electricity for expensive hours.
E
Emergency power and emergency power reserve
Emergency power keeps your home supplied from the storage system during a power cut. Whether your system can do this depends on the storage system and the installation; ask your installer if in doubt. With the emergency power reserve you decide how much charge (between 5 % and 100 %) the storage system holds back for this case.
Energy flow
The diagram in the cockpit that shows where your electricity is coming from right now and where it is going. More under The energy flow.
F
Feed-in
Electricity from your system that you do not need right now and that flows into the public grid. You usually receive a feed-in tariff for it. The portal also calls this grid feed-in.
Feed-in limitation
Some systems may only feed a limited amount of power into the grid, for example as required by the grid operator. In the Grid area, the state shows whether a limitation is currently active. "no limitation" means you may feed in without restriction.
G
Generation
The electricity your solar system, or another generator, is producing right now. In the energy flow it is shown by the sun.
Grid
The public electricity grid. In the Grid area you can see whether you are currently buying electricity or feeding it in.
Grid purchase
Electricity that you draw from the public grid and pay for. The portal also calls this purchase or mains supply.
Grid-optimised charging
Your storage system does not charge fully first thing in the morning, but spreads charging over the day based on forecasts. Your system then feeds into the grid more evenly at midday and is curtailed less often. See Grid-optimised charging.
H
Heat pump
A heating system that uses electricity to extract heat from the air, the ground or water. With the SOLIO, it can preferably run when there is plenty of solar power.
Heating element
An electric heating element in your hot water tank. Your SOLIO can run it on surplus solar power instead of feeding that power into the grid. See Heating element.
History
A look back at earlier days, weeks, months and years, with all the values of your system. See History & analysis.
I
Inverter
Converts the direct current (DC) from the solar modules or the storage system into alternating current (AC) for your home. Without an inverter you could not use your solar power.
K
kW and kWh
kW (kilowatt) is the power at this moment, like the speed of a car. kWh (kilowatt hour) is the amount of electricity over a period of time, like the distance driven: using 1 kW for one hour means you have used 1 kWh. The cockpit shows live kW, while the history and your electricity bill show kWh.
kWp (kilowatt peak)
The rated output of your solar system under standardised test conditions. In everyday use a system usually delivers less, because the position of the sun, temperature and clouds all play a part.
M
Meter
A meter measures how much electricity flows. Your grid operator's meter is always the one used for billing. Your SOLIO measures with its own devices, so small differences from the billing meter are normal.
P
Peak load and peak shaving
A peak load is a short moment of particularly high power drawn from the grid, for example when several large machines start at the same time. For business customers, the highest peak often determines part of the grid charges. Peak shaving covers such peaks from the storage system.
Phases (L1, L2, L3)
Your grid connection has three live conductors, the phases L1, L2 and L3. Most household appliances are connected to one phase; large loads such as a cooker, heat pump or charging station often use all three. The Grid area shows the values per phase.
Photovoltaics (PV)
Solar modules convert sunlight into electricity. A PV system consists of the modules, usually on the roof, and an inverter.
PV forecast
A forecast of how much electricity your system is likely to generate today and tomorrow, calculated from the weather forecast. It appears in the cockpit below the weather.
PV surplus
Solar power that your home does not need right now. Instead of feeding it into the grid, your SOLIO can use it to charge the car, heat water or let the heat pump run harder, for example.
R
Ripple control receiver
A device belonging to your grid operator that lets them limit your system's feed-in when necessary. If a limitation is currently active, you can see it in the Grid area under Feed-in limitation.
Roles
Roles determine what someone may do in the portal. A Guest can only view, an Owner may also change settings and use apps, and the Installer takes care of the technical side. More under Who may do what?.
S
Schedule
Shows what your SOLIO expects and plans for the coming hours, for example when the storage system will be charged. More under The schedule.
Self-consumption
The share of the solar power you generate that you use yourself, directly in your home or via the storage system. The rest flows into the grid. More under Self-consumption.
Self-sufficiency
The share of your consumption that you cover with your own electricity from the solar system and storage. 100 % means you are not drawing any electricity from the grid. The portal may also show this as Autarchy. More under Self-sufficiency.
SG-Ready
An interface through which many heat pumps receive signals from outside. Your SOLIO can use it to let the heat pump heat more when there is surplus solar power, and then switch it back to normal operation. See SG-Ready heat pump.
SOLIO
SOLTEGRA's energy management system. It continuously measures all energy flows in your home and controls the storage system, charging station, heat pump and other devices so that you use as much of your own electricity as possible.
State of charge (SoC)
How full your storage system is, as a percentage. 100 % means full.
Storage system
Your battery storage. It stores surplus solar power and supplies it to your home in the evening and at night. More under Storage system.
System status
The indicator at the top right of the cockpit. A green tick means all devices are working and reachable. See The system status.