PV Essentials: 340 Key Technical Terms in English and Chinese (Worth Bookmarking)
In brief
This glossary collects 340 frequently used PV technical terms in 11 categories, covering cells, modules, materials, processes, reliability, failure analysis, quality, certification and power plant applications. This update adds four entries — BSI, Tj, CTI and RTI — and revises the notes for STC, NOCT, UL, CBAM and others. It is long, so bookmark it and look terms up as needed.
Anyone working in PV technology across Chinese and international teams eventually meets the language barrier. Reading IEC standards, studying customers' technical specifications, replying to third-party labs and running failure analysis meetings with overseas partners — what trips people up is rarely grammar, but the several hundred industry terms and abbreviations.
These terms share a trait: dictionaries rarely give the accepted industry translation, and the same word can mean different things at different stages. So we have organised the most frequently used terms by category, matching abbreviation, full English name and the standard Chinese industry term one to one. For English-speaking readers working with Chinese suppliers and partners, the Chinese column gives the term you are most likely to see in Chinese documents.
The Chinese terms follow common industry usage; individual companies may use slightly different names.
01Industry Chain & Cell Technology
Industry chain
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV | Photovoltaic(s) | 光伏 | |
| — | Polysilicon | 多晶硅料 | |
| — | Ingot | 硅锭 / 晶棒 | |
| — | Wafer | 硅片 | |
| — | Solar Cell | 太阳电池 / 电池片 | |
| — | PV Module | 光伏组件 | IEC standards use "module"; "panel" is colloquial |
| mono-Si | Monocrystalline Silicon | 单晶硅 | |
| mc-Si | Multicrystalline Silicon | 多晶硅（铸锭） | |
| Cz | Czochralski Method | 直拉法 | |
| — | n-type / p-type | N 型 / P 型 | |
| — | Vertical Integration | 垂直一体化 | |
| — | Capacity / Shipment | 产能 / 出货量 | |
| LCOE | Levelized Cost of Energy | 平准化度电成本 |
Table 1 Industry Chain & Cell Technology · Industry chain
Cell technology
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-BSF | Aluminum Back Surface Field | 铝背场 | |
| PERC | Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell | 钝化发射极和背面电池 | |
| TOPCon | Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact | 隧穿氧化层钝化接触 | |
| HJT / SHJ | (Silicon) Heterojunction | 异质结 | |
| IBC | Interdigitated Back Contact | 叉指式背接触 | |
| BC | Back Contact | 背接触 | Includes TBC, HBC and other routes |
| PSC | Perovskite Solar Cell | 钙钛矿电池 | |
| — | Tandem Cell | 叠层电池 | |
| — | Thin Film | 薄膜 | e.g. CdTe, CIGS |
| — | Bifacial Cell | 双面电池 | |
| — | Half-cut Cell | 半片电池 | |
| — | Emitter | 发射极 | |
| — | Passivation Layer | 钝化层 | |
| TCO | Transparent Conductive Oxide | 透明导电氧化物 | |
| — | Conversion Efficiency | 转换效率 |
Table 2 Industry Chain & Cell Technology · Cell technology
02Module Structure & Design
Figure 1 PV module structure and the names of its layers
Module types
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Glass-Backsheet Module | 单玻组件 | |
| — | Glass-Glass Module | 双玻组件 | Also "dual-glass" / "double-glass" |
| — | Bifacial Module | 双面组件 | |
| — | Bifaciality (Factor) | 双面率 | |
| — | Shingled Module | 叠瓦组件 | |
| — | Lightweight / Flexible Module | 轻质 / 柔性组件 | |
| BIPV | Building Integrated PV | 光伏建筑一体化 |
Table 3 Module Structure & Design · Module types
Structural parts
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Frame | 边框 | |
| J-box | Junction Box | 接线盒 | |
| — | Bypass Diode | 旁路二极管 | |
| — | Connector | 连接器 | |
| — | Cable | 线缆 | |
| — | Nameplate / Label | 铭牌 / 标签 | |
| — | Mounting Hole | 安装孔 | |
| — | Grounding Hole | 接地孔 | |
| — | Drain Hole | 排水孔 |
Table 4 Module Structure & Design · Structural parts
Circuit and layout
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Cell String | 电池串 | |
| — | Interconnect Ribbon | 互联条 / 焊带 | |
| — | Bussing Ribbon | 汇流条 | Often simply called "busbar" at module level |
| — | Busbar | 主栅 | The main busbars on a cell |
| — | Finger | 细栅 / 副栅 | |
| MBB / SMBB | (Super) Multi-Busbar | 多主栅 / 超多主栅 | |
| 0BB | Zero Busbar | 无主栅 | |
| — | Cell Gap / String Gap | 片间距 / 串间距 | |
| — | Creepage Distance | 爬电距离 | Shortest path along an insulating surface |
| — | Clearance | 电气间隙 | Shortest path through air |
| CTM | Cell-to-Module | 电池到组件（功率比 / 损失） |
Table 5 Module Structure & Design · Circuit and layout
03Materials
Encapsulants
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Encapsulant | 封装胶膜 | |
| EVA | Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate | 乙烯-醋酸乙烯酯共聚物 | |
| POE | Polyolefin Elastomer | 聚烯烃弹性体 | |
| EPE | EVA-POE-EVA Co-extruded Film | 共挤型胶膜 | |
| PVB | Polyvinyl Butyral | 聚乙烯醇缩丁醛 | |
| — | Crosslinking Agent | 交联剂 | Usually a peroxide |
| — | Silane Coupling Agent | 硅烷偶联剂 | |
| — | UV Absorber | 紫外吸收剂 | |
| HALS | Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer | 受阻胺光稳定剂 |
Table 6 Materials · Encapsulants
Backsheets and glass
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Backsheet | 背板 | |
| PET | Polyethylene Terephthalate | 聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 | |
| PVDF | Polyvinylidene Fluoride | 聚偏氟乙烯 | |
| PVF | Polyvinyl Fluoride | 聚氟乙烯 | |
| — | Tempered Glass | 钢化玻璃 | |
| — | Heat-strengthened Glass | 半钢化玻璃 | |
| — | Low-iron Patterned Glass | 超白压花玻璃 | |
| ARC | Anti-Reflective Coating | 减反射膜 |
Table 7 Materials · Backsheets and glass
Metallisation and auxiliary materials
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Silver Paste | 银浆 | |
| — | Solder / Flux | 焊料 / 助焊剂 | |
| ECA | Electrically Conductive Adhesive | 导电胶 | |
| — | Silicone Sealant | 硅酮密封胶 | |
| — | Potting Compound | 灌封胶 | |
| — | Butyl Edge Seal | 丁基胶边缘密封 | |
| — | Anodized Aluminum | 阳极氧化铝 |
Table 8 Materials · Metallisation and auxiliary materials
Material properties
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Gel Content | 凝胶含量 / 交联度 | Also "degree of crosslinking" |
| — | Peel Strength | 剥离强度 | |
| — | Transmittance | 透光率 | |
| — | Volume Resistivity | 体积电阻率 | |
| WVTR | Water Vapor Transmission Rate | 水汽透过率 | |
| — | Shrinkage | 收缩率 | |
| MFR | Melt Flow Rate | 熔体流动速率（熔指） | |
| YI | Yellowness Index | 黄变指数 | |
| Tg | Glass Transition Temperature | 玻璃化转变温度 | |
| — | Breakdown Voltage | 击穿电压 | |
| CTI | Comparative Tracking Index | 相比电痕化指数 | Sets the material group and creepage distance |
| RTI | Relative Thermal Index | 相对温度指数 | Long-term thermal index defined in UL 746B |
Table 9 Materials · Material properties
04Electrical Performance
Figure 2 Key electrical parameters on the I-V curve
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| STC | Standard Test Conditions | 标准测试条件 | 1000 W/m², cell temperature 25 °C, AM1.5G spectrum |
| NMOT | Nominal Module Operating Temperature | 组件标称工作温度 | 800 W/m², ambient 20 °C, wind 1 m/s |
| NOCT | Nominal Operating Cell Temperature | 电池标称工作温度 | Older term; replaced by NMOT from IEC 61215:2016 |
| BNPI | Bifacial Nameplate Irradiance | 双面铭牌辐照度 | Front 1000 + rear 135 W/m² |
| BSI | Bifacial Stress Irradiance | 双面应力辐照度 | Front 1000 + rear 300 W/m²; used in some stress tests |
| Pmax | Maximum Power | 最大功率 | |
| Voc | Open-Circuit Voltage | 开路电压 | |
| Isc | Short-Circuit Current | 短路电流 | |
| Vmpp / Impp | Voltage / Current at Maximum Power Point | 最大功率点电压 / 电流 | |
| FF | Fill Factor | 填充因子 | |
| η | Module Efficiency | 组件效率 | |
| — | I-V Curve | I-V 特性曲线 | |
| Rs | Series Resistance | 串联电阻 | |
| Rsh | Shunt Resistance | 并联电阻 | |
| — | Temperature Coefficient | 温度系数 | Given for Pmax, Voc and Isc |
| — | Irradiance | 辐照度 | Unit: W/m² |
| AM | Air Mass | 大气质量 | |
| SR | Spectral Response | 光谱响应 | |
| EQE | External Quantum Efficiency | 外量子效率 | |
| IAM | Incidence Angle Modifier | 入射角修正因子 | |
| — | Low Irradiance Performance | 弱光性能 | |
| — | Power Tolerance | 功率公差 | |
| — | Maximum System Voltage | 最大系统电压 | |
| — | Maximum Series Fuse Rating | 最大串联保险丝额定值 | |
| Wp | Watt-peak | 峰瓦 | |
| — | Solar Simulator | 太阳模拟器 | |
| — | Measurement Uncertainty | 测量不确定度 |
Table 10 Electrical Performance
05Manufacturing Process
Figure 3 Module manufacturing process flow
Cell processes
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Texturing | 制绒 | |
| — | Diffusion | 扩散 | Boron diffusion for n-type |
| SE | Selective Emitter | 选择性发射极 | |
| — | Etching | 刻蚀 | |
| — | Passivation | 钝化 | |
| PECVD | Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition | 等离子体增强化学气相沉积 | |
| LPCVD | Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition | 低压化学气相沉积 | |
| ALD | Atomic Layer Deposition | 原子层沉积 | |
| PVD | Physical Vapor Deposition | 物理气相沉积 | |
| — | Screen Printing | 丝网印刷 | |
| — | Firing | 烧结 | |
| — | Metallization | 金属化 | |
| LECO | Laser-Enhanced Contact Optimization | 激光增强接触优化 | |
| — | Sorting / Binning | 分选 / 分档 |
Table 11 Manufacturing Process · Cell processes
Module processes
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Cell Cutting / Laser Scribing | 划片 / 激光划片 | |
| NDC | Non-Destructive Cutting | 无损切割 | |
| — | Stringing / Tabbing | 串焊 | |
| — | Stringer | 串焊机 | |
| — | Soldering | 焊接 | |
| — | Layup | 排版 / 叠层 | |
| — | Bussing | 汇流条焊接 | |
| — | Lamination | 层压 | |
| — | Laminator | 层压机 | |
| — | Trimming | 削边 | |
| — | Framing | 装框 | |
| — | Potting | 灌胶 | |
| — | Curing | 固化 | |
| — | Hi-pot Test | 绝缘耐压测试 | |
| — | Flash Test | 功率测试（IV 测试） | |
| FVI | Final Visual Inspection | 外观终检 | |
| — | Cycle Time / Takt Time | 节拍 | |
| — | Packaging | 包装 |
Table 12 Manufacturing Process · Module processes
06Reliability Testing
Environmental stress tests
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TC | Thermal Cycling | 热循环 | −40 °C ↔ +85 °C, e.g. TC200 |
| DH | Damp Heat | 湿热 | 85 °C / 85% RH, e.g. DH1000 |
| HF | Humidity Freeze | 湿冻 | 85 °C/85% RH ↔ −40 °C, e.g. HF10 |
| UV | UV Preconditioning | 紫外预处理 | |
| — | Outdoor Exposure | 室外曝晒 | |
| — | Salt Mist Test | 盐雾测试 | |
| — | Ammonia Corrosion Test | 氨气腐蚀测试 | |
| — | Dust and Sand Test | 沙尘测试 |
Table 13 Reliability Testing · Environmental stress tests
Degradation tests
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PID | Potential Induced Degradation | 电势诱导衰减 | |
| LID | Light Induced Degradation | 光致衰减 | |
| LeTID | Light and elevated Temperature Induced Degradation | 光热诱导衰减 | |
| UVID | UV Induced Degradation | 紫外诱导衰减 | |
| — | Stabilization | 稳定化处理 | |
| — | Degradation Rate | 衰减率 |
Table 14 Reliability Testing · Degradation tests
Mechanical and electrical safety
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SML | Static Mechanical Load | 静态机械载荷 | |
| DML | Dynamic Mechanical Load | 动态机械载荷 | ±1000 Pa, 1,000 cycles |
| — | Hail Test | 冰雹测试 | |
| — | Robustness of Terminations | 引出端强度 | |
| — | Hot-spot Endurance Test | 热斑耐久测试 | |
| — | Bypass Diode Thermal Test | 旁路二极管热性能测试 | |
| Tj | Junction Temperature | 结温 | Core parameter of bypass diode thermal design |
| — | Insulation Test | 绝缘测试 | |
| — | Wet Leakage Current Test | 湿漏电流测试 | |
| — | Impulse Voltage Test | 脉冲电压测试 | |
| — | Reverse Current Overload | 反向电流过载 | |
| — | Fire Test | 防火测试 |
Table 15 Reliability Testing · Mechanical and electrical safety
General terms
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MQT / MST | Module Quality Test / Module Safety Test | 性能测试项 / 安全测试项 | Test numbers in IEC 61215 / IEC 61730 |
| — | Sequential Test | 序列测试 | |
| — | Extended Reliability Test | 加严可靠性测试 | |
| — | Accelerated Aging | 加速老化 | |
| — | Acceleration Factor | 加速因子 | |
| HAST | Highly Accelerated Stress Test | 高加速应力测试 | |
| PCT | Pressure Cooker Test | 高压蒸煮测试 | |
| — | Climate Chamber | 环境试验箱 |
Table 16 Reliability Testing · General terms
07Failure Modes & Defects
Analysis terms
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA | Failure Analysis | 失效分析 | |
| — | Failure Mode | 失效模式 | |
| — | Failure Mechanism | 失效机理 | |
| — | Root Cause | 根本原因 |
Table 17 Failure Modes & Defects · Analysis terms
Cells and circuits
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Micro-crack | 隐裂 | |
| — | Cell Breakage | 裂片 / 碎片 | |
| — | Hot Spot | 热斑 | |
| — | Snail Trail | 蜗牛纹 | |
| — | Finger Interruption | 断栅 | |
| — | Cold Solder Joint | 虚焊 | |
| — | Over-soldering | 过焊 | |
| — | Ribbon Misalignment | 焊带偏移 | |
| — | Dark Cell / Black Core | 黑片 / 黑心 | |
| — | Mismatch | 失配 | |
| — | Shunt | 分流 / 漏电 | |
| — | Short Circuit / Open Circuit | 短路 / 开路 | |
| — | Bypass Diode Failure | 旁路二极管失效 | |
| — | Arc / Burn Mark | 电弧 / 烧灼痕 |
Table 18 Failure Modes & Defects · Cells and circuits
Encapsulation and appearance
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Delamination | 脱层 | |
| — | Bubble | 气泡 | |
| — | Yellowing / Discoloration | 黄变 / 变色 | |
| — | Corrosion | 腐蚀 | |
| — | Moisture Ingress | 水汽侵入 | |
| — | Acetic Acid | 醋酸 | Hydrolysis product of EVA |
| — | Backsheet Cracking | 背板开裂 | |
| — | Chalking | 粉化 | |
| — | Glass Breakage | 玻璃破裂 | Spontaneous breakage = 自爆 |
| — | Foreign Material | 异物 | |
| — | Scratch | 划伤 | |
| — | Color Difference | 色差 |
Table 19 Failure Modes & Defects · Encapsulation and appearance
Degradation
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Power Degradation | 功率衰减 | |
| PID-s / PID-p | Shunting / Polarization Type PID | 分流型 / 极化型 PID | |
| — | Sodium Ion Migration | 钠离子迁移 | |
| — | Soiling | 积灰 / 脏污 | |
| — | Shading | 遮挡 |
Table 20 Failure Modes & Defects · Degradation
08Inspection & Characterization
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EL | Electroluminescence | 电致发光 | |
| PL | Photoluminescence | 光致发光 | |
| IR | Infrared Thermography | 红外热成像 | |
| VI | Visual Inspection | 外观检查 | |
| AOI | Automated Optical Inspection | 自动光学检测 | |
| SEM | Scanning Electron Microscope | 扫描电子显微镜 | |
| EDS | Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy | 能谱分析 | |
| FTIR | Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy | 傅里叶变换红外光谱 | |
| DSC | Differential Scanning Calorimetry | 差示扫描量热法 | |
| TGA | Thermogravimetric Analysis | 热重分析 | |
| DMA | Dynamic Mechanical Analysis | 动态热机械分析 | |
| XRF | X-ray Fluorescence | X 射线荧光光谱 | |
| GC-MS | Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry | 气相色谱-质谱联用 | |
| UV-Vis | UV-Visible Spectroscopy | 紫外-可见光谱 | |
| — | Cross-section Analysis | 截面分析 | |
| — | Tensile Test | 拉伸测试 | |
| — | Minority Carrier Lifetime | 少子寿命 |
Table 21 Inspection & Characterization
09Quality Management
Inspection and control
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| QA / QC | Quality Assurance / Quality Control | 质量保证 / 质量控制 | |
| IQC | Incoming Quality Control | 来料检验 | |
| IPQC | In-Process Quality Control | 制程检验 | |
| FQC / OQC | Final / Outgoing Quality Control | 成品检验 / 出货检验 | |
| AQL | Acceptance Quality Limit | 接收质量限 | |
| SPC | Statistical Process Control | 统计过程控制 | |
| Cpk | Process Capability Index | 过程能力指数 | |
| MSA | Measurement System Analysis | 测量系统分析 | |
| GR&R | Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility | 量具重复性与再现性 | |
| — | Reference Module | 标准组件 / 标板 | Also "golden module" |
| — | Calibration | 校准 | |
| — | Yield | 良率 | |
| FPY | First Pass Yield | 一次通过率 / 直通率 | |
| — | Rework / Scrap | 返工 / 报废 |
Table 22 Quality Management · Inspection and control
Problem solving and change
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FMEA | Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | 失效模式与影响分析 | |
| DOE | Design of Experiments | 实验设计 | |
| 8D | Eight Disciplines | 8D 问题解决法 | |
| RCA | Root Cause Analysis | 根因分析 | |
| CAPA | Corrective and Preventive Action | 纠正与预防措施 | |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure | 标准作业程序 | |
| ECN / PCN | Engineering / Product Change Notice | 工程 / 产品变更通知 | |
| NCR | Non-Conformance Report | 不合格报告 | |
| MRB | Material Review Board | 物料评审委员会 |
Table 23 Quality Management · Problem solving and change
Supply chain and after-sales
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Traceability | 可追溯性 | |
| SN / Lot | Serial Number / Lot | 序列号 / 批次 | |
| CoC | Certificate of Conformity | 符合性证书 | |
| CoA | Certificate of Analysis | 分析报告 / 质检报告 | |
| AVL | Approved Vendor List | 合格供应商名录 | |
| — | Factory Audit | 工厂审核 / 验厂 | |
| PSI | Pre-Shipment Inspection | 出货前检验 | |
| ORT | Ongoing Reliability Test | 持续可靠性测试 | |
| RMA | Return Material Authorization | 退货授权 | |
| — | Product / Performance Warranty | 产品质保 / 功率质保 | |
| — | Claim | 索赔 |
Table 24 Quality Management · Supply chain and after-sales
10Standards & Certification
Bodies and schemes
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC | International Electrotechnical Commission | 国际电工委员会 | |
| UL | Underwriters Laboratories | 美国保险商实验室 | Testing and certification now operate as UL Solutions |
| TÜV | Technischer Überwachungsverein | 德国技术监督协会 | e.g. TÜV Rheinland, TÜV SÜD, TÜV NORD |
| CQC | China Quality Certification Centre | 中国质量认证中心 | |
| CGC | China General Certification Center | 北京鉴衡认证中心 | |
| CB Scheme | IECEE CB Scheme | CB 体系 | Mutual recognition scheme for electrotechnical test certificates |
| NCB / CBTL | National Certification Body / CB Testing Laboratory | 国家认证机构 / CB 实验室 |
Table 25 Standards & Certification · Bodies and schemes
Core standards
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 61215 | Design Qualification and Type Approval | 设计鉴定和定型 | |
| IEC 61730 | PV Module Safety Qualification | 组件安全鉴定 | |
| UL 61730 | — | 北美版组件安全标准 | |
| IEC TS 62804 | PID Test Methods | PID 测试方法 | |
| IEC 61701 | Salt Mist Corrosion Testing | 盐雾腐蚀测试 | |
| IEC 62716 | Ammonia Corrosion Testing | 氨气腐蚀测试 | |
| IEC TS 63209 | Extended-stress Testing | 加严应力测试 | |
| IEC TS 62915 | Retesting Guideline | 重测导则 | Basis for retesting after material or design changes |
| IEC 62941 | Quality System for PV Module Manufacturing | 组件制造质量体系 | |
| IEC 60904 | PV Device Measurement | 光伏器件测量（系列） | |
| IEC 61853 | Performance Testing and Energy Rating | 性能测试与能效评定 | |
| IEC 62788 | Measurement Procedures for Materials | 组件用材料测试方法（系列） |
Table 26 Standards & Certification · Core standards
Certification terms
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Type Approval | 型式认证 | |
| — | Certificate | 证书 | |
| CDF | Constructional Data Form | 结构数据表 | |
| BOM | Bill of Materials | 物料清单 | |
| — | Witness Test | 目击测试 | |
| — | Factory Inspection | 工厂检查 | |
| — | Protection Class II | II 类防护（防触电） | |
| — | Fire Rating | 防火等级 | |
| IP | Ingress Protection Rating | 防护等级 | e.g. IP68 |
Table 27 Standards & Certification · Certification terms
Compliance and market access
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoHS | Restriction of Hazardous Substances | 有害物质限制指令 | |
| REACH | Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals | 化学品注册、评估、授权和限制法规 | |
| LCA | Life Cycle Assessment | 生命周期评价 | |
| EPD | Environmental Product Declaration | 环境产品声明 | |
| — | Carbon Footprint | 碳足迹 | |
| CBAM | Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism | 碳边境调节机制 | EU; definitive phase from 2026; currently covers steel, aluminium and other basic materials, not PV modules directly |
| — | Bankability | 可融资性 |
Table 28 Standards & Certification · Compliance and market access
11System & Power Plant
System components
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Inverter | 逆变器 | |
| — | String / Central Inverter | 组串式 / 集中式逆变器 | |
| — | Microinverter | 微型逆变器 | |
| — | Optimizer | 功率优化器 | |
| MPPT | Maximum Power Point Tracking | 最大功率点跟踪 | |
| — | Tracker | 跟踪支架 | |
| — | Fixed-tilt Racking | 固定支架 | |
| — | Combiner Box | 汇流箱 | |
| BOS | Balance of System | 系统平衡部件 | System components other than modules |
| — | String / Array | 组串 / 方阵 | |
| BESS | Battery Energy Storage System | 电池储能系统 | |
| — | Rapid Shutdown | 快速关断 | |
| AFCI | Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter | 电弧故障断路器 |
Table 29 System & Power Plant · System components
Energy performance
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR | Performance Ratio | 系统效率（性能比） | |
| — | Energy Yield | 发电量 | |
| — | Specific Yield | 单位装机发电量 | Unit: kWh/kWp |
| — | DC/AC Ratio | 容配比 | |
| GHI | Global Horizontal Irradiance | 水平面总辐照 | |
| POA | Plane of Array | 阵列面（辐照） | |
| — | Albedo | 地表反射率 | |
| — | Tilt Angle / Azimuth | 倾角 / 方位角 | |
| GCR | Ground Coverage Ratio | 地面覆盖率 |
Table 30 System & Power Plant · Energy performance
Applications and business
| Abbr. | English | Chinese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Utility-scale | 大型地面电站 | |
| DG | Distributed Generation | 分布式 | |
| C&I | Commercial and Industrial | 工商业 | |
| — | Residential / Rooftop | 户用 / 屋顶 | |
| — | Agrivoltaics | 农光互补 | |
| FPV | Floating PV | 水上漂浮光伏 | |
| — | Grid-connected / Off-grid | 并网 / 离网 | |
| — | Curtailment | 弃光限电 | |
| EPC | Engineering, Procurement and Construction | 设计采购施工总承包 | |
| O&M | Operation and Maintenance | 运维 | |
| PPA | Power Purchase Agreement | 购电协议 | |
| IRR | Internal Rate of Return | 内部收益率 | |
| FiT | Feed-in Tariff | 上网电价补贴 |
Table 31 System & Power Plant · Applications and business
12Appendix: seven pairs of easily confused terms
- 1. Busbar: cell busbar or module bus ribbon? In a cell context, busbar means the main busbars printed on the cell (hence MBB and 0BB); in a module context, busbar / bussing ribbon means the bus ribbon. When reading an English document, first establish whether it is talking about cells or modules.
- 2. Module vs panel: IEC standards and technical documents always use "PV module"; "panel" is common in North America and everyday speech. "Module" is the safer choice in specifications and certification documents.
- 3. NOCT vs NMOT: Both use the same environment (800 W/m², ambient 20 °C, wind 1 m/s); the difference is that the module is open-circuit for NOCT and operating near its maximum power point for NMOT. IEC 61215:2016 replaced NOCT with NMOT.
- 4. Yield: production yield or energy yield? On the production line, yield means the proportion of good product; at the plant, energy yield means generation, and specific yield is generation per kWp. The same word means something completely different in another department.
- 5. Qualification vs certification: Qualification means completing the qualification tests of a standard (such as the design qualification of IEC 61215); certification is the act of a certification body issuing a certificate based on test reports and factory inspection.
- 6. Product warranty vs performance warranty: The former covers defects in materials and workmanship; the latter covers power degradation. Contracts and claims treat the two separately.
- 7. Creepage vs clearance: Creepage distance is the shortest path along the surface of insulating material; clearance is the shortest straight-line distance through air. Both values must be met in module layout and safety certification.
13Final thoughts
Terminology is a tool. Once these terms are familiar, reading standards and customer documents becomes faster and more accurate.
We will keep updating this glossary. If you notice a frequently used term we have missed, or your company uses a different name, we would be glad to hear from you.
Calculation notes / data basis:1. The term count is the number of table rows: 340 entries in 31 tables; entries with a slash (such as Vmpp / Impp) count as one. 2. The conditions for STC, NMOT, BNPI and BSI follow the definitions of the IEC 61215:2021 framework; the BSI values are from LONGi's public explanation of the IEC standards. 3. CBAM scope is as of October 2026; the EU has proposed extending it to some steel- and aluminium-intensive downstream products from 2028, and the latest EU legislation governs. 4. The Chinese column gives common industry usage; company conventions may differ.
References
- IEC 61215-1/-2:2021 Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design qualification and type approval
- IEC 61730-1/-2 Photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification
- LONGi: What Defines Bifacial Module Power Generation Performance? IEC Standards Offer a Scientific Explanation, https://www.longi.com/en/industry-dynamics/iec-standards/
- Akin Gump: EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Financial Obligations Commence Amid Proposed Scope Expansion, 22 December 2025, https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/eu-carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism-financial-obligations-commence-amid-proposed-scope-expansion-to-include-new-downstream-products
- UL: Understanding UL 746 Series Standards, https://www.ul.com/services/understanding-ul-746-series-standards
PV Materials Lab
PV Materials Lab (光伏新材料研究所)
A PV R&D and technology team with 10+ years of experience | In-depth technical knowledge sharing
Materials · Reliability · Failure Analysis · Standards & Certification · Products · Processes
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Disclaimer:
1. Original content reflects the authors' personal views only, is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
2. Reposted and cited content is credited to its source, out of respect for original work.
3. Some content was produced with AI assistance (chart generation, data retrieval, concept explanations, etc.); the core framework and key content were written by our technical team and reviewed by people.
4. If anything is inaccurate or infringes your rights, please leave a message or contact us and we will deal with it.
A PV R&D and technology team with 10+ years of experience | In-depth technical knowledge sharing
Materials · Reliability · Failure Analysis · Standards & Certification · Products · Processes
Exploring AI + PV; collaboration welcome
Disclaimer:
1. Original content reflects the authors' personal views only, is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
2. Reposted and cited content is credited to its source, out of respect for original work.
3. Some content was produced with AI assistance (chart generation, data retrieval, concept explanations, etc.); the core framework and key content were written by our technical team and reviewed by people.
4. If anything is inaccurate or infringes your rights, please leave a message or contact us and we will deal with it.