Terminology

(This page is a placeholder for terms not yet added to the glossary.)

This is a list of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms found on the wiki and forums more generally. Also see this more general RV-related list at Good Sam.

• A - Amps (amperes). A measure of electrical current.
• AH or Ah - Amp-hour. Example: 2.5A x 2 hours = 5Ah. Note that Ah is voltage-dependent: 5Ah at 12v is 60Wh, while 5A at 24v = 120Wh. For this reason, Wh may be a more "portable" specification. The capacity of deep cycle batteries is traditionally given in Ah. Example: a 100Ah battery will provide 100Ah from 100% to 0% DoD at a ~5A draw (C/20).
• AGMAbsorbent Glass Mat battery, a type of Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery
• BM - battery monitor
• BTU - British Thermal Units, a measurement of heat.
• C - rated capacity in Amps.
• CAR Current/charge acceptance rate; the amount of current the battery will take under present conditions
• CC - [solar] charge controller
• CRVL - cheap rv living forum
• DoD - Depth of Discharge
• endAmps - the amount manufacturer-specified amount of measured current in Amps that signals the end of the Absorption stage of charging.
• FLA - flooded lead acid battery
• FT - full time (lives in the camper)
• GC - 6v golf cart battery
• GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: maximum weight the vehicle can carry
• GCWR - Gross Combined Weight Rating: maximum towable weight
• GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating: maximum weight each axle can carry
• Imp - current (I) the panel puts out at Vmp. Vmp X Imp = Pmax
• Isc - max current (I) the panel can output. This occurs when the panel wires are short circuited.
• LFP - LiFePO₄
• MPPT - Maximum Power Point Tracking, a type of charge controller
• normally closed (NC) - a relay where the unpowered (default) condition is closed, i.e. relayed circuit is complete and electricity can flow
• normally open (NO) - a relay where the unpowered (default) condition is open, i.e. relayed circuit is broken and electricity cannot flow
• Pmax - maximum power the panel can output
• PT - part time (ie, lives in a vehicle part time)
• PV - "photovoltaic", ie solar panel
• PWM - Pulsed Width Modulation, a type of charge controller
• SC - solar controller
• SCC - solar charge controller
• SoC - state of charge
• SoH - State of Health, a measure of the general health of the battery. Often expressed in terms of its original capacity rating in Ah.
• TnTTT - Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers forum
• Toad - a second vehicle which is towed
• TT - travel trailer
• TV - tow vehicle, usually a pickup truck
• Vabs - Voltage setpoint for the Absorption stage of charging.
• Vfloat - Voltage setpoint for the Float stage of charging.
• Vmp - Voltage at which a solar panel produces maximum power under present conditions.
• Voc - Maximum Voltage the solar panel can output. This occurs in an open circuit condition, like when you measure the bare leads of the panel with a multimeter
• VSR - Voltage Sensing Regulator, a smart kind of battery isolator
• Wh - Watt-hours. Example: 32w x 3 hours = 96Wh. Like Ah, but not voltage-dependent.

Electrical terms often seen with solar

• I - current in Amps. The I comes from the archaic term intensity.
• Imp current at the panel's maximum power output (see Vmp)
• Isc - Amps when short circuited; this is when your solar panels are connected only to themselves. This is the highest current your panels can theoretically produce.
• Pmax maximum power a panel will make. Vmp * Imp = Pmax
• Setpoint - a value used to place a limit or border on a particular operation. If your refrigerator is set hold 40F temperatures then 40F is the setpoint. If your charger floats at 13.2v then 13.2v is the Vfloat setpoint. Setpoints may be preset by the manufacturer or configured by the user.
• V - Volts
• Vabs - charge controller voltage setpoint for Absorption stage
• Vbatt - actual voltage of the battery bank.
• Vfloat - charge controller voltage setpoint for Float stage
• Vmp - voltage at which a panel makes maximum power (watts)
• Voc - volts in open circuit; when your solar panels are not connected to anything. This is the highest voltage your panels can theoretically produce.
• Vpanel - voltage the controller is running the panel[s] at
• W - power in Watts