Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia
Queensland
AC: Alternating Current – a voltage that alternates from negative to positive multiple times per second. This is what the Australian energy grid runs on.
ACCU: Australian Carbon Credit Unit. An ACCU represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2-e) stored or avoided by a project.
ACP: Accredited Certificate Provider, an individual company that is authorised by the NSW Government’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to create energy savings certificates to trade for financial incentives.
Activity 21a: Victorian activity – residential lighting (replacing Incandescent or CFL globes)
Activity 21b: Victorian activity – residential lighting (replacing Incandescent reflector lamps)
Activity 21c: Victorian activity – residential lighting (12V halogen lamp [downlights -globe only] replacement)
Activity 21d: Victorian activity – residential lighting (12V downlight and transformer replacement)
Activity 21e: Victorian activity – residential lighting (Mains voltage GU10- halogen replaced with GU10 lamp)
Activity 21f: Victorian activity – residential lighting (Mains voltage GU10- halogen replaced with GU10 lamp)
Activity 34: Victorian activity – commercial lighting
AER: The Australian Energy Regulator makes decisions that promote efficient investment in, and efficient operation and use of, energy services for the long-term interests of energy consumers.
Aggregator: A person or company who sells energy services or products and works with an ACP, such as Ecovantage, to generate the associated energy certificates.
Air Heat Pump System: A type of heat pump that absorbs heat from a colder place and releases it into a warmer place using the same vapour-compression refrigeration process and same external heat exchanger with fan as used by air conditioners. Unlike an air conditioning unit, however, it is able to both warm and cool buildings and in some cases also provide domestic hot water.
Alternate energy: Sources of energy that are an alternative to using fossil fuels or nuclear power. (i.e. Solar)
Azimuth: The direction the solar panels face. Eg. 0 degrees is true north, 90 degrees is due east.
BMS: Building Management System, typically used in high density buildings or “smart buildings”. Typically a BMS will control lighting, HVAC and security. Some BMS buildings require specific lighting technologies to be used within them.
CapEx: Capital expenditures (CapEx) are funds used by a company to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets such as property, plants, buildings, technology, or equipment. CapEx is often used to undertake new projects or investments by a company.
CBUS: The most common form of BMS, especially in high end offices or homes. Lighting that can be automated, switched on/off or dimmed from a device, specially made by Clipsal.
CCT: Electrical Circuit, or, Correlated colour temperature; Essentially a gauge of how red/yellow or blue/violet the colour of light emitted from a light bulb appears. It’s measured in the Kelvin unit and is most commonly found between 2200 Kelvin degrees and 6500 Kelvin degrees. This is separate from the Lumens or brightness.
CEC: The Clean Energy Council is the peak body for the clean energy industry in Australia. Its member have to agree to a code of conduct and if they meet its standards they can become accredited installers and retailers.
CER: Clean Energy Regulator – The Clean Energy Regulator is the Government body responsible for administering legislation to reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of clean energy.
Certificates: A unit of measurement to indicate an amount of energy saved, that can be traded or sold for a market value. Varies between state and federally run schemes.
CFL: Compact fluorescent lamp.
CO2e: a metric measure used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global warming potential by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of CO2.
Continuous Flow (Instantaneous): Instant hot water heaters heat only the water required and because there is no storage tank (they are also known as tankless water heaters) so they do not experience heat/energy losses of storage systems. They operate on natural gas, LPG or electricity. Most models use gas, but electric models are available.
Gj: Gigajoule, a unit of energy used to measure electricity and gas. Often used in the South Australian energy schemes.
DALI: An extremely common method of a BMS controlling lighting in large open office spaces. Special DALI approved transformers need to be used in all light fittings in DALI buildings.
DC: Direct Current – a voltage that remains its polarity at all times. Typically batteries and solar panels are all DC voltage until they enter an inverter.
Decommissioning: Decommissioning is the permanent removal or disconnecting of a device (e.g. hot water system, solar panels, lights, etc.) to ensure the old system cannot be used again. This may involve piercing a hole in the tank for hot water upgrades, or taking the unit to a recycler or scrap metal dealer for lighting. Simply disconnecting the old unit is not considered decommissioning as it could be reconnected again.
DPIE: Department of Planning, Industry & Environment.
Driver: For light emitting diodes (LEDs), a device that regulates the voltage and current powering the source. Similar to a transformer, but specifically for LEDs.
Ducted Air System (Central Air Conditioning): Air is sent through ducts from one central location to heat and cool all rooms. All rooms are air conditioned uniformly at the same temperature settings. (i.e each room has a grate in the ceiling where cool air comes through).
Ducted Gas Heater System: Ducted Gas Heating comprises a heating unit connected to a series of outlets via a system of ducts. (i.e each room has a metal grate on the floor which allows heat through).
Electric-Boosted Solar System: Solar-powered hot water systems with an attached electric storage water tank for when there is not enough solar power to heat the water.
Energy efficiency: using less energy to perform the same job.
Electric Resistance System: A water storage tank where the water is heated by electricity.
EPC: A solar company that provides Engineering, Procurement, and Construction of a full solar system. An EPC company provides a full-service experience to seamlessly acquire a solar installation and receive continual support in maintaining the system.
ESC: Energy Savings Certificate (for NSW schemes), or Essential Services Commission (the Victorian schemes regulator)
ESS: The NSW Energy Savings Scheme, providing financial incentives to install energy-efficient equipment and appliances in NSW households and businesses.
EV Council: The Australian Electric Vehicle Council launched in May 2017. It represents its members involved in producing, powering and supporting electric vehicles. Its mission is “to accelerate the electrification of road transport for a more sustainable and prosperous Australia”.
Fluorescent lamp: A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp to glow.
Gas/LPG Boosted Solar System: Solar-powered hot water systems with an attached gas system for when there is not enough solar power to heat the water.
Gas/LPG Instantaneous System: A Hot Water System, usually fitted onto the wall which uses gas to heat the water as needed, there is no storage or tank component to this system.
Gas/LPG Storage System: A hot water system with a water storage tank that is heating by gas.
Gimbal fitting: Adjustable/tiltable downlights. This refers to the fitting, a gimbal is a downlight, but it could be any lamp (i.e LED, Halogen or fluoro).
Gj: Gigajoule, abbreviated as GJ, is a unit of measurement of energy consumption, and is equal to one thousand million joules. Gj is the unit of measurement used in the SA REPS scheme.
Halogen lamp: Sometimes called a ‘Tungsten Lamp’ is an incandescent lamp consisting of a tungsten filament sealed into a compact transparent envelope that is filled with a mixture of an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine.
Heat Pump: a device that circulates refrigerant through a cycle of condensation and evaporation to convert energy stored in the air into efficient heating.
Heat sinking: Adding a material, usually metal, adjacent to an object in order to cool it through conduction. Common in lighting and electronics.
HEER: Home Energy Efficiency Retrofits is a method to calculate saving from a range of household and small business energy efficiency upgrades, run by the NSW Government with financial incentives available for various upgrades.
Highbays: A lighting system with luminaires of the direct or semidirect type, mounted high above the floor; used principally in industrial installations.
HVAC: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. These systems provide heating and cooling to residential and commercial buildings.
HWS: Hot Water System/Service
IC Rating: ‘IC-4’ rated means they have been tested and approved to be “Insulation Contact-Fire Resistant”.
IHEAB: Installation of High Efficiency Appliance for Business, a method of the ESS run by the NSW Government with financial incentives available for the installation of high efficiency appliances for businesses.
Incandescent lamp: An electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows.
Inverter: A piece of equipment in every solar system that safely converts DC power (direct current) to AC power (alternating current).
IPART: Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal New South Wales.
IP: IP stands for Ingress Protection. It is a rating that describes the protection a fitting has from intrusion of Solid and Liquid material, i.e dust, water.
The first digit stands for the ‘solid objects protection’, ranges from 1-6, 6 being ‘dust tight’. The second digit represents the level of ‘water protection’, ranging from 0-8, 8 being ‘protected against continuous immersion in water’.
IP40: Protected against solid objects greater than 1mm and not protected from water.
IP44: IP44 = Protected against solid objects greater than 1mm and protected against splashing water
IP64: Dust tight and protected against Splashing water.
kW: Kilowatt, a unit of energy commonly used as a billing measurement for electricity. Often used in Victoria, New South Wales and federal energy saving schemes. 1kW = 1000 W
kWh: The standard unit for electricity usage.
LED: Light Emitting Diode, generally the most efficient lighting type.
LGC: Large-scale Generation Certificates are renewable energy certificates offered under the federal Renewable Energy Target (RET) for large scale energy saving projects generating >100kW of energy. LGCs are created and traded until 2030, and are created by verifying the amount of energy generated by your system.
LPG: Liquid propane gas. Bottled gas (not metered). These tend to power gas systems in more regional areas where there aren’t gas lines.
Lumen: A way to measure brightness/the lighting output of a globe, this is separate to the colour temperature.
Metal halide lamp: A metal-halide lamp is an electrical lamp that produces light by an electric arc through a gaseous mixture of vaporized mercury and metal halides (compounds of metals with bromine or iodine). It is a type of high-intensity discharge (HID) gas discharge lamp.
M&V: Measure and Verification. M&V is the term given to the process for quantifying savings delivered by an Energy Conservation Measure (ECM).
MW: One million watts
Par38 / Parabolic reflector lamp: PAR 38 is a type of halogen or LED light bulb. There are two definitions for the acronym PAR, but both describe the same thing. One is a parabolic aluminized reflector. The other is a pressed-glass aluminized reflector. These are commonly found in twin fittings near gardens/garages in homes.
Payback period: The length of time it takes to earn the cost of the upgrade back in energy saved.
PDRS: Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a NSW strategy to reduce peak demand for energy through financial incentives. The outlined peak period is currently defined as 2:30pm-8:30pm AEDT from the 1st of November to the 31st of March each year.
PID: Post Implementation Declaration – a part of scheme compliance requirements regulate the work being done and that it is complete.
Plug base: When a light and it’s fitting + transformer are plugged into a power point in the roof space, rather than being wired into the mains.
Power rating: Solar panels are classified according to their rated power output in Watts. This rating is the amount of instantaneous power the solar panel would be expected to produce in Standard Testing Conditions.
PRC: Peak Reduction Certificate, a certificate created through various upgrades and activities within the PDRS. 0.1kW = 1 Peak Reduction Certificate.
PV: Photovoltaic – a type of technology that generates electricity directly from sunlight. Solar panels are photovoltaic devices.
Rebate: An Energy Rebate provides a partial refund to customers who replace existing inefficient products, and sometimes when they install new, energy efficient technology. This can be provided in an upfront discount, or as ‘delayed cash’
RDC: Refrigerated display cabinet, used in retail premises.
REES: See REPS.
REPS: (formally REES) The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme is an SA government initiative to encourage households and businesses to reduce energy consumption and costs, often with financial incentives for energy saving and energy efficiency projects.
RET: Renewable Energy Target scheme encourages electricity generation from renewable sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector, run by the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Reticulated gas: Metered Gas connection to the home or dwelling, i.e. underground gas line, more commonly found in metro areas.
Ripple injection: Ripple injection load control is a communication method used extensively by electricity distributors to turn on and off loads such as off-peak hot water systems and street lighting. This can cause flickering in LED downlights on a dimmer due to their low wattage during those times. Ripple injection only occurs in NSW.
ROI: Return On Investment. The time it takes for a project or upgrade to save the amount of money it costs to purchase and install.
SEC: Smart Energy Council – The Smart Energy Council is the peak industry body for the solar, storage and smart energy management in Australia.
SME : Small to medium enterprise (sometimes confused with SMB small business).
Solar battery: A device storing electrical energy, often from a solar system.
Solar PV: Solar photovoltaics are panels that convert light into electricity.
Split System: A split system is ‘split’ into two units: one that’s inside, and one that’s outside. Relatively easy to install (as no ductwork is required), these systems are known for being quiet and energy efficient. These systems are also called “wall splits” as the inside unit is often mounted to a wall.
SRES: Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.
STC: Small-scale Technology Certificates are generated under the federal Renewable Energy Target (RET) for eligible energy saving activities, and are used to offset some or all of the cost of an energy upgrade project.
Tariff: In energy, a tariff refers to how you are charged for electricity or gas usage – the variable part of your bill. It is the amount you pay for each unit of gas or electricity consumed, usually listed as cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh) for electricity use and cents per megajoule (c/MJ) for gas.
Transformer: A transformer can convert the 120v electrical currently supplied from your house down to the 12v/other voltage needed for individual light fittings. Common with halogen downlights.
T8/T5/T12 tube (lamp): Different types of fluorescent globes which have different energy uses and different rebates.
VEEC: Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates are created by measuring the energy savings from the upgrade you are undertaking, in MW. The MW reduction is then converted into C02 tonnes and multiplied by 9.9 years to determine the number of certificates generated by the energy saving activity, which is then used to offset some or all of the cost of the energy upgrade project.
VEET: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target
VEU: Victorian Energy Upgrades Program, run by the Victorian Government’s Essential Services Commission, offering financial incentives to make energy efficiency projects more affordable, and to reduce long term energy consumption.
Victorian Solar Home: A solar rebate scheme introduced by the Andrews Government in 2018. It provides a cash rebate and an option for a no interest loan for part of the solar system cost.
ZERL: Zoned Energy Rating Labels provide consumers and advisors with information relating to product energy efficiency and other key performance attributes relevant to their location.