The share of maximum possible output a generator actually produces over a year. Canadian solar runs ~15–20%, wind ~30–40%, nuclear ~90% — it's why 'megawatts installed' and 'energy delivered' are different claims.
Cold-climate heat pump (ccASHP)
An air-source heat pump engineered to deliver full rated heat at -25°C and operate below -30°C — the class of equipment Canadian rebate programs target.
CO₂e (carbon-dioxide equivalent)
A common unit that converts all greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, refrigerants) into the warming impact of CO₂, so different activities can be compared.
Demand charge
A commercial billing component based on your highest moment of draw, not total use — the reason businesses pair solar with batteries.
Dispatchable power
Generation that can ramp on command (hydro, gas, biomass, nuclear within limits) — the complement to variable wind and solar.
EnerGuide rating
Natural Resources Canada's home energy label, produced by a certified audit. The before/after ratings unlock most retrofit rebates.
Feed-in tariff (FIT)
A fixed price paid for renewable power fed to the grid, used in early Ontario programs; largely replaced by net metering.
Grid intensity
Grams of CO₂e emitted per kWh on your local grid — ~1 g in Quebec, 600+ g in Alberta/Saskatchewan. It decides how clean your EV or heat pump really is.
Inverter
The box that converts panels' DC output into the AC your home and the grid use. String inverters serve the whole array; microinverters sit under each panel.
kW vs. kWh
Kilowatts measure power (the rate, like speedometer km/h); kilowatt-hours measure energy (the amount, like odometer km). A 7 kW array producing for an hour yields 7 kWh.
Level 1 / 2 / DC fast charging
EV charging tiers: any 120V outlet (~6–8 km range/hr), a 240V circuit (30–50 km/hr, the home standard), and highway DC fast chargers (most of a battery in under 45 minutes).
Micro-generation
Small-scale customer generation (usually under 100 kW) connected under provincial rules — Alberta's regulation and Yukon's program both use the term.
Net metering
A billing arrangement crediting surplus power you export against power you later draw. Rules, rates and caps vary by province — check your province guide.
PACE financing
Property Assessed Clean Energy: upgrade loans repaid through property taxes, so the obligation stays with the house. Alberta's CEIP and Nova Scotia's municipal programs are examples.
Passive solar
Designing windows, mass and shading so a building collects and stores solar heat with no equipment at all.
Photovoltaic (PV)
The effect — and the panels — that convert light directly into electric current.
Smart panel / load controller
An electrical panel that manages big loads (EV charger, heat pump, dryer) to stay within your service size — often cheaper than a utility service upgrade.
SMR (small modular reactor)
Factory-built nuclear reactors in the 50–300 MW class; Canada's first grid-scale unit is under construction at Darlington, Ontario.
Time-of-use (TOU) pricing
Electricity prices that change by hour (Ontario's off-peak/mid-peak/on-peak) — the structure that makes overnight EV charging and daytime solar especially valuable.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
Bidirectional charging that lets an EV battery power a home or sell to the grid — turning parked cars into distributed storage.
Suggest a term
Spot a term we're missing? Tell us through the evaluation form or newsletter reply — the glossary grows with its readers.
