Alternating current, the standard format for generating and transmitting electrical power on the grid. In AC systems, the flow of electric charge periodically reverses direction, allowing voltage to be easily stepped up or down using transformers.
The inverter converts the DC from the solar array into AC for the grid.
Engineers often use AC as an adjective even when it creates a redundancy, such as saying "AC current" instead of "alternating current".
Also heard as
- a-c
- alternating current
Related terms
RMS
Root mean square: the effective value of an alternating quantity, giving the same heating as that DC value.
VAC
Volts alternating current, the unit used to specify the potential difference in an AC circuit.
Transformer
A static electromagnetic device that transfers electrical energy between circuits at changed voltage levels.