Balance of plant (BOP) is a term generally used in the context of
power engineering
Power engineering, also called power systems engineering, is a subfield of electrical engineering that deals with the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization of electric power, and the electrical apparatus connected to such sy ...
to refer to all the supporting components and auxiliary systems of a power plant needed to deliver the energy, other than the generating unit itself. These may include
transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's ...
s,
inverter
A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...
s, switching and control equipment, protection equipment, power conditioners, supporting structures etc., depending on the type of plant.
See also
*
Balance of system The balance of system (BOS) encompasses all components of a photovoltaic system other than the photovoltaic panels.
This includes wiring, switches, a mounting system, one or many solar inverters, a battery bank and battery charger.
Other opti ...
References
Electric power systems components
{{Engineering-stub