Glossary
Terms starting with M
Terms starting with M
Main switch (IGA)
The IGA is the main circuit breaker in a Spanish home fuse board. It protects the whole internal installation against overloads and short circuits and lets you cut power to the entire home by hand. In the US it is the main breaker.
Maximum admissible power (potencia máxima admisible)
The highest power an installation can carry, set by the size of its individual riser cable and the rating of its main switch. It is stated on the boletín and marks how far you can raise your contracted power without work or a new certificate.
Maximum demand reading (maxímetro)
A meter function that records the highest power you have drawn in each billing period. It shows whether your contracted power is too high or too low and, on supplies above 15 kW, is used to bill excess power.
MCB (magnetotérmico)
Automatic switch that cuts a circuit when more current flows than its cables can carry, either because of an overload (thermal trip) or a short circuit (magnetic trip). It protects the installation, not people.
Meter room (centralización de contadores)
The room or cabinet in a building where the meters of every home, business unit and communal service are grouped, with their protection and the busbars that share out power from the building supply line.
Microinverter (microinversor)
A small inverter fitted under each solar panel, or every two to four panels, that converts its direct current into alternating current right there. Each panel works independently, so shade on one does not affect the rest.
Monocrystalline solar panel (placa solar monocristalina)
A photovoltaic panel whose cells are made of single-crystal silicon. It is more efficient than polycrystalline, has a uniform black look and is the most widely installed type in home solar self-consumption today.
MOVES III (Spanish EV grant scheme)
The national electric mobility grant scheme (Royal Decree 266/2021) that subsidised cars and charging points in Spain from 2021 to 2025. Applications closed on 31 December 2025; in 2026 the 15 % income tax (IRPF) deduction remains.
MTD (technical design report)
The technical design report is the document, on an official form, that accompanies the boletín for installations that do not need a full project: homes, small shops and most EV charging points.
Multicore cable (manguera eléctrica)
A cable that groups several insulated conductors inside a common outer sheath. It is named by number of cores and cross-section, such as 3x2.5 mm², and used for extension leads, machinery, surface wiring and runs on cable trays.
Need an electrician in Seville, Spain?
Call us or send a WhatsApp message with a photo of the job. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.