We present a study of electrically active radiation-induced defects formed in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers following irradiation with fast neutrons, as well as 600 keV H⁺and 2 MeV He⁺⁺ion implantations. We also look at electron emission energies and mechanisms of the carbon vacancy in 4H-SiC by means of first-principles modelling. Combining the relative stability of carbon vacancies at different sites with the relative amplitude of the observed Laplace-DLTS peaks, we were able to connect Z₁and Z₂to emissions from double negatively charged carbon vacancies located at theh- andk-sites, respectively.