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DSE Energy Glossary
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The DSE Energy Glossary is a collection of terms and their respective definitions. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Haboob | A squall of billowing dust that blows across the Syrian Desert when a monsoon collides with dry air currents above it. |
| Halogen Lamp | A special type of incandescent globe made of quartz glass and a tungsten filament, enabling it to run at a much higher temperature than a conventional incandescent globe. Efficiency is better than a normal incandescent, but not as good as a fluorescent light. |
| Harmattan | A very hot wind with dangerous cross-currents that blows southwest from central Africa and across the Sudan, typically December through February. It is often preceded by “the smokes,” clouds of stinging, red dust. |
| Harmonic Content | Frequencies in the output waveform in addition to the primary frequency (usually 50 or 60 Hz.) Energy in these harmonics is lost and can cause undue heating of the load. |
| H-Coal Process | A means of making coal cleaner so it will produce less ash and less sulfur emissions. |
| Head | The difference in elevation between two parts of a liquid-based system. In hydro power, the difference between a source of water and the location at which the water from that source may be used (synonym vertical drop). With pumps, the vertical distance the pump must move the water. |
| Headrace | A flume or channel that feeds water into a hydro turbine. |
| Health Spa | an establishment (often commercial) which is visited by guests seeking therapy and relaxation; many center around hot mineral springs or use hot water from geothermal wells. |
| Heat Balance | The outdoor temperature at which a building’s internal heat gain (from people, lights and machines) is equal to the heat loss through windows, roof and walls. |
| Heat Capacity | The amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of a given mass one degree. Heat capacity may be calculated by multiplying the mass by the specific heat. |
| Heat Engine | An engine that converts heat to mechanical energy. |
| Heat Exchanger | a device in which heat is transferred by conduction through a metal barrier from a hotter liquid or gas, to warm a cooler liquid or gas on the other side of the metal barrier. Types of heat exchangers include "shell and tube," and "plate." |
| Heat Gain | an increase in the amount of heat contained in a space, resulting from direct solar radiation, heat flow through walls, windows, and other building surfaces, and the heat given off by people, lights, equipment, and other sources. |
| Heat Loss | A decrease in the amount of heat contained in a space, resulting from heat flow through walls, windows, roof and other building surfaces and from exfiltration of warm air. |
| Heat Pump | A device typically used for heating and cooling of buildings by drawing from or dissipating into the ambient temperature of air or water. When cooling, a heat pump works like a refrigerator. When heating, it also works like a fridge, except the heat produced is used to heat a space. |
| Heat Rate | A number that tells how efficient a fuel-burning power plant is. The heat rate equals the Btu content of the fuel input divided by the kilowatt-hours of power output. |
| Heat Sink | A medium or container to which heat flows. Thermal mass walls and floors in a passive solar home act as a heat sink during the day. |
| Heat Storm | Heat storms occur when temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit over a large area for three days in a row. Normal hot temperatures cause electricity demand to increase during the peak summertime hours of 4 to 7 p.m. when air conditioners are straining to overcome the heat. If a hot spell extends to three days or more, however, nighttime temperatures do not cool down, and the thermal mass in homes and buildings retains the heat from previous days. This heat build-up causes air conditioners to turn on earlier and to stay on later in the day. As a result, available electricity supplies are challenged during a higher, wider peak electricity consumption period. |
| Heat Transfer | Heat is transferred from one substance or location to another by three methods—radiation, convection and conduction. The sun’s rays are a good example of radiation; warm air rising is heat movement by convection; and touching a hot iron or frying pan with your hand is heat transfer by conduction. |
| Heating Degree Day | A unit that measure the space heating needs during a given period of time. |
| Heating Load | The rate at which heat must be added to a space in order to maintain the desired temperature within the space. |
| Heating Value | The amount of heat produced by the complete combustion of a given amount of fuel. |
| Heavy Water | A type of hydrogen atom that may be used as fuel for fusion power plants. Also called DEUTERIUM, it is found in abundance in the seas. |
| Hedging Contracts | Contracts which establish future prices and quantities of electricity independent of the short-term market. Derivatives may be used for this purpose. (See Contracts for Differences, Forwards, Futures Market, and Options.) |
| Heliochemical | Using solar radiation to cause chemical reactions. |
| Heliothermal | A process that uses the sun’s rays to produce heat. |
| Helm Wind | A wind that blows down the slopes of small, smooth hills. Helm winds are common in the British Isles. |
| Hertz | The frequency of electrical current described in cycles per second. |
| Hertz (Hz) | A measure of the number of cycles or wavelengths of electrical energy per second. The United States electricity supply has a standard frequency of 60 hertz. |
| Heterojunction | A region of electrical contact between two different materials. |
| High Voltage Disconnect | The voltage at which a charge controller will disconnect the photovoltaic array from the batteries to prevent overcharging. |
| High Voltage Disconnect Hysteresis | The voltage difference between the high voltag disconnect set point and the voltage at which the full photovoltaic array current will be reapplied. |
| High-Sulfur Coal | Coal whose weight is more than one percent sulfur. |
| Hms:O | The unit of measurement of the electrical resistance of a material to the flow of current. |
| Hole | The vacancy where an electron would normally exist in a solid; behaves like a positively charged particle. |
| Homojunction | The region between an n-layer and a p-layer in a single material, photovoltaic cell. |
| Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines | Turbines on which the axis of the rotor’s rotation is parallel to the wind stream and the ground. |
| Horsepower | A measure of the capacity to generate energy or do work. 1 horsepower = 746 watts. |
| Horsepower (Hp) | A unit for measuring the rate of doing work. One horsepower equals about three-fourths of a kilowatt (745.7 watts). |
| Hot | (Colloquial) |
| Hot Dry Rock | A geothermal resource created when impermeable, subsurface rock structures, typically granite rock 15,000 feet or more below the earth’s surface, are heated by geothermal energy. The resource is being investigated as a source of energy production. |
| Hot Spot | A phenomenon where one or more cells within a PV module or array act as a resistive load, resulting in local overheating or melting of the cells. |
| Hot Springs | a natural spring that puts out water warmer than body temperature and therefore feels hot; may collect in pools or flow into streams an lakes. A geothermal phenomenon. |
| HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) | A measure of heating efficiency for the total heating output of a central air-conditioning heat pump. Efficiency is derived according to federal test methods by using the total Btus during its normal usage period for heating divided by the total electrical energy input in watt-hours during the same period |
| Hub | The center mount for the blades. Laser cut like mine are hard to beat. |
| HVAC (Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning) | A system that provides heating, ventilation and/or cooling within or associated with a building. |
| Hybrid System | A PV system that includes solar PV and some other electricity generating power source. |
| Hybrid Vehicle | Usually a hybrid EV, a vehicle that employs a combustion engine system together with an electric propulsion system. Hybrid technologies expand the usable range of EVs beyond what an all-electric-vehicle can achieve with batteries only. |
| Hydroelectric Power | Electricity produced by falling water that turns a turbine generator. Also referred to as HYDRO. |
| Hydroelectric Spill Generation | Hydroelectric generation in existence prior to January 1, 1998, that has no storage capacity and that, if backed down, would spill. This term also refers to a hydro resource that has exceeded or has inadequate storage capacity and is spilling, even though generators are operating at full capacity. |
| Hydroelectricity | Electric energy made by the conversion of energy produced from running water. |
| Hydro-Electricity | Any electricity that is generated by the flow of water. |
| Hydrogen Fuel Cell | A device that converts hydrogen to DC electricity. |
| Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon | Amorphous silicon with a small amount of incorporated hydrogen. The hydrogen neutralizes dangling bonds in the amorphous silicon, allowing charge carriers to flow more freely. |
| Hydrometer | A hydrometer is an instrument for measuring the density of liquids in relation to the density of water. The hydrometer is used to indicate the state of charge in lead-acid cells by measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte. |
| Hydronic Heating | A system that heats a space using hot water which may be circulated through a convection or fan coil system or through a radiant baseboard or floor system. |
| Hydronic Heating System | A type of heating system where water is heated in a solar collector or boiler, and is pumped to heat exchangers or radiators in rooms. Radiant floor systems have a grid of tubing laid out in the floor for distributing the heat. Temperature of the space is controlled by regulating the flow and/or temperature of the circulating water. |
| Hydropower | captures the energy in flowing water and uses it to generate electricity. |
| Hydrothermal | hydro means water and thermal means heat. Literally hydrothermal means hot water. Steam and hot water reservoirs are hydrothermal reservoirs. Hot dry rock resources and magma resources are not considered to be hydrothermal resources. |
| Hydrothermal Systems | Underground reservoirs that produce either dry steam or a mixture of steam and water. |
| Hygas | A process that uses water to help produce pipeline-quality gas from coal. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Imbalance Energy | The real-time change in generation output or demand requested by the ISO to maintain reliability of the ISO-controlled grid. Sources of imbalance energy include regulation, spinning and non-spinning reserves, replacement reserve, and energy from other generating units that are able to respond to the ISO’s request for more or less energy. |
| Impermeable | does not allow liquids to pass through easily. Certain rock types and clay soil are impermeable. |
| Imports (Electric Utility) | Power capacity or energy obtained by one utility from others under purchase or exchange agreement. |
| Impoundment | A body of water confined by a dam, dike, floodgate or other artificial barrier. |
| Incandescent Lamp | An electric lamp in which a filament is heated by an electric current until it emits visible light. |
| Incandescent Light | An electric lamp that is evacuated or filled with an inert gas and contains a filament (commonly tungsten). The filament emits visible light when heated to extreme temperatures by electric current through it. Incandescent lightbulbs are one of the most inefficient ways to light a home. They produce a great deal of heat along with the light, and use three to four times as much energy for the same light output as compact fluorescent lightbulbs. |
| Incident Light | Light that shines on to the surface of a PV cell or module. |
| Independent Power Producer | An Independent Power Producer (IPP) generates power that is purchased by an electric utility at wholesale prices. The utility then resells this power to end-use customers. Although IPPs generate power, they are not franchised utilities, government agencies or QFs. IPPs usually do not own transmission lines to transmit the power that they generate. |
| Independent Power System | A power generation system that is independent of the mains grid. |
| Indirectly Conditioned Space | See conditioned space, indirectly. |
| Indium Oxide | A wide band gap semiconductor that can be heavily doped with tin to make a highly conductive, transparent thin film. Often used as a front contact or one component of a heterojunction solar cell. |
| Induction Generator | A generator that produces energy by the production of a magnetic field by the proximity of a electric charge. Commonly made from old induction motors. |
| Induction Motor | An AC motor in which the rotating armature has no electrical connections to it and consists of alternating plates. |
| Induction Motor (Ac) | A type of electric motor that requires a high surge to start, and a stable voltage supply, making it a challenge to run using a solar-electric system. |
| Infiltration | The uncontrolled inward leakage of air through cracks and gaps in the building envelope, especially around windows, doors and duct systems. |
| Infiltration Barrier | A material placed on the outside or the inside of exterior wall framing to restrict inward air leakage, while permitting the outward escape of water vapor from the wall cavity |
| Infrared Light. | Electromagnetic radiation whose wavelengths lie in the range from .75 micrometers to 1000 micrometers. |
| Infrared Radiation | Electromagnetic radiation whose wavelengths lie in the range from 0.75 micrometer to 1000 micrometers; invisible long wavelength radiation (heat) capable of producing a thermal or photovoltaic effect, though less effective than visible light. |
| Infrastructure | generally refers to the recharging and refueling network necessary to successful development, production, commercialization and operation of alternative fuel vehicles, including fuel supply, public and private recharging and refueling facilities, standard specifications for refueling outlets, customer service, education and training, and building code regulations. |
| Injection Well | a well through which geothermal water is returned to an underground reservoir after use. Geothermal production and injection wells are constructed of pipes layered inside one another and cemented into the earth and to each other. This protects any shallow drinking water aquifers from mixing with deeper geothermal water. |
| Input Voltage | This is determined by the total power required by the alternating current loads and the voltage of any direct current loads. Generally, the larger the load, the higher the inverter input voltage. This keeps the current at levels where switches and other components are readily available. |
| In-Situ Combustion | An experimental means of recovering hard-to-get petroleum by burning some of the oil in its natural underground reservoir. Also called FIREFLOODING. |
| In-Situ Gasification | Converting coal into synthetic gas at the place where the coal is found in nature. |
| Insolation | The amount of sunlight reaching an area, usually expressed in Watt hours per square meter per day. |
| Installer | Usually a retailer and installer of PV Systems |
| Insulation | A material used to prevent the flow of electricity. Normally used on electrical wires to prevent electric shock. Typical materials used include plastics such as PVC and polypropylene. |
| Insulation, Thermal | A material having a relatively high resistance of heat flow and used principally to retard heat flow. See R-VALUE. |
| Insulator | A material (such as plastic or glass) that does not permit electricity to pass through it readily. |
| Intake | In a hydro system, the structure that receives the water and feeds it into the penstock (pipeline). Usually incorporates screening or filtering to keep debris and aquatic life out of the system. |
| Integrated Resource Planning Principles | The underlying principles of IRP can be distinguished from the formal process of developing an approved utility resource plan for utility investments in supply- and demand-side resources. A primary principle is to provide a framework for comparing a variety of supply- and demand-side and transmission resource costs and attributes outside of the basic provision (or reduction) of electric capacity and energy. These resources may be owned or constructed by any entity and may be acquired through contracts as well as through direct investments. Another principle is the incorporation of risk and uncertainty into the planning analysis. The public participation aspects of IRP allow public and regulatory involvement in the planning rather than the siting stage of project development. |
| Integrated Resource Planning(Irp) | A public planning process and framework within which the costs and benefits of both demand- and supply-side resources are evaluated to develop the least-total-cost mix of utility resource options. In many states, IRP includes a means for considering environmental damages caused by electricity supply/transmission and identifying cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives. IRP has become a formal process prescribed by law in some states and under some provisions of the Clean Air Act amendments of 1992. |
| Integrator | Integrates PV components in to a complete PV System |
| Interchange (Electric Utility) | The agreement among interconnected utilities under which they buy, sell and exchange power among themselves. This can, for example, provide for economy energy and emergency power supplies. |
| Interconnect | A conductor within a module or other means of connection which provides an electrical interconnection between the solar cells. [UL 1703] |
| Interconnection (Electric Utility) | The linkage of transmission lines between two utilities, enabling power to be moved in either direction. Interconnections allow the utilities to help contain costs while enhancing system reliability. |
| Inter-Connector | A transmission line or group of transmission lines that connects the transmission networks in adjacent regions. |
| Interested Party | any person whom the commission finds and acknowledges as having a real and direct interest in any proceeding or action carried on, under, or as a result of the operation of, this division. |
| Internal Combustion Engine | An engine in which fuel is burned inside the engine. A car’s gasoline engine or rotary engine is an example of a internal combustion engine. It differs from engines having an external furnace, such as a steam engine. |
| Interruptible Service (Electric Utility) | Electricity supplied under agreements that allow the supplier to curtail or stop service at times. |
| Intertie | A transmission line that links two or more regional electric power systems. |
| Intrinsic Layer | A layer of semiconductor material, used in a photovoltaic device, whose properties are essentially those of the pure, undoped, material. |
| Intrinsic Semiconductor | An undoped semiconductor. |
| Inverter | A device that converts DC electricity (anywhere from 12 to 600 VDC) to AC electricity (typically 120/240 VAC). |
| Investor-Owned Utilities | A private company that provides a utility, such as water, natural gas or electricity, to a specific service area. |
| Ion | An atom that has lost or gained electrons and by doing so, becomes electrically charged. |
| IOU | An investor owned utility. A company, owned by stockholders for profit, that provides utility services. A designation used to differentiate a utility owned and operated for the benefit of shareholders from municipally owned and operated utilities and rural electric cooperatives. |
| IPP | INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCER. An private entity that operates a generation facility and sells power to electric utilities for resale to retail customers. |
| Irradiance | The direct, diffuse, and reflected solar radiation that strikes a surface. Usually expressed in kilowatts per square meter. Irradiance multiplied by time equals insolation. |
| ISC | See SHORT CIRCUIT CURRENT. |
| ISDN | INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK. A 128 Kbps (kilobytes per second) digital telephone service available in many parts of the country though not universally available that may be able to substitute for fiber optic cable in every respect except possibly television transmission. |
| ISO | INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR. A neutral operator responsible for maintaining instaneous balance of the grid system. The ISO performs its function by controlling the dispatch of flexible plants to ensure that loads match resources available to the system. |
| Ispra Guidelines | Guidelines for the assessment of photovoltaic power plants, published by the Joint Research Centre of the Commission of the European Communities, Ispra, Italy. |
| I-Type Semiconductor | Semiconductor material that is left intrinsic, or undoped so that the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself rather than of added impurities. |
| I-V Curve | A graph that plots the current versus the voltage from a PV cell as the electrical load (or resistance) is increased from short circuit (no load) to open circuit (maximum voltage). The shape of the curve characterizing cell performance. Three important points on the I-V curve are the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and peak or maximum power (operating) point. |
| I-V Data | The relationship between current and voltage of a photovoltaic device in the power-producing quadrant, as a set of ordered pairs of current and voltage readings in a table, or as a curve plotted in a suitable coordinate system |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Jack Pump | A submerged pump mechanically activated by a rod extending above the well head to a reciprocating engine, motor or any other rotating device. |
| Jet Stream | A meandering and relatively narrow belt of strong winds embedded in the normal wind flow, generally found at high altitudes. |
| Joule | A metric measurement of force equal to one Newton operating through the distance or one metre. |
| Joule (J) | A metric unit of energy or work. One joule per second equals 1 watt. |
| Junction | A region of transition between semiconductor layers, such as a p/n junction, which goes from a region that has a high concentration of acceptors (p-type) to one that has a high concentration of donors (n-type). |
| Junction Box | A photovoltaic (PV) generator junction box is an enclosure on the module where PV strings are electrically connected and where protection devices can be located, if necessary. |
| Junction Diode | A semiconductor device with a junction and a built-in potential that passes current better in one direction than the other. All solar cells are junction diodes. |
| Kaplan Turbine | A type of turbine that has two blades whose pitch is adjustable. |
| Kbtu | One-thousand (1,000) Btus. |
| Kerosene | Certain colorless, low-sulfur oil products that burn without producing much smoke. |
| Khamsin | A hot, dry wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to Egypt for about fifty days each spring. Egyptians call it “rih al khamsin,” which means “the wind of fifty days.” |
| Kilovolt (Kv) | One-thousand volts (1,000). Distribution lines in residential areas usually are 12 kv (12,000 volts). |
| Kilowatt | 1000 Watts = 1Kw or 1 Kilowatt |
| Kilowatt (Kw) | A standard unit of electrical power equal to 1000 watts, or to the energy consumption at a rate of 1000 joules per second. 1 kWh = ten 100 watt bulbs all burning at the same time for one hour. 10 bulbs x 100 watts each x 1 hour = 1,000 watts hours or 1kWh. |
| Kilowatt-Hour (Kwh) | One thousand watt-hours. Unit of energy used to perform work (energy and work are equivalent in units, energy being the potential value and work the achieved value). Fuel equivalents One barrel of crude oil contains roughly 1,700 KWH One ton of coal contains roughly 7,500 KWH One gallon of gasoline contains roughly 37 KWH One cubic foot of natural gas contains 0.3 KWH One ton of uranium ore contains 164 million KWH 1.34 horsepower-hours. 1 KWH = 3,400 BTU. Can be compared to 860 calories (food energy value). |
| Kinetic Energy | Energy available as a result of motion. (Kinetic energy is equal to one half the mass of the body in motion multiplied by the square of its speed.) |
| Knot | One nautical mile per hour (1.15 MPH). |
| Kona | A stormy, rain-bearing wind from the Southwest or SSW in Hawaii. Kona is a Polynesian word meaning “leeward.” |
DIY (Do it Yourself) Projects
DSE Energy Glossary
| Term | Definition |
| Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries | Employ a micro-fibrous silica glass mat envelope to immobilize their electrolyte. This makes them non-spillable and gives them a lower self-discharge rate than conventional flooded lead-acid batteries. |
| Absorber | 1) In a photovoltaic device, the material that readily absorbs photons to generate charge carriers (free electrons or holes). 2) The absorber is that part of a solar thermal collector that receives the incident radiant energy and transforms it into heat energy. |
| Absorbers | Dark coloured objects that soak up heat in solar collectors. |
| Absorptance | The ratio of the radiation absorbed by a surface to the total energy falling on that surface described as a percentage. |
| Absorption Coefficient | The factor by which photons are absorbed as they travel a unit distance through a material. |
| AC (Alternating Current) | A type of electrical current, the direction of which is reversed at regular intervals or cycles. Alternating current is abbreviated as AC. |
| Acceptor | An element (like boron) that is missing outer shell electrons to be used in solar panel construction. |
| Access Charge | A charge paid by all market participants withdrawing energy from the ISO controlled grid. The access charge will recover the portion of a utility’s transmission revenue requirement not recovered through the variable usage charge. |
| Acid Rain | Precipitation that has become acidic as the result of chemical reactions. Sulfur dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants react with the water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the air to cause acid rain. |
| Activated Shelf Life | The period of time, at a specified temperature, that a charged battery can be stored before its capacity falls to an unusable level. |
| Activation Voltage(S) | The voltage(s) at which a charge controller will take action to protect the batteries. |
| Active Solar Energy System | Solar radiation used by special equipment to provide space heating, hot water or electricity. |
| Active Solar Heater | A water or space heating system that moves heated air or water using pumps or fans. |
| Active Solar Thermal System | A system that traps the sun’s energy with solar collectors and uses an electromechanical subsystem to move that energy to its point of intended use for water heating, space heating, pool heating, industrial process heat, electrical generation and space cooling. |
| Addition | An alteration to an existing building that increases conditioned space. |
| Adjustable Set Point | A feature allowing the user to adjust the voltage levels at which a charge controller will become active. |
| Adjustment Bid | A bid that is used by the ISO to adjust supply or demand when congestion is anticipated. |
| Adverse Hydro | Water conditions limiting the production of hydroelectric power. In years having below-normal levels of rain and snow, and in seasons having less-than-usual runoff from mountain snowpack, there is then less water available for hydro energy production. |
| Aeolus | The god of the winds in Greek mythology. |
| After-Market | broad term that applies to any change after the original purchase, such as adding equipment not a part of the original purchase. As applied to alternative fuel vehicles, it refers to conversion devices or kits for conventional fuel vehicles. |
| Aggregator | An entity responsible for planning, scheduling, accounting, billing, and settlement for energy deliveries from the aggregator’s portfolio of sellers and/or buyers. Aggregators seek to bring together customers or generators so they can buy or sell power in bulk, making a profit on the transaction. |
| AGM (Adsorbed Glass Mat) | a newer type of battery construction that uses saturated adsorbant glass mats rather than gelled or liquid electrolyte. AGM batteries are typically more expensive than flooded (liquid), but offer enhanced reliability. |
| Agriculture | the growing (farming) of plants, flowers, trees, grains, and other crops. Greenhouses can be heated with hot water from geothermal reservoirs. In some places pipes of hot water are buried under the soil. Geothermal heat is also used to dry crops. |
| AIC | See amperage interrupt capability. |
| Air | The mixture of gases that surrounds the earth and forms its atmosphere. Air is composed primarily of oxygen and nitrogen. |
| Air Change | The replacement of a quantity of air in a space within a given period of time, typically expressed as air changes per hour. If a building has one air change per hour, this is equivalent to all of the air in the building being replaced in a one-hour period. |
| Air Conditioner | An assembly of equipment for air treatment consisting of a means for ventilation, air circulation, air cleaning, and heat transfer (either heating or cooling). The unit usually consists of an evaporator or cooling coil, and an electrically-driven compressor and condenser combination. |
| Air Film | A layer of still air adjacent to a surface which provides some thermal resistance. |
| Air Film Coefficient | A measure of the heat transfer through an air film. [See ASHRAE Table 1, ASHRAE Handbook, 1985 Fundamentals] |
| Air Mass | The length of the path of solar radiation through the atmosphere. E.g. Air mass of 1 means the sun is overhead (goes trough 1 atmosphere). |
| Air Pollution | Air with contaminants in it that prevent the air from dispersing as it normally would, and interfere with biological processes. |
| Air-To-Air Heat Exchanger | A device with separate air chambers that transfers heat between the conditioned air being exhausted and the outside air being supplied to a building. |
| Alcohol Fuels | A class of liquid chemicals that have certain combinations of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, and that are capable of being used as fuel. |
| Alteration | Any change or modification to a building’s construction. [See Addition]. |
| Alternating Current | An electric current that reverses directions at regular intervals (typically 60 times a second); abbreviated "AC." This current found in homes. |
| Alternating Current (Ac) | An electrical current in which the direction of electron flow reverses periodically, usually many times per second. Most U.S. household electrical systems use AC current rated at 120 volts and 60 cycles per second. |
| Alternative (Transportation) Fuels | as defined by the National Energy Policy Act (EPAct) the fuels are: methanol, denatured ethanol and other alcohols, separately or in mixtures of 85 percent by volume or more (or other percentage not less than 70 percent as determined by U.S. Department of Energy rule) with gasoline or other fuels; CNG; LNG; LPG; hydrogen; "coal-derived liquid fuels;" fuels "other than alcohols" derived from "biological materials;" electricity, or any other fuel determined to be "substantially not petroleum" and yielding "substantial energy security benefits and substantial environmental benefits." |
| Alternative Energy Sources | See RENEWABLE ENERGY. |
| Alternative Fuel Vehicle (Afv) | motor vehicles that run on fuels other than petroleum-based fuels. As defined by the National Energy Policy Act (EPAct), this excludes reformulated gasoline as an alternative fuel. |
| Alternative Fuels | A popular term for “non-conventional”transportation fuels like propane that are derived from natural gas or biomass materials. |
| Alternator | A device for producing Alternating Current ("AC") electricity. Usually driven by a motor, but can also be driven by other means, including water and wind power. |
| Altitude Angle | The angle of the sun above the horizon, measured in degrees. In winter, the sun is at a low solar altitude, and in the summer, the sun is at a high solar altitude. |
| Ambient | The surrounding atmosphere; encompassing on all sides; the environment surrounding a body but undisturbed or unaffected by it. |
| Ambient Air Temperature | Surrounding temperature, such as the outdoor air temperature around a building. |
| Ambient Temperature | The temperature of the surrounding area. |
| American Wire Gauge (Awg) | American Wire Gauge, a set of standards in the U.S. specifying the diameter of wire. A higher number indicates smaller wire. |
| Ammeter | A device used for measuring the current (amperage) at any point in an electrical circuit. |
| Amorphous Semiconductor | A non-crystalline semiconductor material that has no long-range order. |
| Amorphous Silicon | A thin-film solar PV cell material which has a glassy rather than crystalline structure. Made by depositing layers of doped silicon on a substrate normally using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silane. |
| Amp Hour | The quantity of electrical energy corresponding to the flow of current of one ampere for one hour. The term is used to quantify the energy stored in a battery. Most batteries are rated in Ah. |
| Ampacity | Refers to the highest safe amount of electrical current through conductors, overcurrent devices, or other electrical equipment. Ampacity is determined by the cross-sectional area and the material of the conductor, or the manufacturer’s equipment rating. |
| Amperage Interrupt Capability (AIC) | direct current fuses should be rated with a sufficient AIC to interrupt the highest possible current. |
| Ampere (A) Or Amp | The unit for the electric current; the flow of electrons. One amp is 1 coulomb passing in one second. One amp is produced by an electric force of 1 volt acting across a resistance of 1 ohm. |
| Ampere (A)(Amp) | Unit of electrical current, the flow of electrons. |
| Ampere (Amp) | The unit of measure that tells how much electricity flows through a conductor. It is like using cubic feet per second to measure the flow of water. For example, a 1,200 watt, 120-volt hair dryer pulls 10 amperes of electric current (watts divided by volts). |
| Ampere Hour Meter | An instrument that monitors current with time. The indication is the product of current (in amperes) and time (in hours). |
| Ampere, Amps | The measurement of the flow of an electric current through a conductor. |
| Ampere-Hour (Amp-Hour; Ah) | A measure of electron flow over time, used to measure battery capacity and state of charge. For example, a current of 1 amp drawn from a battery for 10 hours would result in 10 amp-hours of charge cycling through the battery. |
| Ampere-Hour Meter | An instrument that monitors electron flow over time. Amp-hours are the product of electron flow (in amperes) and time (in hours). |
| Amp-Hour (Ah) | Unit of electrical energy, the flow of 1 Amp for 1 Hour. Often used to describe the quantity of energy stored in a battery. |
| Amplitude | Generally refers to the maximum and minimum voltage attained by an alternating or pulsed current in each complete cycle or pulse of that current. |
| Ancillary Services | The services other than scheduled energy that are required to maintain system reliability and meet WSCC/NERC operating criteria. Such services include spinning, non-spinning, and replacement reserves, voltage control, and black start capability. |
| Anemometer | An instrument for measuring and indicating the force or speed of the wind. |
| Angle Of Incidence | The angle that the sun’s rays make with a line perpendicular to a surface. The angle of incidence determines the percentage of direct sunshine intercepted by a surface. |
| Animal Waste Conversion | Process of obtaining energy from animal wastes. This is a type of biomass energy. |
| Annual Maximum Demand | The greatest of all demands of the electrical load which occurred during a prescribed interval in a calendar year. |
| Annual Solar Savings | The annual solar savings of a solar building is the energy savings attributable to a solar feature relative to the energy requirements of a non-solar building. |
| Anode | The positive electrode in an electrochemical cell (battery). Also, the earth or ground in a cathodic protection system. Also, the positive terminal of a diode. |
| Anode | (Battery) the electrode within a battery cell that undergoes the chemical process of oxidation. Electrically, the anode is the cell’s positive terminal. (Water heater) An aluminum or magnesium sacrificial rod installed within steel tanks that is used to help prevent corrosion of the tank itself. |
| Ansi | American National Standards Institute is the national organization that coordinates development and maintenance of consensus standards and sets rules for fairness in their development. ANSI also represents the USA in developing international standards. |
| Anthracite | Hard coal, found deep in the earth. It burns very hot, with little flame. It usually has a heating value of 12,000-15,000 British thermal units (Btus) per pound. |
| Anti-Reflection Coating | A thin coating of a material with a specific refractive index applied to a cell to reduce the reflection of light. |
| Appliance Saturation | A percentage telling what proportion of all households in a given geographical area have a certain appliance. |
| Applicant | Applicant means any person who submits an application for certification pursuant to the provisions of this division, including, but not limited to, any person who explores for or develops geothermal resources. |
| Application | Application means any request for certification of any site and related facility filed in accordance with the procedures established pursuant to this division. An applicant for a geothermal powerplant and related facilities may propose more than one site and related geothermal facilities in the same application. |
| Aquaculture | the farming of fish and other water-dwelling organisms in freshwater or seawater. Geothermal water is used to help speed the growth of fish, prawns and alligators. China is probably has more aquaculture operations than any other country. |
| Aquifer | a large permeable body of underground rock capable of yielding quantities of water to springs or wells. Aquifers provide about 60 percent of American drinking water. Underground aquifers of hot water and steam are called geothermal reservoirs. |
| Aquilo | The Latin word for the North Wind in Greek mythology. |
| Arbor Or Arbor Shaft | An adaptor which converts your motor shaft to a useable threaded bolt |
| Area Load | The total amount of electricity being used at a given point in time by all consumers in a utility’s service territory. |
| Array | Any number of photovoltaic modules connected together electrically to provide a single electrical output. Also see photovoltaic (PV) array. |
| Array Current | The electrical current produced by a photovoltaic array when it is exposed to sunlight. |
| Array Operating Voltage | The voltage produced by a photovoltaic array when exposed to sunlight and connected to a load. |
| Ash | Non-organic, non-flammable substance left over after combustible material has been completely burned. |
| Ashrae | Acronym for American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers. |
| Associated Gas | Natural gas that can be developed for commercial use, and which is found in contact with oil in naturally occurring underground formations. |
| Asynchronous Generator | A type of electric generator that produces alternating current (AC) electricity to match an existing power source. |
| Atgas | Synthetic gas produced by dissolving coal in a bath of molten iron. The process was developed by Applied Technology, Inc. Synthetic gas may be used as a substitute for natural gas in industrial and home uses. |
| Atom | Primary basis of all matter. It has a nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons surrounded by orbiting electrons . |
| Auster | The Latin word for the South Wind in Greek mythology. |
| Autonomous System | A PV System that operates without any other energy generating source. Also see: Stand-Alone System |
| Auxiliary Energy Subsystem | Equipment using conventional fuel to supplement the energy output of a solar system. This might be, for example, an oil- fueled generator that adds to the electrical output of a substitutes for the solar system during long overcast periods when there is not enough sunlight. |
| Auxiliary Equipment | Extra machinery needed to support the operation of a power plant or other large facility. |
| Availability | The quality or condition of a photovoltaic system being available to provide power to a load. Usually measured in hours per year. One minus availability equals downtime. |
| Average Cost | The revenue requirement of a utility divided by the utility’s sales. Average cost typically includes the costs of existing power plants, transmission, and distribution lines, and other facilities used by a utility to serve its customers. It also included operating and maintenance, tax, and fuel expenses. |
| Average Demand | The energy demand in a given geographical area over a period of time. For example, the number of kilowatt-hours used in a 24-hour period, divided by 24, tells the average demand for that period. |
| Average Hydro | Rain, snow and runoff conditions that provide water for hydroelectric generation equal to the most commonly occurring levels. Average hydro usually is a mean indicating the levels experienced most often in a 104-year period. |
| Avoided Cost | (Regulatory) The amount of money that an electric utility would need to spend for the next increment of electric generation to produce or purchase elsewhere the power that it instead buys from a cogenerator or small-power producer. Federal law establishes broad guidelines for determining how much a qualifying facility (QF) gets paid for power sold to the utility. |
| Awg (American Wire Gauge) | a standard system for designating the size of electrical wire. The higher the number, the smaller the wire. Most house wiring is #12 or 14. |
| Azimuth | The Angle between the north direction and the projection of the surface normal into the horizontal plane; measured clockwise from north. As applied to the PV array, 180 degree azimuth means the array faces due south. |
| Azimuth Angle | The angle between true south and the point on the horizon directly below the sun. |
| Azimuth | The Angular Distance Between True South And The Point On The Horizon Directly Below The Sun. Typically Used As An Input For Opaque Surfaces And Windows In Computer Programs For Calculating The Energy Performance Of Buildings. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Balance Of System | Represents all components and costs other than the photovoltaic modules/array. It includes design costs, land, site preparation, system installation, support structures, power conditioning, operation and maintenance costs, indirect storage, and related costs. |
| Balance Of System (BOS) | Parts or components of a photovoltaic system other than the photovoltaic array or other generating equipment. |
| Balanced Schedule | A Scheduling Coordinator’s schedule is balanced when generation, adjusted for transmission losses, equals demand. |
| Ballast | A circuit used to condition and stabilize an electric current, for example, in a fluorescent light. |
| Balneology | using hot spring mineral water for therapy. This is perhaps the oldest use of natural geothermal waters. |
| Band Gap | In a semiconductor, the energy difference between the highest valence band and the lowest conduction band. |
| Band Gap Energy (Eg) | The amount of energy (in electron volts) required to free an outer shell electron from its orbit about the nucleus to a free state, and thus promote it from the valence to the conduction level. |
| Barrel | In the petroleum industry, a barrel is 42 U.S. gallons. One barrel of oil has an energy content of 6 million British thermal units. It takes one barrel of oil to make enough gasoline to drive an average car from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back (at 18 miles per gallon over the 700-mile round trip). |
| Barrels Per Day Equivalent (Bpd-Equivalent) | A unit of measure that tells how much oil would have to be burned to produce the same amount of energy. |
| Barrier Energy | The energy given up by an electron in penetrating the cell barrier; a measure of the electrostatic potential of the barrier. |
| Base Load | The lowest level of power production needs during a season or year. |
| Base Load Unit | A power generating facility that is intended to run constantly at near capacity levels, as much of the time as possible. |
| Base Rate | That portion of the total electric or gas rate covering the general costs of doing business unrelated to fuel expenses. |
| Baseline Forecast | A prediction of future energy needs which does not take into account the likely effects of new conservation programs that have not yet been started. |
| Batch Solar Hot Water Heater | The simplest of solar hot water systems. A tank of water within a glass-covered insulated enclosure aimed at the sun. Water is heated in the tank and then flows to the load or an auxiliary water heater. |
| Battery | A single electric cell, or group of connected cells, that produces a direct electric current. |
| Battery Available Capacity | The total maximum charge, expressed in ampere-hours, that can be withdrawn from a cell or battery under a specific set of operating conditions including discharge rate, temperature, initial state of charge, age, and cut-off voltage. |
| Battery Bank | A group of batteries which stores excess electrical energy for later use. |
| Battery Capacity | The maximum total electrical charge, expressed in ampere-hours, which a battery can deliver to a load under a specific set of conditions. |
| Battery Cell | An individual unit of a battery that can store electrical energy and is capable of furnishing a current to an external load. For lead-acid batteries the voltage of a cell (fully charged) is about 2.2 volts dc. A battery may consist of a number of cells. |
| Battery Charger | A device used to charge a battery by converting (usually) mains voltage AC to a DC voltage suitable for the battery. Chargers often incorporate some form of regulator to prevent overcharging and damage to the battery. |
| Battery Cycle Life | The number of times a battery can be discharged and charged before it fails. |
| Battery Energy Capacity | The total energy available, expressed in watt-hours (kilowatt-hours), which can be withdrawn from a fully charged cell or battery. The energy capacity of a given cell varies with temperature, rate, age, and cut-off voltage. This term is more common to system designers than it is to the battery industry where capacity usually refers to ampere-hours. |
| Battery Energy Storage | Energy storage using electrochemical batteries. The three main applications for battery energy storage systems include spinning reserve at generating stations, load leveling at substations, and peak shaving on the customer side of the meter. |
| Battery Life | The period during which a cell or battery is capable of operating above a specified capacity or efficiency performance level. With lead-acid batteries, end-of-life is generally considered when a fully charged cell can deliver only 80 percent of its rated capacity. Beyond this state of aging, deterioration and loss of capacity begins to accelerate rapidly. Life may be measured in cycles or years, depending on the type of service for which the cell or battery is intended. |
| Battery Self Discharge | Energy loss by a battery not under load. |
| Battery Self-Discharge | Energy loss by a battery that is not under load. |
| Battery State Of Charge (SOC) | The charge status as a percentage of full charge |
| Benzene | A type of colorless liquid hydrocarbon that can be used as a motor fuel. Its chemical symbol is C6H6. |
| Betz Limit | The theoretical maximum energy that a wind generator can extract from the wind—59.6 percent. |
| Bi-Fuel Vehicle | A vehicle with two separate fuel systems designed to run on either fuel, using only one fuel at a time. These systems are advantageous for drivers who do not always have access to an alternative fuel refueling station. Bi-fuel systems are usually used in light-duty vehicles. One of the two fuels is typically an alternative fuel. |
| Bi-Gas | A process being developed as a means of making synthetic gas from coal. The synthetic gas would be intended to substitute for natural gas in meeting industrial and home energy needs. |
| Bilateral Contract | A two-party agreement for the purchase and the sale of energy products and services. |
| Bioconversion | Processes that use plants or micro-organisms to change one form of energy into another. For example, an experimental process uses algae to convert solar energy into gas that could be used for fuel. |
| Biodiesel | a biodegradable transportation fuel for use in diesel engines that is produced through the transesterfication of organically- derived oils or fats. It may be used either as a replacement for or as a component of diesel fuel. |
| Bioenergy | the energy from biomass (organic matter)—can be used directly for heat or to power a generator to produce electricity. Biomass can also be chemically converted into a fuel oil or liquid fuels. |
| Biofuels (Biomass Fuels) | Biomass converted directly to energy or converted to liquid or gaseous fuels, such as ethanol methane, and hydrogen. |
| Biomass | Any organic matter available on a renewable basis, including agricultural crops, wastes, and residues; wood, wood wastes, and residues; animal wastes and municipal wastes; and aquatic plants. |
| Biosphere | The zone at and adjacent to the earth’s surface where all life exists; all living organisms of the earth. |
| Bipv | Building Integrated Photovoltaics. As the name suggests, this is where PV modules are integrated in to the building construction materials as on integrated unit. |
| BIPV (Building-Integrated Photovoltaics) | A term for the design and integration of photovoltaic (PV) technology into the building envelope, typically replacing conventional building materials. This integration may be in vertical facades, replacing view glass, spandrel glass, or other facade material; into semitransparent skylight systems; into roofing systems, replacing traditional roofing materials; into shading "eyebrows" over windows; or other building envelope systems. |
| Bituminous Coal | Soft coal containing large amounts of carbon. It has a luminous flame and produces a great deal of smoke. |
| Blackout | The total loss of electric power supplied by the electric company. |
| Blade | The energy capturing, aerodynamically designed part of a wind turbine, which interacts directly with the wind. |
| Blocking Diode | A diode used to prevent current flow in an undesirable direction e.g. From the rest of the PV array to a failed module or from the battery to the PV array when current generation is low. |
| Boiler | A closed vessel in which water is converted to pressurized steam. |
| Boiling Point | temperature at which a single substance, such as water, changes from a liquid to a gas (steam) under normal atmospheric pressure. The boiling point at which water transitions to steam is 212°F (100°C). Some liquids boil at a lower temperature than water – a principle utilized in binary power plants. Boiling point is also affected by pressure. The greater the pressure, the higher the boiling point. This principle is put to work in geothermal (flash) power plants when superheated (hotter than boiling) geothermal water is brought up wells. The hot water flashes to steam when the pressure is released as it reaches the surface. This phenomenon also occurs naturally, resulting in such features as geysers. |
| Boiling Water Reactor | (BWR) A nuclear power unit in which water used as a coolant is allowed to boil at the core. The resulting steam may be used to drive electric turbines. |
| Bora | A cold wind that blows from the north or northeast across the lands around the Adriatic Sea. This wind is named after Boreas. |
| Boreas | The North Wind in Greek mythology. (“Aquilo” in Latin.) |
| Boron (B) | The chemical element commonly used as the dopant in photovoltaic device or cell material. |
| Bottled Gas | The liquified petroleum gases propane and butane, contained under moderate pressure (about 125 pounds per square inch and 30 pounds per square inch respectively), in cylinders. |
| Bottoming Cycle | A means to increase the thermal efficiency of a steam electric generating system by converting some waste heat from the condenser into electricity rather than discharging all of it into the environment. |
| Boule | A sausage-shaped, synthetic single-crystal mass grown in a special furnace, pulled and turned at a rate necessary to maintain the single-crystal structure during growth. |
| Brake | Device for stopping a wind turbine. This can be an electric brake that shorts the output of the turbine (dynamic braking), or a mechanical brake that physically stops the rotation, as with a brake drum and shoe. |
| Breaker | A manually operable switching device that also automatically opens a circuit in the event of overcurrent. |
| Breeder | A nuclear reactor that produces more fuel than it consumes. The breeder, invented in the United States, is used as a power source in several European countries. |
| Breeze | Wind classified as light, gentle, moderate, fresh, or strong. To see the corresponding wind speeds for each of these, look at the Beaufort Scale above. |
| British Thermal Unit (Btu) | The amount of heat energy required to raise one pound of water from a temperature of 60 degrees F to 61 degrees F at one atmosphere pressure. One Watt hour equals 3,413 BTU. |
| Broker | A retail agent who buys and sells power. The agent may also aggregate customers and arrange for transmission, firming and other ancillary services as needed. |
| Brownout | A temporary reduction of voltage supplied by the electric company. Typically causes lights to dim. |
| BTU (British Thermal Unit) | Measurement of heat energy. 1 BTU is the amount of energy it require to heat 1 pound of water from 60 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit. 1W = 3413BTU. |
| Building Envelope | The assembly of exterior partitions of a building which enclose conditioned spaces, through which thermal energy may be transferred to or from the exterior, unconditioned spaces, or the ground |
| Bulk Charge | The initial phase of battery charging, when the largest amount of energy is put into the battery. |
| Bulk Power Supply | Often this term is used interchangeably with wholesale power supply. In broader terms, it refers to the aggregate of electric generating plants, transmission lines, and related-equipment. The term may refer to those facilities within one electric utility, or within a group of utilities in which the transmission lines are interconnected. |
| Busbar | In electric utility operations, a busbar is a conductor that serves as a common connection for two or more circuits. It may be in the form of metal bars or high-tension cables. |
| Buss | An electrical connection component that can accept multiple cables or wires. Also bus, bus bar, or busbar |
| Buster | A sudden and violent cold wind that blows across Australia from the south. In parts of Australia it is referred to as a “southerly buster” or a “brickfielder.” |
| Butane | A hydrocarbon gas found in the earth along with natural gas and oil. Butane turns into a liquid when put under pressure. It is sold as bottled gas. It is used to run heaters, stoves and motors, and to help make petrochemicals. |
| Buy Through | An agreement between utility and customer to import power when the customer’s service would otherwise be interrupted. |
| Buyer | An entity that purchases electrical energy or services from the Power Exchange (PX) or through a bilateral contract on behalf of end-use customers. |
| Bypass Diode | A diode connected across one or more solar cells in a photovoltaic module such that the diode will conduct if the call(s) change polarity. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Cadmium (Cd) | A chemical element used in making certain types of solar cells and batteries. |
| Cadmium Telluride (Cdte) | A polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic material. |
| Caldera | a bowl-shaped landform, created either by a huge volcanic explosion (which destroys the top of a volcano) or by the collapse of a volcano’s top. |
| Call-Back | A provision included in some power sale contracts that lets the supplier stop delivery when the power is needed to meet certain other obligations. |
| Calorie | One energy calorie is equivalent to 4.2 joules. Thus, it takes 500,000 calories of energy to boil a pot of coffee. One food calorie equals 1,000 energy calories. |
| Calorie (Energy Calorie | small "c" |
| Capacitance | An electrical effect in AC circuits that results in amperage peaking before voltage. |
| Capacitor | An electronic component used for the temporary storage of electricity, as well for removing unwanted noise in circuits. A capacitor will block Direct Current but will pass Alternating Current. |
| Capacity | See Battery Capacity. |
| Capacity (C) | See battery capacity. |
| Capacity Factor | The ratio of the average load on (or power output of) an electricity generating unit or system to the capacity rating of the unit or system over a specified period of time. |
| Capacity Release | A secondary market for capacity that is contracted by a customer which is not using all of its capacity. |
| Captive Customer | A customer who does not have realistic alternatives to buying power from the local utility, even if that customer had the legal right to buy from competitors. |
| Captive Electrolyte Battery | A battery having an immobilized electrolyte (gelled or absorbed in a material). |
| Carbon Dioxide | A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the air. Carbon dioxide, also called CO2, is exhaled by humans and animals and is absorbed by green growing things and by the sea. |
| Carbon Dioxide (Co2) | A colorless, odorless noncombustible gas present in the atmosphere. It is formed by the combustion of carbon and carbon compounds (such as fossil fuels and biomass), by respiration, which is a slow combustion in animals and plants, and by the gradual oxidation of organic matter in the soil. |
| Carbon Monoxide (Co) | A colorless, odorless but poisonous combustible gas. Carbon monoxide is produced in the incomplete combustion of carbon and carbon compounds, for example, fossil fuels like coal and petroleum. |
| Carcinogens | Potential cancer-causing agents in the environment. They include among others: industrial chemical compounds found in food additives, pesticides and fertilizers, drugs, toy, household cleaners, toiletries and paints. Naturally occurring ultraviolet solar radiation is also a carcinogen. |
| Catalytic Cracking | A refinery process that converts a high-boiling range fraction of petroleum (gas oil) to gasoline, olefin feed for alkylation, distillate, fuel oil and fuel gas by use of a catalyst and heat. |
| Cathode | The negative pole or electrode of an electrolytic cell, vacuum tube, etc., where electrons enter (current leaves) the system; the opposite of an anode. |
| Cathodic Protection | A method of preventing oxidation (rusting) of exposed metal structures, such as bridges and pipelines, by imposing between the structure and the ground a small electrical voltage that opposes the flow of electrons and that is greater than the voltage present during oxidation. |
| Caulking | Material used to make an air-tight seal by filling in cracks, such as those around windows and doors. |
| Cd | see cadmium. |
| CdTe | see cadmium telluride. |
| Cell | The basic unit of a PV module or battery. The most basic unit that contains the necessary materials, such as electrodes and electrolyte in a battery, to produce electricity. |
| CELL (Battery) | A single unit of an electro-chemical device capable of producing an electrical current by converting chemical energy into electrical energy. The cell is the basic unit used to store energy in the battery. The cell contains an anode, a cathode, and the electrolyte. A battery usually consists of several cells electrically connected together to produce higher voltages. (Sometimes the terms cell and battery are used interchangeably). |
| CELL (Solar) | The smallest, basic photovoltaic device that generates electricity when exposed to light. |
| Cell Barrier | A very thin region of static electric charge along the interface of the positive and negative layers in a photovoltaic cell. The barrier inhibits the movement of electrons from one layer to the other, so that higher-energy electrons from one side diffuse preferentially through it in one direction, creating a current and thus a voltage across the cell. Also called depletion zone or space charge. |
| Cell Efficiency | The ratio of the electrical energy produced by a photovoltaic cell (under full sun conditions or 1 kw/m2) to the energy from sunlight falling upon the photovoltaic cell. |
| Cell Junction | The area of immediate contact between two layers (positive and negative) of a photovoltaic cell. The junction lies at the center of the cell barrier or depletion zone. |
| Celsius | A temperature scale based on the freezing (0 degrees) and boiling (100 degrees) points of water. Abbreviated as C in second and subsequent references in text. Formerly known as Centigrade. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply the number by 9, divide by 5, and add 32. For example: 10 degrees Celsius x 9 = 90; 90 / 5 = 18; 18 + 32 = 50 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Central Power Plant | A large power plant that generates power for distribution to multiple customers. |
| CFCS (Chlorofluorocarbons Or Chlorinated Fluorocarbons) |
A family of artificially produced chemicals receiving much attention for their role in stratospheric ozone depletion. On a per molecule basis, these chemicals are several thousand times more effective as greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Since they were introduced in the mid-1930s, CFCs have been used as refrigerants, solvents and in the production of foam material. The 1987 Montreal protocol on CFCs seeks to reduce their production by one-half by the year 1998. |
| CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) | A measure of flow rate. CURIE |
| Charge | Electricity produced by a surplus (position) or shortage (negative) of electrons in an object. |
| Charge Carrier | A free and mobile conduction electron or hole in a semiconductor. |
| Charge Controller | A component of a photovoltaic system that controls the flow of current to and from the battery to protect it from over-charge and over-discharge. The charge controller may also indicate the system operational status. |
| Charge Factor | A number corresponding to the time (in hours) for which a battery can be charged at a constant current without damaging it. Usually expressed as a function of battery capacity, e.g. C/10 indicates a charge factor of 10 hours. Related to Charge Rate. |
| Charge Rate | A measure of the current used to charge a battery as a proportion of its capacity. |
| Chemical Energy | The energy liberated in a chemical reaction, as in the combustion of fuels. |
| Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) | A method of depositing thin semiconductor films used to make certain types of photovoltaic devices. With this method, a substrate is exposed to one or more vaporized compounds, one or more of which contain desirable constituents. A chemical reaction is initiated, at or near the substrate surface, to produce the desired material that will condense on the substrate. |
| Chiller | A device that cools water, usually to between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for eventual use in cooling air. |
| Chinook | A warm, dry wind that originates with moist wind from the Pacific Ocean and releases its moisture as precipitation over the Rocky Mountains. The air is then compressed and heated as it descends over the frozen plains of the northwestern United States and Canada, often melting several inches of snow in a matter of hours. This leads some people to call these winds snow eaters. |
| Circuit | A group of electrical components that make a complete electrical path, providing some function. |
| Circuit Breaker | A device used to interrupt or break an electrical circuit when an overload condition exists. Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical equipment from potential damage. |
| Clean Fuel Vehicle | is frequently incorrectly used interchangeably with "alternative fuel vehicle." Generally, refers to vehicles that use low-emission, clean-burning fuels. Public Resources Code Section 25326 defines clean fuels, for purposes of the section only, as fuels designated by ARB for use in LEVs, ULEVs or ZEVs and include, but are not limited to, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, natural gas, and reformulated gasoline. |
| Cleavage Of Lateral Epitaxial Films For Transfer (CLEFT) |
A process for making inexpensive Gallium Arsenide (gaas) photovoltaic cells in which a thin film of gaas is grown atop a thick, single-crystal gaas (or other suitable material) substrate and then is cleaved from the substrate and incorporated into a cell, allowing the substrate to be reused to grow more thin-film gaas. |
| Clerestory | A wall with windows that is between two different (roof) levels. The windows are used to provide natural light into a building. |
| Climate | The prevailing or average weather conditions of a geographic region. |
| Climate Zone | A geographical area is the state that has particular weather patterns. These zones are used to determine the type of building standards that are required by law. |
| Closed Loop System | A solar hot water system of which no part is vented to the atmosphere or fed with fresh liquid. The system liquid, usually some form of antifreeze solution, is recirculated. Closed loop solar systems are also known as glycol systems and indirect systems. |
| Cloud Enhancement | The increase in solar intensity caused by reflected irradiance from nearby clouds. |
| Clunkers | also known as gross-polluting or super- emitting vehicles, i.e., vehicles that emit far in excess of the emission standards by which the vehicle was certified when it was new. |
| Coal | Black or brown rock, formed under pressure from organic fossils in prehistoric times, that is mined and burned to produce heat energy. |
| Coal Conversion | Changing coal into synthetic gas or liquid fuels. See GASIFICATION. |
| Coal Oil | Oil that can be obtained by distilling bituminous coal. |
| Coal Seam | A mass of coal, occurring naturally at a particular location, that can be commercially mined. |
| Coal Slurry Pipeline | A pipe system that transports pulverized coal suspended in water. |
| Cob Construction | A traditional building technique using hand formed lumps of earth mixed with sand and straw. |
| Cogeneration | The joint production of electricity and useful heat at a single facility, resulting in more efficient use of the thermal energy. |
| Cogenerator | Cogenerators use the waste heat created by one process, for example during manufacturing, to produce steam which is used, in turn, to spin a turbine and generate electricity. Cogenerators may also be QFs. |
| Coke | A porous solid left over after the incomplete burning of coal or of crude oil. |
| Coke Oven Gas | Gas given off by coke ovens. Coke oven gas is interchangeable with goal gas. |
| Collector Loop | The plumbing loop in a solar hot water system that includes the solar collectors. The collectors heat the fluid in the collector, and the heated fluid can be used directly (if water) or the heat can be exchanged to a potable water loop. |
| Combined Collector | A photovoltaic device or module that provides useful heat energy in addition to electricity. |
| Combined Cycle Plant | An electric generating station that uses waste heat from its gas turbines to produce steam for conventional steam turbines. |
| Combined Hydronic Space/Water Heating | a system in which both space heating and domestic water heating are provided by the same water heater(s). |
| Combiner Box | A box where wires from individual PV modules or strings are combined into larger wires to run to the battery bank. Can also contain overcurrent protection devices. |
| Combustion | the burning of gas, liquid, or solid, in which the fuel is oxidized, producing heat and often light. |
| Combustion Burning | Rapid oxidation, with the release of energy in the form of heat and light. |
| Comfort Conditioning | The process of treating air to simultaneously control its temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and distribution to meet the comfort requirements of the occupants of the conditioned space. |
| Comfort Zone | The range of temperatures over which the majority of persons feel comfortable (neither too hot nor too cold). |
| Commercialization | Programs or activities that increase the value or decrease the cost of integrating new products or services into the electricity sector. (See "Sustained Orderly Development.") |
| Compact Fluorescent Light (Cfl) | A smaller version of standard fluorescent lamps that can directly replace incandescent lights. Cfls use 65 to 80 percent less energy, while producing the same lumens. |
| Competitive Transmission Charge | A non-bypassable charge that customers pay to a utility for the recovery of its stranded costs. |
| Compressed Natural Gas (Cng) | natural gas that has been compressed under high pressure, typically between 2,000 and 3,600 pounds per square inch, held in a container. The gas expands when released for use as a fuel. |
| Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems | concentrate the sun�s energy using reflective devices, such as troughs or mirror panels, to produce heat that is used for industrial processes or to generate electricity. |
| Concentrator | A photovoltaic module, which includes optical components such as lenses (Fresnel lens) to direct and concentrate sunlight onto a solar cell of smaller area. Most concentrator arrays must directly face or track the sun. They can increase the power flux of sunlight hundreds of times. |
| Condensate | Liquid fuel obtained by burning gas or vapor produced from oil and gas wells. |
| Condense | to change from a gas to drops of liquid. Water-cooled geothermal power plants use cooling towers to cool the used steam and condense it back to water for injection back to the edge of the reservoir. In binary power plants, an organic liquid is first vaporized (with heat from geothermal water) to drive a turbine, then cooled and condensed back to a liquid and recycled again and again in a closed loop. |
| Condenser | A heat exchanger in which the refrigerant, compressed to a hot gas, is condensed to liquid by rejecting heat. |
| Conditioned Space, Directly | An enclosed space that is provided with heating equipment that has a capacity exceeding 10 Btus/(hr-ft2), or with cooling equipment that has a capacity exceeding 10 Btus/(hr-ft2). An exception is if the heating and cooling equipment is designed and thermostatically controlled to maintain a process environment temperature less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit or greater than 85 degrees Fahrenheit for the whole space the equipment serves |
| Conductance | The quantity of heat, in Btu’s, that will flow through one square foot of material in one hour, when there is a 1 degree F temperature difference between both surfaces. Conductance values are given for a specific thickness of material, not per inch thickness. |
| Conduction | Heat transfer from a hot object to a colder object through direct contact. |
| Conduction Band (Or Conduction Level) | An energy band in a semiconductor in which electrons can move freely in a solid, producing a net transport of charge. |
| Conductivity (K) | The quantity of heat that will flow through one square foot of homogeneous material, one inch thick, in one hour, when there is a temperature difference of one degree Fahrenheit between its surfaces. |
| Conductor | A material with relatively low resistance through which electricity will readily flow�wires, cables, busbars. The most common conductors are copper and aluminum. |
| Conduit | A pipe or elongated box used to house and protect electrical cables. |
| Congestion | A condition that occurs when insufficient transfer capacity is available to implement all of the preferred schedules simultaneously. |
| Congestion Management | Alleviation of congestion by the ISO. |
| Conservation | Steps taken to cause less energy to be used than would otherwise be the case. These steps may involve improved efficiency, avoidance of waste, reduced consumption, etc. They may involve installing equipment (such as a computer to ensure efficient energy use), modifying equipment (such as making a boiler more efficient), adding insulation, changing behavior patterns, etc. |
| Constant-Speed Wind Turbines | Wind turbines that operate at a constant RPM (rotor revolutions per minute). They are designed for optimal energy capture at a specific rotor diameter and at a particular wind speed. |
| Contact Resistance | The resistance between metallic contacts and the semiconductor. |
| Continental Drift | the theory that the continents have drifted apart when a supercontinent, Pangaea, broke apart. See Plate Tectonics. |
| Continental Shelf | The portion of the sea bottom that slopes gradually from the edge of a continent. Usually defined as areas where water is less than 200 meters or 600 feet deep. |
| Contingency Planning | The Energy Commission’s strategy to respond to impending energy emergencies such as curtailment or shortage of fuel or power because of natural disasters or the result of human or political causes, or a clear threat to public health, safety or welfare. |
| Continuous Output Rating | The maximum amount of power an inverter may deliver to a load (or loads) for a sustained period of time. |
| Contract Path | The most direct physical transmission tie between two interconnected entities. When utility systems interchange power, the transfer is presumed to take place across the "contract path," notwithstanding the electrical fact that power flow in the network will distribute in accordance with network flow conditions. This term can also mean to arrange for power transfer between systems. (See also Parallel path flow) |
| Contracts For Differences (Cfd) | A type of bilateral contract where the electric generation seller is paid a fixed amount over time which is a combination of the short-term market price and an adjustment with the purchaser for the difference. For example, a generator may sell a distribution company power for ten years at 6-cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh). That power is bid into Poolco at some low /kWh value (to ensure it is always taken). The seller then gets the market clearing price from the pool and the purchaser pays the producer the difference between the Poolco selling price and 6-cents/kWh (or vice versa if the pool price should go above the contract price). |
| Control Area | An electric power system, or a combination of electric power systems, to which a common automatic generation control (AGC) is applied to match the power output of generating units within the area to demand. |
| Convection | 1Heat transfer by the movement of fluid (usually air or water). 2 Heat transfer through either the natural or forced movement of air |
| Convection Currents | the currents caused by hot air or fluid rising and falling. Hot air or fluid expands and is therefore less dense than its cooler surroundings, thus it rises; as it cools it contracts, becomes more dense and sinks down creating something of a rolling motion. These motions are thought to be party of the dynamic geologic processes that drive the movement of crustal plates. See Plate Tectonics |
| Conventional Fuel | The fossil fuels |
| Conventional Gas | Natural gas occurring in nature, as opposed to synthetic gas. |
| Conversion | device or kit by which a conventional fuel vehicle is changed to an alternative fuel vehicle. |
| Conversion Efficiency | The ratio of the electrical energy generated by a solar PV cell to the solar energy impacting the cell. Also see: photovoltaic (conversion) efficiency |
| Conversion Fuel Factor | A number stating units of one system in corresponding values of another system. |
| Converted Vehicle | a vehicle originally designed to operate on gasoline that has been modified or altered to run on an alternative fuel. |
| Converter | An electronic device for DC power that steps up voltage and steps down current proportionally (or vice-versa). |
| Cooling Capacity, Latent | Available refrigerating capacity of an air conditioning unit for removing latent heat from the space to be conditioned. |
| Cooling Capacity, Sensible | Available refrigerating capacity of an air conditioning unit for removing sensible heat from the space to be conditioned. |
| Cooling Capacity, Total | Available refrigerating capacity of an air conditioner for removing sensible heat and latent heat from the space to be conditioned. |
| Cooling Degree Day | A unit of measure that indicates how heavy the air conditioning needs are under certain weather conditions. |
| Cooling Load | The rate at which heat must be extracted from a space in order to maintain the desired temperature within the space. |
| Cooling Load Temperature Difference (Cltd) | A value used in cooling load calculations for the effective temperature difference (delta T) across a wall or ceiling, which accounts for the effect of radiant heat as well as the temperature difference. |
| Cooling Tower | A device for evaporatively cooling water by contact with air. |
| Co-Op | This is the commonly used term for a rural electric cooperative. Rural electric cooperatives generate and purchase wholesale power, arrange for the transmission of that power, and then distribute the power to serve the demand of rural customers. Co-ops typically become involved in ancillary services such as energy conservation, load management and other demand-side management programs in order to serve their customers at least cost. |
| Cooperative (Electric Utility) | A joint venture organized by consumers to make electric utility service available in their area. |
| Copper Indium Diselenide (Cuinse2, Or CIS) | A polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic material (sometimes incorporating gallium (CIGS) and/or sulfur). |
| Core (Outer And Inner) | the extremely hot center of the Earth. The outer core is probably molten rock and is located about 3,200 miles (5,100) kilometers down from the earth�s surface; the inner core may be solid iron and is found a the very center of the Earth- about 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) down. |
| Corporate Average Fuel Economy (Cafe) | A sales-weighted average fuel mileage calculation, in terms of miles per gallon, based on city and highway fuel economy measurements performed as part of the federal emissions test procedures. CAFE requirements were instituted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (89 Statute. 902) and modified by the Automobile Fuel Efficiency Act of 1980 (94 Statute. 1821). For major manufacturers, CAFE levels in 1996 are 27.5 miles per gallon for light-duty automobiles. CAFE standards also apply to some light trucks. The Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988 allows for an adjusted calculation of the fuel economy of vehicles that can use alternative fuels, including fuel-flexible and dual-fuel vehicles. |
| Cross-Flow Turbine | A turbine where the flow of water is at right angles to the axis of rotation of the turbine. Crystalline silicon |
| Crude Oil | Petroleum as found in the earth, before it is refined into oil products. Also called CRUDE. |
| Crude Oil Stocks | Stocks held at refineries and at pipeline terminals. Does not include stocks held on leases (storage facilities adjacent to the wells). |
| Crust | the solid outermost layer of the Earth, mostly consisting of rock, and ranging from 3 |
| Crystalline Silicon | A type of photovoltaic cell made from a slice of single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon. |
| Cubic Foot | The most common unit of measurement of natural gas volume. It equals the amount of gas required to fill a volume of one cubic foot under stated conditions of temperature, pressure and water vapor. One cubic foot of natural gas has an energy content of approximately 1,000 Btus. One hundred (100) cubic feet equals one therm (100 ft3 = 1 therm). |
| Cultivate | to grow and tend (plants or crops), farm. |
| Current | Is the flow of electrons. Water flowing in a pipe is similar to electric current. You need voltage to make the current flow, just like water pressure is needed to make the water flow. It’s impossible to see an electric current, but it’s there � and is used to run everything from a light to your CD player. Also see: Ampere |
| Current At Maximum Power (Imp) | The current at which maximum power is available from a module. |
| Cutoff Voltage | Electrical equipment setting for the voltage level at which a battery is considered to be empty, and the discharge process is terminated. Most commonly found in inverters and charge controllers that include a feature for low voltage disconnection. |
| Cut-Off Voltage | The voltage levels at which the charge controller (regulator) disconnects the PV array from the battery, or the load from the battery. |
| Cycle | In alternating current electricity, the current flows in one direction from zero to a maximum voltage, then goes back down to zero, then to a maximum voltage in the opposite direction. This comprises one cycle. The number of complete cycles per second determines the current frequency. In the United States the standard for alternating current is 60 cycles. |
| Cycle Life | Number of charge-discharge cycles a battery can perform under specified conditions before it fails to meet its specified performance (e.g. Capacity decreases to 80% of nominal capacity). |
| Cyclone | Air spinning inward toward centers of low air pressure. Cyclones spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. |
| Czochralski Process | A method of growing large size, high quality semiconductor crystal by slowly lifting a seed crystal from a molten bath of the material under careful cooling conditions. |
Links to Online Energy Calculators
| A Performance Calculator For Grid-Connected Pv Systems V1: |
| A Performance Calculator For Grid-Connected Pv Systems V2: / (added 09/2005) |
| BTU Calculator: Version 1 is the original PVWATTS. The user chooses a state from a map or a text list, and then the city of interest. The calculations may be done using the default system parameters, or the user may specify the PV system size, local electric costs, whether a fixed or tracking PV array, and the PV array tilt and azimuth angles. PVWATTS calculates monthly and annual energy production in kWh and monthly savings in dollars. The user may also choose to output hourly AC power data, which can saved to a text file. Version 1 can be run for Guam or Puerto Rico as well as the 50 states. |
| Business Energy Analyzer : |
| Calculate Your Solar Energy Needs: How big of a stove do you need? |
| Calenergy.Org: The Business Energy Analzyer is designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of energy use in your business along with customized energy efficiency improvement recommendations. The calculator prepares a report, based on information submitted by the user, showing investments with greatest savings and those with the fastest payback on investment. Information on multiple buildings may be stored and updated for use in future analyses. |
| Canadian Small Wind Energy Calculator: Solar Mike’s Web Site SolarScript© PV System Design On-Line Calculator v2.4 |
| Carbon Dioxide Calculator: Many state electrical utilities have implemented programs where operators of photovoltaic systems connected to the electrical power grid can sell power to the utility operator. PVWATTS calculates electrical energy produced by a grid-connected photovoltaic system. |
| Carbon Dioxide Calculator : is a Web site developed to help you determine the cost and benefits of installing solar or wind energy on your home or building. The Web site also features a database of contractors to help you select an experienced building professional. Developed under funding from the California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy Consumer Education grant program. |
| Carboncounter : is a Web-based calculator developed for the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CANWEA). This online wind calculator helps consumers determine the cost and benefits of installing small wind energy systems for their home, farm or building. |
| Climate Change Calculator – American Forests: This CO2 calculator, based on the ChoCO2 studies of GEIC (the Global Environment Information Centre in Tokyo), calculates CO2 emissions from everyday Japanese electrical appliances and automobiles based on energy consumption figures. By marking the appliances you use and filling out the required information, you can get a quick idea of how you can impact on the environment through your lifestyle. |
| Co2 Calculator : Carboncounter.org is an individual carbon dioxide emissions calculator generated by The Climate Trust, a pioneering non-profit organization that invests in high-quality projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, and Mercy Corps, an international relief and development agency. |
| Co2 Reduction Calculator: This tool prepared for the Canadian government calculates personal greenhouse gas emissions and lists mitigation strategies. Using a graphical example of a Canadian community, the user answers a series of questions on home heating and cooling, appliances, transportation and recreation activities. The calculator estimates personal CO2 emissions, offers suggestions for reducing emissions, and shows reductions achieved for those actions. The reporting function provides a graphical emissions breakdown for each feature. Available online or as a downloadable file. |
| Co2 Reduction Calculator : Calculates tons of carbon dioxide emitted by your household this year, and number of trees that would need to be planted to offset those emissions. / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy Advisor / Home Energy Saver : This calculator estimates the time and cost required to phase out CO2 production with a range of renewable energy technologies and carbon sinks. / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy Conversion Calculator: This calculator estimates the time and cost required to phase out CO2 production with a range of renewable energy technologies and carbon sinks. / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy To Carbon Dioxide Converter : The emissions calculator tabulates a user’s aggregate monthly emissions of seven air pollutants (in pounds) from electricity and natural gas consumption, airplane trips, and vehicle miles traveled (auto or sport utility vehicle/truck) and compare them with average national emissions. Emissions profiles may be saved and updated monthly to track performance. The site also offers suggestions on reducing emissions. / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy To Carbon Dioxide Converter From National Energy Foundation: new link — The Home Energy Saver is designed to help you identify the best ways to save energy in your home, and find the resources to make the savings happen. The Home Energy Saver asks for a detailed description of your home, and then quickly computes energy use on-line. Results are provided in dollars, kilowatt-hours and CO2 emissions for your house and the most energy efficient house. By changing one or more features, you can estimate how much energy and money you can save and how much pollution you can prevent by improving your home’s energy efficiency. In addition, the Home Energy Saver’s "Making it Happen" and Energy Librarian" modules connect users to an expanding array of "how-to" information resources throughout the Internet. |
| Energy To Carbon Dioxide Converter From National Energy Foundation : energy converter |
| Energy Usage Worksheet: Converts emissions from electricity consumption and transportation activities to equivalent amounts and provides information on ways U.K. households can reduce their energy consumption. |
| Findsolar.Org: A Worksheet to help you figure out what you energy needs are. |
| Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator – US Ctc Gateway : Calculates the emissions savings from using Australian energy star equipment. Results list savings in kilowatt-hours, coal needed to provide this energy, kilograms CO2, and equivalent car travel. |
| Home Analyzer : This site provided by the US Environmental Projection Agency can be used to calculate a household’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the impact of measures implemented to reduce these. |
| How Much Does Your Vehicle Pollute? : new link — Determines your auto’s carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide emissions. Will calculate values specific to your mileage, or typical for the year and make of your auto. Includes additional information explaining the significance of the result and what can be done to lower emissions. |
| Hydrogen Equivilant Calculator: This utility will assist you in referencing Hydrogen equivalents at standard temperature and pressure. |
| Iowa Solar Calculator: |
| Kerychip – Photovoltaic Software : Free Download – photovoltaic sizing calculations programs -Device construction, development of analogue and digitals circuits, print and schematic design -Development of micro controller solutions -Data acquisitions – analog and digital signal |
| Lishines.Org: is a Web site developed for Long Island, NY to help you determine the cost and benefits of installing solar on your home or building. The Web site also features a database of contractors to help you select an experienced building professional. This Web site was initially developed in 2003 under funding from RELI & the DOE Million Solar Roofs grant program. In July, 2005 Energy Matters LLC licensed content to RELI, who now administers and maintains the site / (added 09/2005) |
| Lmno Engineering : new link — Have calculators for fluid flow and formula information, good for hydro calculations or water pumping applications (things like friction loss through pipes, etc.). |
| Personal Co2 Calculation: A worksheet to determine yearly direct personal carbon dioxide emissions. Results include yearly personal carbon dioxide emissions and a per capita comparison chart to other industrialized countries. Suggestions on reducing emissions while saving money are also provided. / (added 09/2005) |
| Power Profiler : The Power Profiler helps users determine the specific air emissions impacts of electricity used to power their home or business using actual monthly energy use information (provided by the user), average monthly use, or default values for monthly residential and commercial electricity use. |
| Safe Climate’s Calculator: The SafeClimate carbon footprint calculator allows you to determine carbon dioxide emissions from major sources: home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane. |
| See The Safeclimate Carbon Dioxide Footprint Calculator Description In The Individuals Section, Above : |
| The Co2 Calculator : Calculates CO2 emissions from everyday Japanese electrical appliances and automobiles based on energy consumption figures. / (added 09/2005) |
| Travel Matters Emissions Calculators : TravelMatters! is a new website from the Center for Neighborhood Technology that provides a trio of resources – interactive emissions calculators, online emissions maps, and a wealth of educational content – that emphasize the relationship between more efficient transit systems and lower greenhouse gas emissions. TM’s Emissions Calculator allows users to conceptualize how much carbon dioxide they emit due to their travel decisions. The site also offers transportation emissions by county for all contiguous states. |
| Units Units Units: How to convert them / (added 09/2005) |
| Water Consumption Calculator: |