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Alternative
Energy |
An
interchangeable term for Renewable Energy; Energy
from sources that can not be used up: sun, water,
wind, vegetation. |
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Biomass
|
Living
materials (wood, vegetation, etc.) grown or
produced expressly for use as fuel.
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Biomass
fuels
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Wood
and forest residues, animal manure and waste,
grains, crops and aquatic plants are some common
biomass fuels.
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BTU
|
British
Thermal Unit—A measure of heat energy; the
amount needed to raise the temperature of one
pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
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Concentrator
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A
tool that uses lenses and/or mirrors to focus and
enhance the sun's rays onto the photovoltaic
surface.
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Conservation
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Achieving
the use of less energy, either by using more
efficient technologies or by changing wasteful
habits.
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Efficiency
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The
ratio of desired work-type output to the necessary
energy input, in any given energy transformation
device. An efficient LIGHT bulb for example uses
most of the input electrical energy to produce
light, not heat. An efficient HEAT bulb uses most
of its input to produce heat, not light.
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Energy
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The
capacity to do work.
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Energy-efficient
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Electrical
lighting devices which produce the same amount of
light (lumens) using less electrical energy than
incandescent electric light bulbs. Such devices
are usually of the fluorescent type, which produce
little heat, and may have reflectors to
concentrate or direct the light output.
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Energy
sources
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Energy
sources are 1. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas); 2.
Nuclear (fission and fusion); 3. Renewables
(solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydro).
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Flat
Plate
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A
photovoltaic surface installed to face south at a
tilt angle equal to the latitude.
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Flat-plat
tracker
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A
device mounted under a photovoltaic panel that
moves the panel to follow the path of the sun.
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Fossil
fuels
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Fuels
formed eons ago from decayed plants and animals.
Oil, coal and natural gas are such fuels.
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Fuel
|
A
material which is consumed, giving up its
molecularly stored energy which is then used for
other purposes, e.g. to do work (run a machine).
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Fuel
cell
|
A
device which produces electricity with high
efficiency (little heat) by using a fuel and a
chemical which reacts with it (an oxidizer) at two
separate electrical terminals. An electric current
is thereby produced.
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Gaia
Hypothesis
|
The
idea that Earth is a living system. Life helps
create the environment it needs in order to live.
Gaia is the ancient Greek word for "Mother
Earth."
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Geothermal
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Pertaining
to heat energy extracted from reservoirs in the
earth's interior, as in the use of geysers, molten
rock and steam spouts.
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Geothermal
energy
|
Heat
generated by natural processes within the earth.
Chief energy resources are hot dry rock, magma
(molten rock), hydrothermal (water/steam from
geysers and fissures) and geopressure (water
saturated with methane under tremendous pressure
at great depths).
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Global
warming
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The
gradual warming of the earth due to the
"greenhouse effect".
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Green
Energy |
Energy
produced and used in ways that reduce pollution
and other environmental impacts. Green energy
includes more efficient energy production and end
use, and energy generated from renewables and cleaner
fuels. |
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Greenhouse
effect
|
The
trapping of the sun's radiant energy, so that it
cannot be reradiated. In cars and buildings the
radiant energy is trapped by glass: in the earth's
atmosphere the radiant energy is trapped by gasses
such as CFCs and carbon dioxide.
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Hydro
|
A
prefix meaning produced by or derived from water
or the movement of water, as in
"hydroelectricity".
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Hydro
power
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Power
obtained from the natural movement of masses of
water.
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Insolation
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The
solar radiant energy impinging on the earth.
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Inverter
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A
device which changes direct current (DC) into
alternating current (AC). Direct current is
created by photovoltaic modules or batteries and
converted to AC through the use of an inverter.
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Nuclear
fission
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Atomic
nuclear processes which involve the splitting of
nuclei with the accompanying release of energy.
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Nuclear
fuel
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Energy
derived from atomic nuclear processes during
fission or fusion.
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Nuclear
fusion
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Atomic
nuclear processes which involve the fusing of
nuclei with an accompanying release of energy.
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OTEC
|
Ocean
thermal energy conversion technology, which uses
the temperature differential between warm surface
water and cold deep water to run heat engines to
produce electrical power.
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Ocean
energy
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The
vast amount of potential energy within the oceans.
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PV
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Photovoltaic;
pertaining to the production of electricity from
light.
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Photovoltaic
cell
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(see
Solar cell)
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Renewable
energy
|
Energy
from sources that cannot be used up: sunshine,
water flow, wind and vegetation.
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Renewable
energy devices
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Solar
collectors, wind machines, hydroelectric turbines,
etc. are typical examples.
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Solar
cell
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Device
made of semiconductor materials which produces a
voltage when exposed to light.
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Solar
cooling
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The
use of devices which absorb sunlight to operate
systems similar to gas-fired refrigerators.
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Solar
electricity
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Electricity
produced directly by action of sunlight.
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Solar
greenhouse
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A
conventional greenhouse in which mass is added for
heat storage, double glazing is used, and the
north side is attached to a house or berm.
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Solar
heating
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Processes,
active or passive, which derive and control heat
directly from the sun.
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Solar
process heat
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The
use of sunlight to drive industrial processes
directly.
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Solar
thermal energy systems
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Systems
using concentrating collectors to focus the sun's
radiant energy onto or into receivers to produce
heat.
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Stand-Alone
system
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A
PV installation not connected to a utility power
line. A 'direct system' uses the PV-produced
electricity as it is produced, e.g. a
solar-powered water-pumping station. A 'battery
storage system' stores the PV-produced electricity
for use a later time, e.g. at night or on cloudy
days.
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Utility-Interactive
System
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A
PV installation connected to a utility power line.
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Weather
|
The
result of unequal heating of the earth's
atmosphere, as a function of terrain, latitude,
time of year and other secondary factors.
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Wind
machines
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Devices
powered by the wind which produce mechanical or
electrical power.
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