Energy terms starting with E

179 terms

E-10 A mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline based on volume.
E-85 A mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline based on volume.
E85 A high-level gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season.
Early Archaic The period 7,500 to 5,000 years B.P.
Early seral species Shrubs (such as ceanothus) and hardwoods (usually in tree form, such as red alder, bitter cherry and big leaf maple) that start growing in natural…
Earth Berm A mound of dirt next to exterior walls to provide wind protection and insulation.
Earth Cooling Tube A long, underground metal or plastic pipe through which air is drawn. As air travels through the pipe it gives up some of its heat to the soil, and enters…
Earth Sheltered Houses Houses that have earth berms around exterior walls.
Earth-Coupled Ground Source (Geothermal) Heat Pump A type of heat pump that uses sealed horizontal or vertical pipes, buried in the ground, as heat exchangers through which a fluid is circulated to…
Earth-Ship A registered trademark name for houses built with tires, aluminum cans, and earth.
Earthern cattle tank A watering area or basin for cattle that is usually created in a natural drainage area by obstructing natural water flows with berms of soil.
Earthquake Ground shaking caused by the sudden release of energy stored in rock beneath the Earth's surface.
Easement A right to the use of, or access to, land owned by another.
Eccentric A device for converting continuous circular motion into reciprocating rectilinear motion.
Ecological Footprint The impact of humans on ecosystems created by their use of land, water, and other natural resources.
Ecological resources Biota (fish, wildlife, and plants) and their habitats, which may be land, air, or water.
Ecological segmentation Development that fragments animal habitat and does not provide corridors for movement.
Ecology The study of the interactions of organisms with their environment and with each other.
Economic Opportunity Area (EOA) An area or several areas within a designated Massachusetts Environmental Target Area of particular need and priority for economic development.
Economic sector A subdivision of economic activities based on major purpose (for example, "commercial sector" or "private sector").
Economizer A heat exchanger for recovering heat from flue gases for heating water or air.
Ecoregion A geographically distinct area of land that is characterized by a distinctive climate, ecological features, and plant and animal communities.
Ecosystem A complex ecological community or environment forming a functioning whole.
Ecotones The borders between two different types of ecosystems or communities (e.g., a forest and a grassland) containing characteristic species of each.
Edge habitat The transitional zone where one cover type ends and another begins.
Edge-Defined Film-Fed Growth (EFG) A method for making sheets of polycrystalline silicon (for solar photovoltaic devices) in which molten silicon is drawn upward by capillary action through…
Edge-on A descriptor for the appearance of solar facility collector/reflector arrays when viewed at very low vertical angles, such that the viewing angle is at or…
Effective Capacity The maximum load that a device is capable of carrying.
Effects Environmental consequences (the scientific and analytical basis for comparison of alternatives) as a result of a proposed action.
Efficacy Effectiveness. In medicine, the ability of an intervention (for example, a drug or surgery) to produce the desired beneficial effect.
Efficiency Under the First Law of Thermodynamics, efficiency is the ratio of work or energy output to work or energy input, and cannot exceed 100 percent.
Efficiency (Appliance) Ratings A measure of the efficiency of an appliance's energy efficiency.
Effigy An object bearing the likeness of an animal or human.
Effluent The treated waste water discharged by sewage treatment plants.
Elasticity of Demand The ratio of the percentage change in the quantity of a good or service demanded to the percentage change in the price.
Electric and magnetic field (EMF) Electric and magnetic fields are generated when charged particles (e.g., electrons) are accelerated. Charged particles in motion produce magnetic fields.
Electric Circuit The path followed by electrons from a generation source, through an electrical system, and returning to the source.
Electric Energy The amount of work accomplished by electrical power, usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kWh is 1,000 Watts and is equal to 3,413 Btu.
Electric Furnace An air heater in which air is blown over electric resistance heating coils.
Electric Grid An interconnected system that maintains an instantaneous balance between supply and demand (generation and load) while moving electricity from generation…
Electric Power Plant A facility or piece of equipment that produces electricity.
Electric Power Sector Those privately or publicly owned establishments that generate, transmit, distribute, or sell electricity.
Electric Power Transmission The transmission of electricity through power lines.
Electric Rate The unit price and quantity to which it applies as specified in a rate schedule or contract.
Electric Rate Schedule A statement of the electric rate(s), terms, and conditions for electricity sale or supply.
Electric Resistance Heating A type of heating system where heat, resulting when electric current flows through an "element" or conductor, such as Nichrome, which has a high…
Electric System The physically connected generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and components operated as a unit.
Electric System Loss(es) The total amount of electric energy loss in an electric system between the generation source and points of delivery.
Electric utilities All enterprises engaged in the production and/or distribution of electricity for use by the public, including investor-owned electric utility companies…
Electric Utility A corporation, person, agency, authority or other legal entity that owns and/or operates facilities for the generation, transmission, distribution or sale…
Electric Vehicles A battery-powered electrically driven vehicle.
Electrical Charge A condition that results from an imbalance between the number of protons and the number of electrons in a substance.
Electrical Energy The energy of moving electrons.
Electrical horsepower See horsepower.
Electrical Load The amount of electrical demand on a particular circuit or of a particular use or facility.
Electrical System All the conductors and electricity using devices that are connected to a source of electromotive force (or generator).
Electrical System Energy Losses A measure of the amount of energy lost during the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
Electricity Electric current used as a power source. Electricity can be produced from a variety of feedstocks, including oil, coal, nuclear, hydro, natural gas, wind…
Electricity Generation The process of producing electricity by transforming other forms or sources of energy into electrical energy; measured in kilowatt-hours.
Electricity Grid A common term referring to an electricity transmission and distribution system.
Electricity Industry Restructuring The process of changing the structure of the electric power industry from one of guaranteed monopoly over service territories, as established by the…
Electrochemical Cell A device containing two conducting electrodes, one positive and the other negative, made of dissimilar materials (usually metals) that are immersed in a…
Electrode (ee-LEK-trode) In medicine, a device such as a small metal plate or needle that carries electricity from an instrument to a patient for treatment or…
Electrodeposition Electrolytic process in which a metal is deposited at the cathode from a solution of its ions.
Electrolysis A chemical change in a substance that results from the passage of an electric current through an electrolyte.
Electrolyte (ee-LEK-troh-lite) A substance that breaks up into ions (electrically charged particles) when it is dissolved in body fluids or water.
Electrolytes (battery) A nonmetallic (liquid or solid) conductor that carries current by the movement of ions (instead of electrons) with the liberation of matter at the…
Electromagnetic Energy Energy generated from an electromagnetic field produced by an electric current flowing through a superconducting wire kept at a specific low temperature.
Electromagnetic Field (EMF) The electrical and magnetic fields created by the presence or flow of electricity in an electrical conductor or electricity consuming appliance or motor.
Electromotive Force The amount of energy derived from an electrical source per unit quantity of electricity passing through the source.
Electron A sub-atomic particle that has a negative electric charge.
Electron Volt The amount of kinetic energy gained by an electron when accelerated through an electric potential difference of 1 Volt; equivalent to 1.
Electronic Ballast A device that uses electronic components to regulate the voltage of fluorescent lamps.
Electronic trading platform An electronic system matching bids (to buy) and offers (to sell), increasingly employed in many venues (Nymex, ICE, voice brokers, index-forming…
Electrostatic Precipitator A device used to remove particulate matter from the waste gasses of a combustion power plant.
elemental analysis The determination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, chlorine, and ash in a sample. See ultimate analysis.
Eligible properties See Historic properties
Ellipsoidal Reflector Lamp A lamp where the light beam is focused 2 inches ahead of the lamp reducing the amount of light trapped in the fixture.
Embryotoxicity Adverse effects on the embryo due to a substance that enters the maternal system and crosses the placental barrier.
Emergent Aquatic plants having some or most of the leaf area extending out of the water.
Emergent wetlands The Emergent wetland class is characterized by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes, excluding mosses and lichens.
Eminent Domain When a government takes private property for public use. The owner receives payment for its fair market value.
Emission Control Technologies Equipment used in diesel-powered vehicles to reduce exhaust emissions, such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
Emission Factor A measure of the average amount of a specified pollutant or material emitted for a specific type of fuel or process.
Emission offset A reduction in the air pollution emissions of existing sources to compensate for emissions from new sources.
Emission(s) A substance(s) or pollutant emitted as a result of a process.
Emissions Waste substances released into the air or water.
Emissivity The ratio of the radiant energy (heat) leaving (being emitted by) a surface to that of a black body at the same temperature and with the same area…
Enclosure That portion of an elevated building below the lowest elevated floor that is either partially or fully shut-in by rigid walls.
End Use A classification system for U.S. exported and imported merchandise based on principal use rather than the physical characteristics of the merchandise.
Endangered Species that are in danger of extinction. It also is a category that denotes protection under federal law (Endangered Species Act).
Endangered species A plant or animal species in immediate danger of extinction because its population number has reached a critical level, or its habitat has been…
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) Requires consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine whether endangered or threatened…
Endemic Where disease occurs on a consistent basis.
Endothermic A heat absorbing reaction or a reaction that requires heat.
Energize(d) To send electricity through a electricity transmission and distribution network; a conductor or power line that is carrying current.
Energy The capability of doing work; different forms of energy can be converted to other forms, but the total amount of energy remains the same.
Energy Audit A survey that shows how much energy you use in your house or apartment. It will help you find ways to use less energy.
Energy Charge That part of an electricity bill that is based on the amount of electrical energy consumed or supplied.
Energy Contribution Potential Recombination occurring in the emitter region of a photovoltaic cell.