Energy — page 15 of 33

3,295 terms including subtopics (1,532 terms filed directly here)

Subtopics

Energy terms

  1. Greenhouse Gas Some greenhouse gases, which contribute to the greenhouse effect, occur naturally in the atmosphere while others result from human activities such as the…
  2. Greenhouse gase (GHG) (GHG) Heat-trapping gases that cause global warming. Natural and human-made greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides…
  3. Greenhouse Gases Those gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, tropospheric ozone, methane, and low level ozone that are transparent to solar radiation, but opaque to…
  4. Greenway A linear open space; a corridor composed of natural vegetation. Greenways can be used to create connected networks of open space that include traditional…
  5. Greenwood Freshly cut, unseasoned, wood.
  6. Greywater Waste water from a household source other than a toilet. This water can be used for landscape irrigation depending upon the source of the greywater.
  7. Grid A common term referring to an electricity transmission and distribution system.
  8. Grid connection Joining a plant that generates electric power to a utility system so that electricity can flow in either direction between the utility system and the…
  9. Grid-Connected System Independent power systems that are connected to an electricity transmission and distribution system (referred to as the electricity grid) such that the…
  10. Gross Calorific Value The heat produced by combusting a specific quantity and volume of fuel in an oxygen-bomb colorimeter under specific conditions.
  11. Gross Generation The total amount of electricity produced by a power plant.
  12. gross heat of combustion see higher heating value
  13. Gross heating value (GHV) (GHV) The maximum potential energy in the fuel as received, considering moisture content (MC). It reflects the heat used to evaporate moisture.
  14. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (GVWR) The maximum weight of a vehicle, including curb weight (the weight of the vehicle on its own) and payload (the weight of cargo).
  15. Ground A device used to protect the user of any electrical system or appliance from shock.
  16. Ground failure Permanent ground displacement capable of damaging structures that may occur as a result of differential settlement, liquefaction, lateral spreading, or…
  17. Ground fault mats Mats made of insulating materials that do not conduct electricity.
  18. Ground Loop In geothermal heat pump systems, a series of fluid-filled plastic pipes buried in the shallow ground, or placed in a body of water, near a building.
  19. Ground motion (shaking) The movement of the Earth's surface from earthquakes. Ground motion is produced by seismic waves that are generated by a sudden slip on a fault and travel…
  20. Ground Reflection Solar radiation reflected from the ground onto a solar collector.
  21. Ground-Source Heat Pump (See Geothermal Systems)
  22. Groundwater All water below the surface of the land. It is water found in the pore spaces of bedrock or soil, and it reaches the land surface through springs or it…
  23. Groundwater basin : (1) A general term used to define a groundwater flow system that has defined boundaries and may include permeable materials that are capable of storing…
  24. Groundwater overdraft The condition in which water extractions from an aquifer exceed recharge processes in such excess as to cause substantial and sustained decreases in…
  25. Groundwater recharge Inflow of water to a ground-water reservoir from the surface. Infiltration of precipitation and its movement to the water table is one form of natural…
  26. Growth Management A term that encompasses a whole range of policies designed to control, guide, or mitigate the effects of growth.
  27. Grubbing See Clearing and grubbing
  28. guaiacyl A chemical component of lignin. It has a six-carbon aromatic ring with one methoxyl group attached.
  29. Guy Wire Cable use to secure a wind turbine tower to the ground in a safe, stable manner.
  30. Gypsum A soft mineral composed of hydrated calcium sulfate (CaSO4?2H20); occurs as an evaporite residue from ancient lakes in arid basins (e.g.
  31. Gypsum badlands Badlands dominated by soils derived from the mineral gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate).
  32. Habitat The natural environment where people, animals and plants live. In an aquatic environment, it includes the water, topography, structure and cover present…
  33. Habitat alteration A change in the particular environment or place where an organism or species lives.
  34. Habitat degradation Decline in habitat quality that accompanies non-natural forms of disturbance.
  35. Habitat Fragmentation Division of large tracts of natural habitat into smaller, disjunct parcels.
  36. Habitat generalist (species) See Generalist
  37. Habitat type An aggregation of all land areas potentially capable of producing similar plant communities at climax.
  38. Half-graben A geological term that describes a sedimentary basin where one side is bounded by a normal (extensional) fault.
  39. Hammermill A device consisting of a rotating head with free-swinging hammers which reduce chips or hogged fuel to a predetermined particle size through a perforated…
  40. Hand pile A pile of slash constructed by a crew, not by machine. Hand piles are typically less than 10´ high and less than 12´ in diameter.
  41. Harassment The intentional or unintentional disturbance of individual animals causing them to flee a site or avoid use of an area.
  42. Hardpan A dense, often impermeable soil horizon cemented with silica, iron oxides, calcium carbonate, or organic matter.
  43. hardwood One of the botanical groups of dicotyledonous trees that have broad leaves in contrast to the conifers or softwoods.
  44. Hardwoods Usually broad-leaved and deciduous trees.
  45. Harmonic(s) A sinusoidal quantity having a frequency that is an integral multiple of the frequency of a periodic quantity to which it is related.
  46. Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) (HAP) Substances that have adverse impacts on human health when present in ambient air.
  47. Hazardous material Any material that poses a threat to human health and/or the environment. Hazardous materials are typically toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or…
  48. Hazardous waste By-products of society that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed.
  49. Head The upper horizontal part of a window frame or window opening.
  50. Header A masonry wall unit of brick which is laid so that its short end is exposed.
  51. Headwater (1) The source and upper reaches of a stream; also the upper reaches of a reservoir; (2) the water upstream from a structure or point on a stream; (3) the…
  52. Heat Pressure and intimidation used by a casino to discourage card counters.
  53. Heat Absorbing Window Glass A type of window glass that contains special tints that cause the window to absorb as much as 45% of incoming solar energy, to reduce heat gain in an…
  54. Heat Balance Energy output from a system that equals energy input.
  55. Heat Content The amount of heat in a quantity of matter at a specific temperature and pressure.
  56. Heat Engine A device that produces mechanical energy directly from two heat reservoirs of different temperatures.
  57. Heat Exchanger A device used to transfer heat from a fluid (liquid or gas) to another fluid where the two fluids are physically separated.
  58. Heat Gain The amount of heat introduced to a space from all heat producing sources, such as building occupants, lights, appliances, and from the environment, mainly…
  59. Heat Loss The heat that flows from the building interior, through the building envelope to the outside environment.
  60. Heat Pipe A device that transfers heat by the continuous evaporation and condensation of an internal fluid.
  61. Heat Pump An electricity powered device that extracts available heat from one area (the heat source) and transfers it to another (the heat sink) to either heat or…
  62. Heat Pump Water Heaters A water heater that uses electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly.
  63. Heat rate The ratio of fuel energy input as heat per unit of net work output; a measure of a power plant thermal efficiency, generally expressed as Btu per net…
  64. Heat Recovery Ventilator A device that captures the heat from the exhaust air from a building and transfers it to the supply/fresh air entering the building to preheat the air and…
  65. Heat Register The grilled opening into a room by which the amount of warm air from a furnace can be directed or controlled; may include a damper.
  66. Heat Sink A structure or media that absorbs heat.
  67. Heat Source A structure or media from which heat can be absorbed or extracted.
  68. Heat Storage A device or media that absorbs heat for storage for later use.
  69. Heat Storage Capacity The amount of heat that a material can absorb and store.
  70. Heat Transfer The flow of heat from one area to another by conduction, convection, and/or radiation. Heat flows naturally from a warmer to a cooler material or space.
  71. Heat transfer efficiency The useful heat output released to a room divided by the actual heat produced in the firebox.
  72. Heat Transfer Fluid A gas or liquid used to move heat energy from one place to another; a refrigerant.
  73. Heat transfer fluid (HTF) (HTF) Fluids that transfer heat generated at the solar collectors to a heat exchanger where steam is produced to run a steam generator.
  74. Heat Transmission Coefficient Any coefficient used to calculate heat transmission by conduction, convection, or radiation through materials or structures.
  75. Heating Capacity (Also specific heat) The quantity of heat necessary to raise the temperature of a specific mass of a substance by one degree.
  76. Heating Degree Day(s) (HDD) The number of degrees per day that the daily average temperature (the mean of the maximum and minimum recorded temperatures) is below a base temperature…
  77. Heating degree days (HDD) (HDD) A measure of heating demand equal to the number of degrees a location’s mean daily temperature was below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
  78. Heating Fuel Units Standardized weights or volumes for heating fuels.
  79. Heating Fuels Any gaseous, liquid, or solid fuel used for indoor space heating.
  80. Heating Load The rate of heat flow required to maintain a specific indoor temperature; usually measured in Btu per hour.
  81. Heating Season The coldest months of the year; months where average daily temperatures fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit creating demand for indoor space heating.
  82. Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) (HSPF) The measure of seasonal or annual efficiency of a heat pump operating in the heating mode.
  83. Heating Value The amount of heat produced from the complete combustion of a unit of fuel. The higher (or gross) heating value is that when all products of combustion…
  84. Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System All the components of the appliance used to condition interior air of a building.
  85. Heavy metals Metallic elements with high atomic weights (e.g., mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and lead); can damage living things at low concentrations and tend…
  86. Hectare An area equal to 2.47 acres. There are 100 hectares in 1 square kilometer.
  87. Hedging Hedging is an investment technique designed to offset a potential loss on one investment by purchasing a second investment that you expect to perform in…
  88. Hedonic – (modeling approach) The hedonic method is a regression technique used to estimate the prices of qualities or models that are not available on the market in particular…
  89. Hedonic statistical framework A method of assessing the impact of various structural (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, age, etc.
  90. Heliochemical Process The utilization of solar energy through photosynthesis.
  91. Heliodon A device used to simulate the angle of the sun for assessing shading potentials of building structures or landscape features.
  92. Heliostat A device that tracks the movement of the sun; used to orient solar concentrating systems.
  93. Heliothermal Any process that uses solar radiation to produce useful heat.
  94. Heliothermic Site planning that accounts for natural solar heating and cooling processes and their relationship to building shape, orientation, and siting.
  95. Heliothermometer An instrument for measuring solar radiation.
  96. Heliotropic Any device (or plant) that follows the sun's apparent movement across the sky.
  97. hemicellulose Any cellulose-like carbohydrate, but excluding cellulose itself. Together with pectin and lignin, hemicelluloses form the cell wall matrix.
  98. Hemispherical Bowl Technology A solar energy concentrating technology that uses a linear receiver that tracks the focal area of a reflector or array of reflectors.
  99. Henry Hub A location near the coastal town of Egan, LA and the Texas border where more than a dozen major natural gas pipelines converge and exchange gas.
  100. Herbaceous The plant strata that contain soft, not woody, stemmed plants that die to the ground in winter.

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