Renewable Energy — page 2 of 18

Renewable Energy terms

101. arabinan The polymer of arabinose with a repeating unit of C5H804. Can be hydrolyzed to arabinose. (Source: Voet, D.; Voet, J. G. Biochemistry.
102. arabinose A five-carbon sugar - C5H1005. A product of hydrolysis of arabinan found in the hemicellulose fraction of biomass.
103. Arable lands Refers to all lands generally under rotation whether it is under temporary crops, temporarily fallowed, or used as temporary meadows.
104. Archaeological site Any location where humans have altered the terrain or discarded artifacts during prehistoric or historic times.
105. Arctic tundra A treeless area between the icecap and the tree line of Arctic regions that has permanently frozen subsoil and supports low-growing vegetation such as…
106. Area of Potential Effect (APE) (APE) The geographic area or areas within which an undertaking (project, activity, program, or practice) may cause changes in the character or use of any…
107. Area sources (emissions) Any source of air pollution that is released over a relatively small area but which cannot be classified as a point source.
108. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) (ACEC) These areas are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and are defined by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 as having significant…
109. Arid A region that receives too little water to support agriculture without irrigation. Less than ten inches of rainfall a year is typically considered arid.
110. Arizona Water Banking Authority (AWBA) (AWBA) The AWBA was established in 1996 to increase utilization of the state's Colorado River entitlement and to develop long-term storage credits for the state.
111. aromatic (A-ruh-MA-tik) Having an odor, which often is pleasant or spicy.
112. Arrays See Photovoltaic (PV) array
113. Arroyo A Spanish word for brook that refers to a dry river, creek, or stream bed that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain.
114. Artesian water (artesian pressure) Groundwater that is under pressure when tapped by a well and is able to rise above the level at which it is first encountered.
115. Artifact An object produced or shaped by human beings and of archaeological or historical interest.
116. Ash The non-combustible residue of a combusted substance composed primarily of alkali and metal oxides.
117. Atlatl A wood or bone shaft implement, held in one hand, and used to throw a spear. The tool functions as a lever, giving greater thrust and distance.
118. Atmosphere The gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth, which consists almost entirely of nitrogen (78.1% volume mixing ratio) and oxygen (20.
119. Atmospheric absorption Attenuation of sound during its passage through air, during which its sound energy is gradually converted into heat by a number of molecular processes in…
120. Attainment An area considered to have air quality as good as or better than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for a given pollutant.
121. Attainment area A geographic region where the concentration of a specific air pollutant does not exceed federal standards.
122. Attenuation A mechanism for controlling gene expression in prokaryotes that involves premature termination of transcription.
123. Auger A rotating, screw-type device that moves material through a cylinder. In alcohol production, it is used to transfer grains from storage to the grinding…
124. Augmentation Plan A court-approved plan that allows a junior water user to divert water out of priority so long as adequate replacement is made to the affected stream…
125. Augmentation water Water used for the replacement of out of priority depletions.
126. Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) (AADT) A measurement representing the total number of vehicles passing a given location, based upon 24-hour counts taken over an entire year.
127. Average megawatt (MWa, aMW) (MWa, aMW) One megawatt of capacity produced continuously over a period of one year. 1 aMW = 1 MW x 8760 hours/year = 8,760 MWh = 8,760,000 kWh.
128. Avoided costs An investment guideline describing the value of a conservation or generation resource investment by the cost of more expensive resources that a utility…
129. B.P. Before present year.
130. B20 A mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel based on volume.
131. Background level The average amount of a substance present in the environment. Originally referring to naturally occurring phenomena. Used in toxic substance monitoring.
132. Background level noise Noise in the environment (other than noise emanating from the source of interest).
133. Backup electricity, backup services Power or services needed occasionally; for example, when on-site generation equipment fails.
134. Backup rate A utility charge for providing occasional electricity service to replace on-site generation.
135. Bacteria (bak-TEER-ee-uh) A large group of single-cell microorganisms. Some cause infections and disease in animals and humans.
136. Baffle chamber In incinerator design, a chamber designed to settle fly ash and coarse particulate matter by changing the direction and reducing the velocity of the…
137. Bagasse The fibrous material remaining after the extraction of juice from sugarcane; often burned by sugar mills as a source of energy.
138. Baghouse An air pollution control device used to filter particulates from waste combustion gases; a chamber containing a bag filter.
139. Bajada A broad sloping deposit caused by the joining together of alluvial fans. These occur on the lower slopes of mountains and are often characterized by loose…
140. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act This Act was originally enacted in 1940 as the Bald Eagle Protection Act to protect bald eagles and later amended to include golden eagles.
141. Bar screen A screen made of parallel bars set 3/4" to 2" apart used to filter out large objects.
142. bark The outer protective layer of a tree including the inner bark and the outer bark.
143. barrel (of oil) A liquid measure equal to 42 U.S. gallons, or typically about 306 lb of oil. One barrel equals 5.6 ft3; for crude oil, one barrel contains about 5.
144. Barrel of oil equivalent A unit of energy equal to the amount of energy contained in a barrel of crude oil. Approximately 5.78 million Btu or 1,700 kWh.
145. Basalt Volcanic rock (or lava), characteristically dark in color and containing 45 to 54% silica and generally rich in iron and magnesium (mafic composition).
146. base One of the components of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids . Four different bases are found in naturally occurring DNA - the purines A (adenine )…
147. Base camp A site occupied by several families or more on either a year round or a seasonal basis.
148. Baseload Capacity The power output of a power plant that can be continuously produced.
149. Baseload Demand The minimum demand experienced by a power plant.
150. Basement complex The suite of mostly crystalline igneous and/or metamorphic rocks that generally underlies the sedimentary rock sequence.
151. Basement rock The oldest rocks in a given area; a complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks that underlies the sedimentary deposits.
152. Basin : (1) A depression in the Earth's surface that collects sediment. (2) The area of land that drains to a particular river.
153. Basin-fill aquifer See Aquifer-basin fill
154. batch distillation A process in which the liquid feed is placed in a single container and the entire volume is heated.
155. batch fermentation See: batch culture.
156. Batch Process A process for carrying out a reaction in which the reactants are fed in discrete and successive charges.
157. Battery A beating or wrongful physical violence. The threat to use force is an "assault;" the actual use of force is a battery, which usually includes an assault.
158. 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.
159. Bedrock General term referring to the solid rock or ledge underlying other unconsolidated material, i.e., soil, loose gravel, etc.
160. beer A fermented broth that consists of water, ethanol, and small amounts of ether and assorted alcohols.
161. Bench The seat occupied by the judge. More broadly, the court itself.
162. Beneficial use of water A use of water resulting in appreciable gain or benefit to the user, consistent with state law, which varies from one state to another.
163. Benthic Occurring at or near the bottom of a body of water.
164. benzene A chemical that is used widely by the chemical industry, and is also found in tobacco smoke, vehicle emissions, and gasoline fumes.
165. Best available control measures The most effective measures for controlling small or dispersed particulates from sources such as soot and ash from woodstoves and open burning of brush…
166. Best available control technology (BACT) (BACT) That combination of production processes, methods, systems, and techniques that will result in the lowest achievable level of emissions of air pollutants…
167. Best Management Practice (BMP) (BMP) A practice or combination of practices that are determined to provide the most effective, environmentally sound, and economically feasible means of…
168. Best management practices (BMP) (BMP) A practice or combination of practices that a designated agency determines to be the most effective, practical means of reducing the amount of pollution…
169. Biface A stone tool that has been flaked on both sides.
170. Big game Those species of large mammals normally managed as a sport-hunting resource.
171. Billing credit In the Pacific Northwest, a payment by the Bonneville Power Administration to a wholesale customer for actions taken by that customer to reduce BPA´s…
172. Bioaccumulants Substances in contaminated air, water, or food that increase in concentration in living organisms exposed to them because the substances are very slowly…
173. Bioaccumulation See bioconcentration.
174. Bioassay A study of a living organism to measure the effect of a substance, factor, or condition.
175. Biochemical conversion process The use of living organisms or their products to convert organic material to fuels, chemicals or other products.
176. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (BOD) A standard means of estimating the degree of water pollution, especially of water bodies that receive contamination from sewage and industrial waste.
177. Bioconcentration (Bioaccumulation) The accumulation of a chemical in tissues of an organism to levels greater than in the environment in which the organism lives.
178. bioconversion Conversion of one chemical into another by living organisms, as opposed to their conversion by isolated enzymes or fixed cells, or by chemical processes.
179. Biodegradable Capable of being biodegraded.
180. Biodiesel Biodiesel is diesel fuel combined with a certain percentage of vegetable oil. B5 refers to a blend of diesel with 5% vegetable oil.
181. Biodiversity The wide diversity and interrelatedness of earth organisms based on genetic and environmental factors.
182. Bioenergy The conversion of the complex carbohydrates in organic material into energy.
183. Biofuels Fuels made from biomass. Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel and methanol.
184. Biogas A mixture of methane and carbon dioxide resulting from the anaerobic decomposition of waste such as domestic, industrial and agricultural sewage.
185. Biogenic source (emissions) Biological sources such as plants and animals that emit air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds.
186. Biological assessment A specific process required as part of an environmental assessment. An evaluation of potential effects of a proposed project on proposed, endangered…
187. Biological magnification The process by which substances such as pesticides or heavy metals become concentrated as they move up the food chain.
188. Biological oxidation Decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms.
189. Biological soil crusts Commonly found in semiarid and arid environments, biological soil crusts are formed by living organisms and their by-products, creating a crust of soil…
190. Biomass The aggregate amount of living matter or a specific species within a specific habitat, or the total number of a specific species in a specific habitat.
191. Biomass energy Energy produced by the conversion of biomass directly to heat or to a liquid or gas that can be converted to energy.
192. Biomass Fuel Biomass converted directly to energy or converted to liquid or gaseous fuels such as ethanol, methanol, methane, and hydrogen.
193. biomass processing residues Byproducts from processing all forms of biomass that have significant energy potential.
194. Biome A major ecological community or complex of communities, extending over a large geographical area and characterized by a dominant type of vegetation.
195. Bioremediation The use of microorganisms to remedy environmental problems. See Bioaugmentation, Bioenrichment.
196. Biosphere The part of the earth and its atmosphere that is inhabited by living organisms.
197. Biota The animal and plant life of a region or period.
198. Biotechnology The scientific manipulation of living organ- isms, especially at the molecular genetic level, to produce useful products.
199. Biotic Pertaining to life or living organisms.
200. Biotic community A naturally occurring, interdependent community of plants and animals that live in the same environment.