Glossary
Active solar heating
A solar heating system that uses a mechanical system to
transfer the sun’s heat from a solar collector to various parts
of a home or building for space and water heating purposes.
Energy conservation
Wise use and careful management of energy resources by
reducing wasteful energy use, using energy for a given purpose more efficiently or reducing energy use altogether.
Acid rain
Term used to describe precipitation (snow, rain, or fog) with
a high level of acids.
Energy efficiency
The ratio or percentage of useful work or energy output to
total work or energy input in any energy system.
Anemometer
A device used to measure wind speed.
Engineered foundation
Uses existing rock or soil to help keep something in place.
Atmosphere
The mixture of gases surrounding a planet.
Ethanol
A liquid fuel that is used to produce energy from biomass
resources. It is made from corn and other grains.
Avian studies
Bird studies.
Biomass
Plant or animal matter. Biomass can be burned directly as a
source of heat or converted to a more convenient gaseous or
liquid fuel. Examples include wood and animal waste.
British thermal unit (Btu)
A unit of energy. The amount of energy needed to raise the
temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
Compact fluorescent bulb
A small, energy-efficient fluorescent bulb designed to fit in
light fixtures that use standard incandescent bulbs.
Corrugated
To draw or bend into folds or alternate furrows and ridges.
Eminent domain
Allows government agencies to acquire property for public
use.
Endangered species
A species at risk of extinction because of human activity,
changes in climate, changes in predator-prey ratios, etc.
ENERGY STAR® label
A label put on products/appliances indicating that it will
save energy.
Energy
The ability to organize or change matter; the ability to do
work.
Glossary
Fossil fuels
Carbon-rich fuel formed from the remains of ancient animals and plants. Coal, oil and natural gas are all fossil
fuels.
Foundation
The natural or prepared ground or base on which some
structure rests.
Geothermal reservoirs
The heat from magma that rises through the layers of
Earth’s crust and heats underground pools of water.
Geothermal
The natural heat from the Earth.
Generator
A device or machine that converts mechanical energy into
electrical energy.
Global warming
An enhanced greenhouse effect caused by an increase of
human-generated greenhouse gases resulting in more heat
trapped in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse effect
The process by which the Earth’s atmosphere allows solar
radiation to reach Earth’s surface and prevents heat radiated back from the surface from escaping into space.
Green pricing
A method used by customers so they can choose electricity
produced from renewable resources and pay for the
amount they buy.
Glossary (Continued)
Hydroelectric
Electricity produced by the conversion of kinetic energy
from falling water using a generator.
Hydropower
See Hydroelectric.
Infrared radiation
Solar energy coming to Earth as invisible light.
Kilowatt-hour
A unit of energy equal to 3,413 Btu or 3,600,000 joules. An
amount of energy that results from the steady production or
consumption of one kilowatt of power for a period of one
hour.
Light
A form of electromagnetic radiation composed of different
wavelengths ranging from violet to red that are visible to the
naked eye. Light is also a means by which energy can be
transferred.
Magma
The molten, or hot liquid rock, deep inside Earth.
Magnetic field
A region of space near a magnet, electric current or moving
charged particle in which a magnetic force acts on any other
magnet, electric current or moving charged particle.
Meteorology
The science dealing with the atmosphere, weather and climate.
Methane
A colorless, odorless, flammable gas. It is the main constituent of natural gas.
Nacelle
The box that sits on top of a wind tower (the towers sections are 60, 70 and 80 feet long and are made of steel and
are hollow). The nacelle contains the generator and the
mechanical system that converts wind into electricity.
not replenished at all by natural processes. A nonrenewable
resource can ultimately be totally depleted or depleted to
the point where it is too expensive to extract and process for
human use. Fossil fuels are examples of nonrenewable
energy resources.
Passive solar heating
A solar heating system that uses a simple solar collector,
building materials or an architectural design to capture and
store the sun’s heat but does not use any mechanical system
to transfer the heat to various parts of a home or building.
Peat
A dried mixture of partially rotted plants and grass or the
remains of harvested plants.
Photosynthesis
The process by which green plants use sunlight to produce
carbohydrates such as glucose, other nutrients and oxygen
from simple compounds such as water and carbon dioxide.
In energy terms, photosynthesis converts solar energy into
chemical-potential energy that is stored in carbohydrates.
Photovoltaic
The process of converting sunlight into energy.
Portable energy meters
Energy that is capable of being transported or conveyed.
Precipitation
Any or all forms of water particles, whether liquid (e.g.,
rain, drizzle) or solid (e.g., hail, snow), that fall from a
cloud or group of clouds and reach the ground.
Renewable energy
Energy resource that can be quickly replenished. Certain
renewable resources will always be available no matter how
they are used, while other renewable resources can be
depleted when their rate of use exceeds their rate of replacement.
Rotor
The three blades on a turbine.
Shadow
Niagara escarpment
An area of land formed by the same erosion process that
produced Niagara Falls millions of years ago.
Partial darkness that is formed when light rays or the light
source is cut off by an obstruction.
Nonrenewable energy
Energy resource that is either replenished very slowly or is
Solar cells
A device that converts solar energy directly into electricity.
Glossary
Glossary (Continued)
For example, photovoltaic cells provide electricity for handheld calculators, watches, battery chargers, homes and satellites.
Wind
The movement and circulation of Earth’s atmosphere near
its surface; moving air.
Solar energy
Energy transferred from the sun to Earth in the form of
electromagnetic radiation. The use of sunlight to generate
electricity or heat.
Wind generator
A generator specifically designed to convert the kinetic energy in wind to electrical energy (electricity).
Sun
A yellow star that Earth and other planets of the solar system orbit around. The sun provides nearly all the energy
needed to sustain life on Earth.
Switchgrass
An easy-to-grow prairie grass that can serve as a low-cost
fuel.
Temperature
The level or degree of heat (thermal energy) in a substance,
an object or the surrounding environment as measured on a
standard scale.
Thermal
A rising current of warm air.
Thermostat
A device that establishes and maintains a desired temperature automatically or signals a change in temperature for
manual adjustment.
Torqued
Something that is being tightened.
Transformer
Increases the voltage of electricity so that it can go into the
electrical transmission and distribution system. This system
takes the electricity long distances. Transformers can also
decrease voltage to a level used in homes or businesses.
Turbine
A machine that converts the kinetic energy (energy of
motion) of a moving fluid (e.g., pressurized steam) or wind
into mechanical energy (rotating motion of a shaft).
Voltage
A measure of the force or "push" given the electrons in an
electrical circuit; a measure of electrical potential. One volt
produces one amp of current when acting against a resistance of one ohm.
Glossary
Wind vane
A tool for measuring wind direction that spins on a rod and
points in the direction from which the wind comes.