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Energy.gov - Energy industry terms Category: Earth and Environment > Energy industry terms Date & country: 26/02/2017, USA Words: 1299

Gross Calorific Value
The heat produced by combusting a specific quantity and volume of fuel in an oxygen-bomb colorimeter under specific conditions.

Gross Generation
The total amount of electricity produced by a power plant.

Ground
A device used to protect the user of any electrical system or appliance from shock.

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. The fluid within the pipes is used to transfer heat between the building and the shallow ground (or water) in order to heat and cool the building.

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 systems can draw on the grid's reserve capacity in times of need, and feed electricity back into the grid during times of excess production.

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 long wave radiation, and which contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Greenwood
Freshly cut, unseasoned, wood.

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.

Green Power
A popular term for energy produced from clean, renewable energy resources.

Greenhouse Effect
A popular term used to describe the heating effect due to the trapping of long wave (length) radiation by greenhouse gases produced from natural and human sources.

Global Warming
A popular term used to describe the increase in average global temperatures due to the greenhouse effect.

Governor
A device used to regulate motor speed, or, in a wind energy conversion system, to control the rotational speed of the rotor.

Grain Alcohol
Ethanol.

Green Certificates
Green certificates represent the environmental attributes of power produced from renewable resources. By separating the environmental attributes from the power, clean power generators are able to sell the electricity they produce to power providers at a competitive market value. The additional revenue generated by the sale of the green certificates covers the above-market costs associated with producing power made from renewable energy sources. Also known as green tags, renewable energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates.

Glazing
Transparent or translucent material (glass or plastic) used to admit light and/or to reduce heat loss; used for building windows, skylights, or greenhouses, or for covering the aperture of a solar collector.

Global Insolation
(or Solar Radiation) The total diffuse and direct insolation on a horizontal surface, averaged over a specified period of time.

Glauber's Salt
A salt, sodium sulfate decahydrate, that melts at 90 degrees Fahrenheit; a component of eutectic salts that can be used for storing heat.

Glazing
A term used for the transparent or translucent material in a window. This material (i.e. glass, plastic films, coated glass) is used for admitting solar energy and light through windows.

Glare
The excessive brightness from a direct light source that makes it difficult to see what one wishes to see. A bright object in front of a dark background usually will cause glare. Bright lights reflecting off a television or computer screen or even a printed page produces glare. Intense light sources—such as bright incandescent lamps—are likely to produce more direct glare than large fluorescent lamps. However, glare is primarily the result of relative placement of light sources and the objects being viewed.

Gin Pole
A pole used to assist in raising a tower.

Gigawatt
(GW) A unit of power equal to 1 billion Watts; 1 million kilowatts, or 1,000 megawatts.

Geothermal Energy
Energy produced by the internal heat of the earth; geothermal heat sources include: hydrothermal convective systems; pressurized water reservoirs; hot dry rocks; manual gradients; and magma. Geothermal energy can be used directly for heating or to produce electric power.

Geothermal Power Station
An electricity generating facility that uses geothermal energy.

Gauss
The unit of magnetic field intensity equal to 1 dyne per unit pole.

Generator
A device for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Geopressurized Brines
These brines are hot (300 F to 400 F) (149 C to 204 C) pressurized waters that contain dissolved methane and lie at depths of 10,000 ft (3048 m) to more than 20,000 ft (6096 m) below the earth's surface. The best known geopressured reservoirs lie along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. At least three types of energy could be obtained: thermal energy from high-temperature fluids; hydraulic energy from the high pressure; and chemical energy from burning the dissolved methane gas.

Gasoline
A refined petroleum product suitable for use as a fuel in internal combustion engines.

Gasohol
A registered trademark of an agency of the state of Nebraska, for an automotive fuel containing a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.

Gasifier
A device for converting a solid fuel to a gaseous fuel.

Gasket/Seal
A seal used to prevent the leakage of fluids, and also maintain the pressure in an enclosure.

Gallium Arsenide
A compound used to make certain types of solar photovoltaic cells.

Gas Turbine
A type of turbine in which combusted, pressurized gas is directed against a series of blades connected to a shaft, which forces the shaft to turn to produce mechanical energy.

Gasification
The process in which a solid fuel is converted into a gas; also known as pyrolitic distillation or pyrolysis. Production of a clean fuel gas makes a wide variety of power options available.

Furnace
(Residential) A combustion heating appliance in which heat is captured from the burning of a fuel for distribution, comprised mainly of a combustion chamber and heat exchanger.

Fuse
A safety device consisting of a short length of relatively fine wire, mounted in a holder or contained in a cartridge and connected as part of an electrical circuit. If the circuit source current exceeds a predetermined value, the fuse wire melts (i.e. the fuse 'blows') breaking the circuit and preventing damage to the circuit protected by the fuse.

Fuel Rate
The amount of fuel necessary to generate one kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Full Sun
The amount of power density in sunlight received at the earth's surface at noon on a clear day (about 1,000 Watts/square meter).

Fungi
Plant-like organisms with cells with distinct nuclei surrounded by nuclear membranes, incapable of photosynthesis. Fungi are decomposers of waste organisms and exist as yeast, mold, or mildew.

Furling
The process of forcing, either manually or automatically, a wind turbine's blades out of the direction of the wind in order to stop the blades from turning.

Fuel Cell
An electrochemical device that converts chemical energy directly into electricity.

Fuel Efficiency
The ratio of heat produced by a fuel for doing work to the available heat in the fuel.

Fuel Grade Alcohol
Usually refers to ethanol to 160 to 200 proof.

Fuel Oil
Any liquid petroleum product burned for the generation of heat in a furnace or firebox, or for the generation of power in an engine. Domestic (residential) heating fuels are classed as Nos. 1, 2, 3; Industrial fuels as Nos. 4, 5, and 6.

Fuel
Any material that can be burned to make energy.

Friction Head
The energy lost from the movement of a fluid in a conduit (pipe) due to the disturbances created by the contact of the moving fluid with the surfaces of the conduit, or the additional pressure that a pump must provide to overcome the resistance to fluid flow created by or in a conduit.

Frequency
The number of cycles through which an alternating current passes per second; in the U.S. the standard for electricity generation is 60 cycles per second (60 Hertz).

Fresnel Lens
An optical device for concentrating light that is made of concentric rings that are faced at different angles so that light falling on any ring is focused to the same point.

Freon
A registered trademark for a cholorfluorocarbon (CFC) gas that is highly stable and that has been historically used as a refrigerant.

Foundation
The supportive structure of a building.

Fractional Horse Power Motor
An electric motor rated at less than one horse power (hp).

Frame
(Window) The outer casing of a window that sits in a designated opening of a structure and holds the window panes in place.

Framing
The structural materials and elements used to construct a wall.

Francis Turbine
A type of hydropower turbine that contains a runner that has water passages through it formed by curved vanes or blades. As the water passes through the runner and over the curved surfaces, it causes rotation of the runner. The rotational motion is transmitted by a shaft to a generator.

Fossil Fuels
Fuels formed in the ground from the remains of dead plants and animals. It takes millions of years to form fossil fuels. Oil, natural gas, and coal are fossil fuels.

Formaldehyde
A chemical used as a preservative and in bonding agents. It is found in household products such as plywood, furniture, carpets, and some types of foam insulation. It is also a by-product of combustion and is a strong-smelling, colorless gas that is an eye irritant and can cause sneezing, coughing, and other health problems.

Forced Ventilation
A type of building ventilation system that uses fans or blowers to provide fresh air to rooms when the forces of air pressure and gravity are not enough to circulate air through a building.

Forced Air System or Furnace
A type of heating system in which heated air is blown by a fan through air channels or ducts to rooms.

Force
The push or pull that alters the motion of a moving body or moves a stationary body; the unit of force is the dyne or poundal; force is equal to mass time velocity divided by time.

Foot Candle
A unit of illuminance; equal to one lumen per square foot.

Foot Pound
The amount of work done in raising one pound one foot.

Foam
(Insulation) A high R-value insulation product usually made from urethane that can be injected into wall cavities, or sprayed onto roofs or floors, where it expands and sets quickly.

Foam Board
A plastic foam insulation product, pressed or extruded into board-like forms, used as sheathing and insulation for interior basement or crawl space walls or beneath a basement slab; can also be used for exterior applications inside or outside foundations, crawl spaces, and slab-on-grade foundation walls.

Foam Core Panels
A type of structural, insulated product with foam insulation contained between two facings of drywall, or structural wood composition boards such as plywood, waferboard, and oriented strand board.

Fluorescent Light
The conversion of electric power to visible light by using an electric charge to excite gaseous atoms in a glass tube. These atoms emit ultraviolet radiation that is absorbed by a phosphor coating on the walls of the lamp tube. The phosphor coating produces visible light.

Fly Ash
The fine particulate matter entrained in the flue gases of a combustion power plant.

Flywheel Effect
The damping of interior temperature fluctuations by massive construction.

Flue
The structure (in a residential heating appliance, industrial furnace, or power plant) into which combustion gases flow and are contained until they are emitted to the atmosphere.

Flue Gas
The gas resulting from the combustion of a fuel that is emitted to the flue.

Fluffing
The practice of installing blow-in, loose-fill insulation at a lower density than is recommended to meet a specified R-Value.

Fluidized Bed Combustion
(FBC) A type of furnace or reactor in which fuel particles are combusted while suspended in a stream of hot gas.

Floor
The upward facing structure of a building.

Floor Space
The interior area of a building, calculated in square feet or meters.

Flow Condition
In reference to solar thermal collectors, the condition where the heat transfer fluid is flowing through the collector loop under normal operating conditions.

Flow Restrictor
A water and energy conserving device that limits the amount of water that a faucet or shower head can deliver.

Flat Plate Solar Photovoltaic Module
An arrangement of photovoltaic cells or material mounted on a rigid flat surface with the cells exposed freely to incoming sunlight.

Flat Roof
A slightly sloped roof, usually with a tar and gravel cover. Most commercial buildings use this kind of roof.

Flat-Black Paint
Nonglossy paint with a relatively high absorptance.

Float-Zone Process
In reference to solar photovoltaic cell manufacture, a method of growing a large-size, high-quality crystal whereby coils heat a polycrystalline ingot placed atop a single-crystal seed. As the coils are slowly raised the molten interface beneath the coils becomes a single crystal.

Flashpoint
The minimum temperature at which sufficient vapor is released by a liquid or solid (fuel) to form a flammable vapor-air mixture at atmospheric pressure.

Flash-Steam Geothermal Plants
When the temperature of the hydrothermal liquids is over 350 F (177 C), flash-steam technology is generally employed. In these systems, most of the liquid is flashed to steam. The steam is separated from the remaining liquid and used to drive a turbine generator. While the water is returned to the geothermal reservoir, the economics of most hydrothermal flash plants are improved by using a dual-flash cycle, which separates the steam at two different pressures. The dual-flash cycle produces 20% to 30% more power than a single-flash system at the same fluid flow.

Flame Spread Classification
A measure of the surface burning characteristics of a material.

Flame Spread Rating
A measure of the relative flame spread, and smoke development, from a material being tested. The flame spread rating is a single number comparing the flame spread of a material with red oak, arbitrarily given the number 100 and asbestos cement board with a flame spread of 0. Building codes require a maximum flame spread of 25 for insulation installed in exposed locations.

Flashing
Metal, usually galvanized sheet metal, used to provide protection against infiltration of precipitation into a roof or exterior wall; usually placed around roof penetrations such as chimneys.

Fiscal Year
(FY) The U.S. Government's 12-month financial year, from October to September, of the following calender year; e.g.: FY 1998 extends from Oct. 1, 1997 to Sept. 30, 1988.

Firewall
A wall to prevent the spread of fire; usually made of non-combustible material.

Firing Rate
The amount of BTUs/hour or kWs produced by a heating system from the burning of a fuel.

First Law of Thermodynamics
States that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form to another. First Law efficiency measures the fraction of energy supplied to a device or process that it delivers in its output. Also called the law of conservation of energy.

Fireplace
A wood or gas burning appliance that is primarily used to provide ambiance to a room. Conventional, masonry fireplaces without energy saving features, often take more heat from a space than they put into it.

Fireplace Insert
A wood or gas burning heating appliance that fits into the opening or protrudes on to the hearth of a conventional fireplace.

Fire-Rating
The ability of a building construction assembly (partition, wall, floor, etc.) to resist the passage of fire. The rating is expressed in hours.

Fire Classification
Classifications of fires developed by the National Fire Protection Association.

Filter
(air) A device that removes contaminants, by mechanical filtration, from the fresh air stream before the air enters the living space. Filters can be installed as part of a heating/cooling system through which air flows for the purpose of removing particulates before or after the air enters the mechanical components.

Fin
A thin sheet of material (metal) of a heat exchanger that conducts heat to a fluid.

Finish
Both a noun and a verb to describe the exterior surface of building elements (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) and furniture, and the process of applying it.

Fenestration
The arrangement, proportion, and design of windows in a building.

Fermentation
The decomposition of organic material to alcohol, methane, etc., by organisms, such as yeast or bacteria, usually in the absence of oxygen.

Fiberglass Insulation
A type of insulation, composed of small diameter pink, yellow, or white glass fibers, formed into blankets or batts, or used in loose-fill and blown-in applications.

Fill Factor
The ratio of a photovoltaic cell's actual power to its power if both current and voltage were at their maxima. A key characteristic in evaluating cell performance.

Feedstock
A raw material that can be converted to one or more products.

Feeder
A power line for supplying electricity within a specified area.