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

Federal Power Marketing Administrations
(PMA) These are separate and distinct organizational agencies within the U.S. DOE that market power at federal multipurpose water projects at lowest possible rates to consumers consistent with sound business principles. There are five PMA's: Alaska Power Administration, Bonneville Power Administration, Southeastern Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, Western Area Power Administration.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) This is an independent regulatory agency within the U.S. DOE that has jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, natural gas pricing, oil pipeline rates, and gas pipeline certification. It also licenses and inspects private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects and oversees related environmental matters.

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Office
An office in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that implements energy legislation and presidential directives. FEMP provides project financing, technical guidance and assistance, coordination and reporting, and new initiatives for the federal government. It also helps federal agencies identify the best technologies and technology demonstrations for their use.

Feather
In a wind energy conversion system, to pitch the turbine blades so as to reduce their lift capacity as a method of shutting down the turbine during high wind speeds.

Farad
A unit of electrical capacitance; the capacitance of a capacitor between the plates of which there appears a difference of 1 Volt when it is charged by one coulomb of electricity.

Fan Velocity Pressure
The pressure corresponding to the outlet velocity of a fan; the kinetic energy per unit volume of flowing air.

Fan Coil
A heat exchanger coil in which a fluid such as water is circulated and a fan blows air over the coil to distribute heat or cool air to the different rooms.

Extruded Polystyrene
A type of insulation material with fine, closed cells, containing a mixture of air and refrigerant gas. This insulation has a high R-value, good moisture resistance, and high structural strength compared to other rigid insulation materials.

Fan
A device that moves and/or circulates air and provides ventilation for a room or a building.

Expansion Valve
The device that reduces the pressure of liquid refrigerant thereby cooling it before it enters the evaporator coil in a heat pump.

External Combustion Engine
An engine in which fuel is burned (or heat is applied) to the outside of a cylinder; a Stirling engine.

Externality
The environmental, social, and economic impacts of producing a good or service that are not directly reflected in the market price of the good or service.

Expansion Tank
A tank used in a closed-loop solar heating system that provides space for the expansion of the heat transfer fluid in the pressurized collector loop.

Expanded Polystyrene
A type of insulation that is molded or expanded to produce coarse, closed cells containing air. The rigid cellular structure provides thermal and acoustical insulation, strength with low weight, and coverage with few heat loss paths. Often used to insulate the interior of masonry basement walls.

Exothermic
A reaction or process that produces heat; a combustion reaction.

Excitation
The power required to energize the magnetic field of a generator.

Exempt Wholesale Generator
An unregulated subsidiary of a power provider that is allowed to generate and sell wholesale power as an independent energy producer, and is exempt from the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

Evaporator Coil
The inner coil in a heat pump that, during the cooling mode, absorbs heat from the inside air and boils the liquid refrigerant to a vapor, which cools the house.

Evaporation
The conversion of a liquid to a vapor (gas), usually by means of heat.

Evaporative Cooling
The physical process by which a liquid or solid is transformed into the gaseous state. For this process a mechanical device uses the outside air's heat to evaporate water that is held by pads inside the cooler. The heat is drawn out of the air through this process and the cooled air is blown into the home by the cooler's fan.

Eutectic Salts
Salt mixtures with potential applications as solar thermal energy storage materials.

Erg
A unit of work done by the force of one dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter.

Ethanol — Ethyl alcohol
(C₂H₅OH) A colorless liquid that is the product of fermentation used in alcoholic beverages, industrial processes, and as a fuel additive. Also known as grain alcohol.

Eutectic
A mixture of substances that has a melting point lower than that of any mixture of the same substances in other proportions.

Equinox
The two times of the year when the sun crosses the equator and night and day are of equal length; usually occurs on March 21st (spring equinox) and September 23 (fall equinox).

Entrained Bed Gasifier
A gasifier in which the feedstock (fuel) is suspended by the movement of gas to move it through the gasifier.

Entropy
A measure of the unavailable or unusable energy in a system; energy that cannot be converted to another form.

Environment
All the natural and living things around us. The earth, air, weather, plants, and animals all make up our environment.

Epitaxial Growth
In reference to solar photovoltaic devices, the growth of one crystal on the surface of another crystal. The growth of the deposited crystal is oriented by the lattice structure of the original crystal.

Energy Storage
The process of storing, or converting energy from one form to another, for later use; storage devices and systems include batteries, conventional and pumped storage hydroelectric, flywheels, compressed gas, and thermal mass.

Enthalpy
A thermodynamic property of a substance, defined as the sum of its internal energy plus the pressure of the substance times its volume, divided by the mechanical equivalent of heat. The total heat content of air; the sum of the enthalpies of dry air and water vapor, per unit weight of dry air; measured in Btu per pound (or calories per kilogram).

Energy Security Act of 1980
Legislation authorizing a U.S. biomass and alcohol fuel program, and that authorized loan guarantees and price guarantees and purchase agreements for alcohol fuel production.

Energy Service Company
(ESCO) A company that specializes in undertaking energy efficiency measures under a contractual arrangement whereby the ESCO shares the value of energy savings with their customer.

Energy Intensity
The relative extent that energy is required for a process.

Energy Guide Labels
The labels placed on appliances to enable consumers to compare appliance energy efficiency and energy consumption under specified test conditions as required by the Federal Trade Commission.

Energy End-Use Sectors
Major energy consuming sectors of the economy. The Commercial Sector includes commercial buildings and private companies. The Industrial Sector includes manufacturers and processors. The Residential Sector includes private homes. The Transportation Sector includes automobiles, trucks, rail, ships, and aircraft.

Energy Factor
(EF) The measure of overall efficiency for a variety of appliances. For water heaters, the energy factor is based on three factors: 1) the recovery efficiency, or how efficiently the heat from the energy source is transferred to the water; 2) stand-by losses, or the percentage of heat lost per hour from the stored water compared to the content of the water: and 3) cycling losses. For dishwashers, the energy factor is defined as the number of cycles per kWh of input power. For clothes washers, the energy factor is defined as the cubic foot capacity per kWh of input power per cycle. For clothes dryers, the energy factor is defined as the number of pounds of clothes dried per kWh of power consumed.

Energy Density
The ratio of available energy per pound; usually used to compare storage batteries.

Energy Efficiency Ratio
(EER) The measure of the instantaneous energy efficiency of room air conditioners; the cooling capacity in Btu/hr divided by the watts of power consumed at a specific outdoor temperature (usually 95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Energy Efficient Mortgages
A type of home mortgage that takes into account the energy savings of a home that has cost-effective energy saving improvements that will reduce energy costs thereby allowing the homeowner to more income to the mortgage payment. A borrower can qualify for a larger loan amount than otherwise would be possible.

Energy Crops
Crops grown specifically for their fuel value. These include food crops such as corn and sugarcane, and nonfood crops such as poplar trees and switchgrass. Currently, two energy crops are under development: short-rotation woody crops, which are fast-growing hardwood trees harvested in 5 to 8 years; and herbaceous energy crops, such as perennial grasses, which are harvested annually after taking 2 to 3 years to reach full productivity.

Energy Contribution Potential
Recombination occurring in the emitter region of a photovoltaic cell.

Energy Charge
That part of an electricity bill that is based on the amount of electrical energy consumed or supplied.

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.

End Use
The purpose for which useful energy or work is consumed.

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.

Emission(s)
A substance(s) or pollutant emitted as a result of a process.

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; expressed as a number between 0 and 1.

Enclosure
The housing around a motor that supports the active parts and protects them. They come in different varieties (open, protected) depending on the degree of protection required.

Emission Factor
A measure of the average amount of a specified pollutant or material emitted for a specific type of fuel or process.

Electrostatic Precipitator
A device used to remove particulate matter from the waste gasses of a combustion power plant.

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.

Electron Volt
The amount of kinetic energy gained by an electron when accelerated through an electric potential difference of 1 Volt; equivalent to 1.603 x 10^-12; a unit of energy or work; abbreviated as eV.

Electronic Ballast
A device that uses electronic components to regulate the voltage of fluorescent lamps.

Electron
An elementary particle of an atom with a negative electrical charge and a mass of 1/1837 of a proton; electrons surround the positively charged nucleus of an atom and determine the chemical properties of an atom.

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.

Electrolyte
A nonmetallic (liquid or solid) conductor that carries current by the movement of ions (instead of electrons) with the liberation of matter at the electrodes of an electrochemical cell.

Electrolysis
A chemical change in a substance that results from the passage of an electric current through an electrolyte. The production of commercial hydrogen by separating the elements of water, hydrogen, and oxygen, by charging the water with an electrical current.

Electrode
A conductor that is brought in conducting contact with a ground.

Electrodeposition
Electrolytic process in which a metal is deposited at the cathode from a solution of its ions.

Electrical System Energy Losses
A measure of the amount of energy lost during the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

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.

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 chemical solution (electrolyte) that transmits positive ions from the negative to the positive electrode and thus forms an electrical charge. One or more cells constitute a battery.

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 System
All the conductors and electricity using devices that are connected to a source of electromotive force (or generator).

Electric Rate Schedule
A statement of the electric rate(s), terms, and conditions for electricity sale or supply.

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 Utility
A corporation, person, agency, authority or other legal entity that owns and/or operates facilities for the generation, transmission, distribution or sale of electricity primarily for use by the public. Also known as a power provider.

Electric Rate
The unit price and quantity to which it applies as specified in a rate schedule or contract.

Electric Power Transmission
The transmission of electricity through power lines.

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 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.

Efficiency (Appliance) Ratings
A measure of the efficiency of an appliance's energy efficiency.

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 Circuit
The path followed by electrons from a generation source, through an electrical system, and returning to the source.

Effective Capacity
The maximum load that a device is capable of carrying.

Efficacy
The amount of energy service or useful energy delivered per unit of energy input. Often used in reference to lighting systems, where the visible light output of a luminary is relative to power input; expressed in lumens per Watt; the higher the efficacy value, the higher the energy efficiency.

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 under the Second Law of Thermodynamics is determined by the ratio of the theoretical minimum energy that is required to accomplish a task relative to the energy actually consumed to accomplish the task. Generally, the measured efficiency of a device, as defined by the First Law, will be higher than that defined by the Second Law.

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 a mold.

Easement
An incorporated right, liberty, privilege, or use of another entity's property, distinct from ownership, without profit or compensation; a right-of-way.

Eccentric
A device for converting continuous circular motion into reciprocating rectilinear motion.

Economizer
A heat exchanger for recovering heat from flue gases for heating water or air.

Earth-Ship
A registered trademark name for houses built with tires, aluminum cans, and earth.

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 transfer heat.

Dyne
The absolute centimeter-gram-second unit of force; that force that will impart to a free mass of one gram an acceleration of one centimeter per second per second.

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 the house as cooler air.

Earth Sheltered Houses
Houses that have earth berms around exterior walls.

Duty Cycle
The duration and periodicity of the operation of a device.

Dynamic Head
The pressure equivalent of the velocity of a fluid.