Copy of `Origin Energy - Renewable terms`

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Origin Energy - Renewable terms Category: Earth and Environment > Energy terms Date & country: 28/02/2017, USA Words: 45

Watt
(W) A measure of power present when a current of one ampere flows under the pressure of one volt. One watt represents the expenditure of one joule of energy per second.

Sucrose
A substance found in many plants, but extracted as ordinary sugar mainly from sugar cane or sugar beet.

Sustainable
Can be maintained at a stable level without draining natural resources or causing excessive harm to the environment.

Turbine
Any type of machine in which the energy of a moving fluid (water, air or steam) is converted into mechanical energy by making a blade rotate.

Renewable energy
Energy that comes from sources that can be renewed or will never run out. This includes wind, sunlight, tides, gravity and geothermal heat.

Respiration
Breathing. The process of taking in oxygen (inhaling) and giving out (exhaling) carbon dioxide.

Standby power
The electric power consumed by an appliance when it is not performing its primary function (i.e. microwave clocks or appliances turned off, yet able to be activated by remote control).

Substation
Electricity substations are part of the electrical system. They are located between the power generation plant and the consumer and perform functions such as transforming voltage from high to low (or vice versa).

Radiation
Energy radiated or transmitted from a source as rays or waves in the form of tiny particles. Light, heat and sound are types of radiation.

Potential energy
Stored energy.

Non-renewable energy
Sources of energy that cannot be replaced when they have been used. Coal, natural gas and crude oil, all of which are fossil fuels, are examples of non-renewable energy sources.

Organisms
Any living animal, plant, bacterium or virus.

Per capita
For each person

Photosynthesis
The process by which plants use energy from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds such as sugars, while giving off oxygen.

Methane
A colourless, odourless, flammable gas that is the main component of natural gas. It results from decomposition of certain organic matter, fossil fuel extraction and the process of digestion in animals (including humans).

Microbes
Tiny living organisms that can cause fermentation, decomposition or disease.

Newton's Third Law
Isaac Newton's Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Megawatt
(MW) One MW = one thousand (1,000) kW or one million (1,000,000) watts.

Kinetic energy
The energy of objects that are moving.

Megalitre
(ML) Used to measure liquids. One ML = one million (1,000,000) litres.

Kilowatt hour
(KWh) The standard unit of electrical energy that represents the consumption of one kilowatt over the period of one hour.

Harnessing
To direct the force (or energy) of something. For example, solar panels can be used to harness the energy of the sun.

Hydroelectric
Using the power of water to generate electricity.

Insulation
Materials in your home (such as insulation foam or batts in the roof) which prevent heat transfer (i.e. the loss of generated warmth in winter and the entrance of the sun's heat in summer).

Joule
A joule is the primary measure of energy in the metric system.

Kilowatt
(kW) Used to measure electricity. One kW = one thousand (1,000) watts.

Global warming
A gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's climate, caused by the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse effect
Heat from the sun passes through the Earth's atmosphere and heats the Earth's surface. Some of the heat that is reflected back becomes trapped by the atmosphere causing the Earth's temperature to rise.

Greenhouse gases
Gases that trap the heat of the sun in the Earth's atmosphere. They can be naturally occurring, or the result of human activities. The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane.

Gigajoule
(GJ) One GJ = one billion (1,000,000,000) joules.

Fossil fuels
Fuels such as coal, oil and petroleum that are derived from fossilised organic matter.

Eaves
The overhanging edges of a roof.

Electricity grid
An interconnected network that carries electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Emissions
Substances released into the environment.

Ethanol
A colourless, flammable liquid that can be used as a solvent and in fuel. It can be produced from corn, wheat, barley or sugar cane.

Conduction
The transmission of electricity, sound or heat.

Convection
The transfer of heat through a liquid or gas (such as water or air).

Decomposition
The breaking down of certain organic matter (such as plants or animals).

Dynamos
A machine that converts moving energy into electrical energy. For example, in a hydroelectric station, flowing water causes a turbine to spin. A dynamo turns the energy created by the spinning turbine into electricity.

Climate change
Any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activities.

By-product
Something that is created during the manufacture of something else. For example, sawdust is a by-product of furniture making.

Carbon dioxide
(CO2) A colourless, odourless gas that is present in the atmosphere. It can be produced naturally (through respiration) or as a by-product of oil and gas production or the burning of fossil fuels and biomass.

Absorption
The transfer of energy from one material to another, with a possible change in form. For example, the sun's energy can be absorbed by water, which is heated and becomes steam that can be used to generate electricity.

Biofuel
A fuel produced from biomass.

Biomass
Biomass is the name given to all plants and animals (including humans) on Earth.