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Energy Terms

Natural gas (methane) that has been compressed to a higher pressure gaseous state by a compressor; used in CNG vehicles.

A cooling device that uses mechanical energy to produce chilled water.

A device used to compress air for mechanical or electrical power production, and in air conditioners, heat pumps, and refrigerators to pressurize the refrigerant and enabling it to flow through the system.

A solar collector that uses reflective surfaces to concentrate sunlight onto a small area, where it is absorbed and converted to heat or, in the case of solar photovoltaic (PV) devices, into electricity. Concentrators can increase the power flux of sunlig ...

The liquid resulting when water vapor contacts a cool surface; also the liquid resulting when a vaporized working fluid (such as a refrigerant) is cooled or depressurized.

The process by which water in air changes from a vapor to a liquid due to a change in temperature or pressure; occurs when water vapor reaches its dew point (condensation point); also used to express the existence of liquid water on a surface.

The device in an air conditioner or heat pump in which the refrigerant condenses from a gas to a liquid when it is depressurized or cooled.

The device in an air conditioner or heat pump through which the refrigerant is circulated and releases heat to the surroundings when a fan blows outside air over the coils. This will return the hot vapor that entered the coil into a hot liquid upon exitin ...

A type of heating appliance that extracts so much of the available heat content from a combusted fuel that the moisture in the combustion gases condenses before it leaves the furnace. Also this furnace circulates a liquid to cool the furnace's heat exchan ...

The component of a central air conditioner that is designed to remove heat absorbed by the refrigerant and transfer it outside the conditioned space.

The interior space of a building that is heated or cooled.

The transfer of heat through a material by the transfer of kinetic energy from particle to particle; the flow of heat between two materials of different temperatures that are in direct physical contact.

An energy band in a semiconductor in which electrons can move freely in a solid, producing a net transport of charge.

This is a positive constant, k, that is a property of a substance and is used in the calculation of heat transfer rates for materials. It is the amount of heat that flows through a specified area and thickness of a material over a specified period of time ...

The material through which electricity is transmitted, such as an electrical wire, or transmission or distribution line.

A tubular material used to encase and protect one or more electrical conductors.

The sum of the ratings of the electricity consuming apparatus connected to a generating system.

An amount paid by a customer for being connected to an electricity supplier's transmission and distribution system.

To reduce or avoid the consumption of a resource or commodity.

A means of billing electric power consumers to pay for the costs of demand side management/energy conservation measures and programs. (See also Benefits Charge.)