The measure of seasonal or annual efficiency of a heat pump operating in the heating mode. It takes into account the variations in temperature that can occur within a season and is the average number of Btu of heat delivered for every watt-hour of electri ...

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

The storage of heat energy during utility off-peak times at night, for use during the next day without incurring daytime peak electric rates.

A device mounted in the vent connector that closes the vent when the heating unit is not firing. This traps heat inside the heating system and house rather than letting it draft up and out the vent system.

A large number of thermocouples connected in series.

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 ...

Standardized weights or volumes for heating fuels.

The heat absorbed or released when a substance undergoes a change in temperature.

A diagram that indicates the average percentage of time that the wind blows from different directions, on a monthly or annual basis.

A column of burning combustion gases that are so hot and strong that the heat is lost up the chimney before it can be transferred to the house. A draft brings air to the fire to help keep it burning.

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

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

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 th ...

The visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths from 0.4 to 0.76 microns

Those elements of building used to control the interior climate.

The physically connected generation, transmission, and distribution facilities and components operated as a unit.

A thermal storage wall is a south-facing wall that is glazed on the outside. Solar heat strikes the glazing and is absorbed into the wall, which conducts the heat into the room over time. The walls are at least 8 in thick. Generally, the thicker the wall, ...

The natural, convective movement of air or water due to differences in temperature. In solar passive design a thermosyphon collector can be constructed and attached to a house to deliver heat to the home by the continuous pattern of the convective loop (o ...

A unit of rate of water evaporation equal to the evaporation per hour of 34.5 pounds of water at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit into steam at 212 degrees F.

see Peak Power