The point or outdoor temperature where the heating capacity of a heat pump matches the heating requirements of a building.

The first law states that energy can not be created or destroyed; the second law states that when a free exchange of heat occurs between two materials, the heat always moves from the warmer to the cooler material.

An air conditioner consisting of one or more assemblies that move, clean, cool, and dehumidify air.

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

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 ...

Standardized weights or volumes for heating fuels.

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.

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 ...

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

Those elements of building used to control the interior climate.

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

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

Waste material from households and businesses in a community that is not regulated as hazardous.

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.

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

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

The prescribed level of pollutants allowed in outside or indoor air as established by legislation.

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.

The cutting of a grid pattern of grooves in a semiconductor material, generally for the purpose of making interconnections.

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 ...