A solar energy conversion device that uses a trough covered with a highly reflective surface to focus sunlight onto a linear absorber containing a working fluid that can be used for medium temperature space or process heat or to operate a steam turbine fo ...

A unit of pressure for a fluid, commonly used in water pumping and hydropower to express height a pump must lift water, or the distance water falls. Total head accounts for friction head losses, etc.

A company or individual that is not directly regulated as a utility. These entities produce power for their own use and/or sell it to regulated utilities.

The rate at which electricity is delivered to or by a system, part of a system, or piece of equipment expressed in kilowatts, kilovoltamperes, or other suitable unit, at a given instant or averaged over a specified period of time.

The transmission of electricity through power lines.

The process of characterizing the wind resource, and its energy potential, for a specific site or geographical area.

In reference to a wind energy conversion system, the area of a turbine blade surface that first comes into contact with the wind.

A passive solar heating system in which the sun warms a heat storage element, and the heat is distributed to the interior space by convection, conduction, and radiation.

A registered trademark of an agency of the state of Nebraska, for an automotive fuel containing a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.

A gas or liquid used to move heat energy from one place to another; a refrigerant.

A coil of tungsten wire suspended in a vacuum or inert gas-filled bulb. When heated by electricity the tungsten "filament" glows.

A heating system that uses only outside air for combustion and vents combustion gases directly to the outdoors. These systems are less likely to backdraft and to negatively affect indoor air quality.

A configuration of an electrical circuit in which the voltage is the same across the terminals. The positive reference direction for each resistor current is down through the resistor with the same voltage across each resistor.

The ratio of the minimum amount of work or energy required to perform a task to the amount actually used.

A measure of the efficiency of converting a fuel to energy and useful work; useful work and energy output divided by higher heating value of input fuel times 100 (for percent).

An electricity powered device that extracts available heat from one area (the heat source) and transfers it to another (the heat sink) to either heat or cool an interior space or to extract heat energy from a fluid.

A wood or gas burning appliance that is primarily used to provide ambiance to a room. Conventional, masonry fireplaces without energy saving features, often take more heat from a space than they put into it.

A valve used to mix heated water with cold in a heating system to provide a desired water temperature for end use.

The heat that flows from the building interior, through the building envelope to the outside environment.

The process of cooling by which a heat absorbing media absorbs heat from one source and radiates the heat away.