A type of power inverter that produce a high quality (nearly sinusoidal) voltage, at minimum current harmonics.

A term used to describe heat energy lost from a water heater tank.

A lamp that consists of a sealed arc tube inside a glass envelope, or outer jacket. The inner arc tube is filled with elements that emit light when ionized by electric current. A ballast is required to provide the proper starting voltage and to regulate c ...

A condition that can occur in a solar collector if the working fluid does not circulate when sun is shining on the collector.

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 ...

The trapping of light by refraction and reflection at critical angles inside a semiconductor device so that it cannot escape the device and must be eventually absorbed by the semiconductor.

A type of solar thermal collector that has tubes (pipes) that the heat transfer fluid flows through that are connected to a flat absorber plate.

The low effective temperature of the sky on a clear night.

A room that faces south (in the northern hemisphere), or a small structure attached to the south side of a house.

A type of home mortgage that takes into account the energy savings of a home that has cost-effective energy saving improvements that will reduce energy costs thereby allowing the homeowner to more income to the mortgage payment. A borrower can qualify for ...

Sensible and latent heat contained in combustion gases and vapor emitted to the atmosphere.

An energy system in which the fuel production equipment is in close proximity, or connected to, the fuel using equipment.

The generation of electricity or shaft power by an energy conversion system and the concurrent use of rejected thermal energy from the conversion system as an auxiliary energy source.

An electrical installation containing power conversion (and sometimes generation) equipment, such as transformers, compensators, and circuit breakers.

The losses that result from inherent resistance in electrical conductors and transformation inefficiencies in distribution transformers in a transmission and distribution network.

The prevailing or average weather conditions of a geographic region.

The flow of electrical energy (electricity) in a conductor, measured in amperes.

Energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes can not be depleted. Types of renewable energy resources include moving water (hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, so ...

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