A small groove scribed into the surface of a solar photovoltaic cell which is filled with metal for contacts.

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

All the natural and living things around us. The earth, air, weather, plants, and animals all make up our environment.

A complete PV power system composed of the module (or arrary), and balance-of-system (BOS) components including the array supports, electrical conductors/wiring, fuses, safety disconnects, and grounds, charge controllers, inverters, battery storage, etc.

In reference to solar thermal collectors, the condition where the heat transfer fluid is flowing through the collector loop under normal operating conditions.

A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas composed of one molecule of Carbon and four of hydrogen, which is highly flammable. It is the main constituent of "natural gas" that is formed naturally by methanogenic, anaerobic bacteria or can be manufactured, and w ...

A hydrocarbon gas, C3H8, occurring in crude oil, natural gas, and refinery cracking gas. It is used as a fuel, a solvent, and a refrigerant. Propane liquefies under pressure and is the major component of liquefied petroleum (LPG).

A smaller version of standard fluorescent lamps which can directly replace standard incandescent lights. These lights consist of a gas filled tube, and a magnetic or electronic ballast.

A term for the process of transmitting electricity over transmission lines not owned by the supplier of the electricity to a retail customer of the supplier. With retail wheeling, an electricity consumer can secure their own supply of electricity from a b ...

The amount of energy an energy storage device or system can store.

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

A heat exchanger in a solar water heating system that has two distinct walls between the heat transfer fluid and the domestic water, to ensure that there is no mixing of the two.

The measure of closeness in shape between a waveform and it's fundamental component.

A nationally recognized energy rating program that gives builders, mortgage lenders, secondary lending markets, homeowners, sellers, and buyers a precise evaluation of energy losing deficiency's in homes. Builders can use this system to gauge the energy q ...

A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp(s), housing, and connection to the power circuit.

The device that reduces the pressure of liquid refrigerant thereby cooling it before it enters the evaporator coil in a heat pump.

The temperature that a system is designed to maintain (inside) or operate against (outside) under the most extreme conditions.

A smokestack or flue for exhausting the products of combustion from a combustion appliance.

A turbine that generates power from the combustion of a fuel.

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) is an ether compound used as a gasoline blending component to raise the oxygen content of gasoline. MTBE is made by combining isobutylene (from various refining and chemical processes) and methanol (usually made from nat ...