The demand on an energy producing system; the energy consumption or requirement of a piece or group of equipment.

The process of changing the structure of the electric power industry from one of guaranteed monopoly over service territories, as established by the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, to one of open competition between power suppliers for custome ...

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.

An electric generator consists of an armature and a field structure. The armature carries the wire loop, coil, or other windings in which the voltage is induced, whereas the field structure produces the magnetic field. In small generators, the armature is ...

Any material that can be burned to make energy.

A process used to apply photovoltaic semi-conductor material to a substrate by a physical vapor deposition process where high-energy ions are used to bombard elemental sources of semiconductor material, which eject vapors of atoms that are then deposited ...

A type of house that has massive amounts of insulation, airtight construction, and controlled ventilation without sacrificing comfort, health, or aesthetics.

The unoccupied, and usually unfinished and unconditioned space between the floor, foundation walls, and the slab or ground of a building.

A valve operated by a thermostat that can be installed in solar water heating systems to mix cold water with water from the collector loop to maintain a safe water temperature.

An amount to be paid for energy periodically by a customer without regard to demand or energy consumption.

A closed-loop solar heating system in which the heat transfer fluid in the collector loop drains into a tank or reservoir whenever the booster pump stops to protect the collector loop from freezing.

A general term for the visible and near visible (ultraviolet and near-infrared) electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by the sun. It has a spectral, or wavelength, distribution that corresponds to different energy levels; short wavelength radiation ha ...

The angle that a solar collector is positioned from horizontal.

The sum of sensible heat and latent heat in a substance above a base temperature, typically 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water heated for residential washing, bathing, etc.

A self-contained toilet that use the process of aerobic decomposition (composting) to break down feces into humus and odorless gases.

The physical process by which a liquid or solid is transformed into the gaseous state. For this process a mechanical device uses the outside air's heat to evaporate water that is held by pads inside the cooler. The heat is drawn out of the air through thi ...

The component of a solar energy heating system that collects solar radiation, and that contains components to absorb solar radiation and transfer the heat to a heat transfer fluid (air or liquid).

The process of removing moisture; involves evaporation.

The amount of energy absorbed (or converted) by a solar collector (or photovoltaic cell or module) over a 15 minute period.