Water in vapor form; used as the working fluid in steam turbines and heating systems.

A type of anaerobic digester that has a horizontal tank in which a constant volume of material is added and forces material in the tank to move through the tank and be digested.

A solar photovoltaic device with a specified area.

A solar thermal electric central reciever power plant ("power tower") located in Barstow, California, and completed in 1981. The Solar One had a design capacity of 10,000 peak kilowatts, and was composed of a receiver located on the top of a tower surroun ...

The weight of water vapor, per unit weight of dry air.

A device that converts high-pressure steam, produced in a boiler, into mechanical energy that can then be used to produce electricity by forcing blades in a cylinder to rotate and turn a generator shaft.

The damping of interior temperature fluctuations by massive construction.

A national trade association of solar energy equipment manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, installers, and consultants.

Strips of material used to separate multiple panes of glass within the windows.

A type of insulation that is molded or expanded to produce coarse, closed cells containing air. The rigid cellular structure provides thermal and acoustical insulation, strength with low weight, and coverage with few heat loss paths. Often used to insulat ...

The amount of energy produced as a percentage of the amount of energy consumed.

The amount of solar energy that passes through a glazing material, expressed as a percentage.

The total distribution of electromagnetic radiation emanating from the sun. The different regions of the solar spectrum are described by their wavelength range. The visible region extends from about 390 to 780 nanometers (a nanometer is one billionth of o ...

The monochromatic irradiance of a surface per unit bandwidth at a particular wavelength, usually expressed in Watts per square meter-nanometer bandwidth.

The ratio of the sum of the noncoincidental maximum demands of two or more loads to their coincidental maximum demands for the same period.

The process of controlling indoor moisture levels and condensation.

The lower or net heat of combustion for a fuel that assumes that all products of combustion are in a gaseous state. (See Net Heating Value below.)

A commonly used analysis for reporting fuel properties; may be on a dry (moisture free) basis, as "fired", or on an ash and moisture free basis. Fractions usually reported include: volatile matter, fixed carbon, moisture, ash, and heating value (higher he ...

The type of alternative current generated by alternating current generators, rotary inverters, and solid-state inverters.

Usually refers to ethanol to 160 to 200 proof.