A heating system in which steam or hot water for space heating or hot water is piped from a central boiler plant or electric power/heating plant to a cluster of buildings.

The process of designing a solar system to meet a specified load given the solar resource and the nominal or rated energy output of the solar energy collection or conversion device.

Any fuel that is in solid form, such as wood, peat, lignite, coal, and manufactured fuels such as pulverized coal, coke, charcoal, briquettes, pellets, etc.

A type of structural, insulated product with foam insulation contained between two facings of drywall, or structural wood composition boards such as plywood, waferboard, and oriented strand board.

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

The use of solar thermal energy or solar electricity to power a cooling appliance. There are five basic types of solar cooling technologies: absorption cooling, which can use solar thermal energy to vaporize the refrigerant; desiccant cooling, which can u ...

A panel which covers the underside of an roof overhang, cantilever, or mansard.

In reference to solar photovoltaic devices, a material that is composed of a single crystal or a few large crystals.

A type of high intensity discharge light that has the most lumens per watt of any light source.

A device for transforming the quality and quantity of electrical energy; also an inverter.

A technique for insulating and sealing exterior walls that reduces vapor diffusion through air leakage points by installing pre-cut blocks of rigid foam insulation over floor joists, sheet subfloor, and top plates before drywall is installed.

One or more circuits of a distribution system on the same line or poles or supporting structures' usually operating at a lower voltage relative to the transmission line.

The process of distilling (purifying) water using solar energy. Water can be placed in an air tight solar collector with a sloped glazing material, and as it heats and evaporates, distilled water condenses on the collector glazing, and runs down where it ...

A term used for materials used to absorb and store solar energy.

A stack of wood 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet.

Solar radiation that arrives in a straight line from the sun.

A high efficiency silicon photovoltaic concentrator cell that employs light trapping techniques and point-diffused contacts on the rear surface for current collection.

A tube inside a domestic water heater that distributes the cold water from the cold water supply line into the lower area of the water heater where heating occurs.

The heat produced by sources of heat in a building (occupants, appliances, lighting, etc).

An electrical conductor/cable that carries electricity from a generator to other locations for distribution.