There are a lot of terms and phrases that get thrown around in the “green energy” market. This can cause confusion and isn’t helpful for our clients and customers. Therefore we’ve decided to offer this jargon buster to help you understand all the different phrases that may be mentioned when you are looking into green energy.
Additionally we will be publishing a series of articles which are listed at the bottom of the page.
AC – this is a shortening of the phrase “Alternating Current” which is the way that electricity is delivered to our homes from the national grid.
Anemometer – a tool to measure the level of wind at your property, before you invest in a wind turbine.
DC – this is a shortening of the phrase “direct current” which is the type of electricity produced by batteries, solar panels and wind turbines.
Inverter – used to convert direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC), so that it can power domestic appliances or be exported to the grid.
kWp – kilowatt peak is the measure of how much power a photovoltaic system produces from the sun under test conditions. It measures the power produced under 1kW per m2 of light. The more efficient the system, the smaller the area of panels needed.
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Biofuel A fuel (usually a liquid fuel used for road transport) that is produced from plants grown for the purpose or, sometimes, from kitchen or animal wastes. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a colourless gas that is given off by all living creatures, and when fossil fuels (such as coal, oil or gas) are burnt. Carbon Dioxide is re-absorbed by plants as the essential building block in the creating of solid plant matter - and this cycle of emission and re-absorption is called known as the carbon cycle. Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and a certain level is needed to order to keep the surface temperature habitable. However as more Carbon Dioxide is released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, the earth's temperature is beginning to rise. This effect is known as Global Warming or Global Climate Change, as the resultant change in temperature can vary widely in different parts of the globe. Carbon Footprint A Carbon Footprint measures that amount of carbon dioxide that is left behind as a result of your activities whether that is as a business or an individual. Climate Change Climate Change (also sometime known as "Global Warming") is used to describe changes to the earth's climate - including air temperature, rainfall, storms and secondary effects such as ice cover and sea levels. Although there is always some degree of natural climate change, mankind is currently facing a very rapid shift in climate, due mainly to the emission of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil. Contraction & Convergence At the moment developed countries, such as the UK, USA and other European countries have much higher annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) per person than developing countries such as India. As CO2 is the main gas causing global climate change, this is felt to be unfair and unsustainable in the long term. Contraction & Convergence is the term used for the process under which developed countries will cut their CO2 emissions much faster than developing countries, so that by some future date (often seen as being 2100) all countries will emit roughly the same level of greenhouse gases per person. Condensing boiler A condensing boiler is a type of boiler which achieves enhanced efficiency by incorporating an additional heat exchanger. This uses the heat in the exhaust gases from the boiler to preheat the water as it enters the boiler, and so recapturing energy that would otherwise be lost. When a condensing boiler is working at peak efficiency the water vapour produced by the consumption of gas or oil in the boiler condenses back into liquid water - hence the name "condensing boiler". Condensing boilers can have operating efficiencies of up to 95% in normal domestic use, compared to 70%-80% with a conventional design. Emissions Trading In order to reduce the risk of adverse climate change, it is necessary to cut emissions of the main greenhouse gases, of which Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the most important. This can be done through international agreements (such as the Kyoto protocol) or by national or regional Governments setting a limit (a "cap") on emissions from within their territory. However as it is not equally easy for all sectors or companies in a country to make the necessary cuts in CO2 emissions, a number of schemes have been set up through which a body (such as a company) that makes more than the required savings of CO2 can sell its surplus allowances to emit CO2 to another body that has a shortfall. This process is known as Emissions Trading. Greenhouse Gas Greenhouse gas is a collective term used to describe a number of gases, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) being the greatest by volume, which act to trap heat (infra red radiation) in the atmosphere and lead to warming of the earth's surface. The Earth's average surface temperature is about 20-30°C warmer than it would be without the greenhouse effect. In common usage, "greenhouse effect" may refer either to the natural greenhouse effect due to naturally occurring greenhouse gases, or to the enhanced greenhouse effect which results from gases emitted as a result of human activities. Ground Source Heat Pump A Ground Source Heat Pump, or GSHP, is a way of collecting energy from the ground and using it to warm or cool a building. This uses the earth as either a heat source, when operating in heating mode, or sometimes as a heat sink when operating in cooling mode. All Ground Source Heat Pumps have an external loop containing water or a water/antifreeze mixture, and a smaller internal loop used to heat or cool the building. Both loops pass through a heat exchanger inside the heat pump unit. Insulation The goal of insulation used in building construction is to slow down heat transfer. The same materials are required to keep buildings cooler in hot climates, or warmer in cold climates. As more insulation is installed, more comfort (thermal and soundproofing) is created, and operating costs are lowered. Insulation is most often used in the loft and in the cavities of walls, but it can also be installed under floors or attached to the inside or exterior of walls where there are no cavities to fill. Photovoltaics (PV) use solar cells (often arranged into larger modules) to convert light from the sun into electricity. Although they were originally used on spacecraft and in small items like solar calculators, large scale photovoltaic arrays - normally mounted on a building's roof - can generate a significant proportion of the energy used inside that building. Renewable Energy Renewable Energy is energy taken from a resource that is naturally replenished and cannot run out over time. This contrasts with fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas and nuclear power, based on uranium, all of which have finite resources. Renewable sources of energy produce fewer greenhouse gases than fossil fuels and so contribute less to global climate change. Solar electricity See Photovoltaics Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating These usually consist of systems in which water is heated by the sun via a solar panel (solar thermal collector). Solar hot water systems are made up of sun collectors, a storage tank to store the hot water and a circulation loop to move the hot water from the collector to the tank. Air-based solar thermal systems pass air through a heat exchanger to pre-heat air for space (room) heating. Articles - Click for more details Ground Source Heat Pump Installers
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