Solar Resource DataThe following solar resource data collections can be found in the Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC). Cooperative Networks for Renewable Resource Measurements (CONFRRM) Solar Energy Resource Data Historically Black Colleges and Universities Solar Radiation Monitoring Network India Solar Resource Data Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Reduced Circumsolar Radiation Database Measurement and Instrumentation Data Center (MIDC) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Remote Sensing Validation Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Solar Data National Renewable Energy Laboratory Spectral Solar Radiation Database National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) Solar Energy Measurement Research and Training Sites (SEMRTS) Data Set Solar Resource Variability Data Solar Spectra Typical Meteorological Year Data Sets WEST Associates Solar Monitoring Network |
Uncategorized
Resource Data – Solar Statistic & Data
Wind Resource AssessmentAll markets for wind turbines require an estimate of how much wind energy is available at potential development sites. Correct estimation of the energy available in the wind can make or break the economics of wind plant development. Wind maps developed from the late ’70s to the early ’90s provided reasonable estimates of areas in which good wind resources could be found. Now, new computing tools and new meteorological data sets allow researchers to create even more accurate and detailed wind maps of the world. Wind mapping and validation techniques developed at the NWTC along with collaborations with U.S. companies produce high-resolution maps of the United States that paint a new picture of the wind resource potential. Information System mapping tools and an array of satellite, weather balloon, and meteorological tower data, combined with much-improved numerical computer models provide more data. The higher horizontal resolution of these maps allows for more accurate depiction of the overall wind resource and has led to the identification of new wind development areas where the wind resource was previously considered unsuitable. NWTC provides technical assistance in wind resource assessment including the development and validation of high-resolution wind maps. The focus is to provide the wind industry, policy makers, and other stakeholders with applied wind resource data, information products (e.g., maps), and technical assistance with increasing emphasis on increased heights to effectively evaluate and develop wind potential. For example, a recent project resulted in the development of new wind resource maps at heights of 80 and 100 meters for the contiguous United States and estimates the wind energy potential that would be possible from development of the available windy land area.
The ability to accurately predict when the wind will blow will help remove barriers to wind energy development by allowing wind-power-generating facilities to commit to power purchases in advance. NREL researchers work with federal, state, and private organizations to validate the nation’s wind resources and support advances in wind forecasting techniques and dissemination. Wind resource validation is important for both wind resource assessment and the integration of wind farms into an energy grid. Validating new, high-resolution wind resource maps will provide an accurate reading of the wind resource at a particular site. Development of short-term (1 to 4 hours) forecasting tools will help energy producers proceed with new wind farm projects and avoid the penalties they must pay if they do not meet their hourly generation targets. In addition, validating new high-resolution wind resource maps will give people interested in developing wind energy projects greater confidence as to the level of wind resource for a particular site. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Sacrificial Anode | A piece of metal buried near a structure that is to be protected from corrosion. The metal of the sacrificial anode is intended to corrode and reduce the corrosion of the protected structure. |
| Sae Viscosity Number | A system established by the Society of Automotive Engineers for classifying crankcase oils and automotive transmission and differential lubricants according to their viscosities. |
| Santa Ana Winds | Hot winds that emerge from the Great Basin between the Sierras and the Rocky Mountains. It blows into the Los Angeles basin of California, often at speeds over 100 kilometers per hour. It dries out vegetation, causing serious fire danger. |
| Satellite Power System (Sps) | Concept for providing large amounts of electricity for use on the Earth from one or more satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit. A very large array of solar cells on each satellite would provide electricity, which would be converted to microwave energy and beamed to a receiving antenna on the ground. There, it would be reconverted into electricity and distributed the same as any other centrally generated power, through a grid. |
| Scheduling Coordinator | Scheduling coordinators (SCs) submit balanced schedules and provide settlement-ready meter data to the ISO. |
| Schottky Barrier | A cell barrier established as the interface between a semiconductor, such as silicon, and a sheet of metal. |
| Scribing | The cutting of a grid pattern of grooves in a semiconductor material, generally for the purpose of making interconnections. |
| Sealed Battery | A battery with a captive electrolyte and a re-sealing vent cap to which electrolyte cannot be added. Also called a valve-regulated battery. |
| Sealed Lead Acid Battery | A form of lead acid battery where the electrolyte is immobilized. |
| Sealed Lead-Acid Battery | A form of lead-acid battery where the electrolyte is immobilized, either by being contained in an absorbent fibre separator or gel between the batteries plates. |
| Seasonal Depth Of Discharge | An adjustment factor used in some system sizing procedures which "allows" the battery to be gradually discharged over a 30-90 day period of poor solar insolation. This factor results in a slightly smaller photovoltaic array. |
| Secondary Battery | A battery that can be recharged. |
| Secondary Cell | Secondary cells are batteries (electrochemical cells) that are rechargeable. The chemical reaction within the secondary cell is reversible, allowing the cell to be recharged many times. |
| Secondary Energy | See NON-FIRM ENERGY. |
| Securitize | The aggregation of contracts for the purchase of the power output from various energy projects into one pool which then offers shares for sale in the investment market. This strategy diversifies project risks from what they would be if each project were financed individually, thereby reducing the cost of financing. Fannie Mae performs such a function in the home mortgage market. |
| Seer (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) | the total cooling output of a central air conditioning unit in Btus during its normal usage period for cooling divided by the total electrical energy input in watt-hours during the same period, as determined using specified federal test procedures. (Title 20, Section 2-1602(c)(11). |
| Self Discharge | Self discharge represents energy lost to internal chemical reactions within the cell. |
| Self Discharge Rate | The rate at which a battery will lose its charge when at open circuit (with no load connected). |
| Self-Discharge | The rate at which a battery, without a load, will lose its charge. |
| Self-Generation | A generation facility dedicated to serving a particular retail customer,usually located on the customer’s premises. The facility may either be owned directly by the retail customer or owned by a third party with a contractual arrangement to provide electricity to meet some or all of the customer’s load. |
| Self-Service Wheeling | Primarily an accounting policy comparable to net-billing or running the meter backwards. An entity owns generation that produces excess electricity at one site, that is used at another site(s) owned by the same entity. It is given billing credit for the excess electricity (displacing retail electricity costs minus wheeling charges) on the bills for its other sites. |
| Semiconductor | A material that has an electrical conductivity in between that of a metal and an insulator. |
| Semicrystalline | See Multicrystalline. |
| Sensible Cooling Capacity | See COOLING CAPACITY, SENSIBLE. |
| Sensible Heat | Heat that results in a temperature change. |
| Sensor (Temperature) | Sensing device that changes its electrical resistance according to temperature. Used in the control system of a solar thermal system to measure collector and storage tank temperatures. |
| Series Connected | A method of connection in which the positive terminal of one device is connected to the negative terminal of another. The voltages add and the current is limited to the least of any device in the string. |
| Series Connection | A way of joining photovoltaic cells by connecting positive leads to negative leads; such a configuration increases the voltage. |
| Series Controller | A charge controller that interrupts the charging current by open-circuiting the photovoltaic (PV) array. The control element is in series with the PV array and battery. |
| Series Regulator | A device that prevents overcharging of a battery by disconnecting the charging source as the battery voltage approaches some upper limit. |
| Series Resistance | Parasitic resistance to current flow in a cell due to mechanisms such as resistance from the bulk of the semiconductor material, metallic contacts, and interconnections. |
| Series String | A group of PV modules or batteries wired in series. |
| Series Wiring | A system of wiring for PV panels that increases the current. |
| Service Area | any contiguous geographic area serviced by the same electric utility. |
| Set Point | Scheduled operating level for each generating unit or other resource scheduled to run in the Hour-ahead Schedule. |
| Setback Thermostat | See THERMOSTAT, SETBACK. |
| Settlement | The process of financial settlement for products and services purchased and sold. Each settlement involves a price and quantity. Both the ISO and PX may perform settlement functions. |
| Shade Screen | A screen affixed to the exterior of a window or other glazed opening, designed to reduce the solar radiation reaching the glazing. |
| Shading Coefficient | the ratio of solar heat gain through a specific glazing system to the total solar heat gain through a single layer of clear, double-strength glass. |
| Shallow Cycle Battery | A battery with small plates that can not withstand many deep discharges. |
| Shallow-Cycle Battery | A battery with small plates that cannot withstand many deep discharges (i.e. To a low state of charge). |
| Shelf Life | The amount of time a device, such as battery, can be stored and still retain its specified performance. |
| Shelf Life Of Batteries | The length of time, under specified conditions, that a battery can be stored so that it keeps its guaranteed capacity. |
| Short Circuit | A circuit in which two source leads of opposite polarity or dissimilar potential are connected directly to each other with no regulation or load in between, allowing the full energy potential of the source to flow through the circuit. A short circuit will trip the breaker or fuse, and may damage components, or even cause a fire. |
| Short Circuit Current (ISC) | The current between two points in a circuit when the points are electrically connected with a conductor with essentially zero resistance. Normally applied to PV modules, which can be short circuited safely because they are limited current devices. |
| SHUNT (Noun) | 1. A resistive load through which electron flow is diverted, typically used to heat air or water. 2. A component with a precise, known resistance used to determine amperage by measuring the voltage across it and using Ohm’s law (I = V/R). |
| SHUNT (Verb) | To divert electrical current to a separate circuit or load. |
| Shunt Controller | A charge controller that redirects or shunts the charging current away from the battery. The controller requires a large heat sink to dissipate the current from the short-circuited photovoltaic array. Most shunt controllers are for smaller systems producing 30 amperes or less. |
| Shunt Regulator | A device that prevents overcharging of a battery by diverting some (or all) of the charging current to a resistive load when the battery voltage reaches a preset upper limit. |
| Side Fins | Vertical shading elements mounted on either side of a glazed opening that blocks direct solar radiation from the lower, lateral portions of the sun’s path. SITE |
| Side-Of-Pole Mount | A PV mount installed on the side of a pole. May be fixed or seasonally adjustable. |
| Siemens Process | A commercial method of making purified silicon. |
| Silicon | A nonmetallic element, which when specially treated, is sensitive to light and capable of transforming light into electricity. Silicon is the basic material of most beach sand, and is the raw material used to manufacture most photovoltaic cells. |
| Silicon (Si) | A chemical element with atomic number 14, a dark gray semi-metal. Occurs in a wide range of silicate minerals and makes up approximately 28% of the earth’s crust (by weight). Silicon has a face-centered cubic lattice structure like diamond. The most common semiconductor material used in making PV cells either traditionally in its crystalline form or more recently as an amorphous thin film. |
| Simoom | The searing �poison wind� of Arabia, which roars across the parched desert, sometimes reaching temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Sine Wave | A waveform corresponding to a single-frequency periodic oscillation that can be mathematically represented as a function of amplitude versus angle in which the value of the curve at any point is equal to the sine of that angle. |
| Sine Wave Inverter | An inverter that produces grid-quality, sine wave AC electricity. |
| Single Crystal Cell | A wafer of silicon that has a perfect, continuous, crystal lattice (on the atomic level). |
| Single-Crystal Material | A material that is composed of a single crystal or a few large crystals. |
| Single-Crystal Silicon | Material with a single crystalline formation. Many photovoltaic cells are made from single-crystal silicon. |
| Single-Stage Controller | A charge controller that redirects all charging current as the battery nears full state-of-charge. |
| Sirocco | The blistering winds of the Sahara, which blow dust, grit, and sand all the way from northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. |
| Site Energy | The energy consumed at a building location or other end-use site. SKYLIGHT |
| Site Evaluation | An estimation of a location for its potential for solar, hydro, or wind power. |
| Sky Temperature | The equivalent temperature of the clouds, water vapor, and other atmospheric elements that make up the sky to which a surface can radiate heat. |
| Slip Ring | Used to transfer electricity to or from rotating parts in motors and yaw mechanisms. |
| Smog | Originally "smog" meant a mixture of smoke and fog. The definition has expanded to mean air that has restricted visibility due to pollution. Pollution formed in the presence of sunlight is called photochemical smog. According to the U.S. EPA, smog is "a mixture of pollutants, principally ground-level ozone, produced by chemical reactions in the air involving smog-forming chemicals. A major portion of smog-formers come from burning of petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline. Other smog-formers, volatile organic compounds, are found in products such as paints and solvents. Smog can harm health, damage the environment and cause poor visibility. Major smog occurrences are often linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, sunshine, high temperatures and calm winds or temperature inversion (weather condition in which warm air is trapped close to the ground instead of rising). Smog is often worse away from the source of the smog-forming chemicals, since the chemical reactions that result in smog occur in the sky while the reacting chemicals are being blown away from their sources by winds." |
| Socket | A hollow opening or cavity into which something fits, such as an electric light socket. |
| Solar Cell | see photovoltaic (PV) cell. |
| Solar Collector | A component of an active or passive solar system that absorbs solar radiation to heat a transfer medium which, in turn, supplies heat energy to the space or water heating system. |
| Solar Constant | The average amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s upper atmosphere on a surface perpendicular to the sun’s rays; equal to 1353 Watts per square meter or 492 Btu per square foot. |
| Solar Cooker | A device that converts the sun’s energy into heat energy, which is then used to cook food. |
| Solar Cooling | The use of solar thermal energy or solar electricity to power a cooling appliance. Photovoltaic systems can power evaporative coolers ("swamp" coolers), heat-pumps, and air conditioners. |
| Solar Energy | Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). |
| Solar Energy Research Institute (Seri) | Established in 1974 and funded by the federal government, the institute’s general purpose is to support U.S. Department of Energy’s solar energy program and foster the widespread use of all aspects of solar technology, including photovoltaics, solar heating and cooling, solar thermal power generation, wind ocean thermal conversion and biomass conversion. |
| Solar Heat Gain | Heat added to a space due to transmitted and absorbed solar energy. |
| Solar Heat Gain Factor | An estimate used in calculating cooling loads of the heat gain due to transmitted and absorbed solar energy through 1/8"-thick, clear glass at a specific latitude, time and orientation. |
| Solar Heating And Hot Water Systems | Solar heating or hot water systems provide two basic functions: (a) capturing the sun’s radiant energy, converting it into heat energy, and storing this heat in insulated storage tank(s); and (b) delivering the stored energy as needed to either the domestic hot water or heating system. These components are called the collection and delivery subsystems. |
| Solar Insolation | See insolation. |
| Solar Irradiance | See irradiance. |
| Solar Irradiation | The amount of radiation, both direct and diffuse, that can be received at any given location. |
| Solar Module | A device used to convert light from the sun directly into DC electricity by using the photovoltaic effect. Usually made of multiple solar cells bonded between glass and a backing material. A typical Solar Module would be 100 Watts of power output (but module powers can range from 1 Watt to 300 Watts) and have dimensions of 2 feet by 4 feet. |
| Solar Noon | The midpoint between sunrise and sunset, the time when it reaches it’s highest point. |
| Solar Panel | See photovoltaic (PV) panel. |
| Solar Power | Electricity generated by conversion of sunlight, either directly through the use of photovoltaic panels, or indirectly through solar-thermal processes. |
| Solar Radiation | Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. |
| Solar Resource | The amount of solar insolation a site receives, usually measured in kwh/m2/day, which is equivalent to the number of peak sun hours. |
| Solar Satellite Power | A proposed process of using satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the earth to capture solar energy with photovoltaic cells, convert it to microwave energy, beam the microwaves to earth where they would be received by large antennas, and changed from microwave into usable electricity. |
| Solar Spectrum | The total distribution of electromagnetic radiation emanating from the sun. |
| Solar Thermal | A form of power generation using concentrated sunlight to heat water or other fluid that may then used to drive a motor or turbine. |
| Solar Thermal Collectors | A solar collector is a device designed to absorb incident solar radiation and to transfer the energy to the fluid or air passing through it. |
| Solar Thermal Electric | Method of producing electricity from solar energy by using focused sunlight to heat a working fluid, which in turn drives a turbogenerator. |
| Solar Thermal Electric Systems | Solar energy conversion technologies that convert solar energy to electricity, by heating a working fluid to power a turbine that drives a generator. Examples of these systems include central receiver systems, parabolic dish, and solar trough. |
| Solar Thermal Power Plant | means a thermal powerplant in which 75 percent or more of the total energy output is from solar energy and the use of backup fuels, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, does not, in the aggregate, exceed 25 percent of the total energy input of the facility during any calendar year period. |
| Solar Water Heating Systems | heat water, either directly or by heating a �working fluid� that then heats the water. Solar water heaters are commonly used to heat domestic water in homes; heat water for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs (a particularly cost-effective application); or to heat water for industrial processes. |
| Solar-Electric Cell | See PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL |
| Solar-Electric Module | See PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE |
| Solar-Grade Silicon | Intermediate-grade silicon used in the manufacture of solar cells. Less expensive than electronic-grade silicon. |
| Solid Fuels | Any fuel that is in solid form, such as wood, peat, lignite, coal, and manufactured fuels such as pulverized coal, coke, charcoal briquettes, and pellets. |
| Solstice (Summer & Winter | The longest and shortest days of the year. The longest day (Summer Solstice) is about June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. The shortest day (Winter Solstice) is about December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. |
| Source Energy | All the energy used in delivering energy to a site, including power generation and transmission and distribution losses, to perform a specific function, such as space conditioning, lighting, or water heating. Approximately three watts (or 10.239 Btus) of energy is consumed to deliver one watt of usable electricity. |
| Space Charge | See cell barrier. |
| Special Contracts | Any contract that provides a utility service under terms and conditions other than those listed in the utility’s tariffs. For example, an electric utility may enter into an agreement with a large customer to provide electricity at a rate below the tariffed rate in order to prevent the customer from taking advantage of some other option that would result in the loss of the customer’s load. This generally allows that customer to compete more effectively in their product market. |
| Specific Gravity | The ratio of the weight of a solution to the weight of an equal volume of water at a specific temperature. |
| Specific Heat | In English units, the quantity of heat, in Btu, needed to raise the temperature of one pound of material one degree Fahrenheit. |
| Spill Energy | See DUMP. |
| Spinning Reserve | Electric power plant or utility capacity on-line and running at low power in excess of actual load. |
| Split-Spectrum Cell | A compound photovoltaic device in which sunlight is first divided into spectral regions by optical means. Each region is then directed to a different photovoltaic cell optimized for converting that portion of the spectrum into electricity. Such a device achieves significantly greater overall conversion of incident sunlight into electricity. |
| Split-The-Savings (Electric Utility) | The basis for settling economy-energy transactions between utilities. The added costs of the supplier are subtracted from the avoided costs of the buyer, and the difference is evenly divided. |
| Sputtering | A process used to apply photovoltaic semiconductor 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 in thin layers on a substrate. |
| Squall | A sudden storm of wind, typically accompanied by rain or snow or sleet. |
| Square Wave | A train of rectangular voltage pulses that alternate between two fixed values for equal lengths of time. |
| Square Wave Inverter | A type of inverter that produces square wave output. It consists of a direct current source, four switches, and the load. The switches are power semiconductors that can carry a large current and withstand a high voltage rating. The switches are turned on and off at a correct sequence, at a certain frequency. |
| Staebler-Wronski Effect | The tendency of the sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of amorphous silicon photovoltaic devices to degrade (drop) upon initial exposure to light. |
| Stand-Alone (PV System) | A solar PV system that operates without connection to a grid a supply of electricity. |
| Stand-Alone System | A system that operates independently of the utility lines. It may draw supplementary electricity from the utility, but is not capable of providing electricity to the utility. |
| Standard Reporting Conditions (Src) | A fixed set of conditions (including meteorological) to which the electrical performance data of a photovoltaic module are translated from the set of actual test conditions. |
| Standard Test Conditions (STC) | Conditions under which a module is typically tested in a laboratory (1) Irradiance intensity of 1000 W/square meter (0.645 watts per square inch), AM1.5 solar reference spectrum, and (3) a cell (module) temperature of 25 degrees C, plus or minus 2 degrees C (77 degrees F, plus or minus 3.6 degrees F). [IEC 1215] |
| Standby Current | The current used by an inverter when no load is active. |
| Standby Loss | A measure of the losses from a water heater tank. When expressed as a percentage, standby loss is the ratio of heat loss per hour to the heat content of the stored water above room temperature. When expressed in watts, standby loss is the heat lost per hour, per square foot of tank surface area. |
| Stand-Off Mounting | Technique for mounting a photovoltaic array on a sloped roof, which involves mounting the modules a short distance above the pitched roof and tilting them to the optimum angle. |
| Start-Up | When the generator has enough rotation to begin producing power. |
| Starved Electrolyte Cell | A battery containing little or no free fluid electrolyte. |
| State Of Charge (Soc) | A ratio, expressed in percent, of the energy remaining in a battery in relation to its capacity when fully charged. |
| State-Of-Charge (SOC) | The available capacity remaining in the battery, expressed as a percentage of the rated capacity. |
| Static Electricity | A type of electrical charge that can build up when two objects rub together. Friction removes some electrons from one object and deposits them on the other. |
| Static Head | The height of the water level above the point of free discharge of the water, normally measured when the pump is off. |
| Steady State Efficiency | A performance rating for space heaters; a measure of the percentage of heat from combustion of gas which is transferred to the space being heated under specified steady state conditions. |
| Steam | the vapor form of water that develops when water boils. Steam is made of very tiny heated water particles (molecules) which are bouncing around and bumping into each other at very high speeds. These heated water molecules are also spreading out and expanding in every direction they can. If we confine or trap water in a container, with a pipe as an opening, and heat the water to steam, it will create great pressure in the container and will rush out the pipe with a great deal of force. This force (the "power" of steam) can be put to work turning a turbine connected to an electricity generator. |
| Steam Electric Plant | A power station in which steam is used to turn the turbines that generate electricity. The heat used to make the steam may come from burning fossil fuel, using a controlled nuclear reaction, concentrating the sun’s energy, tapping the earth’s natural heat or capturing industrial waste heat. |
| Step-Up Gearbox | A step-up gearbox increases turbine electricity production in stages by increasing the number of generator revolutions produced by the rotor revolutions. |
| Stirling Engine | An external combustion engine that converts heat into useable mechanical energy (shaftwork) by the heating (expanding) and cooling (contracting) of a captive gas such as helium or hydrogen. |
| Storage | Storing energy in a battery or battery stack. In water pumping, storage can be achieved by pumping water to a storage tank. |
| Storage Battery | A device capable of transforming energy from electric to chemical form and vice versa. The reactions are almost completely reversible. During discharge, chemical energy is converted to electric energy and is consumed in an external circuit or apparatus. |
| Storage Density | The capacity of a battery, in amp-hours compared to its weight. |
| Storage Type Water Heater | A water heater that heats and stores water at a thermostatically controlled temperature for delivery on demand. |
| Stranded Benefits | Public interest programs and goals which could be compromised or abandoned by a restructured electric industry. These potential "stranded benefits" might include: environmental protection, fuel diversity, energy efficiency, low-income ratepayer assistance, and other types of socially beneficial programs. |
| Stranded Costs/Stranded Assets | See embedded Costs Exceeding Market Prices. |
| Strategic Petroleum Reserve | The strategic petroleum reserve consists of government owned and controlled crude oil stockpiles stored at various locations in the Gulf Coast region of the country. These reserves can be drawn down in response to sever oil supply disruptions. The target is to have a reserve of 750 million barrels of oil. Use of the reserve must be authorized by the President of the United States. |
| Stratification | A condition that occurs when the acid concentration varies from top to bottom in the battery electrolyte. Periodic, controlled charging at voltages that produce gassing will mix the electrolyte. See equalization. |
| Straw Bale Construction | A building technique using straw bales for the walls. See POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION. |
| String | A number of cells, modules or panels interconnected electrically in series to produce the required operating voltage. |
| STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS (Sips) | A no-cavity solid building system of wall and roof panels "sandwiching" polystyrene insulation between an outer and inner sheathing panel (typically oriented strand board (OSB) or metal). |
| Subduction Boundary | one of two types of converging plate boundaries which occurs when one plate plunges under another overriding plate. |
| Substation | A facility at which two or more lines are switched for operational purposes. May include one or more transformers so that some connected lines operate at different nominal voltages to others. |
| Substrate | The physical material upon which a photovoltaic cell is made. Sub-system. Any one of several components in a PV system (i.e., array, controller, batteries, inverter, load). |
| Subsystem | Any one of several components in a photovoltaic system (i.e., array, controller, batteries, inverter, load). |
| Suction Head | The height of pump above the surface of the water source when the pump is located above the water level. |
| Sulfation | A condition that afflicts unused and discharged batteries; large crystals of lead sulfate grow on the plate, instead of the usual tiny crystals, making the battery extremely difficult to recharge. |
| Sulfur Dioxide (So2) | A colorless gas released as a by-product of combusted fossil fuels containing sulfur. The two primary sources of acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. |
| Sulfur Oxides (Sox) | pungent, colorless gases (including sulfur dioxide (SO2); formed primarily by the combustion of fossil fuels; may damage the respiratory tract, as well as plants and trees. |
| Sunk Cost | In economics, a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred, and therefore cannot be avoided by any strategy going forward. |
| Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (Smes) | SMES technology uses the superconducting characteristics of low-temperature materials to produce intense magnetic fields to store energy. It has been proposed as a storage option to support large-scale use of photovoltaics as a means to smooth out fluctuations in power generation. |
| Superconductivity | The abrupt and large increase in electrical conductivity exhibited by some metals as the temperature approaches absolute zero. |
| Superconductor | Used in some electrical equipment. It is a material that when cooled to near absolute zero, has negligable electrical resistance. |
| Superstrate | The covering on the sun side of a PV module, providing protection for the PV materials from impact and environmental degradation while allowing maximum transmission of the appropriate wavelengths of the solar spectrum. |
| Supertandker | A very large ship designed to transport more than 500,000 deadweight tonnage of oil. |
| Supply Bid | A bid into the PX indicating a price at which a seller is prepared to sell energy or ancillary services. |
| Supply-Side | Activities conducted on the utility’s side of the customer meter. Activities designed to supply electric power to customers, rather than meeting load though energy efficiency measures or on-site generation on the customer side of the meter. |
| Surge | 1. An excessive amount of power drawn by an appliance when it is first switched on. |
| Surge Capacity | The ability of an inverter or generator to deliver instantaneous high currents. |
| Surplus | (Electric utility) Excess firm energy available from a utility or region for which there is no market at the established rates. |
| Sustainable | A material or energy source, which if managed carefully, will provide at current levels indefinitely. |
| Sustainable Energy | Energy that takes into account present needs while not compromising the availability of energy or a healthy environment in the future. |
| Sustained Orderly Development | A condition in which a growing and stable market is identified by orders that are placed on a reliable schedule. The orders increase in magnitude as previous deliveries and engineering and field experience lead to further reductions in costs. The reliability of these orders can be projected many years into the future, on the basis of long-term contracts, to minimize market risks and investor exposure. (See also "Commercialization.") |
| Swept Area | The area (in square feet or meters^2) that a wind generator�s rotor (blades) sweep. This is the collector area for a wind generator. The larger the collector, the more energy it will capture. |
| Switch | a common device which breaks an electrical circuit thereby halting the flow electricity through the circuit. |
| Switch-Mode | A form of converting one form of electricity to another by rapidly switching it on and off and feeding it through a transformer to effect a voltage change. |
| SWRTA | The Southwest Regional Transmission Association. a subregional RTG within WRTA, and awaiting FERC approval. |
| Syncrude | Synthetic crude oil made from coal of from oil shale. |
| Synfuel | Synthetic gas or synthetic oil. Fuel that is artificially made as contrasted to that which is found in nature. Synthetic gas made from coal is considered to be more economical and easier to produce than synthetic oil. When natural gas supplies in the earth are being depleted, it is expected that synthetic gas will be able to be used widely as a substitute fuel. |
| Syngas | Synthetic gas make from coal. |
| System | A combination of equipment and/or controls, accessories, interconnecting means and terminal elements by which energy is transformed to perform a specific function, such as climate control, service water heating, or lighting |
| System Availability | The percentage of time (usually expressed in hours per year) when a photovoltaic system will be able to fully meet the load demand. |
| System Integration (Of New Technologies) | The successful integration of a new technology into the electric utility system by analyzing the technology’s system effects and resolving any negative impacts that might result from its broader use. |
| System Operating Voltage | The output voltage of a solar PV array under load, dependent on the electrical load and size of the battery stack connected to the output terminals. |
| System Storage | See battery capacity. |
Links to Renewable or Alternative Energy Software
| Audit Software (Web And PDA): The foAudits toolset provides the software for energy audits, surveys of any kind and typical contractor-related tools such as punch-lists and work orders. foAudits runs on Pocket PCs, the Palm OS, phones and/or the web. See our site for more information. |
| Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp / Systems Engineering Operations : Provider of systems studies, custom applications software programming, contract hardware manufacturing and software research and analysis services. The company specializes in modeling and simulation software, pointing and tracking systems and p.. |
| Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Simulation Research Group: Specialize in creating building energy simulation software. Building Energy Simulation Programs: DOE-2, EnergyPlus, and SPARK. / (added 09/2005) |
| Building For Environmental And Economic Sustainability : Software from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). |
| CANMET Energy Diversification Research Laboratorys RET: Screen Renewable Energy Project Analysis Software |
| NEW Community for Energy, Environment and Development : This is the home site of a software tool I develop called LEAP: the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system. This is a windows based software tool for integrated energy & environmental scenario analysis and climate change mitigation assessment. Licenses to use the system are free to those in developing countries. The software, user guide and training materials are all available for download on the web site. |
| Energy And Environmental Data (DK): makers of WindPro® / (added 09/2005) |
| ENERGY STAR® For Business : A set of software programs developed by EPA including: QuikPlan (building upgrades), QuikChill (chiller plant upgrades), QuikFan (variable air volume upgrades), ProjectKalc (lighting upgrades) and EPA Refrigerator Analysis Program, allow users to plan, manage, track, and report energy-efficiency upgrades in their facilities. Results include energy and economic analysis of the upgrades. Online tools are provided for developing, tracking, and evaluating your organization’s approach to reducing energy costs over time and comparing your buildings’ energy performance to that of similar buildings throughout the US. Online registration is required to download the software. |
| Fundamental Objects Inc : FO specializes in handheld development, including integration with your existing database or web site. / (added 09/2005) |
| Hybrid Optimization Model For Electric Renewables (HOMER): is used for designing standalone electric power systems that employ some combination of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, or diesel generators to produce electricity. |
| Maui Solar Energy Software : Provider of the Solar Design Studio v4.0 CD-ROM that contains a suite of Windows 95, 98 and NT software designed to simulate photovoltaic energy system operation. / (added 09/2005) |
| Resoft Ltd – Wind Energy Software : WindFarm enables you to analyze, design and optimize your proposed wind farm. User friendly and powerful, WindFarm runs under Windows 95/98/NT/2000 and XP and does not require any external software packages. It will significantly enhance your wind farm development potential and is fully supported with extensive documentation and help system. |
| Retscreen International Renewable Energy Project Analysis Software: Free software provided by Canada to evaluate renewable energy projects. Evaluate the energy production, life-cycle costs, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction for central-grid and isolated-grid connected small hydro projects. |
Links to Renewable (Alternative) Statistic & Data
| Acid Rain: Emissions from Energy Consumption for Electricity Production and Useful Thermal Output at Combined-Heat-and-Power Plants, 1992 through 2003 |
| Air Conditioning Trends 1978-97: Trends in Residential Air-Conditioning Usage from 1978 to 1997 |
| Air Pollution Abatement Equipment: Number and Capacity of Fossil-Fueled Steam-Electric Generators with Environmental Equipment, 1992 through 2003 / (added 09/2005) |
| Alcohol Fuels: Energy Consumption by Source, 1949-2003 |
| Annual Energy Review: Annual Energy Review – long-term historical statistics all in one place |
| Anthracite Production: Coal Production and Number of Mines by State and Coal Rank, 2003 |
| Appliance Reports: new link — Appliance Reports are brief statistical reports in which long-term U.S. trends in market share of air-conditioning units and about two-dozen appliances are compared with trends in each U.S. Census Division. The Appliance Reports are the only source of long-term regional data on appliance market share. |
| Appliances And Types Of Main Heating Fuel: Households With Selected Appliances and Types of Main Heating Fuel, Selected Years, 1978-2001 |
| Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil Reserves: Analysis of Oil and Gas Production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge / (added 09/2005) |
| Arctic National Wildlife Refuge : (map) / (added 09/2005) |
| Average Open Market Sales Price Of Coal-By Mine Type : Average Open Market Sales Price of Coal by State and Mine Type, 2003, 2002 / (added 09/2005) |
| Average Open Market Sales Price Of Coal-By Mining Method : Average Open Market Sales Price of Coal by State and Underground Mining Method, 2003 |
| CIESIN: |
| Database On Wind Characteristics: |
| Energy Consumption: data for manufacturing, residential households and transportation, commercial buildings, alternative fuel, and energy efficiency. |
| Global Statistics: |
| International Data Base: |
| Measurement And Instrumentation Data Center (MIDC): |
| National Climatic Data Center Wind Speed Data: new link — Knowing where a high wind resource may exist is valuable to a wind energy project developer or potential wind energy user because it allows them to choose a general area of estimated high wind for more detailed examination. NREL identifies and gathers data for wind resource maps of the United States and foreign countries. These maps help developers or users find areas worthy of detailed wind resource monitoring. |
| NREL/MIDC Solar Position Calculators: |
| The Weather At Keele: new link — Real time data from Keele University’s Automatic Weather Station. Contains temperature, rainfall, solar energy, and satellite images. |
| United Nations Scholars Workstation: |
| US Energy Information Administration : Statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy provides policy independent data, forecasts, and analyses. |
DSE Energy Glossary
| Tail | The part of a wind generator that makes the rotor face into the wind. Often the tail is also involved in governing the machine, by folding down or sideways to swing the rotor out of the wind. |
| Tail Boom Or Vane Boom | The strut that holds the (vane) to the generator frame. |
| Tail/Vane Deflection | A spring loaded vane that folds in a horizontal plane to turn the machine out of the wind as it increases velocity. |
| Tailrace | The pipe, flume, or channel in a hydroelectric system that carries the water from the turbine runner back to the stream or river. |
| Take-Out Point | The metering points at which a metered entity takes delivery of energy. |
| Taking | Reducing the value of someone’s property through government action without just compensation. |
| Tame (Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether) | another oxygenate that can be used in reformulated gasoline. It is an ether based on reactive C5 olefins and methanol. |
| Tar Sands | Sedimentary rocks containing heavy oil that cannot be extracted by conventional petroleum recovery methods. |
| Tare Loss | Loss caused by a charge controller. One minus tare loss, expressed as a percentage, is equal to the controller efficiency. |
| Tariff | A document, approved by the responsible regulatory agency,listing the terms and conditions, including a schedule of prices, under which utility services will be provided. |
| Task Lighting (Task-Oriented Lighting) | Lighting designed specifically to illuminate one or more task locations, and generally confined to those locations. |
| Tax Credits | Credits established by the federal and state government to assist the development of the alternative energy industry. |
| Tebbad | The “fever wind” of Turkestan. |
| Temperature | Degree of hotness or coldness measured on one of several arbitrary scales based on some observable phenomenon (such as the expansion). |
| Temperature Compensation | A circuit that adjusts the charge controller activation points depending on battery temperature. This feature is recommended if the battery temperature is expected to vary more than ±5°C from ambient temperature. |
| Temperature Factors | Are used to decrease battery capacity at cold temperatures, to decrease PV module voltage at high temperatures and to increase the resistance of wire at high temperatures. |
| Therapeutic | the treatment of disease or other disorder; something that may benefit health. (Geothermal) hot springs are often thought of as therapeutic. |
| Therm | One hundred thousand (100,000) British thermal units (1 therm = 100,000 Btu). |
| Thermal | Of, using, producing, or caused by heat. |
| Thermal (Energy) Storage | A technology that lowers the amount of electricity needed for comfort conditioning during utility peak load periods. A buildings thermal energy storage system might, for example, use off-peak power to make ice or to chill water at night, later using the ice or chilled water in a power saving process for cooling during the day. See THERMAL MASS. |
| Thermal Break | A material of low thermal conductivity placed in such a way as to reduce the flow of heat between two materials of high thermal conductivity. |
| Thermal Break (Thermal Barrier) | An element of low heat conductivity placed in such a way as to reduce or prevent the flow of heat. Some metal framed windows are designed with thermal breaks to improve their overall thermal performance. |
| Thermal Electric | Electric energy derived from heat energy, usually by heating a working fluid, which drives a turbogenerator. |
| Thermal Energy | The energy derived from heat. |
| Thermal Mass | A material that has the ability to absorb, store, and release heat energy. The more heat energy that is required to change the temperature of high-density materials (concrete, bricks, tiles), the more thermal mass the materials have. |
| Thermal Power Plant | any stationary or floating electrical generating facility using any source of thermal energy, with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, and any facilities appurtenant thereto. Exploratory, development, and production wells, resource transmission lines, and other related facilities used in connection with a geothermal exploratory project or a geothermal field development project are not appurtenant facilities for the purposes of this division. Thermal powerplant does not include any wind, hydroelectric, or solar photovoltaic electrical generating facility. |
| Thermal Storage Walls | A thermal storage wall that is glazed on the outside . Solar heat strikes the glazing and is absorbed into the wall and slowly heats the room behind the wall. |
| Thermally Enhanced Oil Recovery (Teor) | Injection of steam to increase the amount of petroleum that may be recovered from a well. |
| Thermodynamics | A study of the transformation of energy into other manifested forms and of their practical applications. The three laws of thermodynamics are: 1) Law of Conservation of Energy-energy may be transformed in an isolated system, but its total is constant. 2) Heat cannot be changed directly into work at constant temperature by a cyclic process. 3) Heat capacity and entropy of every crystalline solid becomes zero at absolute zero (0 degrees Kelvin). |
| Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) Device | A device in which solar energy is concentrated on to a radiator which reaches a high temperature and emits the energy in a different part of the spectrum, better matched to the bandgap of the matched solar cell. This approach should enable high cell efficiencies to be obtained. |
| Thermophotovoltaic Cell (Tpv) | A device where sunlight concentrated onto a absorber heats it to a high temperature, and the thermal radiation emitted by the absorber is used as the energy source for a photovoltaic cell that is designed to maximize conversion efficiency at the wavelength of the thermal radiation. |
| Thermostat | An automatic control device designed to be responsive to temperature and typically used to maintain set temperatures by cycling the HVAC system. |
| Thermostat, Setback | A device, containing a clock mechanism, which can automatically change the inside temperature maintained by the HVAC system according to a preset schedule. The heating or cooling requirements can be reduced when a building is unoccupied or when occupants are asleep. |
| Thermosyphon | Passive solar hot water systems that rely on the natural convection of liquids to collect energy. Designed with the tank above the collection surface. |
| Thick Cells | Conventional solar cells in most types of PV modules, such as crystalline silicon cells, which are typically from 200-400 micrometers thick. In contrast, thin-film cells are several microns thick. |
| Thick-Crystalline Materials | Semiconductor material, typically measuring from 200-400 micromterers thick, that is cut from boules, ingots or ribbons. |
| Thin Film | A layer of semiconductor material, such as copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride, gallium arsenide, or amorphous silicon, a few microns or less in thickness, used to make photovoltaic cells. |
| Thin Film Photovoltaic Module | A photovoltaic module constructed with sequential layers of thin film semiconductor materials. See amorphous silicon. |
| Thin Film PV Module | A solar PV module constructed with sequential layers of thin film semiconductor materials usually only micrometers thick. Currently, thin film technologies account for around 12% of all solar modules sold around the world. This share is expected to increase, since thin film technologies represent a potential route to lower costs. |
| Tidal Power | Energy obtained by using the motion of the tides to run water turbines that drive electric generators. |
| Tilt Angle | A fixed angle measured from the horizontal to which a solar array is tilted. The tilt angle is chosen to maximize the array output. Depending upon latitude, season, and time of day, the optimum angle will vary. |
| Tilt-Up Tower | A nonclimbable wind generator tower that tilts up and down to allow installation and servicing of the turbine on the ground. Normally these employ a gin pole—a horizontal lever arm that helps raise and lower the tower. |
| Time-Of-Use (Tou) Rates | The pricing of electricity based on the estimated cost of electricity during a particular time block. Time-of-use rates are usually divided into three or four time blocks per twenty-four hour period (on-peak, mid-peak, off-peak and sometimes super off-peak) and by seasons of the year (summer and winter). Real-time pricing differs from TOU rates in that it is based on actual (as opposed to forecasted) prices which may fluctuate many times a day and are weather-sensitive, rather than varying with a fixed schedule. |
| Time-Of-Use Meter | A measuring device that records the times during which a customer uses various amounts of electricity. This type of meter is used for customers who pay time-of-use rates. |
| Time-Of-Use Rates | Electricity prices that vary depending on the time periods in which the energy is consumed. In a time-of- use rate structure, higher prices are charged during utility peak-load times. Such rates can provide an incentive for consumers to curb power use during peak times. |
| Tin Oxide | A wide band-gap semiconductor similar to indium oxide; used in heterojunction solar cells or to make a transparent conductive film, called NESA glass when deposited on glass. |
| Ton Of Cooling | A useful cooling effect equal to 12,000 Btu hours. |
| Top-Of-Pole Mount | See POLE MOUNT. |
| Total AC Load Demand | The sum of the AC loads; its value is important to select the correct Inverter. |
| Total Harmonic Distortion | The measure of closeness in shape between a waveform and it’s fundamental component. |
| Total Internal Reflection | The trapping of light by refraction and reflection at critical angles inside a semiconductor device so that it cannot escape the device and must be eventually absorbed by the semiconductor. |
| Tracker | A mounting rack for a PV array that automatically tilts to follow the daily path of the sun through the sky. A “tracking array” will produce more energy through the course of the day than a “fixed array” (nontracking), particularly during the long days of summer. Some trackers are single-axis while others are dual-axis. |
| Tracking Array | A photovoltaic (PV) array that follows the path of the sun to maximize the solar radiation incident on the PV surface. The two most common orientations are (1) one axis where the array tracks the sun east to west and (2) two-axis tracking where the array points directly at the sun at all times. Tracking arrays use both the direct and diffuse sunlight. Two-axis tracking arrays capture the maximum possible daily energy. |
| Trade Wind | The consistent system of prevailing winds occupying most of the tropics. They constitute the major component of the general circulation of the atmosphere. Trade winds blow northeasterly in the Northern Hemisphere and southeasterly in the Southern Hemisphere. The trades, as they are sometimes called, are the most persistent wind system on earth. |
| Trading Day | The 24-hour period beginning at midnight and ending at the following midnight. |
| Trailing Edge | The blade edge that faces away from the direction of rotation. |
| Transfer (Electric Utility) | To move electric energy from one utility system to another over transmission lines. |
| Transformer | A device that raises or lowers the voltage or force of AC electricity. |
| Transistor | A semiconductor device that is used as a switch in a circuit. |
| Transition Costs | See Embedded Costs Exceeding Market Prices. |
| Transmission | Transporting bulk power over long distances. |
| Transmission Lines | The wires for getting high voltage electricity from one place to another. |
| Transmission Owner | An entity that owns transmission facilities or has firm contractual right to use transmission facilities. |
| Transmission-Dependent Utility | A utility that relies on its neighboring utilities to transmit to it the power it buys from its suppliers. A utility without its own generation sources, dependent on another utility’s transmission system to get its purchased power supplies. |
| Transmittance | The time rate of heat flow per unit area under steady conditions from the air (or other fluid) on the warm side of a barrier to the air (or fluid) on the cool side, per unit temperature difference between the two sides. |
| Transmitting Utility (Transco) | This is a regulated entity which owns, and may construct and maintain, wires used to transmit wholesale power. It may or may not handle the power dispatch and coordination functions. It is regulated to provide non-discriminatory connections,comparable service and cost recovery. According to EPAct, any electric utility, qualifying cogeneration facility, qualifying small power production facility, or Federal power marketing agency which owns or operates electric power transmission facilities which are used for the sale of electric energy at wholesale. (See also "Generation Dispatch & Control" and "PowerPool.") |
| Transpired Solar Collectors | use solar energy to preheat ventilation air. |
| Trash Rack | A large strainer at the input to a hydro system. Used to remove debris from the water before it enters the pipe. |
| Tray Cable (Tc) | may be used for interconnecting balance-of-systems. |
| Trickle Charge | A charge at a low rate, balancing through self-discharge losses, to maintain a cell or battery in a fully charged condition. |
| Tsr | Tip Speed Ratio. The ratio of how much faster the blade tips are moving compared to the speed of the wind. |
| Tunneling | Quantum mechanical concept whereby an electron is found on the opposite side of an insulating barrier without having passed through or around the barrier. |
| Turbine | a machine with blades that are rotated by the forceful movement of liquid or gas, such as air, steam or water or a combination. |
| Turbine Generator | A device that uses steam, heated gases, water flow or wind to cause spinning motion that activates electromagnetic forces and generates electricity. |
| Turbine-Generator | A machine in which the energy of a moving fluid, such as water or steam, is converted to mechanical power that drives an electric generator. |
| Turbulence | A swirling motion of the atmosphere that interrupts the flow of wind. |
| Turbulent | Violently agitated or disturbed. |
| Turgo | In hydroelectric systems, a type of impact hydro runner optimized for lower heads and higher volumes than a Pelton runner. |
| Two-Axis Tracking | A photovoltaic array tracking system capable of rotating independently about two axes (e.g., vertical and horizontal). |
| Typhoon | The name for a hurricane that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, west of the International Dateline (180 degrees longitude). |
Renewable Energy Products & Services — E-Em
| E Marine Inc : A leading products and consultancy company – providing power based solutions on a wide range of renewable energy options. / (added 09/2005) |
| E Source: Web site purpose: "Save money in an Earth friendly manner". |
| E+Co: Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Earth 911: Located in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota |
| Earth Materials: Located in Rockledge, Florida |
| Earth Preservation Funds Inc: |
| Earth Science Agency Llc: Located in Ft Lauderdale, Florida |
| Earth Sense Energy Systems: Discount supplier of Odor buster holding tank vent line filter, Kyocera and Uni-Solar solar panels, Air Marine wind generators, deep cycle batteries, charge controllers, and accessories. |
| Earth Shelter : E Source provides membership-based information services, subscription-based focused research services, multi-client sector studies, consulting services, and technical reference materials. E Source information services provide member organizations with unbiased, independent analysis of retail energy markets, services, and technologies. E Source clients include electric and gas utilities and other energy service providers, large corporate and institutional energy users, government agencies, energy service companies, manufacturers, consultants, research institutions, and other organizations. |
| Earth Solar: Located in Bloomfield, New Jersey |
| Earthsense: Located in Minnesota, United States |
| Earthship Home: Located in Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Eco Build: ESA uses advances in scientific knowledge and industrial technology to help American communities utilize the most beneficial products and services of the emerging environmental industry. / (added 09/2005) |
| Eco Energies: Midwest’s largest dealer and selection of pellet stoves, corn stoves and furnaces |
| Eco Links: provides a structural-forming kit system used to build cement domes or arches, which are usually used for earth, sheltered homes. |
| Ecofootagecom: Wind and solar power, components, custom design. / (added 09/2005) |
| Ecofys: Located in Carbondale, Colorado |
| Ecoiqcom Energy: Earthship Home of the Giat, Art and Science of Vic Cook Learn to live for free. |
| Ecoliving Center: Suzy Banks on earth-sheltered homes |
| Ecological Systems: Sells renewable energy products: photovoltaic solar panels, inverters, wind generators, deep cycle batteries, regulators and other alternative energy products for residential, RV, & boat applications. |
| Ecosolar Solarstromanlagen: Ecobuild is your place for Sustainable Green Architecture & Design. Take a look around – tell us what you think. / (added 09/2005) |
| Ecospeakers: Designs, constructs, delivers and maintains renewable energy power systems and related energy efficiency products using wind, solar, small hydro and other green power and energy efficiency technologies. |
| Ecosystems : provides resources for those interested in eco-products, green businesses, and services. |
| Ecotécnia : Supplies affordable royalty-free video stock footage collections on environmental and sustainability-related topics including the natural world, land. Located in California, United States |
| Ecotope : Renewable energy consultancy based in the Netherlands / (added 09/2005) |
| Ecotradenet: provides a portal to more than 1200 energy sites online, articles, a calendar, anthologies, educational resources, media resources, and more. |
| Eklektix: A small consulting firm with a strong commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability. Designs innovative building systems and resource conservation programs to further the vision of an environmentally sound and cost-effective building environment. / (added 09/2005) |
| Ekopower Monitoring & Control Systems : low price alternative energy supplier, system design, and equipment for all your remote, mobile, or grid tie power needs. |
| El Paso Electric Company: earth friendly, non-toxic products and information about alternative living and an Austin, TX resource for green builders and a healthier, sustainable lifestyle. |
| Electric Alternatives: Offers a broad range of products for science enthusiasts, including telescopes, binoculars, microscopes, chemistry sets, magnets, science projects, solar panels, rock tumblers, metal detectors, optics, magnifiers and thousands of other astronomical, geological, meteorological and biological items from companies like Celestron, Meade, Nikon, Ohaus, Acculab, Steiner and Edmund Scientific. |
| Electric America: |
| Electric Generators Direct: Authorized distributor of BP Solar. Supplier of complete prepackaged solar energy systems. Located in Raceland, Louisiana |
| Electric Goose: renewable energy and web site design in co leitrim Ireland. |
| Electric Motor Bicycles Inc: |
| Electric Rates: Kit and pre-assembled charge controller/low-voltage disconnect |
| Electric Reliability Coordinating Council (Ercc): Supplies data acquisition and control systems, sensors and instruments for energy, including solar and wind energy, agro meteorology and environment. System design and engineering, installation, training and consultancy. |
| Electrifying Times: Located in El Paso, Texas |
| Electro Automotive: Located in Esko, Minnesota |
| Electrochem Inc: Located in Tustin, California |
| Electromarine Services: Located in Unknown, United States |
| Electronic Ballasts Led Lighting Led Bulbs Dimmable And Hid Ballast And Energy Saving Products By Sage: The Embi is safe, eco-friendly in-town transportation. These beautifully styled, electric motor bicycles are great for commuting, shopping and recreation! |
| Electrotek Concepts Inc: This Web site serves a portal to other Web sites via which one can purchase surge protectors, batteries, and generators and find information on issues pertaining to electricity, energy, generation, oil, and gas. |
| Electrovent: Located in Unknown, United States |
| Element 1 Power Systems: online version of the newsstand publication dedicated to the latest EV, HEV and NEV news. / (added 09/2005) |
| Element 1 Power Systems Manufacturing : wants to share what they have learned with you. This site can help you discover what kind of electric car chassis, motor size, voltage, etc. might work for you. |
| Elite Solar Systems: ElectroChem Inc. provides for businesses and government agencies R&D in the fuel cell industry and supplies products including PEM fuel cells and stacks, as well as Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells. It directly manufactures components such as electrodes and membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEA) and acts as a distributor for the original manufacturers of all other major components necessary to assemble PEM fuel cells. |
| Elmo Crowe And Sons: |
| E-Mon Corporation: Manufacturer of Electronic ballasts LED lighting led bulbs, dimmable and HID ballast, and Energy saving products. We offer a unique range of LED strips, bulbs, and fixtures for 12VDC applications as well as 12V-24V electronic ballasts |
| Empire District Electric: Electrotek Concepts, Inc. provides power and energy systems analysis, planning, and solutions. It is known for its expertise in power quality, distributed generation, renewable energy, energy management, and utility communication systems. Electrotek works with an international group of clients and associates, including electric utilities, consultants, equipment vendors, research organizations, and government agencies to increase the efficiency of the transport and use of electrical energy. Electrotek has also done much of the recently published work investigating and quantifying power quality. |
Research & Reference Materials
| Endecon Engineering : |
| Enerex: Learning Kits, low power fuel cells & systems up to 1kW. / (added 09/2005) |
| Energetech Australia: Located in Chandler, Arizona |
| Energy Alternatives: The Elsam Group is the largest producer of electricity in Denmark consisting of Elsam and the six Jutland-Funen power companies. |
| New URL Energy Development Co Operative Limited: Located in Michigan, United States |
| Energy Efficiency: Company description, research about wave power generation of electricity, descriptions of equipment, photographs, video and drawings. |
| Energy Efficiency Solar El Solutions: is a single store location energy efficient and energy supplementation products for the home and small business. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy Efficiency Systems Inc (Ees): Offers information and equipment to assist in the design and installation of alternative energy products including solar electric (photovoltaic), solar-thermal, wind, micro hydro, inverters, batteries, and energy efficient appliances. |
| Energy Enterprises Inc : Located in Sapello, New Mexico |
| Energy Foundation: Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Energy Harvester: Specialists in sustainable energy solutions. Catalogue, containing solar powered products, solar panels and wind turbines. |
| Energy Northwest: Our focus at Energy Enterprises, Inc. is to bring together our customers with renewable clean energy systems and options. Energy Enterprises has been. Located in Mays Landing ,NJ, New Jersey / (added 09/2005) |
| Energy On-Line: Mission is to assist in the nation’s transition to a sustainable energy future by promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy |
| Energy Outfitters Ltd: assists local, state, and federal organizations, utilities, and the U.S. photovoltaic industry by conducting testing, systems engineering, and characterizations of photovoltaic modules and cells. |
| Energy Photovoltaics Inc: PV & Solar Thermal Systems |
| Energy Products Of Idaho (Epi): |
| Energy Saving Products And Management: Located in Boulder, Colorado |
| Energy Savings Store: Located in Palm Springs, California |
| Energy Systems & Design: Located in New York, New York |
| Energy Unlimited Hawaii: Located in Washington, United States |
| Energy4tomorrow: Energy On-Line offers business and regulatory information on the energy industry, with an emphasis on electric industry restructuring. The Web site maintains an archive of news, reports, events, models, and organizations pertinent to the restructuring of the electric power industry. |
| Energyalley: Energy Outfitters, Ltd. is a value added distributor specializing in wholesale distribution of renewable energy systems and products that make sense for a sustainable future. Located in Grants Pass, Oregon |
| Energybook: Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) is a privately owned US company based in Princeton, New Jersey, whose focus is the growing photovoltaic (PV) module market. EPV’s core product is an integrated manufacturing system for the production of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film photovoltaic modules (a “PV-IMS”). |
| Energyhawk: Supplier of waste fuel fired fluidized bed combustion/boiler technology. Focus on combustion and gasification of biomass and solid waste fuels. |
| Enerpro: Located in Racine, Wisconsin |
| Engineered Sheet Materials: The Energy Savings Store, a subsidiary of ROI Energy Solutions, is a Renewable Energy Services Company that provides Wind Power, Solar PV and Hydrogen. Located in Wentzville, Missouri |
| Engineered Siding And Trim: has been producing micro-hydroelectric components since 1980. We make equipment that converts the energy in moving water into electricity. / (added 09/2005) |
| Engineered Structural Materials: Energy Unlimited installs and services solar and photovoltaic systems for business and residential customers in Hawaii. |
| Engineering Services Co: Develops contacts between renewable energy businesses. |
| Enlink Geoenergy Services Inc: provides a Comprehensive and up-to-date Collection of Educational and Professional Resources on the various forms of Alternative Energy. / (added 09/2005) |
| Entech Engineering Inc : We have a website focused on energy where you can buy and sell products free of charge. Check us out for some great services. You can add as many classified ads as you like for 52-week period free of charge. www.wxtrade.com Hope you will visit us soon / (added 09/2005) |
| Entech Inc : Located in Seattle, Washington |
| Entergy: Located in Goleta, California |
| Enviromission Limited: |
| Environmental Analysis Inc: |
| Environmental Media Northhwest: Dealer and installer. |
| Environmental Resource Web (Erweb): providing photovoltaic and solar design and consulting services to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers. |
| Environmental Solar Systems: Solar technology provider of concentrating photovoltaic (PV) systems. |
| Environmental Support Solutions: Located in New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Envirothrm: Sponsors of the project to build a large-scale (200-MW) solar thermal power station based on a 1-km-tall solar tower. Information about solar tower technology and the project under way in Australia. |
| Enxco : Located in Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Epi (Energy Products Of Idaho): EDC manufactures a dust suppressant from soybean oil soapstock This can be used on roads parking lots campgrounds etc |
| Epicenter: Located in Seattle, Washington |
| Epower Dc Generators: primarily engaged in the ownership and operation of electric generating facilities fueled by waste coal. |
| Equipped To Survive |
| : a comprehensive web utility that conveys current information about the Environmental Industry to all sectors of American society. In this way, erWEB is helping Americans understand and utilize the products and services of the emerging Environmental Industry. |
| Equitable Production : manufacturer of solar coffee bean dryers, food and vegetable dehydrators, water and air heaters, photovoltaic installations, sunrooms, and other solar products. |
| Equitable Resources Inc (Eri): Located in Unknown, United States |
| Equitable Utilities : We design and market energy saving products. |
| Ergenics Inc: Develop and operate wind turbine systems and provide design, procurement, construction and financing services. / (added 09/2005) |
| Erhards Electric: |
| Eurotech Home Products: has an "off grid" home/shop with 3 different wind generators, different brands of panels, inverters etc. so that people can see and hear the products we sell and install. |
| Ev Solar Products: An AE retailer in Chino Valley, Arizona |
| Evergreen Development: Designer and Installer of sustainable housing. To include EPA/Certified energy star homes, total integration of solar, wind, hydro, remote livestock pumps. / (added 09/2005) |
| Evergreen Solar: Developer and manufacturer of PV modules |
| Exelon Corporation: Located in Unknown, United States |
| Exeltech Inverters: Manufactures true sine wave power inverters for telecom, military, utility, photography, and solar energy. |
| Explorer Appliance Corporation: Located in San Diego, California |
> Renewable Energy Products & Services
DSE Energy Glossary
| Quad | One quadrillion Btu (1,000,000,000,000,000 Btu). |
| Qualification Test | A procedure applied to a selected set of photovoltaic modules involving the application of defined electrical, mechanical, or thermal stress in a prescribed manner and amount. Test results are subject to a list of defined requirements. |
| Qualification Test (PV) | A testing procedure for PV modules relating to electrical, mechanical, or thermal stress. |
| Qualifying Facility | A cogenerator or small power producer which under federal law, has the right to sell its excess power output to the public utility. |
| Qualifying Facility (Qf) | Under PURPA, QFs were allowed to sell their electric output to the local utility at avoided cost rates. To become a QF, the independent power supplier had to produce electricity with a specified fuel type (cogeneration or renewables), and meet certain ownership, size, and efficiency criteria established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. |
| Quartz-Halogen Light | An incandescent lamp filled with halogen gas. Somewhat more efficient than standard incandescents. |
| Quasi Sine-Wave | A description of the type of waveform produced by some inverters. |