chapter 16 Flashcards
System that uses solar collectors to capture energy from the sun and store it as heat for space heating and water heating. Liquid or air pumped through the collectors transfers the captured heat to a storage system such as an insulated water tank or rock bed. Pumps or fans then distribute the solar heating system.
active solar heating system
gas (such as methane) or liquid fuel (such as ethyl alcohol or biodiesel) made from plant material (biomass).
biofuel
Organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem; plant materials and animal wastes used as fuel.
biomass
production of two useful forms of energy, such as high-temperature heat or steam and electricity, from the same fuel source
cogeneration/
combined heat and power (CHP) production
Percentage of the total energy input that does useful work and is not converted into low-quality, generally useless heat in an energy conversion system or process.
energy efficiency
Heat transferred from the earth’s underground concentrations of dry steam (steam with no water droplets), wet steam (a mixture of steam and water droplets), or hot water trapped in fractured or porous rock.
geothermal energy
structure in which the energy of falling or flowing water spins a turbine generator to produce electricity
hydroelectric power plant
electrical energy produced by falling or flowing water
hydropower
buses, trains, trolleys, and other forms of transportation that carry large numbers of people
mass transit
System that, without the use of mechanical devices, captures sunlight directly within a structure and converts it into low-temperature heat for space heating or for heating water for domestic use.
passive solar heating system
device that convert radiant energy directly into electrical energy
Photovoltaic (PV) cell/
Solar cell
system that uses any of various methods to collect and concentrate solar energy in order to boil water and produce steam for generating electricity
solar thermal system
House that is heavily insulated and extremely airtight. Typically, active or passive solar collectors are used to heat water, and an air-to-air heat exchanger prevents buildup of excessive moisture and indoor air pollutants.
super-insulated house
Cluster of wind turbines in a windy area on land or at sea, built to capture wind energy and convert it into electrical energy.
wind farm
