Glossary

Energy glossary

747 definitions · page 11 of 13.

RESIDUE: any organic matter left as residue, such as agricultural and forestry residue, including, but not limited to, conifer thinnings, dead and dying trees, commercial hardwood, noncommercial hardwoods and softwoods, chaparral, burn, mill, agricultural field, and…
RESISTANCE (ELECTRICAL): The ability of all conductors of electricity to resist the flow of current, turning some of it into heat. Resistance depends on the cross section of the conductor (the smaller the cross section, the greater the resistance) and its temperature (the hotter the…
RESISTANCE (THERMAL): The reciprocal of thermal conductance. See R-VALUE.
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY: The use of smaller amounts of physical resources to produce the same product or service. Resource efficiency involves a concern for the use of all physical resource sand materials used in the production and use cycle, not just the energy input.
RESTRUCTURING: The reconfiguration of the vertically-integrated electric utility. Restructuring usually refers to separation of the various utility functions into individually-operated and -owned entities.
RETAIL COMPETITION: A system under which more than one electric provider can sell to retail customers, and retail customers are allowed to buy from more than one provider. (See also direct access)
RETAIL MARKET: A market in which electricity and other energy services are sold directly to the end-use customer.
RETORTING: The heating of oil shale to get the oil out from it.
RETROFIT: broad term that applies to any change after the original purchase, such as adding equipment not a part of the original purchase. As applied to alternative fuel vehicles, it refers to conversion devices or kits for conventional fuel vehicles. (Same as…
RTG: A Regional Transmission Group. A voluntary organization of transmission owners,users, and other entities interested in coordinating transmission planning, expansion, operation,and use on a regional and inter-regional basis. Such groups are subject to FERC…
RULES OF CONDUCT: Rules set in advance to delineate acceptable activities by participants,particularly participants with significant market power.
RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE: A nonprofit, customer-owned electric utility that distributes power in a rural area. As of June 1990, there are three rural electric cooperatives in California: Anza Electric Cooperative in Anza Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative in Portola Sunrise…
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.
SCE: The acronym for Southern California Edison Company an electric utility serving the southern California region.
SCHEDULING COORDINATOR: Scheduling coordinators (SCs) submit balanced schedules and provide settlement-ready meter data to the ISO. Scheduling coordinators also:
SDG&E: The acronym for San Diego Gas & Electric an electric and natural gas utility serving the San Diego, California, region.
SE (Seasonal Efficiency): a measure of the percentage of heat from the combustion of gas and from associated electrical equipment which is transferred to the space being heated during a year under specified conditions. California Code of Regulations, Section 2-1602(d)(11).
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…
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. [See…
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…
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…
SENSIBLE HEAT: Heat that results in a temperature change.
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.
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 - 1): The protection from heat gains due to direct solar radiation; 2) Shading is provided by (a) permanently attached exterior devices, glazing materials, adherent materials applied to the glazing, or an adjacent building for nonresidential buildings, hotels…
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.
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 - any location on which a facility is constructed or is proposed to be constructed.
SITE ENERGY: The energy consumed at a building location or other end-use site. SKYLIGHT - Any opening in the roof surface which is glazed with a transparent or translucent material. [See California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Section 2-5302]
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.
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…
SMUD: The acronym for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, an electric utility serving the greater Sacramento, California, region.
SOLAR CELL: A photovoltaic cell that can convert light directly into electricity. A typical solar cell uses semiconductors made from silicon.
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 ENERGY: Heat and light radiated from the sun.
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…
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…
SOLAR IRRADIATION: The amount of radiation, both direct and diffuse, that can be received at any given location.
SOLAR POWER: Electricity generated from solar radiation.
SOLAR RADIATION: Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.
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…
SOLAR THERMAL: The process of concentrating sunlight on a relatively small area to create the high temperatures needs to vaporize water or other fluids to drive a turbine for generation of electric power.
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…
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…
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…
SPECIFIC HEAT: In English units, the quantity of heat, in Btu, needed to raise the temperature of one pound of material one degree Fahrenheit.
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.
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…
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. [See California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Section 1602(e)(13)]
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…
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 TYPE WATER HEATER: A water heater that heats and stores water at a thermostatically controlled temperature for delivery on demand. [See California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Section 1602(f)(6)]
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…
STRANDED COSTS STRANDED ASSETS: See embedded Costs Exceeding Market Prices.
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…
SUBSTATION: A facility that steps up or steps down the voltage in utility power lines. Voltage is stepped up where power is sent through long-distance transmission lines. it is stepped down where the power is to enter local distribution lines.