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Energy Use Investigation
Glossary of Terms
Here you will find a list of terms and phrases explained in an easy to understand manner.
A - B | C - D | E - End | Energy - Externality
F - G | H - K | L - M | N | P | R - S | T - W
- Energy
- 1. The ability to organize or change matter. 2. The ability to do work. See
British thermal unit,
Kilowatt-hour for units of energy.
- Energy charge
- The cost of electricity or natural gas energy used by a utility consumer.
The energy charge equals the amount of electricity or natural gas used by the
customer times the electric or natural gas rate.
- Energy conservation
- Wise use and careful management of energy resources by reducing wasteful
energy use, using energy for a given purpose more efficiently, or reducing
energy use altogether. See Conservation.
- Energy conversion
- The process of changing one form of energy into another. For example, the
chemical energy in gasoline can be converted into kinetic energy (energy of
motion) by an automobile engine. See Energy
conversion device.
- Energy conversion device
- A device specifically designed to convert one form of energy into another.
For example, a solar cell is a device that converts solar energy into electrical
energy. See Energy conversion.
- Energy efficiency
- The ratio or percentage of useful work or energy output to total work or
energy input in any energy system. For example, the efficiency of a home heating
system is equal to the percentage of energy in the fuel or other source that is
converted into useful heat. See Efficiency, Efficient, Inefficient.
- Energy forms
- Basic kinds of energy that are different and distinct from each other. Two
main forms of energy are potential energy (the energy in matter) and kinetic
energy (the energy of motion). More specific forms of energy include thermal, elastic, electromagnetic (e.g., light, electrical, magnetic), gravitational, chemical, and nuclear energy.
- Energy resource
- Energy source that is used to meet the needs of a human society. For
example, oil is an energy resource because it is used to produce fuel for
transportation and heating needs. Energy resources are subsets of energy
sources.
- Energy resource management
- Actions and strategies taken by an individual or group to meet their needs
by using a specific type of energy resource, reducing wasteful energy use, using
energy efficiently, or reducing energy use altogether. See Energy use practice.
- Energy use practice
- The way an individual, a group of people, or a society generally use energy.
- Externality cost
- Portion of the cost of production and marketing of a product that is borne
by society, not by the producer, and thus is not included in the price of the
product. For example, the cost of cleaning up a beach after an oil spill is
usually not included in the price of motor oil bought at an automotive supply
store.
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