AltEnToday

Every industry has its own jargon, and of course the energy sector is no different. This is a collection of terms and glossary words that I will keep updated as I learn them. Ideally, this will stay in alphabetical order… Let’s hope. If you have any words or phrases that you’d like to add, please post a comment at the bottom of this page. Thanks!

A

Alternative Energy - Alternative Energy is a catch-all phrase that is used to describe sources of energy (primarily electricity) that is renewable, sustainable, and “clean”-er than traditional energy sources. This primarily constitutes solar, wind, tidal, hyrdoelectric, and geothermal. Nuclear is typically considered an alternative energy source as well, although the process of generating power from nuclear fission requires a deplete-able input (uranium) and a toxic byproduct (spent rods).

B

Biofuel - Wikipedia.org - Dictionary.com - Biofuel is a fuel that provides energy from biological sources. This term is essentially another “catch-all” describing a wide range of sources and solutions, ranging from oils, plant matter, alcohols, and more. Biofuels are often sought as a potential solution for alleviating supply pressures on oil supplies, because many experts predict that ethanol, methanol, and biodiesel can be produced in a cost-effective manner compared to high oil prices. It is unclear yet whether large-scale biofuels can be implemented without radically influencing the price of food supplies.

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F

Fuel Cell - Wikipedia.org - A fuel cell is a technology that converts inputs in to electricity + an output. For transportation and other relevant applications where alternative energy is concerned, one of the most practical fuel cells are based on hydrogen. A hydrogen fuel cell receives hydrogen on one side, oxygen on the other, and produces electricity and water. These types of hydrogen fuel cells are envisioned to have vast applications not only for transportation applications, but also home and commercial installations. For instance, a solar panel at a home might be able to produce pressurized hydrogen during the daytime, and then that hydrogen could be used in a fuel cell to power a home during the evening (when the sun is down). Producing significant amounts of pure pressurized hydrogen represents significant engineering and technological hurdles still to overcome.

G

H

Heliostat - Wikipedia.org - A fancy word for a mirror, basically. Heliostats are used primarily in concentrated thermal solar applications. A large array of heliostats can be installed around a central thermal collector. The concentration of solar energy from the heliostats can be used to heat water or other material to power a generator / turbine to create electricity.

Hubbert’s Peak (Also known as Peak Oil) - Wikipedia.org - A theory developed by Mr. M. King Hubbert while working at Shell Oil Company. Hubbert’s Peak is the point where half of all the oil has been extracted from the Earth. Hubbert made his initial suggestion that the United States would reach peak in the early 1970’s (which has been since proven true), and that global oil extraction would follow a similar pattern. Hubbert’s Peak is a widely disputed theory, both in the inputs and outputs of the math he uses as well as the fundamental nature of oil on this planet (whether it is as finite a resource as is commonly considered). M. King Hubbert tribute website.

Hydrogen - Wikipedia.org - Hydrogen Association - Hydrogen is a chemical element that naturally occurs in nature (more than anything else, actually). Hydrogen has an atomic weight of 1, and is the start of the periodic table. Hydrogen, in terms of energy, is a very appealing possibility. Hydrogen is extremely flammable, produces a colorless, odorless flame, and does not output carbon emissions when burned. Hydrogen, however, is not common in it’s pure form, which means that other methods must be found to extract hydrogen from a source. Furthermore, hydrogen provides much less energy versus other sources in terms of density, which means hydrogen must be compressed significantly to be commercially viable (leading to potential hazards).

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P

Photovoltaic (PV) - Dictionary.com - Wikipedia.org - Essentially, a photovotaic device is anything that absorbs light energy and translates that in to electric power. Solar power is derived from either PV panels, or through the use of Thermal Solar collectors. The origin of the word is photo (light) and voltaic (energy).

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Sustainability - Wikipedia.org - Dictionary.com - Sustainability is the concept of withdrawing no more from any system than the system itself can replenish on a regular basis. Specifically in the field of energy, sustainability objectives aim to ensure that our global withdrawal from our energy sources does not exceed the long term capabilities of the system. This has significant ramifications in our relationship with petroleum sources, since those are non-renewing sources of energy.

T

Thermal Solar - Wikipedia.org - Thermal solar describes the process and equipment used to convert solar energy (ie sunlight) in to thermal energy (ie heat). Many rooftop solar panels are actually harnessing the power of the sun’s energy directly as heat and never converting it in to electricity - it simply assists your hot water heater and storage system. Another type of thermal solar are arrays that use large groups of reflective mirrors to shine concentrated sunlight on a collector. The collector heats up, and water is run through it. The heat from the sun turns the water in to steam, which is then pushed through a turbine generator to produce electricity.

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