Energy

A liquid volume equal to 42 US gallons, used to indicate quantities of petroleum products.

A fuel made of oils from plant materials or animal fats and used as a diesel fuel substitute or diesel fuel extender.

A liquid fuel made of plant material and used as a partial substitute for gasoline.

Plant or animal material, often wood or grasses, that can be converted into energy through burning or through conversion into a gas or liquid fuel which is then burned.

A long-term investment in the improvement of a fixed asset, such as a building or infrastructure, requiring a comparatively high financial outlay.

The production of electricity and useful heat using a common energy source.

The systematic process of verifying and documenting that building systems are functioning as intended.

The total energy used to produce, transport, and dispose of a product.

A systematic, detailed analysis of how and where a building uses energy.

Using less energy to perform the same tasks.

The amount of useful work done by each unit of fuel.

A company which provides measurement and verification and energy efficiency services for a building and whose fees are paid for out of the energy savings.

An index used to measure building efficiency, usually expressed as a ratio of Btu per square foot of gross floor area per year.

Combustible geologic deposits formed from partially decomposed remains of organisms trapped in the Earth’s crust and converted to coal, oil, and natural gas by exposure to heat and pressure.

A device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

A network of interconnected transmission and distribution lines that distributes electricity from power generation stations to users.

A written plan which verifies that investments in energy efficiency measures are providing the benefits expected.

A billing arrangement that allows customers who generate their own electricity to sell excess electricity to the local power utility.

A net-zero energy building is one which produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year.

The point at which oil reaches its highest production levels, after which the rate of production declines.

Partially decomposed plant material that has accumulated in a water-saturated anaerobic environment.

One of the three types of fossil fuel; also known as oil.

Energy consumed by electronic devices when they are turned off or in standby mode.

A semiconductor device which converts solar energy directly to electricity.

The total known amount of an economically recoverable resource.

The total quantity of a material that exists in the Earth’s crust, whether or not it has been discovered.