APES Unit 6

Fossil Fuel

fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago

Nonrenewable energy resource

an energy source with a finite supply, primarily the fossil and nuclear fuels

Nuclear Fuel

fuel derived from radioactive materials that give off energy

Energy Conservation

Finding and implementing ways to use less energy

1st law of thermodynamics

energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can change from one form to another

2nd Law of thermodynamics

When energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes.

Tiered Rate System

A billing system used by some electric companies in which customers pay higher rates as their use goes up

Peak Demand

The greatest quantity of energy used at any one time.

Passive Solar Design

Construction designed to take advantage of solar radiation without active technology

Thermal Mass

A property of a building material that allows it to maintain heat or cold.

Potentially Renewable

An energy source that can be regenerated indefinitely as long as it is not overused.

Nondepletable

An energy source that cannot be used up.

Renewable

A source that is potentially renewable or nondepletable.

Biofuels

Liquid fuel created from processed or refined biomass.

Fossil Carbon

Carbon in FF

Ethanol

Alcohol made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2

Hydroelectricity

Electricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water,

Modern Carbon

Carbon in biomass that was recently in the atmosphere.

Carbon Neutral

Does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations

Bio Diesel

A diesel substitute produced by extracting and chemically altering oil from plants.

Tidal Energy

Energy that comes from the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the moon.

Net Removal

The process of removing more than is replaced by growth, typically used when referring to carbon.

Flex-Fuel Vehicle

A vehicle that runs on either gasoline or a gasoline/ethanol mixture

Siltation

The accumulation of sediments, primarily silt, on the bottom of a reservoir.

Active Solar Energy

Energy captured from sunlight with advanced technologies

Photovoltaic Solar Cell

A system of capturing energy from sunlight & converting it directly into electricity

Wind Turbine

A turbine that converts wind energy into electricity

Geothermal Energy

Heat energy comes from the natural radioactive decay of elements deep within Earth.

Ground Source Heat Pump

A technology that transfers heat from the ground to a building

Fuel Cell

An electrical-chemical device that converts fuel into an electrical current

Electrolysis

The application of an electrical current to water molecules to split them into hydrogen and oxygen