Env. Sci. Energy resoruces

Activation products

Atomic nuclei that become radioactive because they have absorbed neutrons that change them into less stable nuclei that emit ionising radiation.

Barrage

A dam built across an estuary to generate tidal power.

Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)

An early design of low

Combined heat and power station (CHP)

A power station that has a high overall energy efficiency because the heat energy from the condenser cooling water is harnessed and used, often for heating buildings.

Concentrating solar power (CSP)

A method of increasing the intensity of solar energy by using a parabolic array of mirrors to reflect the light onto a smaller area.

Efficiency

A measure of the amount of product compared with the inputs usually expressed as a percentage.

Embodied energy

The amount of energy that was used to make and install an item.

Energy density

The amount of energy in a particular mass of fuel or that can be harnessed by a particular mass of equipment.

Fuel cell

An electrochemical device that produces electricity from the chemical reaction between two substances (usually hydrogen or an alcohol) and oxygen.

Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT)

Wind turbines where the blades rotate around a generator that has a horizontal axis of rotation.

Hydroelectric power

A method of generating electricity using the downhill flow of water to turn turbines and generators.

Hydrogen economy

The proposal that hydrogen produced by electrolysing water could be used as the main fuel to meet a country’s energy demands.

In-stream turbines

Tidal turbines that are rotated by marine currents, but without having a barrage to focus the water flow.

Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS)

A method of slowing a vehicle by using the kinetic energy of the vehicle to turn a flywheel or charge batteries. The stored energy is used for acceleration which reduces the amount of fuel that needs to be used.

Laser fusion

A developmental nuclear fusion technique that uses a laser beam to cause fusion in beads of frozen hydrogen.

LED (Light emitting diode)

These are very energy-efficient lights

Limecrete

An alternative to concrete that has a much lower embodied energy because it uses calcium hydroxide rather than cement.

Nuclear fission

Nuclear power that involves the splitting of the nuclei of large atoms such as uranium 235 and plutonium 239.

Nuclear fusion

Nuclear power that involves the joining of the nuclei of small atoms such as hydrogen 2 (deuterium) and hydrogen 3 (tritium).

Oil shales

Fine sedimentary rock that contains kerogen: a solid form of crude oil.

Peak shaving

The process of storing surplus energy to satisfy later peaks in demand.

Photothermal

A system that converts light into heat.

Photovoltaic (PV)

A system that converts light into electricity.

Plutonium reactors

Nuclear fission reactors that use plutonium as the fissile fuel.

Power to gas systems (P2G)

A method of using surplus electricity which would be wasted to produce methane gas.

Pumped storage HEP

An energy storage system where surplus electricity is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher one. The energy stored as gravitational potential energy is allowed to flow downhill to generate electricity during periods of high electricity demand.

Rammed earth

A wall construction method where materials such as clay, soil, straw and sand are compacted. Because no cement is used it has a low embodied energy.

Secondary fuel

An energy source that is produced by the conversion of a primary fuel.

Tar sands

Very viscous crude oil found in sand.

Thermal mass

A measure of the ability of a material or structure to absorb and store heat.

Thorium reactor

A reactor that uses thorium 232 as a fertile fuel. Neutron bombardment converts the thorium 232 into uranium 233 which is fissile and releases energy.

Tidal barrage

A tidal power scheme where a dam

Tidal lagoon

A tidal power scheme where a section of a bay or estuary is impounded by a seawall which has sluice tunnels and turbines like a tidal barrage. The environmental impacts are lower than those of a barrage as it only covers part of the bay or estuary.

Tidal power

A method of generating electricity using the tidal water flow caused by the gravitational forces between the Moon and Earth.

Vehicle to grid systems (V2G)

An energy storage method in which the batteries in vehicles are connected to the local electricity grid. If there is a shortage of electricity from other sources, a proportion of the energy from the batteries can be used to maintain supplies.

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT)

Wind turbines where the blades rotate around a generator that has a vertical axis of rotation.

Wave power

A method of generating electricity using the movement of water caused by winds blowing over the water surface.

Toroidal reactor

A nuclear fusion reactor in which hydrogen plasma is held in a torus: a ring-shaped tube.