APES Unit 6 Vocab

fossil fuel

a type of non-renewable energy source that are formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago

nuclear fuel

the fuel that is used in a nuclear reactor to sustain a nuclear chain reaction

turbine

a device with blades that can be turned by water, wind, steam, or exhaust gas from combustion that turns a generator in an electricity-producing plant

capacity factor

The ratio of the electrical energy produced by a generating unit for the period of time considered to the electrical energy that could have been produced at continuous full power operation during the same period—measures how often a plant is running at maximum power

cogeneration

a process in which a single power plant generates both electricity and useful heat at the same time

tar sands

A mixture of clay, sand, water, and and a thick substance called bitumen. It's used to produce petroleum products.

nuclear fission

the process in which a large nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei with the release of energy

fuel rod

A long, slender, zirconium metal tube containing pellets of uranium, which provide fuel for nuclear reactors

control rod

used to control the amount of neutrons inside the reactor chain

energy conservation

the practice of using energy efficiently to reduce the amount of energy required to perform a task

energy efficiency

The measure of how much work we can get from each unit of energy we use

Tiered Rate System

a billing system used by some electric companies where customers pay higher rates as electricity use increases, encouraging energy conservation.

passive solar design

design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer

carbon neutral

the state in which an individual, business, or institution emits no net carbon to the atmosphere

biodiesel

Fuels, such as ethanol or methanol, that are created from the fermentation of plants or plant products—veggie oil, for ex.

Photovoltaic Solar Cell

a non-mechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity (fancy word for solar panels)

geothermic energy

a type of renewable energy that is generated by harnessing the heat from the Earth's core—clean/sustainable

Electrolysis

A process in which electrical current is passed through a compound to release ions. Electrolysis offers one way to produce hydrogen for use as a fuel: electrical current is passed through water, splitting the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

hydroelectricity

energy that comes from a turbine that produces energy from the movement of bodies of water (dams and tidal waves)

carbon credits

marketable permits that each reflect one metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (or other greenhouse gases) that a business is allowed to emit

cap and trade system

a system designed to reduce pollution in our atmosphere—setting limits on pollution