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aka combined heat and power
two useful forms of energy are produced from the same fuel source |
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| corporate average fuel economy standards |
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caused the avg fuel efficiency to rise sharply for motor vehicles sold in the US
mpg |
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| device that combines hydrogen gas and oxygen gas fuel to produce electricity and water vapor which is emitted to the troposphere |
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| Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design |
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Definition
accredits building professionals in energy and environmental design
established energy and environmental design guidelines
certifies buildings as meeting its standards |
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covered with plants
save energy
can be used on top of conventional houses or buildings or on energy-efficient, earth sheltered houses. |
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| passive solar heating system |
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Definition
| absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within a structure without the need for pumps or fans to distribute the heat |
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| active solar heating system |
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Definition
absorbs energy from the sun by pumping a heat-absorbing fluid (such as water or an antifreeze solution) through special collectors usually mounted on a roof or on special racks to face the sun
Most flat-plate collectors are made of dark-colored, heat-absorbing plates mounted in a box and covered with glass.
Some of the collected heat can by used directly. |
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Definition
| Huge arrays of computer-controlled mirrors called heliostats track the sun and focus sunlight on a central heat collection tower |
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Definition
| sunlight is collected and focused on oil-filled pipes running through the middle of a large area of curved solar collectors |
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Definition
directly convert solar energy into electrical energy
tin wafers of purified silicon with trace amounts of metals such as gallium added that allow them to function as semiconductors |
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Definition
gaseous or liquid
converted from biomass |
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Definition
| diverse source of energy that consists of organic plant materials and animal wastes that can be burned directly as solid fuel or converted to biofuels |
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Definition
ethyl alcohol
can be made by the fermentation and distillation of sugars in plants such as sugarcane, corn, and switchgrass |
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Definition
produced bioethanol
tall grass native to North American prairies that grows faster and needs less fertilizer than corn |
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Definition
| diesel fuel made by combining alcohol with vegetable oil extracted from renewable resources such as soybeans, rapeseed, sunflowers, palm plants, and fats, including used vegetable oils from restaurants |
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| heat stored in soil, underground rocks, and fluids in the earth's mantle |
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| decentralized power system |
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Definition
| local power systems - turbines |
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Definition
energy efficient gasoline electric vehicle
small traditional gasoline-powered motor and an electric motor used to provide the energy needed for acceleration and hill climbing |
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Definition
| using less energy to accomplish a particular task |
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