Glossary of Terms

Active solar-heating system: a system for using solar energy that requires equipment such as pumps and collectors
Air exchanger: A mechanical equipment device allowing the transfer of air from one area to another, usually with a change in temperature.
Ambient Light: The surrounding light within an environment.
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE): A ratio of the heat output to the total energy consumed by the furnace, AFUE is an energy efficiency performance indicator over a 12-month period, stated as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the heating equipment.
Backlighting: Illumination by an indicator of a front panel from behind, without protrusion of the light fixture through the panel.
Ballast: An electrical component used by fluorescent-type lamps to provide the required starting and operating electric conditions.
Biomass: Material from plants or animals that can be used to make energy
Built-in oven: A domestic appliance placed in a closed compartment with a supply of heat, used for cooking food. In contrast to the kitchen stove, the built-in oven is neither mobile nor equipped with surface heating elements (burners).
CSA: Canadian Standards Association
Carbon dioxide (CO₂): A compound of carbon and oxygen formed whenever carbon is burned. Carbon dioxide is a colourless gas that absorbs infrared radiation, mostly at wavelengths between 12 and 18 microns. It behaves as a one-way filter, allowing incoming, visible light to pass through in one direction, while preventing outgoing infrared radiation from passing in the opposite direction. The one-way filtering effect of carbon dioxide causes an excess of the infrared radiation to be trapped in the atmosphere; thus it acts as a "greenhouse" and has the potential to increase the surface temperature of the planet.
Caulking: A building material used to seal spaces to make them airtight.
Climate change: A change attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which, in addition to natural climate variability, is observed over comparable time periods.
Cogeneration: The simultaneous production of electric power and another form of useful energy (such as heat or steam) from the same fuel source.
Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL): A direct energy efficient replacement for the incandescent lamp due to greatly improved colour, long life and very good payback. CFLs are 75 per cent more efficient and last 7-10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Compressor: An electro-mechanical device used in refrigeration and cooling systems to compress vaporized refrigerant.
Condensation: A physical reaction wherein water vapour molecules unite to form water droplets that attach themselves to the interior surface of a window.
Crawl space: A ventilated, open, low space between the ground and the lowest story of a building.
Demand Side Management: The planning and implementation of energy efficiency programs by electric utilities to encourage consumers to conserve energy, which assists the utilities with generation planning.
Double-paned window: A window containing two panes of glass separated by an air space.
Electronically Commutated Motor: a variable speed brush-less DC ECM (Direct Current Electronically Commutated Motor) blower motor, an option for high efficiency furnaces as an alternative to the AC induction motor.
Electronic ignition: An energy saving feature on furnaces to ignite the burner, which eliminates the need for a continuous burning pilot light on conventional furnaces.
End-use: Any specific activity that requires energy (such as refrigeration, space heating, water heating).
EnerGuide: A Natural Resources Canada labeling program that helps consumers purchase the most energy efficient equipment on the market by comparing the energy efficiency of residential energy using products.
Energy Star^®: An international program to promote high efficiency products, designated by a label on qualifying products.
Energy source: Any substance that supplies heat or power (such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, renewable energy and electricity)
Energy Rating (ER): A rating number, based on a CSA Energy Performance standard, is a key indicator of window efficiency and is a measure of its overall performance.
First-hour rating (FHR): A measure of the capability of a water heater to meet peak demands.
Flue gas condensation: Liquids formed when exhaust gas condenses on surfaces in the exhaust stream (such as ducts or chimneys.).
Fluorescent lighting: A lighting unit that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is converted to visible light by the fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube.
Foot-candle: A unit for measuring illumination. One foot-candle equals the amount of light delivered by a 1-candela light source to a 1 sq. ft. surface 1 ft. away.
Fossil fuel: Any naturally occurring organic fuel, such as petroleum, coal or natural gas.
Furnace: Space-heating equipment consisting of an enclosed chamber where fuel is burned to heat air directly, without using steam or hot water. The warm air is for space heating and is distributed throughout a building (typically by air ducts).
Geothermal system: A geothermal system is a heat exchanger that uses the earth or ground water or both as sources of building heat in the winter and as a "sink" for heat removed from a building in the summer. The system provides heat by removing it from the earth through a liquid such as ground water or an antifreeze solution, which is upgraded by the heat pump and transferred to indoor air. The system provides cooling by reversing the process.
Gigajoule (GJ): One gigajoule equals 1 x 10⁹joules. (see Joule), common unit of natural gas measurement and billing in Alberta. Also 1 GJ equals 277.8 kWh equivalent.
GHG: Green House Gases. The main ones are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrous oxides (N₂0). CO₂ accounts for 70 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Green Power: a term used to describe energy produced from renewable resources.
Heat loss: Represents the amount of energy released such as heat by an appliance or piece of equipment while it is in operation.
Heat pump: A heating and cooling unit that draws heat from an outdoor source and transports it to an indoor space for heating purposes; or inversely, for cooling purposes.
Heating degree-day (HDD): A measure of how cold a location was over a period of time relative to a base temperature of 18° C over a period of one year. The number of heating degree-days is the sum of the daily heating degree-days for one year.
Hot water tank: A thermally insulated tank with automatic controls designed to produce and store hot water.
Humidifier: A device designed to increase the water content of the air.
Incandescent light: A term generally applied to lamps that generate light when an electric current heats a metallic filament to incandescence.
Incandescent lamp: A light source based on incandescence in which voltage is passed through a filament that heats to create light.
Insulation: material that does not easily conduct heat, electricity or sound.
Joule: An international unit of measure of energy, produced by the power of one watt flowing for a second. There are 3.6 million joules in one kilowatt-hour
Kilowatt-hour (kWh): The unit of electricity equivalent to one kilowatt (1000 watts) operating for one hour, and the unit used for measuring and billing consumers electricity in Alberta.
Lamp rated life: Generally means that 50 per cent of the lamps will remain burning at the end of the specified number of hours.
Light Emitting Diode (LED): Semi-conductors, that use a small LED chip mounted in a reflector cup on a lead-frame and when energized, photons are generated, some of which are emitted as light energy.
Lumen: Unit of measure representing the total amount of light flux (energy) in any particular situation, e.g., from a lamp, through an aperture, etc.
Luminance: Density of luminous flux leaving a surface in a particular direction. It is the quotient of the intensity of the source in the direction of measurement by the projected area of the source in that direction.
Luminous efficiency: The ratio of light output to power input.
Megajoule: One megajoule equals 1 x 10⁶ joules.
Megawatt-hour (mWh): One megawatt-hour equals 1 x 10⁶ watt hours (see Kilowatt-hour).
NRCan/OEE: Natural Resources Canada/Office of Energy Efficiency
Non-renewable energy: Energy that cannot be replaced once it is used or energy that is not being replaced as fast as it is being used
Occupancy sensor: Electronic device to switch a light on when motion is detected and switch off after no motion is detected in the room. They consist of a motion detector, electronic control unit and a relay.
Organic farming: A farming method that minimizes the use of chemicals in the production process. It aims to produce crops with a high nutritional value and to improve the long-term fertility and sustainability of farmland.
Passive solar heating: Using solar energy to heat a building without special equipment such as pumps or collectors, usually through windows and skylights.
Photovoltaic: Generating electricity directly using natural sunlight
Pilot light: A small flame within a gas-burning unit that is allowed to burn continually to enable automatic ignition of the unit.
Plug-in load: The electricity demand from all equipment that is plugged into electrical outlets in buildings, and considered portable loads.
Power factor: In fluorescent lighting, the reactive component of the power required to create a magnetic field in the ballast to start the lamp. Power factor is equal to kilowatts divided by the kilovolt amperes.
Primary energy use: Represents the total requirement for all uses of energy, including energy used by the final consumer (see Secondary energy use), non-energy uses, intermediate uses of energy, energy in transforming one energy form to another (e.g. coal to electricity), and energy used by suppliers in providing energy to the market (e.g. pipeline fuel).
R-Value: Thermal resistance value of insulation, which is a precise measurement of the resistance to heat flow. Also referred to as RSI value in metric.
Retrofit: The improvement in the energy efficiency of existing energy-using equipment or the thermal characteristics of an existing building.
Secondary energy use: Energy used by final consumers for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and transportation purposes.
Solar cell: A device for changing light rays from the sun directly into electricity, also called photovoltaic cell.
Solar collector: A device to collect the heat energy from the sun utilizing a circulating anti-freeze solution to provide space or hot water heating to a building.
Space heating: The use of mechanical equipment to heat all or part of a building. Includes the principal space heating unit and any supplementary equipment.
Storm window: A full-width window, either fixed or movable, installed on the exterior of a window for protection against inclement weather. It is usually equipped with a single pane to reduce air leakage.
Triple-paned window: A window containing three panes of glass separated by air spaces, and can also contain some form of inert gas to increase thermal resistance
Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA): The Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate, established by the Alberta provincial government, represents the residential, farm and small business consumer in resolving concerns related to the restructured electricity and natural gas markets.
Ventilation: The circulation of air through a building to deliver fresh air to occupants.
Visible spectrum: The light spectrum between 400 and 700 nm, which is detectable by the human eye.
Water heater: An automatically controlled vessel designed for heating water and storing heated water.
Watt (W): A measure of power calculated by multiplying the voltage times the current. (see Kilowatt-hour).
Weather-stripping: A felt or foam band, usually self-adhesive, placed at the joints of doors and windows to seal against air leaks and reduce heat loss.