A form of solar concentrating collector that does not track the sun.

A container that holds rock used as the thermal mass to store solar energy in a solar heating system.

The liquid resulting when water vapor contacts a cool surface; also the liquid resulting when a vaporized working fluid (such as a refrigerant) is cooled or depressurized.

A solar photovoltaic product that generally consists of groups of PV cells electrically connected together to produce a specified power output under standard test conditions, mounted on a substrate, sealed with an encapsulant, and covered with a protectiv ...

The abrupt and large increase in electrical conductivity exhibited by some metals as the temperature approaches absolute zero.

An electrical installation containing power conversion (and sometimes generation) equipment, such as transformers, compensators, and circuit breakers.

The low effective temperature of the sky on a clear night.

The trapping of light by refraction and reflection at critical angles inside a semiconductor device so that it cannot escape the device and must be eventually absorbed by the semiconductor.

The process of degrading organic material (biomass) by microorganisms in aerobic conditions.

An investment in a power plant or demand side management measures or programs, that become uneconomical due to increased competition in the electric power market. For example, an electric power plant may produce power that is more costly than what the mar ...

An energy system in which the fuel production equipment is in close proximity, or connected to, the fuel using equipment.

In a solar photovoltaic device, an n-type dopant, such as phosphorus, that puts an additional electron into an energy level very near the conduction band; this electron is easily exited into the conduction band where it increases the electrical conductivi ...

A type of heating appliance that extracts so much of the available heat content from a combusted fuel that the moisture in the combustion gases condenses before it leaves the furnace. Also this furnace circulates a liquid to cool the furnace's heat exchan ...

The production of hydrogen using a photoelectrochemical cell.

A heat exchanger that transfers heat contained in a liquid heat transfer fluid to another liquid.

A room that faces south (in the northern hemisphere), or a small structure attached to the south side of a house.

Consists of businesses that are not engaged in transportation or manufacturing or other types of industrial activities. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes for commercial establishments are 50 through 87, 89, and 91 through 97.

Energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes can not be depleted. Types of renewable energy resources include moving water (hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, so ...

The average time a minority carrier exists before recombination.

The generation of electricity or shaft power by an energy conversion system and the concurrent use of rejected thermal energy from the conversion system as an auxiliary energy source.