vii
renewable energy sources, as well as the proportion of electricity produced from
renewable energy sources in hybrid plants also using conventional energy sources
and including renewable electricity used for filling storage systems, and excluding electricity produced as a result of storage systems.
Emissions inventory – An itemised list of emission estimates for sources of air
pollution in a given area for a specified time period. It can also include infomation on activities that cause emissions and removals, as well as background on
the methods used to make the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas
inventories to track emission trends, develop strategies and policies and assess
progress. Scientists use greenhouse gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and
economic models.
Energy efficiency – Measures undertaken as part of Demand-Side Management to
reduce the consumption of electricity for a specific task or function.
Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) – An innovative financing technique
that uses cost savings from reduced energy consumption to repay the cost of
installing energy conservation measures.
European Union (EU) – Originally a regional economic integration organisation,
known as the EEC (European Economic Community), the European Union has
grown into a geographical political and economic entity. Also see Member
States.
Feed-in tariff system – Renewable energy payment as an incentive structure to
encourage the adoption of renewable energy through government legislation,
with the government regulating the tariff rate. The price per unit of electricity
that a utility or supplier has to pay for renewable electricity from private generators is fixed.
Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process – A method for the synthesis of hydrocarbons and
other aliphatic compounds. Synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon
monoxide, is reacted in the presence of an iron or cobalt catalyst; much heat is
evolved, and such products as methane, synthetic gasoline and waxes, and alcohols are made, with water or carbon dioxide produced as a by-product.
Combination of biomass gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a
possible route to produce renewable transportation fuels.
Fossil fuels – Also called mineral fuels, these are finite fuels from fossil carbon
deposits such as oil, natural gas and coal. When burned to gain energy, greenhouse gases are released during the combustion processes.
Gasification – A thermochemical conversion of a solid fuel to a gaseous fuel.
Gigawatt (GW) – A unit of power equal to 1 billion watts; 1 million kilowatts, or
1000 MW
Global warming – An increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.
Global warming is one of the consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect
and will cause worldwide changes to climate patterns.
Global warming potential (GWP) – The index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative
radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in
atmospheric concentrations. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Glossary and Abbreviations
renewable energy sources, as well as the proportion of electricity produced from
renewable energy sources in hybrid plants also using conventional energy sources
and including renewable electricity used for filling storage systems, and excluding electricity produced as a result of storage systems.
Emissions inventory – An itemised list of emission estimates for sources of air
pollution in a given area for a specified time period. It can also include infomation on activities that cause emissions and removals, as well as background on
the methods used to make the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas
inventories to track emission trends, develop strategies and policies and assess
progress. Scientists use greenhouse gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and
economic models.
Energy efficiency – Measures undertaken as part of Demand-Side Management to
reduce the consumption of electricity for a specific task or function.
Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) – An innovative financing technique
that uses cost savings from reduced energy consumption to repay the cost of
installing energy conservation measures.
European Union (EU) – Originally a regional economic integration organisation,
known as the EEC (European Economic Community), the European Union has
grown into a geographical political and economic entity. Also see Member
States.
Feed-in tariff system – Renewable energy payment as an incentive structure to
encourage the adoption of renewable energy through government legislation,
with the government regulating the tariff rate. The price per unit of electricity
that a utility or supplier has to pay for renewable electricity from private generators is fixed.
Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process – A method for the synthesis of hydrocarbons and
other aliphatic compounds. Synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon
monoxide, is reacted in the presence of an iron or cobalt catalyst; much heat is
evolved, and such products as methane, synthetic gasoline and waxes, and alcohols are made, with water or carbon dioxide produced as a by-product.
Combination of biomass gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a
possible route to produce renewable transportation fuels.
Fossil fuels – Also called mineral fuels, these are finite fuels from fossil carbon
deposits such as oil, natural gas and coal. When burned to gain energy, greenhouse gases are released during the combustion processes.
Gasification – A thermochemical conversion of a solid fuel to a gaseous fuel.
Gigawatt (GW) – A unit of power equal to 1 billion watts; 1 million kilowatts, or
1000 MW
Global warming – An increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.
Global warming is one of the consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect
and will cause worldwide changes to climate patterns.
Global warming potential (GWP) – The index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative
radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in
atmospheric concentrations. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Glossary and Abbreviations