| Electrical Technical Glossary | |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AA.C. (Alternating Current): Type of electrical current, the direction of which is reversed at regular intervals or cycles. The US standard is 120 reversals (60 cycles) per second. Availability: Time that a generating unit, transmission line or other system is capable of providing service, even if it isn't actually providing service all the time. It is expressed as a percentage of a specific time period. BBaseload Demand: Minimum demand experienced by a generating plant. CCentral Power Plant: Large facility that generates power for distribution to multiple customers. Cogeneration: Energy system that consumes a fuel, usually natural gas, to produce electricity and thermal energy in the form of steam or hot air. Cogeneration systems use heat energy that otherwise would be wasted. Combined-cycle system: Energy system that takes the heat produced by the generation of electricity in a high-temperature gas-fired combustion turbine or other prime mover to create steam that generates additional electricity in a steam turbine. Connection Charge: Fee paid by a customer for a connection to an electricity utility's distribution system. DD.C. (Direct Current): Type of electrical current that flows in one direction. Demand: Rate at which electricity is delivered, expressed in kilowatts, kilovolt-amperes or other unit, at a given instant or average over a specified time. Demand Charge: Charge for the maximum rate at which energy is used during peak hours of a billing period. Disco: Company or entity responsible for distributing to the public the electricity produced by the generating company (genco). Electric power is transmitted over the system operated by a grid company (gridco), also known as a wires company. District Energy: Production of steam, hot water or chilled water, or any combination including all three, at a single central utility plant for distribution to other buildings through a network of pipes. DSM (Demand-Side Management): Managing the consumption of energy to optimize available and planned generation facilities. DSM programs include offering incentives to replace older, less-efficient appliances with high-efficiency units ad shifting the time at which electricity is consumed from periods of peak demand to periods of low system demand. FFERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission): Independent regulatory agency within the federal Department of Energy within the federal Department of Energy that has jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales and wholesale electric rates. FERC Orders 888 and 889: Regulations issued by FERC to encourage wholesale competition in electricity. Owners of transmission grids must permit other parties to use the system to move wholesale electricity form generators to customers. Fuel Cell: Static device that converts the chemical energy in natural gas into electricity and hot water through an electrochemical process. Fossil Fuel: Oil, coal and natural gas that originates from decayed plants and animals. GGreenhouse Gases: Airborne water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases that trap the sun's heat in the atmosphere. Increasing volumes of grenhouse gases in the atmosphere are through to be causing a rise in average global temperatures. Grid: Network of electric transmission lines used to move energy. Under deregulation, the electric transmission grid is operated by a gridco that does not own generation or distribution assets. IISO (Independent Systems Operator): Impartial third party responsible for maintaining secure and economic operation of an open-access electrical transmission system on a regional basis. KKilowatt-Hour (kwh): Measure of electricity supply and consumption equivalent to 1,000 watts over the period of 1 hour. LLoad: Amount of power consumed by a customer or electrical device. Often referred to as demand. Load Factor: Ratio of average energy demand (load) to maximum demand (peak load) during a specific period. OOff-Peak: Period of low energy demand (load), as opposed to maximum or peak demand. Open Access: Ability to send or wheel electric power to a customer over a transmission and distribution system that is not owned by the generator of the power RRTO (Regional Transmission Organization): Independent entities, established by FERC Order 2000 issued in December 1999, that will control and operate regional electric transmission grids free of any discriminatory practices. SSelf-Generation: On-site production and use of electricity by an industrial facility or other energy customer. Stranded Cost: Difference between the market value of generating assets and the amount of the debt still own on them. If the utility must drop its rates to meet the deregulated competition, revenue may not be adequate to cover the debt and the operating costs of the facility. The amount of debt uncovered is the stranded cost. TTransmission: Turbine: Device that converts the flow of a fluid (air, steam, water, or hot gases) into mechanical motion for generating electricity. WWatt: Unit of electric power -- equal to 1/746th of 1 horse-power -- that is usually expressed in kilowatts (kW or thousands of watts) and megawatts (MW or millions of watts). Wheeling: Moving electricity from the generating facility to the customer over one or more separately owned electric transmission and distribution systems. Wires Company: Entity that operates an electrical transmission system as a common carrier but does not own generating facilities or distribution networks. |
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