Glossary
Air Conditioning
The air conditioning process represents the combined treatment
of the air in enclosed spaces to control, as specified, temperature,
relative humidity, velocity of motion, and radiant heat energy level,
including consideration of the need for removal of airborne particles
and contaminant gases. Some partial air conditioners that may not
accomplish all of these controls are selected for their capability
to control specific phases of air treatment. Air conditioning systems
include all-air, central fan, cooling (heating), variable air volume
and modular air-conditioning systems.
Architecture
Architectural services with regard to sustainable energy includes
concept design services that explore energy efficiency and offer
sustainable solutions (e.g. ecologically sustainable development
design review), incorporation of passive solar design principles
into architectural projects, and practicing permaculture principles
and incorporating these into project design and landscaping.
Asset Management
Asset Management involves measuring and managing the effectiveness
an organisation's assets.
Building Services
Used as an umbrella term, building services comprises numerous
specialist disciplines, including energy auditing, air conditioning,
development of energy recovery systems and techniques, communications,
electrical, security, building automation services (e.g. building
management system analysis and design), on-site training and troubleshooting,
and preparation of briefing documents for building services.
Cogeneration
Cogeneration refers to the combined generation of heat and electricity
where large amounts of heat and electricity are used for industrial,
commercial or residential purposes. Cogeneration services may include
conducting cogeneration analyses/studies, integrating recovery of
municipal waste and incineration for cogeneration and developing
a central utility system plan.
Energy Management
Energy Management deals with the management of energy and related
environmental issues (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions) simultaneously.
Specifically, energy management refers to achieving a more efficient
use of energy but also comprises aspects of energy policy development
and implementation, energy program development and administration,
energy tariff analysis and advice, load management, fuel conservation,
heat recovery and more efficient processes and equipment.
Energy Management System
Energy Management Systems enable monitoring, processing and reporting
of energy data to be used in managing energy and related environmental
issues. Services regarding energy management systems may include
simulating building and equipment operations through computers to
help plant designers achieve optimum energy efficiency, computerising
engineering analysis, and monitoring and controlling energy-using
processes.
Energy Performance Contracting
Energy Performance Contracting is the service provided by a contractor
(i.e. Energy Service Company) engaged in developing, installing
and financing comprehensive, performance-based projects, typically
5-15 years in duration, centered around improving the energy efficiency
of facilities owned or operated by customers. Projects are performance-based
when the performance contractors compensation, and often the projects'
financing, are meaningfully tied to the amount of energy actually
saved. For this reason, performance contractors are fundamentally
different from consulting engineers specialising in efficiency improvements,
who are typically paid a fee for their advice and undertake no risk
that their recommendation will yield results.
Energy Procurement
Energy Procurement refers to purchasing one or more forms of energy.
Sustainable energy procurement services may include developing fuel
substitution strategies and purchasing "Green Power" as a percentage
of total energy purchases. This may also include the analysis and
negotiation of energy supply contracts.
Energy Supply
Energy Supply refers to the delivery of energy according to specific
requirements including quantity, technical reliability and price.
Energy Use
Energy Use refers to various energy applications including residential,
commercial and industrial. Related sustainable energy services may
include reducing energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions
for an energy application while maintaining or even increasing the
desired outcome of the energy application (e.g. production of products
and space heating/cooling).
Facilities Management
Facilities Management refers to the design, construction, maintenance
and management of the physical environment as it relates to people
and work processes.
Financing
Financing can take many forms such as: loans; leases; fund raising;
and performance contracting. In sustainable energy project development,
financing services refers to the provision of funds for sustainable
energy projects based on assessed risks and investment strategies
appropriate to the project. Financing services may also involve
appraising energy projects, identifying financial criteria for project
implementation and developing financing options.
Heating
Heating is the process of adding heat energy causing a rise in
temperature, or a transfer of sensible heat into latent heat. Heating
can take different forms including electric and gas space heating,
regenerative heating and thermodynamic (reverse-cycle) heating.
A heating system transfers heat from a source of energy through
a distribution network to spaces to be heated. These systems include
central heating, direct-heating, direct-return heating, down-feed
heating and dry return heating systems.
Investment Strategy
Investment Strategy involves identifying, analysing and evaluating
criteria to decide on how money should be invested (e.g. in energy
efficiency investments) to achieve organisation specific objectives.
These can potentially relate to minimising investment in power generation
assets, optimising power generation system performance, achieving
least cost energy management, lowering possible life cycle operating
and maintenance costs and reducing environmental impacts.
Lighting
Lighting refers to a variety of different applications including
indoor commercial lighting, industrial, flood and specialised lighting,
and area and landscape lighting. Lighting products typically address
issues such as lamp life, cost performance, safety, fixtures and
dimming.
Operation and Maintenance
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) refers to time and resource allocation
that commits parties involved to basic areas of ongoing performance.
Overall, O&M includes numerous activities such as operation of systems,
system failure and rectification, modeling system failure, basic
components of reliability theory, failure data collection and analysis,
effects of inspection and maintenance actions, optimal inspection
and maintenance policies, optimal replacement decisions, life-cycle
costing, service contracts and lease versus buy decisions.
Project Implementation
Efforts based on project plans that make a project really happen.
Depending on the project, implementation may involve some or all
of the following activities: design; construction/production; procurement;
and project management.
Project Management
Project Management may involve activities such as initiating, developing,
planning and implementing projects and accomplishing the work in
accordance with budget, schedule and performance requirements.
Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy refers to energy derived from renewable sources
including sunlight, wind, waves, tides and biomass. With regard
to solar energy, for instance, one may typically need to address
the following issue: "Does the purchase and installation of a solar
heating system for this application, in this location, constitute
a sound investment?" Overall, renewable energy may involve the following
disciplines: engineering; renewable energy system design; project
management; wind power and micro/mini hydro power technology management;
solar cell and electronics development; and solar cell and solar
module manufacturing.
Sustainable Energy Technologies
Sustainable Energy Technologies, in particular services, products
and processes, means technologies that:
- improve efficiency in the use of energy
- enable energy-using activities to use forms of energy that minimise
levels of greenhouse gas emissions and other adverse environmental
impacts
- facilitate the production of energy from renewable energy reserves
- facilitate the production of energy in ways that minimise levels
of greenhouse gas emissions and other adverse environmental impacts.
Ventilation
Ventilation is the process of supplying or removing air by natural
or mechanical means to or from any space. Such air may or may not
have been conditioned.
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