A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | V | W

A
AIR CONDITIONING | A process for ambient air treatment in inhabited spaces consisting of regulating the conditions associated with temperature, degree of humidity or air cleanliness.

ALTERNATOR | An electrical-magnetic generator powered by alternate current; also known as a synchronic generator.

ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION | The presence in the air of matter or forms of energy that pose a danger to people, fauna, flora or other goods of any kind.

ACID RAIN | Rain with increased acidity due to absorption of airborne pollutants such as C02 and sulphur dioxide.

AMBIENT AIR QUALITY | The condition of the air in the surrounding environment.

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B

BIOENERGY | Renewable energy produced from organic matter. The conversion of the complex carbohydrates in organic matter to energy. Organic matter may either be used directly as a fuel or processed into liquids or gases.

BIOFUELS | Fuels made from biomass. Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel and methanol.

BIODIESEL | Fuel obtained from biomass that is adequate for use in diesel type internal combustion motors.

BIODIVERSITY | The diversity of living beings in an ecosystem. Diversity measures the wealth of species by means of an index that reflects the ratio between the number of individuals of each species and the total number of individuals in all the species present. There are several diversity indexes, but preference is given to those based on the information theory, whose value is expressed in bits.

BIOGAS | A combustible gas derived from decomposing biological waste. Biogas normally consists of 50 to 60 percent methane.

BIOMASS | A heterogeneous group of materials that is organic by origin or nature. Biomass is a source of renewable energy based on the use of organic material formed biologically in the immediate past or the use of products derived from this material.

BIODEGRADABLE | Any material that can be broken down by living things including micro-organisms such as bacteria.

BLACK WATER | Water which carries human or animal wastes (feces or urine), for example, from a toilet. This water carries microbes from the waste, such as Escherichia coli, which can infect humans. One of the goals of waste systems is to isolate blackwater until it can be purified.

BUTANOL OR BUTYL ALCOHOL | An alcohol with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)3OH. It is formed during anaerobic fermentation using bacteria to convert the sugars to butanol and carbon dioxide.

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C
CALORIE | The amount of energy that has to be supplied to a gram of pure water to raise its temperature from 14.5 ºC to 15.5 ºC, at constant atmospheric pressure. 1 cal = 4.18398 J (joules).

CENTRALIZED REMOTE OPERATION | This consists in monitoring the various operations of a variety of sectors, companies and so on from a single location by means of a website.

CLIMATE CHANGE | The global variation of the earth’s climate directly or indirectly attributable to human intervention on the environment.

CO2 | Carbon dioxide, one of the gases of the greenhouse effect that in excessive amounts contributes to global warming. (climate change).

CELLULOSE | The main carbohydrate in living plants. Cellulose forms the skeletal structure of the plant cell wall.

COAL | Carbon dioxide, one of the gases of the greenhouse effect that in excessive amounts contributes to global warming. (climate change).

CO-GENERATION | The joint production of electrical power and manageable thermal power in the same plant.

COMBINED CYCLE PLANT | A power production plant that uses two thermodynamic cycles in the same system: water steam and gas.

COMBINED CYCLE | The co-existence of two thermodynamic cycles in the same system, one whose working fluid is steam and the other one that is gas produced by combustion. This is considered a clean energy production method.

CONTAINER | A utensil or cavity used to store or hold something.

CORPORATE NETWORK | A solution that makes it possible to connect computers inside or outside a plant, company or metropolitan area. It is used as a corporate solution in cases where mobile communications for large networks or landline-mobile network interconnections are necessary.

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D
DEFORESTATION | Deforestation is simply the process of removing trees from land. Trees help absorb CO2, one of the main gases that contribute to climate change, so the more trees get chopped down, the less carbon is absorbed. Deforestation now contributes to nearly 20% of global carbon emissions, according to the Forestry Commission.

DESALINATION | This is the process of removing salt from the sea and other salt water. It’s a way of increasing the water supply for humans and farm animals.

DIOXINS | A group of chemicals, some of which are highly toxic, which can be formed by incomplete combustion (such as you may find in incinerators) and are believed to contribute to pollution and climate change.

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E
ECO-EFFICIENCY | An environmental qualification system that is used to identify the products or services that respect the environment.

ECO-LABEL | An environmental qualification system that is used to identify the products or services that respect the environment.

ECOLOGY | The defence and preservation of the environment.

ELECTRICAL POWER PLANT | A plant for the production of electrical power. Electrical power plants are of several types, according to the type of energy used; the most common are thermal, hydroelectric and wind.

ELECTRICAL POWER | A form of energy that rarely occurs in natural form. It appears as an electrical current and is the effect of different potential between two points that generates a transfer of electrons.

ELECTRICAL SYSTE | A system that provides the energy necessary to start up and correctly operate accessories such as lights and instruments.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY | Savings in the consumption of energy while maintaining the same performance/functions.

ENERGY LABEL | This label contains information regarding the energy efficiency of a product as compared to average energy consumption of products of the same type.

ENERGY SOURCE | Natural elements capable of providing energy.

ENVIRONMENT | All live matter and organisms that make up the biosphere.

ECO FRIENDLY | An object or action that is believed to be less harmful to the environment than a common alternative. For example, walking to work is more eco friendly than driving.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT | The Ecological Footprint measures how our lifestyles affect other people as well as the planet. It works out how much land and sea is needed to feed everyone and to provide all the energy, water and raw materials like wood we use in our everyday lives.

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F
FOSSIL FUELS | Materials of organic origin, formed from the remains of living things in previous eras. Currently, these are the main source of energy worldwide. They are contaminating and non-renewable fuels.

FOSSILS | Fossils are remains of living things or traces of their activity, preserved in layers of sedimentary rocks, and less so in metamorphic rock, after having undergone transformations in their compositions and more or less intense deformation.

FUEL | Materials capable of releasing energy after a process that transforms or modifies their properties. There are two kinds of fuels: solid and liquid.

FSC WOOD | The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) helps to make sure that wood products come from sustainable forests. When you see the FSC label, you can be sure the wood product you are buying has come from a forest that is responsibly managed, with respect for wildlife and the people who live there. Visit www.fsc-uk.org for more information.

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G
GENERATOR | Electric generators are machines that transform mechanical energy into electricity.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY | Energy that can be obtained by man by using the heat in the Earth's interior.

GIGAWATT (GW) | A billion watts.

GLASS | A solid material made of disordered particles, glass can be natural or artificial.

“GREEN” CERTIFICATES | A green certificate guarantees that a renewable source has been used to produce one megawatt of energy.

GLOBAL WARMING | A rise in global temperatures threatening wildlife and its habitat, often attributed to the burning of fossil fuels.

GASIFICATION | Breakdown of hydrocarbons into a syngas by carefully controlling the amount of oxygen present.

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H
HORSE POWER (CV) | This is also a unit of power equivalent to 735.5 W.

HYDROELECTRIC PLANT | An electrical power production plant that converts water flow into energy.

HEAT RATE | Energy input per unit of time, usually expressed in kWh\h or BTU\h.

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I
INSTALLED CAPACITY | The nominal power of installed wind turbines.

INSULATION | Thermal insulation is the capacity of materials to impede the passage of heat or cold. Insulation is a means to save energy in industrial or home climate control systems.

IPO | Initial Public Offering. This consists of a public offering of shares carried out by means of a capital increase in which one, some or all the shareholders relinquish preferential subscription rights. This operation can be carried out by companies that are listed or not listed and is aimed at acquiring funds to pursue new projects. If the IPO is directed to the general public, it is mandatory to register an information brochure in the CNMV (National Securities Market Commission) will a full report for the investor regarding placement of shares, the issuing entity, its economic and financial situation, social and organisational structure and policy regarding dividends. The various risks involved in the operation must also be described.

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K
KYOTO PROTOCOL | This is an agreement reached in 1997 by industrial nations around the world to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

KCAL/KG | Used to measure the energy quality of the various energy sources. It indicates the number of calories obtained from the combustion of 1 kg of the specified fuel.

KILOWATT (KW) | 1,000 watts.

KILOWATT HOUR (KWH) | The work performed during one hour by a machine with 1 kilowatt of power. For example, a wind turbine with nominal power of 750 kW will generate 750 kW of energy per hour of operation. One kWh equals 3,600,000 J (Joules).

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L
LAND MANAGEMENT | The administration of the most adequate and profitable land for construction projects.

LEVEL-ONE SUPERVISION | This is the supervision of entities that perform financial activities or those that the company has placed at such a level by means of an administrative procedure.

LIGHT POLLUTION | The effect of inadequate or excessive use of human artificial lighting. It produces brightness in the night sky due to the reflection of the light on gases and particles in suspension.

LANDFILL GAS GENERATION | Municipal solid waste contains significant portions of organic materials that produce a variety of gaseous products when dumped, compacted, and covered in landfills. Anaerobic bacteria thrives in the oxygen-free environment, resulting in the decomposition of the organic materials and the production of primarily carbon dioxide and methane. Landfill gas consists of 50-60% methane and 35-40% carbon dioxide.

LANDFILL SITES | A landfill is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which rubbish is isolated from the surrounding environment (groundwater, air, soil). Landfills are not designed to break down waste, merely to bury it. The modern landfill offers much more protection for the environment and for local people than traditional dumps did. Problems with odours, litter, vermin, etc., are greatly reduced by the careful management of the site.

LEAN BURN | Lean-burn is the ability to ignite air and fuel mixtures that contain higher amounts of air than normally used.

LECs (UK) | See Levy Exemption Certificates.

LEVY EXEMPTION CERTIFICATES (UK) | Organizations that pay the CCL can enter into agreements with suppliers to purchase renewable electricity. The Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) are evidence of CCL exempt electricity supply generated from qualifying renewable sources. LECs will be redeemed by suppliers to HM Customs and Excise to demonstrate the amount of non-climate change electricity able to be levied that had been supplied to non-domestic customers in the given period.

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M
MECHANICAL POWER | This is the work performed by a machine or person during a specific time period.

MEGAWATT (MW) | A million watts.

MEGAWATT HOUR (MWh) | A thousand kilowatts hour.

MINI-HYDRO | A type of installation that generates electricity by using the force of water falling from a given height. These are normally installed in small rivers or rural surroundings. They are considered a clean energy production method.

MW | Megawatt. The watt is the international unit of power measurement.

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N
NOx | Nitrogen oxides (NOx) act as indirect greenhouse gases by producing the tropospheric greenhouse gas 'ozone' during their breakdown in the atmosphere.

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O
OFFSHORE | Offshore windfarms is the international expression for marine-based wind farms.

ON-SHORE | These are land-based wind farms.

OPERATING EXPERIENCE | Knowledge of a procedure based on experience.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE | Maintaining current structures, systems and so on in operational conditions, as well as evaluating the costs of the work involved.

OVER-EXPLOITATION | Extraction of a natural resource at a rate higher than that of regeneration, which may lead to the exhaustion of the resource.

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P
PADDLES | Each of the blades or active parts of a wind turbine propeller.

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL | A system that captures solar radiation and transforms light energy into electrical energy.

PIPELINE | Portfolio of wind power projects in various stages of pre-operational development.

POWER | The amount of work performed per unit of time. It is equal to the energy change speed in a system or the time used to perform the work.

PRODUCTION | Manufacture or creation of a product. Creation and processing of goods and merchandise, including conception, processing during the various stages and financing offered by banks. It is considered to be one of the most important economic processes and the means by which human work creates wealth. As regards production problems, producers in both the private and public sectors must take into consideration several economic laws, data regarding prices and available resources. The materials or resources used in the production process are called production factors.

PROXY VOTING | Concession of a post or jurisdiction to another person for representation in a voting session.

PTC | Production Tax Credit (Tax Credit for Renovables): This tax credit was created for the production of wind power and designed to compensate for the grants approved for fossil fuels and nuclear power. It is an economic stimulus for the investment in renewable energies by means of tax credits.

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R
RECYCLING | To reintroduce waste products into the production and consumption cycle.

REDUCTION | The decrease in the extension, amount or intensity of something.

REGULATION | The definition of norms.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK | A set of current legal regulations.

RENEWABLE ENERGY | Energy sources that are apparently inexhaustible because they form part of natural cycles.

RENEWABLE | That can be renewed.

RENEWABLES OPERATION CENTRE (CORE) | A real-time telecontrol, management and maintenance centre for all facilities generating power from renewable sources.

RETURN ON OPERATING EXPERIENCE | Feedback obtained after a certain time performing a productive activity and the actions taken afterwards. It is one of the primary resources for the implementation of a variety of production processes because operating experience is thoroughly analysed to identify the causes of possible errors. It prevents these errors from occurring and if this is not possible, their correction.

REUSE | To use something again.

REC's | Regional Electricity Companies.

RENEWABLE OBLIGATION CERTIFICATES | Or ROCs for short is the name given to the digital certificates which holds details of exactly how a unit of electricity was made, by whom and finally who bought and used it. These ROCs are traded separately to the actual electricity itself and work as a bonus premium on top of the price paid for the unit.

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S
SALE OF ENERGY AT TARIFF | Price per kilowatt of the sale of excess energy to a private customer.

SAVING ENERGY | To reduce the amount of energy for domestic and industrial use, with the understanding that traditional use is subject to abuse or unnecessary.

SOLAR PANEL | A system to capture solar radiation.

SOLAR | Of the Sun or relating to the Sun.

SUBCONTRACTING SUPERVISION | The degree of supervision and control authority provided for services and technical supervision for subsidiary companies as defined by the subcontracting activities associated with them.

SUBSIDIARIES | Companies directly dependent on a parent company and united by shareholding.

SUPPLY | The provision of what is considered necessary.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | Responsible development of actual operational resources; the purpose is to ensure long-term preservation.

SUSTAINABLE | A term commonly associated with recent concern for the environment, as regards the responsible use of natural resources. See: Sustainable development.

STOICHIOMETRIC | Stoichiometric is often used in thermodynamics to refer to the "perfect mixture" of a fuel and air.

SYN GAS | A mixture of light, combustible gases produced by the advanced conversion technology (gasification or pyrolysis).

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T
TCE | A ton of coal equivalent. The energy released by the combustion of one tm of soft coal.

TERAWATT (TW) | A thousand million watts.

THERMAL | Related to heat or temperature.

THERMOELECTRIC | Electrical energy obtained from the combustion of a fossil fuel such as oil, natural gas or coal.

THERMOSTAT | An apparatus with an automatic device used to control temperature.

TOE | a ton of oil equivalent. The energy released when 1 ton of crude oil is burnt. 1 toe = 7.4 barrels of crude in primary energy. 1 barrel of oil = 158.9 litres. 1 toe = 1.438 tce. The International Energy Agency expresses its energy balance sheets in toe. Electricity converted into toe is: 1 MWh = 0.086 toe.

TIDAL POWER | Energy produced by harnessing the vertical movement of sea-tides through submerged turbines.

TRADITIONAL THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE | This consists of moving an alternator to produce electrical power.

TURBINE | In a hydroelectric power plant, the turbine transforms water movement into electricity. In wind power installations, the wind turbines transform kinetic wind energy into mechanical energy and finally into electrical energy.

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V

VOLATILITY | The tendency of a liquid to pass into the vapor state at a given temperature. Vapor pressure.

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W
WASTE MANAGEMENT | According to Law 42/1975 regarding solid urban waste and residue, any industrial process that recovers or transforms resources contained in waste products.

WASTE | Material that becomes useless in a job or operation.

WATT (W) | A unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). It is the power of a machine that performs 1 joule of work in one second. Multiples of this unit are used frequently.

WATT PEAK (WP) | The power supplied by a solar energy system during maximum solar radiation.

WAVE POWER | Energy produced by wave movement.

WIND ENERGY | Wind turbines transform kinetic wind energy into mechanical energy that is converted to electricity by means of a generator.

WIND FARM | A group of wind turbines.

WIND TURBINE | A windmill that uses kinetic wind energy to generate electricity.

WORKING LIFE | The normal operating life of an object.

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