Introduction to Clean Energy Vocabulary Words

1. Renewable Energy: Energy that comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

2. Solar Power: Energy harnessed from the sun, typically using solar panels or photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity or thermal energy.

3. Wind Energy: Energy obtained from the movement of air, typically captured using wind turbines that convert kinetic energy into mechanical power or electricity.

4. Hydropower: Energy generated by harnessing the power of moving water, usually from rivers or dams, to produce electricity.

5. Biomass: Organic material derived from plants and animals, which can be used as a renewable energy source to produce electricity, heat, or biofuels.

6. Geothermal Energy: Energy derived from the heat stored within the Earth, typically harnessed for electricity generation or direct heating applications.

7. Photovoltaic Cells: Devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect, commonly used in solar panels.

8. Solar Panels: Assemblies of photovoltaic cells that capture sunlight and convert it into electricity, used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

9. Wind Turbine: A device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical power or electricity, typically consisting of blades, a rotor, and a generator.

10. Energy Efficiency: The practice of using less energy to provide the same service or achieve the same outcome, reducing energy waste and conserving resources.

11. Sustainability: The ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, often involving the use of renewable resources and environmentally friendly practices.

12. Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, emitted directly or indirectly by human activities, typically measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).

13. Greenhouse Gases: Gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.

14. Biofuels: Fuels produced from renewable biological resources, such as plant materials or animal waste, used as alternatives to fossil fuels in transportation and energy generation.

15. Kilowatt-hour (kWh):  a unit of measurement for the amount of electricity a device uses over a period of time

16. Grid Integration: The process of connecting renewable energy sources and other power generators to the electricity grid, ensuring reliable and efficient delivery of electricity to consumers.

17. Net Metering: A billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate their own electricity (e.g., with solar panels) to feed surplus energy back into the grid and receive credit on their utility bills.

18. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e):  a metric used to compare the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) based on their global warming potential (GWP). It's calculated by determining how many metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are required to have the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another GHG.

19. Wind Farm:  areas where many large wind turbines have been grouped together

20. Climate Change: Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth, largely driven by human activities that increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.