Heating Industry Glossary
BTU-(British Thermal Unit)-The amount of heat needed to
raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. BTU is used
to signify the heating and cooling capacity of a system and the heat losses and
gains of buildings and homes.
BTUH-The number of BTUs produced in one hour.
Clean Energy-is the term describing what is thought to be
environmentally friendly sources of power and energy. Typically, this refers to renewable and
non-polluting energy sources.
Closed Loop System-A heat pump system that uses a loop of
buried plastic pipe as a heat exchanger.
Loops can be horizontal or vertical.
COP-(Coefficient of Performance)-The ratio of heating or
cooling provided by a heat pump (or other refrigeration machine) to the energy
consumed by the system under designated operating conditions. The higher the COP, the more efficient the
system.
Compressor: The
central part of a heat pump system. The
compressor increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant and
simultaneously reduces its volume while causing the refrigerant to move through
the system.
Condenser: A heat
exchanger in which hot, pressurized (gaseous) refrigerant is condensed by
transferring heat to cooler surrounding air, water or earth.
Cycling Losses-the efficiency of a heating or cooling system
is reduced due to start-up and shut-down losses. Over-sizing a heating or cooling system increases cycling losses.
Demand Response: Within the electric industry,
the mechanisms to manage the demand from customers in response to supply conditions. For example, having electricity customers reduce their consumption at critical
times or in response to market prices.
Desuperheater: A
device for recovering superheat from the compressor discharge gas of a heat
pump or central air conditioner for use
in heating and preheating water.
Energy-Conservation: -is the practice of
decreasing the quantity of energy used while achieving a similar outcome. Practicing this may result in an increase
of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort.
Energy-Efficient: -Performing the same services but using less power.
Fossil Fuel:
Combustible fuels formed from the decomposition of organic matter. Examples are natural gas, propane, fuel oil
and coal.
Geothermal Heat Pump- A heat pump that uses the earth as a
heat source and heat sink.
Green Energy Technology- Technologies that use natural or renewable resources, conserve energy, or are more sustainable from an environmental perspective by reducing pollution and overall energy consuption.
Heat exchanger: A
device designed to transfer heat between two physically separated
fluids or mediums of different temperatures.
Heat Pump-A mechanical device used for heating & cooling
which operates by pumping
Heat from a cooler to a warmer location. Heat pumps can extract heat from air, water,
or
The earth. They are
classified as either air-source or geothermal units.
Heat Sink-The medium-air,water, or earth-which receives heat
is extracted by a heat pump.
Heat Source: The
medium-air, water, or earth-from which heat is extracted by a heat pump.
Open Loop System: A
heat pump system that uses groundwater from a well or surface water from a
lake, pond or river as a heat source.
The water is returned to the environment.
Payback: A method of calculating how long it will take to
recover the difference in costs
Between two different heating & cooling systems by using
the energy and operating cost
Savings from the more efficient system.
Smart Energy:
-is the use of computers, electronics, and advanced materials to make energy use more efficient.
Supplemental heating:
A heating system used during extremely cold weather when additional heat
is needed to moderate indoor temperatures.
May be in the form of fossil fuel or electric resistance.
Conversion Table
U.S.
Equals Canadian
1 gallon = .8 gallon (3.78 liters)
1 foot = .304 meter
1000 feet = 304.8 meters
1BTU = 252 calories (grams)
Fahrenheit =
Celsius=(f-32)x5/9
(Example: 40F)
= (4.44C)
