English Glossary and List of Acronyms
This page lists English terms in the area of energy, briefly explains them and gives the German translation with a link to a German encyclopedia article. At the bottom, you also find a list of acronyms.
(Diese Seite listet englische Fachbegriffe auf, erklärt sie kurz, gibt ihre deutsche Übersetzung und verweist auf deutsche Lexikonartikel. Unten finden Sie ebenfalls eine Liste von Akronymen.)
Sorry, English translations of the encyclopedia articles are not available – maybe they will be in some future. Maybe you want to use some automatic translation tools in the meantime, such as Google translate.
There is also a German glossary of energy terms.
| 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 |
A
absorption heat pump: a heat pump which is driven by high-temperature heat instead of a mechanical drive → Absorptionswärmepumpe
adsorption heat pump: a heat pump based on adsorption and desorption → Adsorptionswärmepumpe
accumulator: a rechargeable battery → Akkumulator
air conditioner: a machine which can create comfortable air condition in a room by cooling and possibly dehydration → Klimaanlage
air dehumidifier: a device which decreases humidity of the air in a room → Luftentfeuchter
air exhange rate: the ratio of added fresh air volume per hour to the air volume of a room → Luftwechselrate
air drag: a friction force which occurs when a body is moved through air → Luftwiderstand
air humidifier: a device which increases humidity of the air in a room → Luftbefeuchter
air pollutants: substances in air which are not naturally there and have adverse effects → Luftschadstoffe
air pollution: the contamination of air with pollutants → Luftverschmutzung
air-to-air heat pump: a heat pump which transfers heat from air to air → Luft/Luft-Wärmepumpe
air-to-water heat pump: a heat pump which transfers heat from air to water → Luft/Wasser-Wärmepumpe
alternating current: an electric current which oscillates → Wechselstrom
alternator: an eletrical generator in a vehicle → Lichtmaschine
ammonia: a toxic substance with substantial importance for various fields of technology → Ammoniak
ampere: the basic unit of the electric current → Ampere
ampere hour: a unit for electrical charges → Amperestunde
anergy: energy which can not do work → Anergie
anergy network: a network delivering heat low temperatures → Anergienetz
annual efficiency: the ratio of generated useful energy to consumed energy in fuels → Jahresnutzungsgrad
annual load duration: a curve which shows the at least delivered or consumed electrical power as a function of the duration within a year → Jahresdauerlinie
annual peak load = the maximum power during one year → Jahreshöchstlast
anti-knock properties: the potential of a fuel to avoid problems with uncontrolled ignition → Klopffestigkeit
apparent power: the product of the effective values of voltage and current → Scheinleistung
atomic energy: energy from nuclear process → Atomenergie or Kernenergie
automatic engine shut-off: automatic switching off of the engine of a car → Start-Stopp-Automatik
auxiliary power: power required by internal machines in a power station → Eigenbedarf
aviation petrol: petrol for small airplanes → Flugbenzin
Atkinson engine: a modified Otto engine with higher efficiency → Atkinson-Motor
B
back to back converter: a device for transferring power between two AC networks → Gleichstromkurzkupplung
balance energy: energy for compensating unforeseen deviations of electricity generation and/or consumption in some region → Ausgleichsenergie
balancing services: services which are required for stable operation of electricity grids → Systemdienstleistungen
ballast: a device for limiting an operation current, e.g. for a fluorescent lamp → Drosselspule
barrel: the usual units for quantities of crude oil → Barrel
base load: the part of electrical power consumption which always occurs → Grundlast
baseload delivery: delivery of energy with a constant power over a longer period → Bandlieferung
battery: an electrochemical devices providing electric energy → Batterie
battery charger: a device for recharging accumulators → Ladegerät
benzene: a simple hydrocarbon → Benzol
binding energy: the energy required to separate e.g. a molecule into single atoms → Bindungsenergie
biodiesel: a diesel fuel (or substitute for it) made from biomass → Biodiesel
bioenergy crops: plants which are grown in order to harvest energy → Energiepflanzen
bioethanol: ethanol alcohole made from biomass → Bioethanol
bioethanol furnace: a furnace using bioethanol as fuel → Bioethanolofen
biohydrogen: hydrogen gas made from dead biomass or using living biomass → Biowasserstoff
biomass: renewable materials of biological origin, which is often used for energy generation → Biomasse
biomass fuel: fuel produced from biomass → Biokraftstoff
biomass gasification: the production of combustible gases from biomass → Biomassevergasung
biomethane: methane (CH4) with the quality of natural gas, made from biomass → Biomethan
bivalent or monovalent machines: machines which can use two (bivalent) or only one (bivalent) component or fuel e.g. for generating heat → bivalente und monovalente Anlagen
black start: the start of a power station without support from the electricity grid → Schwarzstart
blackout: a power failure → Stromausfall
block heat and power plant: a modular power station for combined heat and power generation: Blockheizkraftwerk
blow-in insulation: an insulation which is made by blowing some material into a cavity → Einblasdämmung
blower: a device for moving air against a low pressure → Ventilator
blower door test: a measurement of the airtightness of a building → Blower-Door-Test
boiler: a combustion device used e.g. for a central heating system → Heizkessel, or a device for generating steam → Dampfkessel
bottleneck capacity: the maximum power which an electric power generation facility can provide → Engpassleistung
breeder reactor: a nuclear reactor in which new nuclear fuel is breeded by irridation of other substances → Brutreaktor
brine-to-water heat pump: a heat pump using a brine for heat transport → Sole/Wasser-Wärmepumpe
British Thermal Unit (BTU): a unit for amounts of energy → British Thermal Unit
building physics: physics with relevance for buildings → Bauphysik
burn-off: burning of waste materials without using the heat → Abfackelung
burnable gas → Brenngas
burner: a device for combusting a fuel O Brenner
burning point: the minimum temperatur where a substances can be set to fire → Flammpunkt
butane: a carbon hydrate gas → Butan
C
caloric value: the amount of heat which can be produced from some fuel → Heizwert
caloric value boiler: a boiler which condenses water vapour in the exhaust gas in order to utilize the upper heating value → Brennwertkessel
capacitor: a device for electrical energy storage → Kondensator
capacity of a battery: the electric charge or energy which it can supply → Kapazität einer Batterie
carbon bubble: a speculative bubble in the context of fossile energy → Kohlenstoffblase
carbon dioxide: a gas with global warming potential, which is created in many combustion processes → Kohlendioxid
carbon hydrates: substances consisting only of carbon and hydrogen atoms → Kohlenwasserstoffe
carbon monoxide: a poisonous gas, which can be created in combustion processes → Kohlenmonoxid
carburator: a device for mixing fuel and air for an Otto engine → Vergaser
Carnot efficiency: the theoretical upper bound for the efficiency of a heat engine → Carnot-Wirkungsgrad
catalytic converter: a device for removing certain substances from exhaust gases → Abgaskatalysator
cealing heating: a heating system installed in the ceiling of a room → Deckenheizung
central heating system: a central system for heating a building → Zentralheizung
central-heating boiler: a boiler used for a central heating system → Heizkessel
charger: a device for recharging accumulators → Ladegerät
charging of electric cars → Laden von Elektroautos
chemical energy: energy which is stored in chemical form and can be released in chemical reactions → chemische Energie
chemical energy storage: storing energy in chemical substances → chemische Energiespeicherung
chiller: a machine for cooling → Kältemaschine
chimney: a high-temperature resistant facility for guiding exhaust gases → Schornstein
choke: an inductor coil, used in certain electrical circuits → Drosselspule
circulation pump: a pump which circulates the water in a central heating system → Heizungs-Umwälzpumpe
city gas: a combustible gas, which is normally generated by gasification of coal → Stadtgas
Clausius Rankine cycle: a thermodynamic cycle describing the basic operation principle of steam turbines → Clausius-Rankine-Kreisprozess
clean energy: usable energy which can be provided and used without special environmental hazards → saubere Energie
climate engineering: the use of large-scale technical means for influencing the climate → Climate Engineering
climate hazards: hazards arising from global climate change → Klimagefahren
climate hysteria: an allegedly hysterical reaction to climate change → Klimahysterie
climate-neutral: without impact on the global climate → klimaneutral
climate protection: measures for reducing climate hazards → Klimaschutz
CO2 abatement cost: the cost to avoid CO2 emissions → CO2-Vermeidungskosten
CO2 budget: the maximum amount of carbon dioxide, which can be emitted from a certain time on such that a certain CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is not exceeded → CO2-Budget
CO2 compensation: the compensation of CO2 emissions with measures at other places → CO2-Kompensation
CO2 equivalents: a measure for the climate impact of a substance or activity → CO2-Äquivalente
CO2-free: not causing CO2 emissions → CO2-frei
CO2 pricing: methods for increasing the cost of CO2 emissions in the interest of climate protection → CO2-Bepreisung
co-firing: the common combustion of different materials, e.g. of wood together with coal → Mitverbrennung
co-generation: combined generation of power and heat → Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung
co-generation power station: a power station which is also delivering useful heat → Heizkraftwerk
coal: a solid fossil energy carrier, created by carbonization of biomass over long times → Kohle
coal equivalent → Steinkohleeinheit
coal gasification: a process to produce combustible gases from coal → Kohlevergasung
coal liquefaction: a process to produce liquid fuels from coal → Kohleverflüssigung
coal phase-out: abandoning the use of coal for energy generation → Kohleausstieg
coal power station: a power station using energy of coal → Kohlekraftwerk
coefficient of heat transmission: a measure for the tendency of a structure to cause heat losses → Wärmedurchgangskoeffizient
coefficient of performance → Leistungszahl einer Wärmepumpe; Wärmeverhältnis einer Kältemaschine
cold reserve: power plants, which are normally not operated, but are available in case of shortages → Kaltreserve
cold start: the start of an engine in a cold state → Kaltstart
combined cycle power station: a power station using a combination of a gas turbine and a steam turbine → Gas-und-Dampf-Kombikraftwerk
combustion: a chemical reaction between a fuel and air or oxygen → Verbrennung
combustion-air ratio: the ratio of actual and stoichimetric quantities of air in a combustion process → Verbrennungsluftverhältnis
combustion motor: a motor which is powered by combustion of a fuel → Verbrennungsmotor
combustion point: the minimum temperature for igniting a permanent flame → Brennpunkt
communal heating power station: a modular power station for combined heat and power generation → Blockheizkraftwerk
compressed air energy storage: energy storage based on compressed air → Druckluftspeicherkraftwerk
compression heat pump: a heat pump based on compression and expansion of a medium → Kompressionswärmepumpe
condensation heat: the amount of heat which is released when a gas is condensed → Verdampfungswärme und Kondensationswärme
condenser: a device for electrical energy storage, or for condensing a gas → Kondensator
condensing boiler: a boiler which condenses water vapour in the exhaust gas in order to utilize the upper heating value → Brennwertkessel
connected rating: the maximum power which a device may use → Anschlussleistung
constant temperature boiler: a boiler operating with an approximately constant (and normally high) temperature → Konstanttemperaturheizkessel
control reserve: a reserve of power generation (or consumption) capacities for compensating fluctuations in power generation and demand → Regelenergie
convection: recirculation of a gas or liquid, often driven by temperature differences → Konvektion
converter: a facility which can convert electrical energy from one form to another → Umformer
cooling: removing heat from a body → Kälte
cooling capacity: the amount of heat per unit time which can be removed by a cooling device → Kälteleistung
cooling tower: a large installation to dissipate waste heat → Kühlturm
customer generation: the generation of electrical energy with own installations → Eigenerzeugung
cycle recognition: the automatic recognition of a test drive cycle by an electronic control unit of a vehicle → Zykluserkennung
cycle stretchout: the continued operation of a nuclear reactor with used-up nuclear fuel → Streckbetrieb
cyclic operation: reduced average power operation of a device by switching it on and off → Taktbetrieb
cylinder cut-off: the temporary disabling of one certain cylinders of an engine under conditions of low power demand → Zylinderabschaltung
D
daily temperature figure: a measure for the climate conditions at the place of a building, which influences the amount of energy required for heating → Gradtagszahl
daylight lamp: a lamp, the optical spectrum of which closely matches that of daylight → Tageslichtlampe
decarbonization: the change of our energy supply system such that less carbon is turned over
decentralized combined heat and power station: a modular power station for combined heat and power generation → Blockheizkraftwerk
decentralized energy generation: energy generation in small, distributed engines → dezentrale Energieerzeugung
deep energy retrofit: improvements done to existing buildings in order to reduce the energy consumption → energetische Sanierung von Gebäuden
deep geothermal energy: the use of geothermal energy from high depth → tiefe Geothermie
defeat devices in the exhaust gas treatment: devices which deactivate the exhaust gas treatment e.g. in a car → Abschalteinrichtung bei der Abgasreinigung
dehumidifier: a device which decreases humidity of the air in a room → Luftentfeuchter
delta connection: a way of connecting equipment to a three-phase current system → Dreieckschaltung
demand charge: a price which depends on the maximum required power → Leistungspreis
demand side management: measures for adapting the consumption to the free generation capacities in an electricity network → Lastmanagement
dew point: the temperature to which air would have to be cooled in order to start condensation of water → Taupunkt
direct current: an electric current which always flows in the same direction → Gleichstrom
diesel-electric drive: a drive system with a diesel engine, an electrical generator and electric motor → dieselelektrischer Antrieb
diesel engine: a combustion engine with inner combustion and self-ignition
diesel fuel: a liquid fuel for use in diesel engines → Dieselkraftstoff
dimmer: a device for regulating the brightness of lamps → Dimmer
direct evaporation and condensation: an energy-saving technique for heat pumps and chillers → Direktverdampfung und Direktkondensation
dishwasher: a machine which can wash dishes → Geschirrspülmaschine
dissipation: a process where a regular movement is converted into irregular movement → Dissipation
distortion reactive power: reactive power caused by nonlinear distortions of the current → Verzerrungsblindleistung
distribution network: a network for distributing electricity or natural gas → Verteilungsnetz
distribution network operator: the operator of a distribution network → Verteilungsnetzbetreiber
double layer brick wall: a brick wall consisting of two layers with a cavity in between → Zweischalenmauerwerk
downsizing of engines: the reduction of size of engines, frequently without a loss of output power → Downsizing von Verbrennungsmotoren
drive cycle recognition: the automatic recognition of a test drive cycle by an electronic control unit of a vehicle → Zykluserkennung
driving resistance: the sum of all forces which need to be overcome to move a vehicle → Fahrwiderstand
drop-in fuel: a fuel which can directly replace conventional fuels → Drop-in-Kraftstoff
dump gas: combustible gas which is released from organic waste in landfills → Deponiegas
E
earth leakage circuit breaker: a safety device for preventing deadly electric shocks → Fehlerstrom-Schutzschalter
earth tube collector: a heat exchanger with contact to earth → Erdregister
economiser: a component for increasing the energy efficiency, e.g. in steam turbine power station → Economiser
effective voltage or current: the square root of the mean squared voltage or current → Effektivwert von Spannung und Stromstärke
efficiency factor: the fraction of input energy which is obtained in the desired form → Wirkungsgrad
electric boiler: a boiler heated with electricity → Elektroboiler
electric car: a car with an electric drive → Elektroauto
electric current: the transported electric charge per unit time → elektrische Stromstärke
electric generator: a machine which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy → Generator
electric heat: heat generated from electrical energy → Elektrowärme
electric heat pump: a heat pump driven with an electric motor → Elektrowärmepumpe
electric heating: a heating system directly using electric energy → Elektroheizung
electric heating rod: a rod-shaped electric heater device → Elektroheizstab
electric mobility: locomotion based on electricity → Elektromobilität
electric motor: a motor working with electrical energy → Elektromotor
electric thermal storage heating: an electric heating system containing a thermal storage → Elektrospeicherheizung
electric voltage: the electric energy per unit charge → elektrische Spannung
electrical energy: energy which is supplied or stored based on electricity → elektrische Energie
electrical energy gap: a shortage of electricity → Stromlücke
electrical supply company: a company supplying electrical energy: Energieversorgungsunternehmen
electricity bill: a bill for electrical energy → Stromrechnung
electricity grid: a network of power lines for distribution of electrical energy → Stromnetz
electricity market: a market for electrical energy → Strommarkt
electricity meter: a device for measuring consumed amounts of electrical energy → Stromzähler
electricity mix: the composition of sources of electrical energy → Strommix
electricity network charges: charges covering the cost of building, maintaining and operating electricity networks → Netznutzungsentgelt
electricity price: a price for electrical energy → Strompreis
electricity tariff: a set of rules for calculating the price of electrical energy → Stromtarif
electrification: utilization of electricity for certain purposes → Elektrifizierung
electrode boiler: a device for electric heating of water → Elektrodenkessel
electrolysis: an electrochemical process where chemical processes are driven by electrical energy → Elektrolyse
electron volt: an energy unit which is common in physics → Elektronenvolt
electronic ballast: an electronic device for operating fluorescent lamps → elektronisches Vorschaltgerät
embodied energy: energy which is required for producing certain goods → graue Energie
emergency power supply: equipment for providing electrical energy in emergencies → Notstromversorgung
emission trading: trading with emission certificates as part of cap & trade system → Emissionshandel
emissions: the release of pollutants or other disturbing substances or radiation → Emissionen und Immissionen
emissivity: a measure for the tendency of a material to exchange energy via thermal radiation → Emissionsgrad
endothermic reaction: a chemical reaction which consumes heat → endotherme Reaktion
energy: a concept of physics related to the ability to do work → Energie
energy autarky: providing energy without external dependencies → Energieautarkie
energy balance of a building: a summarized consideration of energy flows, often of heat flows → Energiebilanz eines Gebäudes
energy carrier: a substance or medium with which energy can be stored and transported
energy conservation: the principle that energy cannot disappear or come from nothing → Energieerhaltung
energy consumption: the turnover of energy or consumption of energy carriers → Energieverbrauch
energy contracting: contracts for energy services → Energie-Contracting
energy density: the energy per volume or mass unit → Energiedichte
energy degradation: the loss of usable energy → Energieentwertung
energy efficiency: efficiency in the conversion or utilization of energy → Energieeffizienz
energy efficiency ratio: a measure for the energy efficiency of a cooling device → Energy Efficiency Ratio
energy-efficient house → Niedrigenergiehaus
energy generation: the generation of energy in a particular form → Energieerzeugung
energy labeling: using labels for indicating the energy consumption or efficiency of devices → Energieverbrauchskennzeichnung
energy monitor: a device for measuring energy consumption → Energiemonitor
energy-only market → Energy-only-Markt
energy payback period: the operation time which a renewable energy facility requires to deliver as much energy as has been required to construct it → energetische Amortisationszeit
energy performance certificate for buildings: a document which assesses the energy efficiency performance of a building → Gebäudeenergieausweis
energy policy: political activities related to energy questions → Energiepolitik
energy poverty: a lack of energy which means that essential needs cannot be fulfilled → Energiearmut
energy productivity: a measure for the energy efficiency of an economy → Energieproduktivität
energy rate: a cost per consumed kilowatt hour → Arbeitspreis
energy revolution: the realization of a sustainable energy system → Energiewende
energy saving: activities which reduce the energy consumption → Energiesparen
energy-saving lamp: a compact lamp with reduced electricity consumption → Energiesparlampe
energy-saving mode: a mode of device where the energy consumption is reduced → Energiesparmodus
energy-saving paint: a paint which promises to reduce heat losses → Energiesparfarbe
energy service: a service which is intimately related to energy consumption → Energiedienstleistung
energy storage: a device or facility which can accept energy and release it later on → Energiespeicher
energy tax: a tax on energy carriers → Energiesteuer
engine: a machine e.g. for propelling an airplane → Triebwerk
engine break: the use of an engine for braking → Motorbremse
engine idling: operating an engine without power generation → Leerlauf
enthalpy: a measure for the energy of a thermodynamic system or the energy turnover of a process, which takes into account the ambient pressure → Enthalpie
entropy: a quantity in thermodynamics which is related to disorder of a system → Entropie
equipment (in electrical technology): an object which is used for generating, transporting, storing or applying electrical energy → Betriebsmittel
Ericsson engine: a hot air engine somewhat similar to the Stirling engine → Ericssonmotor
ethanol: the most common form of alcohol → Ethanol
European electricity network system: the central European system of interconnected electricity networks → europäisches Verbundsystem
evaporation heat: the amount of heat required to evaporate a liquid → Verdampfungswärme und Kondensationswärme
evaporative emissions: emissions e.g. of hydrocarbons by unwanted evaporation of fuels → Verdunstungsemissionen
evaporator: a device for evaporating some fluid → Verdampfer
exergy: energy in high-quality form, suitable for doing work → Exergie
exhaust air heat pump: a heat pump which obtains heat from exhaust air → Abluftwärmepumpe
exhaust duct: a duct for guiding exhaust gases → Abgasleitung
exhaust gas: a gas (normally a product of combustion) which is no longer usable → Abgas
exhaust gas loss: the energy loss via exhaust gases → Abgasverlust
exhaust gas quality: a qualitative measure for poisoneous contents in exhaust gases → Abgasqualität
exhaust gas temperature: the temperature of exhaust gas → Abgastemperatur
exhaust recuperation: the recirculation of exhaust gas in a combustion process → Abgasrückführung
exothermic reaction: a chemical reaction which releases heat → exotherme Reaktion
external cost: negative effects e.g. of energy use which is not contained in the paid prices → externe Kosten
F
fan: a device for moving air against a low pressure → Ventilator
fan heater: a heater device containing a fan → Heizlüfter
fault current protection switch: a safety device for preventing deadly electric shocks → Fehlerstrom-Schutzschalter
feed-in management: the management of the generation of electrical energy for the power grid → Einspeisemanagement
feed-in tariff: the financial return for energy fed into the power grid → Einspeisevergütung
Ferranti effect: the occurrence of over-voltages due to blind current effects in transmission lines → Ferranti-Effekt
final energy: energy in the form in which it arrives at the consumer → Endenergie
firewood → Holz
flameless oxidation: an oxidation process with exhaust gas recirculation, where no visible flame occurs → flammenlose Oxidation
flashing point: the minimum temperatur where a substances can be set to fire → Flammpunkt
fleet consumption: the average fuel consumption of a vehicle fleet → Flottenverbrauch
floor heating: a heating system which heats the floor → Fußbodenheizung
flow heater: a device which heats water while it is flowing through → Durchlauferhitzer
flow temperature: the temperature of hot water supplied in a central heating system → Vorlauftemperatur
flue: a high-temperature resistant facility for guiding exhaust gases → Schornstein
fluorescent lamp: a lamp where a fluorescent layer is excited by ultraviolet radiation from a gas discharge → Leuchtstofflampe
fluorocarbons or fluorinated hydrocarbons: substances obtained by partly or fully replacing hydrogen with fluorine in hydrocarbons → Fluorkohlenwasserstoffe
flywheel generator: a mechanical energy storage device based on one or several flywheels → Schwungradspeicher
force: energy per unit distance → Kraft
fossil energy carrier: chemical energy carriers which have been formed from dead biomass over a long time → fossile Energieträger
four-stroke engine: an internal combustion engine where one combustion cycle has four strokes → Viertaktmotor
four-wire system: an electric transmission system using four active conductors → Dreileiter- und Vierleiternetz
fracking: a method for increasing the permeability of underground rock → Fracking
free cooling: methods of cooling with a very low energy consumption → free cooling
free ventilation: methods of ventilation which do not require ventilators → natürliche Lüftung
frequency control in transmission networks: the control of the AC frequency in electric transmission networks → Frequenzregelung im Stromnetz
fresh water power station: a water power station working with fresh water → Trinkwasserkraftwerk
friction: a process where a regular movement is hindered → Reibung
fuel: a substance which can be burned in order to generated heat → Brennstoff
fuel cutoff in overrun: switching off the fuel supply of an engine when it is driven → Schubabschaltung
fuel assembly: an assembly of fuel rods for use in a nuclear reactor → Brennelement
fuel cell: an electrochemical device for power generation, using a fuel brought in from outside → Brennstoffzelle
fuel gas: a burnable gas → Brenngas
fuel injection: a method for supplying fuel to a combustion engine → Kraftstoffeinspritzung
fuel oil: a fuel based on mineral oil, used for heating purposes → Heizöl
fuel rod: a rod containing a nuclear fuel → Brennstab
fuel saving: reducing the amount of fuel consumption → Kraftstoff sparen
full load hours: a measure for the utilization of a power plant → Volllaststunden
full load operation: operation of a machine with full power → Volllastbetrieb
fungi in rooms: a microbial problem → Schimmel in Wohnräumen
G
gas condensate: a fraction of raw natural gas which can be liquid at room temperature and normal pressure → Gaskondensat
gas discharge lamp: a lamp in which an electrical gas discharge is utilized → Gasentladungslampe
gas expansion engine: an engine which is driven by a compressed gas (e.g. air) → Gasexpansionsmotor
gas-fired power station: a power station using natural gas → Gaskraftwerk
gas heating: a heating system using gas, normally natural gas → Gasheizung
gas motor: a combustion motor using a gas as fuel → Gasmotor
gas-powered heat pump: a heat pump which is operated using gas, e.g. natural gas → Gas-Wärmepumpe
gas turbine: a turbine which is driven with a hot gas → Gasturbine
gaseous fuel → Brenngas
gasoline: a liquid fuel, which is mostly used for gasoline engines → Benzin
generator: a machine which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy → Generator
geothermal energy: heat and electrical power extracted from the ground → Geothermie
gravity system: a circulation system for hot water without a pumping, exploiting natural convection → Schwerkraftsystem
green electricity: electrical energy which is generated in environmentally friendly ways → Ökostrom
green fuel: environmentally benign fuel, mostly fuel produced from biomass → Biokraftstoff
greenhouse effect: the rise of temperature in a greenhouse and on earth as a consequence of manipulation the radiation balance → Treibhauseffekt
grid parity: equality of cost of own power generation and getting power from the public grid → Netzparität
grid stability system: a system for maintaining the stability of an electricity grid under difficult circumstances → Netzstabilitätsanlage
grid voltage: the electrical voltage in an electricity grid → Netzspannung
grid voltage stabilization: the stabilization of the grid voltage → Spannungshaltung
grounding equipment conductor: a conductor which is used for safety grounding of electrical eqipment → Schutzleiter
H
half-time: the time after which an exponentially decaying quantity has been reduced by a factor of 2 → Halbwertszeit
halogen lamp: a special kind of incandenscent lamp with a halogen gas filling → Halogenlampe
halogen-metal vapour lamp: a gas discharge lamp containing a mixture of metal vapour and halogens → Halogen-Metalldampflampe
heat: thermal energy → Wärme
heat capacity: a measure for the capability of an object to store heat → Wärmekapazität
heat conduction: the transport of heat in a medium → Wärmeleitung
heat conductivity: the ability of a material to conduct heat → Wärmeleitfähigkeit
heat cost allocator: a device used for allocating cost for heating → Heizkostenverteiler
heat engine: a machine which can partly convert heat to power → Wärmekraftmaschine
heat exchanger: a device which can transfer heat from one medium to another → Wärmeübertrager
heat insulation: the minimization of heat losses or heat inflow → Wärmeschutz
heat loss from transmission: heat loss of a building due to heat transmission → Transmissionswärmeverlust
heat meter: a device for measuring delivered thermal energy → Wärmemengenzähler
heat pipe: a device which transports heats, using a medium which is repeatedly evaporated and condensed → Wärmerohr
heat pump: a device which can generate useful heat partially by extracting it from colder bodies → Wärmepumpe
heat pump system: a heating system based on a heat pump → Wärmepumpenheizung
heat radiation: electromagnetic radiation emitted by warm bodies → Wärmestrahlung
heat recovery: the recovery of heat for use → Wärmerückgewinnung
heat storage: a storage device for heat → Wärmespeicher, Pufferspeicher
heat transfer coefficient: a measure for the strength of heat transfer at a boundary → Wärmeübergangskoeffizient
heater: a device for heating a room → Heizkörper
heater blower: a powerful heater containing a burner and a powerful ventilator → Heizgebläse
heater exponent: a quantity describing the dependence of the heating power on the temperatur difference → Heizkörperexponent
heating cost: cost caused for the heating of a building → Heizkosten
heating electricity: electrical energy which is used for heating systems → Heizstrom
heating load: the required or applied heat power e.g. in building or a room → Heizlast
heating plant: a facility producing thermal heat → Heizwerk
heating system: a system used for heating a building → Heizungsanlage
heating value: the amount of heat which can be produced from some fuel when the water vapour in the exhaust gas is not condensed → Heizwert
heavy oil: a very viscous fuel from mineral oil → Schweröl
high voltage: voltages above 1 kV → Hochspannung
high-voltage direct current transmission: the transmission of high electrical powers using direct current with high voltages → Hochspannungs-Gleichstromübertragung
high-voltage transmission line: a line for transmitting electrical power at a high voltage level → Hochspannungsleitung
higher heating value: the amount of heat which can be produced from some fuel when the water vapour in the exhaust gas is condensed → Brennwert
house with surplus energy balance: a building where on average more energy is produced from renewable sources than is consumed → Plusenergiehaus
hot air heating: a heating system which works by supplying hot air → Warmluftheizung
hot water → Heißwasser, Warmwasser
hot water circulation system: a system of central hot water distribution → Warmwasser-Zirkulationssystem
hot water heat pump: a heat pump for providing hot water → Warmwasserwärmepumpe
hot water tank: a tank for storing hot water → Warmwasserspeicher
humidifier: a device which increases humidity of the air in a room → Luftbefeuchter
humidity: the moisture content of air e.g. in a room → Luftfeuchtigkeit
hybrid drive: a drive system of a vehicle which uses different energy carriers → Hybridantrieb
hybrid heat pump: a bivalent heat generator containing a heat pump, or a heat pump which can work as compression or absorption heat pump, or a heat pump which can utilize different heat sources → Hybridwärmepumpe
hydraulic balancing of a central heating system: a method for optimum adjustment of pressure differences and water flows in a central heating system → hydraulischer Abgleich von Zentralheizungsanlagen
hydraulic fracturing: a method for increasing the permeability of underground rock → Fracking
hydroelectric power: obtaining power (electricity) from the energy of water → Wasserkraft
hydroelectric power plant: a power plant using potential energy of water → Wasserkraftwerk
hydroelectric power plant with reservoir storage: a hydroelectric power plant with a water reservoir → Wasser-Speicherkraftwerk
hydrogen: a combustible gas, which can serve as energy carrier → Wasserstoff
hydrogen economy: an energy economy which largely relies on hydrogen as energy carrier → Wasserstoffwirtschaft
hydrogen storage: a storage system for hydrogen → Wasserstoffspeicher
I
ice storage: a latent heat storage device using water and water ice → Eisspeicher
ignitability: a measure for the tendency of a diesel fuel to self-ignite → Zündwilligkeit
illuminant: an equipment for generating light → Leuchtmittel
illuminating gas: a combustible gas, which is normally generated by gasification of coal → Stadtgas
illumination: providing light for rooms or objects → Beleuchtung
immersion heater: a device which can heat water when being immersed in it → Tauchsieder
immissions: the influence of pollutants or other disturbing substances or radiation → Emissionen und Immissionen
incandescent lamp: a simple lamp where the thermal emission of a hot filament is used → Glühlampe
incandescent lamp phase-out: the phase-out of incandescent lamps for lighting purposes → Glühlampenverbot
incremental cost: the cost for a small increase of production → Grenzkosten
inductive energy transmission: the transmission of electic energy with magnetic fields by induction → induktive Energieübertragung
inflammation point: the minimum temperature where spontaneous inflammation of a substance is possible → Zündtemperatur
infrared heating: heating systems which heat by emitting infrared radiation → Infrarotheizung
installed nameplate capacity: the nominal power of an electric power generation facility → installierte Leistung
insulated render: a render which improves the thermal insulation of a building → Wärmedämmputz
insulation: a method for reducing heat losses → Wärmedämmung
insulation material: a material used for reducing heat losses → Wärmedämmmaterial
insulation of roofs: means for reducing heat losses at roofs → Wärmedämmung von Dächern
integrated energy: the coupling of different energy sectors for exploiting various synergies → Sektorkopplung
interconnected grid: an electricity grid (or natural gas grid) which resulted from the interconnection of several networks → Verbundnetz
internal consumption: energy which is consumed within a power station, for example → Eigenverbrauch
interruptible load: a consumer of electrical energy which can be temporarily switched off by the local power company
interseasonal energy storage: a facility for storing energy over several months→ saisonaler Energiespeicher
inverter: a device for converting direct current to alternating current → Wechselrichter
island network → a small electric transmission network → Inselnetz
isotopes: nuclides with same proton number → Isotope
J
jet engine: an engine which provides propulsion by emitting a gas jet → Strahltriebwerk
jet fuel: a fuel based on mineral oil, which is mostly used in aviation → Kerosin
joule: the basic unit of energy → Joule
K
Kalina cycle: a method for operating steam turbines with low-temperature heat → Kalina-Kreisprozess
kilowatt hour: the amount of energy which is delivered for 1 kW power over one hour → Kilowattstunde
kelvin: a unit for the temperature → Kelvin
kinetic energy: energy related to the velocity of a mass → Bewegungsenergie
knock resistance: the ability of a fuel to resist uncontrolled ignition in a combustion motor
knocking in Otto engines: a consequence of uncontrolled burning in an engine → Klopfen beim Ottomotor
L
lambda sensor: a sensor for measuring the oxygen content of exhaust gases → Lambdasonde
landfill gas: combustible gas which is released from organic waste in landfills → Deponiegas
large power plant: a power station with a high power output of at least hundreds of megawatts → Großkraftwerk
latent heat: heat which is absorbed by or extracted from a body without changing its temperature → latente Wärme
latent heat storange: a storage device which stores latent heat → Latentwärmespeicher
laughing gas: a gas belonging to the nitrogen oxides → Lachgas
laws of thermodynamics: fundamental physical laws in thermodynamics → Hauptsätze der Thermodynamik
layer charge: the use of an inhomogeneous fuel-air mix in an engine → Schichtladung
lean-burn engine: an engine which works with a lean fuel-air mixture → Magermotor
light: a kind of electromagnetic radiation → Licht
light-emitting diode: a semiconductor device emitting light → Leuchtdiode
lighting: providing light for rooms or objects → Beleuchtung
liquefied natural gas: natural gas which has been converted to a fluid by strong cooling → Flüssigerdgas
load: a device drawing energy (power) from a system, or the corresponding power → Last
load following: the operation of a power plant with variable output power according to the needs in the electricity network → Lastfolgebetrieb
load following rate: the speed with which the output power of a power station can be changed → Leistungsänderungsgeschwindigkeit
load management: measures for adapting the consumption to the free generation capacities in an electricity network → Lastmanagement
load profile: the temporal profile of the power consumed by some facility → Lastprofil
load throw-off: switching off electric consumers in case of shortages → Lastabwurf
local heat: heat for e.g. heating purposes, which is delivered in small pipeline systems → Nahwärme
long-distance cooling: cooling, where a coolant is supplied via long pipelines → Fernkälte
long-distance heating: heating, where a heat-carrying fluid is supplied via long pipelines → Fernwärme
low caloric gas: a gas mixture with low caloric value → Schwachgas
lower heating value: the amount of heat which can be produced from some fuel when the water vapour in the exhaust gas is not condensed → Heizwert
low-temperature boiler: a boiler for heating purposes which can be operated at low temperatures → Niedertemperaturheizkessel
low-temperature heating: a heating system operating with relatively low temperatures → Niedertemperaturheizung
low voltage: voltages below 1 kV → Niederspannung
low voltage system: an electric network working with low voltage → Niederspannungsnetz
M
marginal cost: the cost for a small increase of production → Grenzkosten
marginal power plant: the power plant which determines the price at the electricity market based on the merit order principle → Grenzkraftwerk
masonry heater: an oven operated in a room → Kachelofen
mean effective pressure: a measure for the specific torque of an engine → effektiver Mitteldruck
mean voltage: voltages between 10 kV and 60 kV → Mittelspannung
measurement methods for fuel consumption and exhaust gases → Messverfahren für Kraftstoffverbrauch und Abgaswerte
mechanical energy: energy for doing mechanical work → mechanische Energie
megawatt hour: the energy which is turned over with a power of one megawatt within one hour → Megawattstunde
melting heat: heat required for melting a substance → Schmelzwärme und Erstarrungswärme
methanation: generatinon of methane from other gases, e.g. hydrogen → Methanisierung
methane: a combustible gas, main component of natural gas and biogas → Methan
methane clathrate: a compound of methane and water → Methanhydrat
methane leakage: the loss of methane to the atmosphere, e.g. in biogas plants and gas motors → Methanschlupf
methane pyrolysis: the splitting of methane into hydrogen and carbon → Methanpyrolyse
methanol: an alcohol which can serve as an energy carrier → Methanol
mid-load: the part of the load in an electricity network which fluctuates in a predictable way → Mittellast
mineral oil: a liquid consisting mainly of carbon hydrates from fossil sources → Erdöl
minimum generation: the minimum possible power output of a facility or a pool of power stations → Mindesterzeugung
mixed oxide fuel element: a nuclear fuel element containing plutonium → Mischoxidbrennelement
modulating burner: a burner with variable thermal power → modulierender Brenner
mono-incineration: the incineration without adding additional fuel → Monoverbrennung
motor: a machine producing mechanical energy → Motor
N
near-surface geothermal energy: geothermal energy from moderate depths → oberflächennahe Geothermie
network charges: charges covering the cost of building, maintaining and operating electricity or natural gas networks → Netznutzungsentgelt
neutral conductor: a conductor for electricity transmission with a potential near ground potential → Neutralleiter
Newton: the basic unit for forces → Newton
night setback: the reduction of temperature in heated rooms over night → Nachtabsenkung
nighttime-produced electricity: electrical energy produced during the night → Nachtstrom
nominal power: a power consumption or generation value given by a manufacaturer → Nennleistung
nuclear energy: energy which is obtained from nuclear reactions → Kernenergie
nuclear fission: a nuclear process where atomic nuclei are fractured → Kernspaltung
nuclear fuel: a material which can deliver energy by nuclear processes → Kernbrennstoff
nuclear fuel reprocessing: the separation of various substances in used nuclear fuel in order to recycle them → Wiederaufarbeitung
nuclear fuel tax: a tax on nuclear fuels → Kernbrennstoffsteuer
nuclear fusion: a nuclear process where atomic nuclei are fusing → Kernfusion
nuclear power plant: a power plant based on a nuclear reactor → Kernkraftwerk
natural gas: a combustible gas of fossil origin → Erdgas
natural gas vehicle: a vehicle with a natural gas engine → Erdgasfahrzeug
naturally aspirated engine: an engine where the air required for the combustion is not externally compressed → Saugmotor
nitrogen oxides: chemical compounds of nitrogen with oxygen → Stickoxide
nitrous oxide: a gas belonging to the nitrogen oxides → Lachgas
nominal voltage: a voltage value used for characterizing the type of a network or device → Nennspannung
NOx storage catalytic converter: a catalytic converter for removing nitrogen oxides from diesel exhaust gases → Speicherkatalysator
nuclear phaseout: abandoning nuclear power generation → Atomausstieg
nuclear power: energy from nuclear process → Kernenergie
nuclide: a kind of atomic nucleus → Nuklid
O
off-peak electricity: electrical energy produced at times with low load, e.g. during the night → Nachtstrom
oil equivalent: a measure for the energy content of fuels → Öläquivalent
oil heating: a heating system operated with oil → Ölheizung
oil power station: a power plant operated with oil fuel (often heavy oil) → Ölkraftwerk
oil refinery: a technical facility for producing oil products from crude oil → Erdölraffinerie
oil sand: a sand containing hydrocarbons, which can be used for oil extraction → Ölsand
one-floor heating system: a heating system for only a single floor of a building → Etagenheizung
operating resource (in electrical technology): an object which is used for generating, transporting, storing or applying electrical energy → Betriebsmittel
organic Rankine cycle: a method for operating steam turbines or motors with heat on relatively low temperatur levels → Organic Rankine Cycle
osmotic power station: a power station which exploits concentration differences of salt between fresh water and ocean water → Osmosekraftwerk
Otto engine: a combustion engine with homogeneous fuel-air mixture and external ignition → Ottomotor
outdoor-air intake: an opening e.g. in a wall for letting in fresh air → Außenluftdurchlass
overhead heating: a heating system installed in the ceiling of a room → Deckenheizung
oxygen index: a measure for the tendency of a material to burn → Sauerstoffindex
oxygen sensor: a sensor for measuring the oxygen content of exhaust gases → Lambdasonde
ozone: a chemically aggressive gas → Ozon
P
panel heating: a heating system where large panels e.g. in walls are heated → Wandheizung, Flächenheizung
partial load operation: operation of a machine with reduced load → Teillastbetrieb
particulate filter: a filter for removing particulates from diesel exhaust gases → Rußpartikelfilter
particulate matter: dust consisting of very small particles → Feinstaub
passive house: a building which normally keeps warm without using a regular heating system → Passivhaus
peak demand boiler: a boiler for covering peak demand → Spitzenlastkessel
peak load = peak demand: the maximum power load → Spitzenlast
pellet heating: a heating system using wood pellets → Pelletheizung
Peltier element: a thermoelectric device, which can cool and heat when supplied with electrical power → Peltier-Element
PEN conductor: a conductor which is used as both neutral conductor and grounding conductor → PEN-Leiter
perpetual motion machine: a machine which can move forever without energy input → Perpetuum Mobile
petrol: a liquid fuel, which is mostly used for gasoline engines → Benzin
petroleum tax: a tax on mineral oil products → Mineralölsteuer
phase: a conductor carrying a substantial voltage against ground → Phase
phase-controlled modulation: a technique for modulating the power of electrical devices → Phasenanschnittsteuerung
photovoltaic-thermal solar collector: a soloar collector producing electricity and heat → photovoltaisch-thermischer Solarkollektor
photovoltaics: a technology for directly producing electrical energy from sunlight → Photovoltaik
pilot fuel engine: a dual-fuel self-igniting engine like a diesel engine, where the ignition is achieved by injection of a special ignition oil → Zündstrahlmotor
pipe heater: an electric heater for a pipe → Rohrbegleitheizung
piston engine: an engine with one or more pistons as core elements → Hubkolbenmotor
plug-in solar panel: a small solar panel which directly connected to the local grid with a normal plug → Solarmodul für die Steckdose
plug socket: a part for accepting an electrical plug (male connector) → Steckdose
plutonium: a radioactive element which is generated and used in nuclear power plants → Plutonium
pneumatic motor: an engine which is driven by a compressed air → Gasexpansionsmotor
polyphase current: an alternating current which oscillates with time lags in different cables → Drehstrom
porous burner: a kind of gas burner which operates without an open flame → Porenbrenner
potential energy: energy which depends on the location of a body in a field or which is stored e.g. via mechanical deformation or compression → potenzielle Energie
power: the energy produced, transmitted or consumed per unit time → Leistung
power and heat ratio: ratio of power and heat generation in a co-generation power plant → Stromkennzahl
power company: a company supplying electrical energy: Energieversorgungsunternehmen
power converter: a device which can convert a form of electrical energy into another form → Stromrichter
power density: power per unit area → Leistungsdichte
power efficiency factor: the fraction of input energy which is obtained in the desired form → Wirkungsgrad
power factor: the ratio of real power and apparent power → Leistungsfaktor
power failure: an interruption of the supply of electrical energy → Stromausfall
power frequency: the frequency of the voltage oscillation in a power network → Netzfrequenz
power generation: the generation of energy (power) in a particular form → Energieerzeugung
power loss: lost usable energy per unit time → Verlustleistung
power rating: a power consumption or generation value given by a manufacaturer → Nennleistung
power station, power plant: a facility for generating electrical power → Kraftwerk
power supply: a device for delivering electrical power at the required voltage level → Netzteil
power to ammonia: the production of ammonia with electric energy → Power to Ammonia
power to gas: the use of electricity for producing combustible gases, and its application for energy storage → Power to Gas
power to heat: the use of electrical excess energy for heat generation → Power to Heat
power to liquid: the generation of liquid substances with electrical energy → Power to Liquid
power to gas: the generation of gas, liquids, chemical or heat from electrical energyy → Power to X
pressure: force per unit area → Druck
pressurized reactor: a nuclear light water reactor operated under high pressure → Kernreaktor
primary energy: energy content of natural sources → Primärenergie
primary energy factor: a factor for weighting different energy sources → Primärenergiefaktor
primary energy supplier: the energy supplier which has most customers at a certain place → Grundversorger
process gas: gas used for some process e.g. in an engine → Arbeitsgas
process heat: heat used in a process → Prozesswärme
propane: a carbon hydrate gas → Propan
propellant: a substance used for operating a turbine or a rocket engine → Treibstoff
protective conductor: a conductor which is used for safety grounding of electrical eqipment → Schutzleiter
protective earth neutral (PEN conductor): a conductor which is used as both neutral conductor and grounding conductor → PEN-Leiter
pump: a machine for moving liquids → Pumpe
pumped storage hydro power station: a hydroelectric power station where the water reservoir can be replenished by pumping, using excess energy at low-load times → Pumpspeicherkraftwerk
Q
R
radiant heater: a heater device which mostly works by emitting thermal radiation → Heizstrahler
radiation: highly energetic particles or light quanta → Strahlung
radiation efficiency: the fraction of heating power which is delivered in the form of infrared radiation → Strahlungswirkungsgrad
radioactive waste: waste materials containing radioactive substances → radioaktiver Abfall
radioactivity: the phenomenon that certain atomic nuclei decay while emitting radiation → Radioaktivität
radioisotope thermoelectric generator: a device generating electrical energy from heat, which is generated in a highly radioactive material → Radionuklidbatterie
radionuclide: a radiative nuclide → Radionuklid
range extender: a device for expanding the range of an electric vehicle → Reichweitenverlängerer
rate of utilization: the fraction of energy which can be used → Nutzungsgrad
rated voltage: a maximum voltage allowed during long-term operation of a device → Bemessungsspannung
rated power: a power consumption or generation value given by a manufacaturer → Nennleistung
raw emissions: emissions in exhaust gases before an exhaust gas treatment → Rohemissionen
reactance coil: an inductor coil, used in certain electrical circuits → Drosselspule
reactive current: an alternating current which does not transport real power → Blindstrom
reactive energy: temporally integrated reactive power → Blindarbeit
reactive power: power which oscillates back and forth in a power line → Blindleistung
reactive power compensation: the compensation of reactive power, e.g. using capacitors → Blindleistungskompensation
reactor safety: the safety of the operation of nuclear reactors → Reaktorsicherheit
real power: the power transmitted by an alternating current, averaged over one oscillation period → Wirkleistung
rebound effect: the partial loss of the effect of energy-saving activities → Rebound-Effekt
rechargeable battery: a battery storing energy which can be replenished by charging → Akkumulator
recharger: a device for recharging accumulators → Ladegerät
reciprocating piston engine: an engine with one or more pistons as core elements → Hubkolbenmotor
rectifier: a device which can convert alternating current to direct current → Gleichrichter
recuperation: the utilization of otherwise unused energy → Rekuperation
redispatch: a modification of the planned use of power station in order to avoid overloads → Redispatch
redox flow battery: an electrochemical energy storage device similar to a fuel cell → Redox-Flow-Batterie
rejected heat: heat which can not be used → Abwärme
refrigerating capacity: the amount of heat per unit time which can be removed by a cooling device → Kälteleistung
refrigerating machine: a machine for cooling → Kältemaschine
refrigerator: a device for cooling food or other things → Kühlschrank
regenerative burner: a burner with recuperation of heat from exhaust gas based on a regenerator → regenerativer Brenner
regenerator: a heat storage devices used as a heat exchanger in discontinuous operation → Regenerator
renewable energy: energy from renewable sources → erneuerbare Energie
renewable energy act: a law which regulates the promotion of renewable energy sources → Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz
renewable natural gas: processed biogas according to natural gas quality standards → Biomethan
renewal of a heating system → Heizungserneuerung
repowering: the substitution of old power plants by newer ones, particularly in the domain of wind power → Repowering
reprocessing of nuclear fuel: the separation of various substances in used nuclear fuel in order to recycle them → Wiederaufarbeitung
reservoir power station: a power station having a significant energy storage → Speicherkraftwerk
residual load: the difference between required power and power from non controllable power stations → Residuallast
rich mixture at full load: the use of an excess of fuel at full load of an engine → Volllastanreicherung
rich oil = heavy oil: a very viscous fuel from mineral oil → Schweröl
ripple control: remote control of electricity consuming devices and electricity meters → Rundsteuertechnik
river power plant: a hydroelectric power plant using water of a river → Laufwasserkraftwerk
roling drag: a resistance force occuring e.g. when car wheels roll on the road → Rollwiderstand
room air conditioner: an air conditioning device for a single room → Raumklimagerät, Kompakt-Raumklimagerät
rotary current: an alternating current which oscillates with time lags in different cables → Drehstrom
rotary transformer: a device which can convert electrical energy from one form to another → Umformer
running-water power station: a hydroelectric power plant using water of a river → Laufwasserkraftwerk
S
sector coupling: the coupling of different energy sectors for exploiting various synergies → Sektorkopplung
secundary energy: energy in artificially made or heavily processed energy carriers → Sekundärenergie
secured generation capacity: the capacity of power stations which is always surely available → gesicherte Kraftwerksleistung
security of energy supply: the security of having sufficient quantities of energy → Versorgungssicherheit
selective catalytic reduction: a method for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gases → SCR-Katalysator
sewer gas: a combustible gas, which is obtained in digestion towers for waste water treatment → Klärgas
shale gas: natural gas contained in shales, which can be extracted only with unconventional methods → Schiefergas
smart grid: an distribution system for electrical energy with built-in "intelligence" (communication) → intelligentes Stromnetz
smoke stack: a high-temperature resistant facility for guiding exhaust gases → Schornstein
solar air collector: a solar collector where air is used to transport the generated heat → Luftkollektor
solar cell: an optoelectronic (photovoltaic) device which directly converts solar radiation energy to electrical energy → Solarzelle
solar central heating support: a solar system supporting a conventional heating system → solare Heizungsunterstützung
solar collector: a device for generating hot water with solar radiation → Sonnenkollektor
solar energy: energy from solar radiation → Solarenergie
solar energy storage: a hot water tank for storing heat from thermal solar panels, or a battery system for storing electricity from photovoltaics → Solarspeicher, Solarstromspeicher
solar gains: gains of energy of a building due to solar radiation → solare Gewinne
solar heat: heat from solar energy → Solarthermie
solar/heat pump system: a system for heat generation which combines solar collectors and a heat pump → Solar-Wärmepumpen-System
solar heating system: a heating system using solar energy → Solarheizung, Solaranlage
solar hot water generation: heating of water using solar energy → solare Warmwasserbereitung
solar inverter: an inverter which is specifically made for photovoltaics → Solarwechselrichter
solar module: a module containing solar cells (photovoltaics) → Solarmodul
solar panel: a device for generating hot water with solar radiation → Sonnenkollektor
solar power plant: a power plant utilizing solar energy → Solarkraftwerk, solarthermisches Kraftwerk
solid fuel: a fuel in solid form → Festbrennstoff
solidification heat: heat which is released when a liquid is solidified → Schmelzwärme und Erstarrungswärme
soot: a black power-like material consisting mainly of carbon → Ruß
speed limit: a limitation of the allowed driving speed → Tempolimit
split air conditioner: an air conditioning device consisting of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit → Split-Klimagerät
split heat pump: a heat pump consisting of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit → Split-Wärmepumpe
standby loss: an energy loss occurring during stand-by of a device → Standby-Verbrauch, Bereitschaftsverluste
star connection: a way of connecting equipment to a three-phase current system → Sternschaltung
start-stop system: automatic switching off of the engine of a car → Start-Stopp-Automatik
starter-generator unit: a unit in a vehicle which acts as the starter motor and the generator → Startergenerator
starting current: the initial current flow when a device is turned on → Einschaltstrom
steam engine: a heat engine working with water vapour → Dampfmaschine
steam reforming: the generation of hydrogen from a carbon-containing fuel and water vapour in a chemical process → Dampfreformierung
steam turbine: a turbine which is driven by steam → Dampfturbine
Stirling engine: a heat engine using a working gas in an enclosed room → Stirlingmotor
storage for electrical energy → Speicher für elektrische Energie
storage power station: a power station having a significant energy storage → Speicherkraftwerk
stratified heat storage: heat storage in a water tank where one exploits the natural stratification → Schichtladespeicher
stratified charge: the use of an inhomogeneous fuel-air mix in an engine → Schichtladung
steam generator: a device or facility for generating steam → Dampfkessel, Dampferzeuger
stoichiometric combustion: a combustion where the supplied amount of oxygen ist just sufficient for complete combustion → stöchiometrische Verbrennung
substation: an installation for transferring power from a medium voltage to a low voltage network → Transformatorenstation
substitution → Substitution
sufficiency → Suffizienz
sulfur dioxide: a poisonous gas, which is often contained in exhaust gases → Schwefeldioxid
sun protection: facilities and measures for protection against excessive solar radiation and its heating effects → Sonnenschutz
supergrid: a particularly powerful electricity grid for long-distance transport → Supergrid
surrogate fuel: a fuel from wastes which can replace other fuels → Ersatzbrennstoff
sustainability: the principle that economic activities should be formed such that they do not destroy their ecological basis → Nachhaltigkeit
switching power supply: a power supply where fast switching elements play a central role → Schaltnetzteil
synthetic fuel: a fuel produced via chemical processing → Synthesekraftstoff
synthetic natural gas: a gas similar to natural gas which is artificially produced → synthetisches Erdgas
synthesis gas: a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide which can be used for chemical synthesis processes → Synthesegas
system operator: the operator of an electricity or gas network → Netzbetreiber
T
temperature: a measure for the ability to give away heat → Temperatur
temperature spread: a temperature difference, often in the context with a heat transport system → Temperaturspreizung
theorems of thermodynamics: fundamental physical laws in thermodynamics → Hauptsätze der Thermodynamik
thermal bridge: a structure e.g. in a wall which causes increased heat losses → Wärmebrücke
thermal capacity: a measure for the capability of an object to store heat → Wärmekapazität
thermal component activation: the additional utilization of components of a building for heating or cooling → thermische Bauteilaktivierung
thermal conduction: the transport of heat in a medium → Wärmeleitung
thermal conductivity: the ability of a material to conduct heat → Wärmeleitfähigkeit
thermal engine: a machine which can partly convert heat to power → Wärmekraftmaschine
thermal heat: heat used for heating a building → Heizwärme
thermal imaging: a method for spatially resolved temperature measurements → Thermografie
thermal insulation: a method for reducing heat losses → Wärmedämmung
thermal insulation composite system: a system used for thermal insulation outside building walls → Wärmedämmverbundsystem
thermal insulation material: a material used for reducing heat losses → Wärmedämmmaterial
thermal power consumption: the consumption of heat for heating purposes → Heizwärmebedarf
thermal power plant: a power plant which generates electrical power from heat → Wärmekraftwerk
thermal radiation: electromagnetic radiation emitted by warm bodies → Wärmestrahlung
thermal resistance: a measure for the resistance against heat flows → Wärmewiderstand
thermal storage: storage of heat → Wärmespeicher
thermodynamically optimized heating: a concept for heating buildings where the energy consumption is minimized using thermodynamic principles → thermodynamisch optimiertes Heizen
thermodynamics: an area of classical physics dealing with heat and mechanical energy → Thermodynamik
thermoelectric generator: a device generating electricity directly from heat, exploiting the Seebeck effect → thermoelektrischer Generator
thermography: a method for spatially resolved temperature measurements → Thermografie
thermosiphon: a solar power installation without pump, using natural circulation → Thermosiphonanlage
thermostat: a device for automatic temperature control → Thermostat
three-phase current: an alternating current which oscillates with time lags in different cables → Drehstrom
three-way catalytic converter: a calalyser which can remove three different kinds of pollutants from exhaust gases → Drei-Wege-Katalysator
three-wire system: an electric transmission system using three active conductors → Dreileiter- und Vierleiternetz
throttling loss: energy losses which occur when a flow of a liquid or gas is throttled → Drosselverluste
thrust: the force generated by a rocket or jet engine → Schub
tight gas: natural gas in reservoirs with low permeability → Tight Gas
TN system: a kind of low voltage distribution system → TN-System
torque: force times length of lever arm → Drehmoment
towel warmer: a device for drying and warming towels → Handtuchtrockner
traction power: power used for electric railways → Bahnstrom
transformer: an electrical device which can transform alternating currents to different voltage levels → Transformator
transmission grid: a system of transmission lines for long-distance power transport → Übertragungsnetz
transmission network operator: a company operating an electricity or natural gas transmission grid → Übertragungsnetzbetreiber
transmutation: the conversion of chemical elements into other elements, e.g. in order to reduce the hazards from radioactive nuclear waste → Transmutation
transparent insulation: an insulation which can transmit light → transparente Wärmedämmung
tumble dryer: a device which can dry clothes → Wäschetrockner
turbo generator: the combination of a turbine with an electric generator → Turbogenerator
turbocharging: a method for increasing the power or efficiency of combustion engines → Turboaufladung
two-stroke engine: an internal combustion engine with two strokes per power cycle → Zweitaktmotor
U
unbalanced load: an asymmetric (uneven) load in a polyphase current system → Schieflast
unburnt hydrocarbons: hydrocarbons in exhaust gases → unverbrannte Kohlenwasserstoffe
underground cable: a cable which is placed underground → Erdkabel
upper heating value: the amount of heat which can be produced from some fuel when the water vapour in the exhaust gas is condensed → Brennwert
uranium: a chemical element which is mainly used for generating nuclear power → Uran
uranium enrichment: the production of uranium with an increased content of fissionable uranium 235 → Urananreicherung
useful area in a building: the floor space in a building which can be used → Gebäudenutzfläche und Energiebezugsfläche
useful energy: energy which can be used → Nutzenergie
useful power: the amount of power which can be used → Nutzleistung
utilisation: the fraction of energy which can be used → Nutzungsgrad
V
vacuum insulation panel: an insulating panel based on the principle of vacuum insulation → Vakuumdämmplatte
valves in a reciprocating piston engine: devices for controlling the supply and removal of gases in a piston engine → Ventile beim Hubkolbenmotor
vapour barrier: a barrier for reducing the diffusion of water vapour → Dampfsperre
ventilation: means for providing fresh air to rooms → Belüftung von Gebäuden
ventilation loss: energy losses arising from ventilation of a building → Lüftungsverluste
ventilation system: a system used for ventilation of a building or room → Lüftungsanlage
ventilator: a device for moving air against a low pressure → Ventilator
vertical closed loop: a vertical pair of pipes in the ground, used in conjunction with a heat pump to extract heat from the ground → Erdwärmesonde
vertical network load: the sum of all power flows from the transmission grid to the lower grid levels or to directly connected consumers → vertikale Netzlast
virtual power plant: a combination of decentralized power plants which are centrally controlled → virtuelles Kraftwerk
volt: unit of the electrical voltage → Volt
voltage: the electric energy per unit charge → elektrische Spannung
voltage drop: a voltage caused by a current in some impedance → Spannungsabfall
voltage level: a certain range of effective voltage of an electric network → Spannungsebene
voltampere: unit of the apparent power → Voltampere
volumetric efficiency: the ratio of incorporated gas mass to the theoretically possible mass → Liefergrad
W
warm air heating: a heating system which works by supplying warm air → Warmluftheizung
washing machine: a machine which can wash clothes → Waschmaschine
waste heat: heat which can not be used → Abwärme
water boiler: a small device for boiling water → Wasserkocher
water injection: the injection of water into engines → Wassereinspritzung
water-to-water heat pump: a heat pump which draws heat from water (often ground water) → Wasser/Wasser-Wärmepumpe
water vapour: water in the gaseous state → Wasserdampf
watt: the unit of power → Watt
watt hour: a unit of energy → Wattstunde
weight-to-power ratio: the ratio of weight and power of an engine → Leistungsgewicht
wind energy converter: a facility for gaining power from wind energy → Windenergieanlage
wind park: a group of wind energy converters → Windpark
wind power: energy from wind → Windenergie
window: a transparent opening of a building → Fenster
window ventilation: ventilation via windows → Fensterlüftung
wood → Holz
wood pellets: small pellets made from wood pieces, mostly used for heating purposes → Holzpellets
woodchips: small chips made by cutting wood → Holzhackschnitzel
work: mechanical or electrical energy delivered in a process → Arbeit
working gas: usable gas in a gas storage facility → Arbeitsgas
X
Y
Y connection: a way of connecting equipment to a three-phase current system → Sternschaltung
Z
Acronyms
AC = alternating current → Wechselstrom
AGR = advanced gas reactor → fortgeschrittener gasgekühlter Reaktor → Kernreaktor
BEV = battery-electric vehicle → batteriebetriebenes Elektroauto
BtL = biomass to liquid → Biokraftstoff
BWR = boiling water reactor → Siedewasserreaktor → Kernreaktor
CAES = Compressed Air Energy Storage → Druckluftspeicherkraftwerk
CCGT = combined cycle gas turbine → Gas-und-Dampf-Kombikraftwerk
CCS = carbon dioxide capture and storage → CO2-Abscheidung und -Speicherung
CDM = clean development mechanism → Maßnahme im Rahmen des Emissionshandels
CH4 = methane → Methan
CHP = combined heat and power → Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung
CNG = compressed natural gas → komprimiertes Erdgas
CO = carbon monoxide → Kohlenmonoxid
CO2 = carbon dioxide → Kohlendioxid
CO2-eq = carbon dioxide equivalent→ Treibhauseffekt
COGEN = co-generation → Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung
COP = coefficient of performance → Leistungszahl einer Wärmepumpe
CtL = coal to liquids → Kohleverflüssigung
DC = direct current → Gleichstrom
DME = dimethyl ether → ein Biokraftstoff
DSM = demand side management → Lastmanagement
EOR = enhanced oil recovery → ergiebigere Förderung von Erdöl
EPR = European pressurized reactor → europäischer Druckwasserreaktor → Kernreaktor
EV = electric vehicle → Elektroauto
FC = fuel cell → Brennstoffzelle
FCV = fuel cell vehicle → Brennstoffzellenfahrzeug
FIT = feed-in tariff → Einspeisevergütung
F-T = Fischer-Tropsch → Verfahren für die Kohleverflüssigung
FTL = Fischer-Tropsch liquids → Produkte der Kohleverflüssigung
GJ = gigajoule → Gigajoule
GtL = gas to liquids → Erdgasverflüssigung
GW = gigawatt → Gigawatt
GWh = gigawatt hour → Gigawattstunde
GWP = global warming potential → Treibhauseffekt-Potenzial
H2 = hydrogen → Wasserstoff
HDR = hot dry rock → Verfahren für die Nutzung tiefer Geothermie
HEU = highly enriched uranium → hoch angereichertes Uran
HEV = hybrid-electric vehicle → Fahrzeug mit Hybridantrieb
HFC = hydrogen fuel cell = Brennstoffzelle für Wasserstoff
HFO = heavy fuel oil → Schweröl
HHV = higher heating value → Brennwert
HLW = high-level waste → hochradioaktiver Abfall
HVDC = high voltage direct current → Hochspannungs-Gleichstromübertragung
HWR = heavy-water reactor → Schwerwasserreaktor → Kernreaktor
ICE = internal combustion engine → Verbrennungsmotor mit innerer Verbrennung
ILUC = indirect land-use change → indirekte Landnutzungsänderung → Biomasse
IPCC = Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change → Klimagefahren, Klimaschutz
LCA = life cycle assessment → Ermittlung u. a. von grauer Energie
LED = light-emitting diode → Leuchtdiode
LHV = lower heating value → Heizwert
LNG = liquefied natural gas → verflüssigtes Erdgas = Flüssigerdgas
LPG = liquefied petroleum gases → Flüssiggas
kJ = kilojoule → Kilojoule
kW = kilowatt → Kilowatt
kWh = kilowatt hour → Kilowattstunde
LWR = light water reactor → Leichtwasserreaktor → Kernreaktor
MHP = micro-hydro plants → sehr kleine Wasserkraftanlagen
MDO = marine diesel oil → Schweröl, Dieselkraftstoff
MJ = megajoule → Megajoule
MOX = mixed oxide → Mischoxidbrennelemente
MW = megawatt → Megawatt
MWh = megawatt hour → Megawattstunde
N2O = nitruos oxide → Distickstoffoxid = Lachgas → Stickoxide
NGL = natural gas liquids → Gaskondensate
NO = nitric oxide = nitrogen monoxide → Stickstoffmonoxid → Stickoxide
NO2 = nitrogen dioxide → Stickstoffdioxid → Stickoxide
NPP = nuclear power plant → Kernkraftwerk
OLED = organic light-emitting diode → organische Leuchtdiode
OPEC = Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries → Organisation Erdöl-exportierender Staaten
PCM = phase change material → ein Material für Latentwärmespeicher
PHEV = plug-in hybrid electric vehicle → Fahrzeug mit Hybridantrieb für Nachladung am Stromnetz
PNG = piped natural gas → in Pipelines transportiertes Erdgas
PV = photovoltaics → Photovoltaik
PWR = pressurized water reactor → Druckwasserreaktor → Kernreaktor
RAR = reasonably assured resources → Ressourcen z. B. von Erdöl
RECS = Renewable Energy Certificate System → Zertifikatesystem für Ökostrom
RES = renewable energy sources → Quellen erneuerbarer Energie
SCR = selective catalytic reduction → SCR-Katalysator
SHP = small hydropower → Wasserkraft aus kleinen Anlagen
SNG = synthetic natural gas → synthetisches Erdgas
SOFC = solid oxide fuel cell → Festoxid-Brennstoffzelle
STE = solar thermal electricity → elektrische Energie aus solarthermischen Kraftwerken
TJ = terajoule → Terajoule
TW = terawatt → Terawatt
TWh = terawatt hour → Terawattstunde
U = uranium → Uran
U3O8 = uranium oxide → Uranoxid
V = Volt → Volt
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