Category

Glossary

Glossary
July 7, 2022

Smart Grid

Electrical grid which uses information and communications technology to co-ordinate the needs and capabilities of the generators, grid operators, end-users and electricity market stakeholders in a system, with the aim of operating all parts as efficiently as possible, minimising costs and environmental impacts and maximising system reliability, resilience and stability.
Steve Mills
Glossary
July 6, 2022

Smart Energy System

An energy system which aims to optimise the overall efficiency and balance of a range of interconnected energy technologies and processes, both electrical and non-electrical (including heat, gas and fuels). This is achieved through: • dynamic demand- and supply-side management; • enhanced monitoring of electrical, thermal and fuel-based system assets;…
Steve Mills
Glossary
July 1, 2022

Power Curve

Graph showing the capacity of a wind turbine to generate energy at different wind speeds. By taking the forecast of wind speed as measured in hours per year and aligning it with the power curve as measured in kilowatts the total kilowatt hours per year which can be generated by…
Steve Mills
Glossary
June 30, 2022

Peaker Generation Plant

Power plants which run predominantly during peak demand periods for electricity. Such plants exhibit the optimum balance – for peaking duty – of relatively high variable cost (fuel and maintenance cost per unit of generation) relative to fixed cost per unit of energy produced (low capital cost per unit of…
Steve Mills
Glossary
June 27, 2022

Open-Cycle Gas Turbine

A gas turbine generating unit where the exhaust gases from the turbine are not employed to generate additional power by means of a steam turbine – as they would be in a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine.
Steve Mills
Glossary
June 24, 2022

Molten Salt

An energy storage medium used predominantly to retain the thermal energy collected by a solar tower or solar trough of a concentrating solar power plant, so that this energy can be used at a later time to generate electricity.
Steve Mills