TERMS TO KNOW...

Green Information Technology, or "Green IT", brings environmental thinking to the world of information technology. We encourage you to consider how the environment may be affected by your IT-related decisions.

Brown Energy/Brown Power

Electricity generated from the combustion of fossil fuel, which generates significant amounts of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Brown power sources include coal, oil, and natural gas.

Climate Change

Although sometimes used synonymously with "global warming," the term implies a significant change (having important economic, environmental and social effects) in a climatic condition (such as temperature or precipitation).

Carbon Footprint

Energy consumption of your electronic equipment for heat, light, power and refrigeration.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs of an equivalent brightness. This is because more of the energy input is converted to usable light and less is converted to heat (allowing fluorescent lamps to run cooler). Visit the Energy Star site for more information.

Electricity Vampire

See Standby Power.

Energy Efficiency

Using less energy to accomplish the same task, such as heating or lighting a building. Using less energy lowers costs and reduces emissions.

Global Warming

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climate change.

Green Building

A comprehensive process of design and construction that employs techniques to minimize adverse environmental impacts and reduce the energy consumption of a building, while contributing to the health and productivity of its occupants.

Green Energy/Green Power

Electricity generated from renewable resources, considered to be less intrusive environmentally than traditional (or "brown" power) generation. Green power sources include wind, water, landfill gas, solar, and others.

Greenhouse Gas

Some gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat in the atmosphere by allowing sunlight to pass through while trapping the heat. Fossil fuels burned to produce electricity contribute 2/3 of these gases found in our atmosphere.

Green Tags

Two products are created when a renewable energy facility, such as a wind farm, operates. First is the electricity that is delivered to the grid. Second are the environmental benefits, emissions offsets from creating the same amount of energy from non-renewable sources. These credits, called Green Tags, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs),are sold to make up the difference between what it costs to build and run a renewable energy generator and what they can sell for the power for on the open market. A purchase of Green Tags replaces fossil-fuel-fired power with clean renewable energy. Every Green Tag increases the amount of green energy in the system. For more information:  http://www.green-e.org/what_is/dictionary/trc.html.

Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)

The standard unit of measure for electrical energy use. One kWh is used to light a 100-watt bulb for 10 hours.

Leaking Electricity

See Standby Power.

Phantom Load/Power

See Standby Power.

Payback

The ratio of project cost to annual savings, usually for an energy efficiency project. If a new high-efficiency boiler costs $10,000 to install and saves $2500 per year in fuel, the payback period is four years.

Renewable Resource

Sources of electricity, such as photovoltaic (PV) solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric. Fuel sources such as ethanol, bio-diesel, biomass (methane), and wood. A resource is considered renewable if it can be naturally replenished. Renewables generally have lower environmental impacts than non-renewables. See http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/276/1/Renewable-energy-primer.html for more information.

Single Stream Recycling

Single-Stream recycling is a recycling process in which materials are collected all mingled together with no sorting required by individual recyclers. Therefore, cans and bottles can be recycled together with newspaper, cardboard, etc. The Delaware State Waste Authority (DSWA) offers single-stream recycling via its drop off centers throughout the State and its Curbside Recycling Program available to ALL residents of Delaware.

Standby Power

Standby power, also called vampire power, phantom load, or leaking electricity, refers to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode. A very common "electricity vampire" is a power adapter which has no power-off switch. Some such devices offer remote controls and digital clock features to the user, while other devices, such as power adapters for laptop computers and other electronic devices, consume power without offering any features. (reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power)

"As much as 10 percent of the electricity used in your home is wasted energy burned by adaptors, chargers, computers, and other appliances that we leave plugged in when we're not using them," says Thomas Kostigen, co-author of The Green Book (2007). "When we do that across the planet, you start to see how much of an effect that has on energy consumption."

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Vampire Power

See Standby Power.

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