Term | Definition |
law | a system of rules imposed by government authority |
amendment | an addition to, deletion from, or other change to a law some time after it was originally set forth |
enforce | ensuring that people abide by a law |
government agency | a unit of government authorized to enforce laws |
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | the main national government agency for overseeing environmental laws in the U.S. |
sustainable energy | meeting present energy needs without destroying energy sources for the future |
photovoltaic cells (PV cell or solar cell) | a wafer of material with one wire attached to the top and one to the bottom; As sunlight shines on the water it puts out an electrical current |
Solar-trough collectors | long trough shaped reflectors tilted toward the sun; all the sunlight hitting the collector is reflected onto a pipe running down the center of the system, which heats oil inside it to high temps |
solar energy | energy made by harnessing the sun's rays |
hydroelectric | using water to produce electricity |
geothermal energy | heat produced from the Earth's core, found mainly near volcanoes and geysers |
Wind power | useful energy created by harnessing the wind |
intermittent | on and off, starting and stopping a lot |
Biomass | organic material made from plants and animals (microorganisms); examples of biomass fuels are wood, crops, manure, and some garbage |
municipal solid waste (MSW) | garbage |
contaminate | to make something impure or unfit for use by adding harmful or undesired substances |