Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 67 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Cooling |
Conventional cooling provided by a compressor operated refrigeration device. Term can be interchanged with "active cooling". |
| Open Loop |
A system where water is pumped from a water well, pond, lake or other surface source for use in a heat pump. |
| Output |
Heat pump capacity in Btu's/Ton's. |
| Oversized Evaporator |
A technique of employing a larger than normal evaporator (heat absorption device) in a geothermal heat pump in order to obtain greater heat exchange and thus better performance from the unit. |
| Package Heat Pump |
A heat pump which has all components (compressor, blower and heat exchangers etc.) in one cabinet. |
| Passive Cooling |
A process whereby cold well water (less than 50º F.) is pumped directly to a finned air coil (much like the radiator of a car) so that when the heat pump fan is operated, cooling and dehumidification are provided without the operation of a compressor driven refrigeration system. |
| Radiant Floor Heating |
Process of embedding tubing (cross-linked polyethylene, polybutylene etc.) directly in a concrete floor so that hot water can be pumped through the tubing for the purpose of heating the floor and thus the building. |
| Refrigerant |
A naturally occurring or man made liquid which absorbs and releases heat energy in a refrigeration device by changing phase from a liquid to a gas and vise versa in response to the influence of a refrigeration compressor. |
| Reversing Heat Pump |
A heat pump in which the condenser and evaporator coils of the unit reverse roles in response to a reverse in the direction of the flow of refrigerant in the machine. |
| Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCO |
Is the average COP over the entire heating season. |
| Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) |
The average cooling efficiency over an entire cooling season. |
| Sensible |
The interior heat gain due to heat conduction, convection, and radiation from the exterior into the interior, and from occupants and appliances. |
| Simple Payback Factor (heating) |
Subtract the installation cost of the least expensive (less efficient) system from the installation cost of the more expensive (more efficient) heating system. This value is the increased cost of installing the more efficient system. Calculate the yearly energy savings in dollars by installing the more efficient system. Take the increased cost to install divided by the yearly energy savings and your result is the number of years required for the more efficient system to pay for itself. |
| Sink Temperature |
This is the temperature of the media (water or air) into which the heat pump must reject it's heat. |
| Source Temperature |
This is the temperature of the media (water or air) from which the heat pump extracts its heat. |
