Energia Barcelona

a system used to control the air temperature and humidity level so that it feels pleasant to the human body in premises, a room, a vehicle or a closed space.

a parameter that indicates the composition of the air, and which gradually falls as the concentration of pollutants increases. NB: air quality is evaluated by comparing imission levels with the maximum levels allowed by current legislation, which indicate the approximate level at which there might be a negative effect on health.

the light produced by a lighting device.

pollution caused by the presence of some chemical compound in the atmosphere that is not part of its normal composition, or natural composites in a higher-than-usual concentration.

a set of operating procedures for staff, management and the control of industrial activities that foster waste and emission minimisation. NB: appropriate procurement and stock management, efficient preventive or predictive maintenance and proper control of process variables are examples of best practices. These can generally be implemented at very little cost and, therefore, with a rapid return on investment. This is one of the most effective ways of minimising waste and emissions.

energy obtained from biomass by fermentation, combustion or other processes, such as gasification or pyrolysis.

a combustible gas comprised of a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide that is produced by the anaerobic digestion (controlled or not) of biomass.

the layer of Earth where life develops and which includes parts of the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, into which all human beings are integrated.

the parameter used to indicate the maximum amount of energy that can be generated by a fuel, or a waste product used as fuel, when it is burned.

an indicator of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle of a product, service or organisation.

a flue that provides an outlet for smoke, gas and particles generated by combustion, a chemical reaction or product storage, or which responds to the ventilation needs of an activity.

energy which can be obtained and used without generating waste, has moderate to minimal environmental impact and produces no chemical or noise pollution. NB: examples are solar power, wind power and geothermal power.

see ecotechnology.

a set of atmospheric conditions that characterise the weather in a specific region.

a brown or black solid matter that results from the partial decomposition, distillation and incomplete combustion of organic matter, usually vegetable, which contains carbon. NB: coking coal, mineral coal and charcoal are distinguished by their production process.

a plant where a primary fuel such as natural gas, diesel fuel or fuel oil is used to generate thermal energy, which can be used later, and electric power.

an apparatus which is used to oxidise fuel in order to use the heat generated in this process.

a colourless or slightly yellowish liquid fuel obtained by distilling petroleum fuel oil at a temperature between 220 and 360oC, which is mainly used as transport fuel though it has other uses. NB: diesel is the fuel used with diesel engines. When these engines are well-regulated they emit fewer pollutants than petrol, however, if they are not, they emit more suspended particles and black smoke.

a company’s capacity for minimising pollution and the use of resources, including energy resources, during the process of elaborating a product from the design stage to packaging and distribution, without reducing its quality.

the branch of biology that studies the relations between living beings and their environment.

a set of techniques that consist of rationalising the management of raw materials and energy sources in order to minimise pollution.

a group of electric accumulators connected in series or in parallel. NB: old car accumulator batteries are regarded as special municipal waste and are collected separately at municipal tips.

the quantity of pollutants released into the atmosphere during the course of a specific time period. NB: it is measured as mass per unit volume of pollutant.

a system’s capacity to produce external force. NB: it may take the form of mechanical, electrical or thermal energy, and chemical or physical bonds.

the amount of energy consumed in a specific period.

energy that crosses a surface perpendicularly per unit of area and unit of time. NB: the unit for measuring energy flow in the international system of units is watt per square metre, W/m².

Utilising waste to produce energy as an alternative to other sources.

a procedure that allows a reduction in energy use and consumption while achieving the same result.

see energy self-consumption.

involves obtaining and distributing energy (gas or electricity) on a regular and reliable basis by means of a functional system of works, plants, facilities, grids and pipelines.

see energy recovery.

a set of biotic (fauna and flora) and abiotic elements (solar energy, water, air and mineral earth) that combine in a particular space and affect the development and survival of an organism, and also enable ecosystems to develop.

the systematic monitoring of environmental conditions with a view to preventing harmful changes.

in a gas-discharge lamp light is mainly produced by the emission of a layer of fluorescent substances inside the lamp which are stimulated by the ultraviolet radiation of the discharge. NB: the waste treatment of fluorescent tubes is a public service offered by the regional Catalan government.

see fluorescent lamp / bulb.

the reducing agent in combustion.

a lamp that produces light by means of an electric discharge between electrodes in a gas or vapour at low or high pressure.

the acronym in Catalan for Gestor Integral de l’Ordenança Solar (Solar By-law Integral Manager), online software developed by Barcelona City Council to simplify the procedures for obtaining the municipal licences required by projects for installing thermal and photovoltaic solar energy facilities, in accordance with the procedure set out in the Barcelona Solar By-law.

the process whereby the Earth’s temperature is gradually increasing due to the intensification of the greenhouse effect.

a phenomenon consisting of atmospheric warming, which is due to the fact that the atmosphere is transparent to solar radiation and its capacity to absorb the Earth’s infra-red radiation.

the total mass of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere in a specific period.

a lamp or bulb filled with gas that contains a certain portion of halogen or an organic halogen compound.

equipment or devices designed to heat a space. NB: it generally consists of a closed circuit through which air or water circulates at a temperature above room temperature. The fluid can be heated by combustion, which may involve pollutant emissions.

electrical energy produced by harnessing the potential or kinetic energy of water.

energy that comes from harnessing the potential energy of falling water or kinetic energy of fast-running water.

an electric lamp consisting of a vacuum-packed glass globe with a metal filament (usually tungsten) that produces incandescent light when an electric current passes through it.

the acronym for Light Emitting Diode. A semiconductor diode that emits incoherent light on one of the bands of the visible spectrum, infra-red or ultraviolet, when an electric current is passed through it in the direction allowed by the diode. NB: an electroluminescent diode consists of two semiconductor materials that form a p-n junction. When an electron passes through the junction from the negative side and finds a hole corresponding to a lower energy level, it emits energy in the form of a photon. The colour emitted by the diode depends on the energy jump between the materials in the p-n junction.

see low-energy lamp.

the biological process involving the anaerobic decomposition of organic compounds to obtain biogas.

the anthropogenic or human intervention to reduce emission sources and improve greenhouse gas sinks.

a light comprised of electromagnetic waves that vibrate on different wavelengths over time.

a non-metallic, gaseous, diatomic, colourless, insipid, odourless and chemically inactive chemical element that makes up approximately 80% of the volume of air in the atmosphere. NB: when it is combined with oxygen at high temperatures it forms nitrogen oxides.

an insipid, colourless, almost odourless and highly toxic gas formed by the direct combination of nitrogen and oxygen in the air at high temperatures. Also known as nitric oxide. NB: this gas oxidises in the atmosphere and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), with which it forms what are known as nitrogen oxides. It is highly toxic if inhaled and it irritates the skin and mucous membranes.

a type of fuel capable of undergoing a controlled fission reaction in a nuclear reactor that releases energy in the form of heat. NB: Uranium and plutonium are nuclear fuels.

energy obtained from atomic nuclear fusion or fission.

a complex of industrial facilities that use mixtures of hydrocarbons in crude oil or petroleum to produce petrol, lubricants, liquid gases, asphalt, etc.

a light blue, irritant gas, a triatomic allotrope of oxygen with a characteristically sharp smell that absorbs short wave ultraviolet radiation. NB: in the presence of atmospheric pollutants such as nitrogen oxides or some hydrocarbons, intense solar radiation can cause a strong concentration of ozone in the troposphere. In these conditions, ozone becomes a very toxic and corrosive photochemical oxidant that can intervene in atmospheric phenomena such as the oxidation of nitrogen.

a small cylindrical or spherical body obtained from compressing finely divided dry materials. NB: wood and similar waste materials are used to make pellets in the energy sector.

a mineral oil formed by a mixture of hydrocarbons with diverse structures in highly variable proportions, depending on the oilfield of origin.

electricity generated by means of the photoelectric effect.

a range of facilities where electric power is produced from another form of energy.

the principle according to which a specific area has to be capable of accommodating the facilities and management systems to adequately handle the waste it generates.

fractions with a high calorific or energy value produced from waste that is processed to recover energy or to be used as a substitute for fossil fuels.

an ecosystem’s capacity to react positively to restore its properties and functions following the action of a disruptive process or agent such as acid rain, erosion or pollution. NB: in terms of individuals and society, resilience is the capacity to face up to an unfavourable situation or one that poses a risk, and to recover, adapt and develop positively in the face of adverse circumstances.

a type of fog that contains air pollutants, principally from industry and transport emissions, the consequence of a large concentration of dust and smoke particles which act as condensation nuclei, causing the condensation of water vapour, even when air humidity is well below 100%.

a device used to collect incident solar radiation to turn it into thermal energy for domestic and industrial uses.

radiant energy emitted by the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves.

the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun, 90% of which has a spectrum that falls between 0,25 and 5 µm, approximately.

a zone where there is a situation that gives rise to a very high potential risk of exceeding the admissible limits, or where the admissible immission limits have already been exceeded, and where the actions and measures that can be adopted in situations where a special attention zone has been declared are considered to be insufficient.

each of the gases that result from the oxidation of sulphur and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in burning fossil fuels, in the decomposition and combustion of organic matter, and the aerosols over oceans and volcanoes. NB: the most significant sulphur oxides as regards atmospheric pollution are sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3). The mains source of emissions of these atmospheric pollutants is the burning of fossil fuels in power stations, cars, heating systems and so on. The principal effect is acid rain.

a set of policies designed to make economic growth compatible with maintaining biodiversity and ultimately, preventing the degradation of the biosphere caused by human activity.

see sustainability.

a high concentration of particles in the form of a cloud that are dangerous to life and health.

the branch of ecology that studies urban ecosystems and sees aggregate urban settlements as systems constituted by a community of organisms (of which mankind is the most important) and the environment they live in.

a set of wind turbines that work in parallel and use wind power to produce electricity which enters the distribution grid.

a power plant that harnesses wind power.