Energy is an important, but sometimes invisible, part of our lives. Below is a glossary with a few energy related terms.
Conservation – saving energy by using less. Shutting off the lights or setting your thermostat lower in the winter are examples of conservation.
Efficiency – saving energy by using better technology. Driving a car that gets 30 miles per gallon of gas is more efficient than driving a truck that gets 15 miles per gallon.
Kilowatt – a unit of power equal to one thousand watts. One kilowatt is slightly more than one horsepower.
Kilowatt-hour – a unit of energy (power x time), the amount of energy used to provide one kilowatt of power for one hour. Using ten 100 watt light bulbs for one hour will use of kilowatt-hour of energy.
Watt – a basic unit of power, often associated with electricity, i.e., a 60-watt light bulb.