Technical Glossary
BALANCING ENERGY
In the electricity supply, balancing energy is required to offset unforeseeable load fluctuations and power plant outages. To ensure the necessary volume of energy can be supplied immediately, output is reserved at easily controllable power plants. Throttled steam, water storage, pump water storage and gas turbine power plants are used as sources of balancing energy.
BIOGAS
As defined in the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG): biomethane, gas from biomass, landfill gas, sewage gas and mine gas. BIOMASS Biomass includes all life forms, dead organisms, organic metabolites and residual organic materials. Our biomass cogeneration plants are mainly fuelled by timber (waste timber, wood chips and pellets).
Biomass
Biomass includes all life forms, dead organisms, organic metabolites and residual organic materials. Our biomass cogeneration plants are mainly fuelled by timber (waste timber, wood chips and pellets).
CO 2 EMISSIONS RIGHTS
An environmental policy instrument aimed at cutting CO 2 emissions at the lowest possible cost to the economy. To achieve this goal, a market is created for CO 2. The price signals emitted by this market provide participating companies with an incentive to reduce their CO 2 emissions. Upon implementation, a cap first has to be set on a political level for specified emissions within a specified area (regional, national, international) in a specified period (e.g. calendar year) and for a specified group of participants (e.g. energy industry, heavy industry). Based on this cap, so-called CO 2 rights entitling their holders to emit specific volumes of CO 2 are then issued. There are penalties for any emissions not covered by emissions rights. By lowering the cap step by step, the incentive to save CO 2 can gradually be increased.
COGENERATION
Simultaneous generation at a cogeneration plant of mechanical energy usually converted directly into electricity and heating energy useable for heating purposes (district heating) or production processes (process heat). This therefore involves extracting useful heat, particularly when generating electricity from combustible fuels. As the total specific energy input in cogeneration systems is lower than that in separate electricity generation (with no use of surplus heat behind the turbine) and standalone heating plants, cogeneration can contribute towards achieving energy saving targets.
COMMODITY
Designation for a standardised tradeable good, such as electricity, gas, coal or CO 2 rights.
CONTRACTING
This is taken to mean the construction or takeover and operation of an energy generation plant supplying utility energy, such as electricity, heating energy, cooling energy or compressed air, by a contractor (external third party) on a long-term contractual basis. The aim is to achieve substantial economic and ecological benefits by optimising processes.
CONTROL AREA
The German electricity grid is divided into four control areas. The transmission grid operator responsible for each control area guarantees stable grid operations by correcting fluctuations in generation and consumption by means of balancing energy.
DEGREE DAY FIGURES
Degree day figures are a weather indicator used to assess temperature-dependent heating energy requirements. According to VDI Guideline 4710, the calculation of degree day figures is based on the difference between an indoor room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and the average daily outdoor temperature below the so-called heating threshold temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. That is the average daily outdoor temperature below which heating is required according to the degree day method.
EEG SETTLEMENT MECHANISM
Refers to the transfer payment with which the EEG compensation received by plant operators subsidised under the Renewable Energies Act (EEG) is allocated via grid operators and electricity suppliers to end customers. This EEG allocation must be paid by end customers (financial settlement). Physical settlement, which involves the prorated transmission of EEG electricity volumes to all customers, will be discontinued from 1 January 2010.
EFFICIENCY
Ratio of output yielded and absorbed upon energy conversion. The efficiency figure for thermal power plants indicates the percentage of the thermal energy contained in the fuel which can be converted into electricity. The higher the efficiency figure, the more effectively the energy content of the input fuel is used. Modern gas power plants attain efficiency levels of up to 60 %, while power plants fired with hard coal and brown coal reach 46% and 43 % respectively.
ELECTRICITY GENERATION CAPACITY (GROSS BOTTLENECK CAPACITY)
Installed electrical gross bottleneck capacity at entire electricity generation plant in MWe. The generation unit‘s gross bottleneck capacity is the output yielded at the generator clamp.
ELECTRICITY NET BOTTLENECK CAPACITY
Output in MWe yielded to the supply system (transmission grid, distribution grid or consumers). Calculated by deducting average own electricity consumption from gross bottleneck capacity.
ENERGY SYSTEM LOSSES
Energy required to offset grid losses caused by physical factors.
ENERGY TRADING DERIVATIVES
Energy trading derivatives are futures transactions (structured as fixed or options transactions) whose price directly or indirectly depends on the exchange or market price of a reference value. Such instruments are characterised by their future date of performance (hence the designation as futures) and their dependence of the derivative price on an exchange or market price. We trade in derivatives in the primary fuels of gas and coal and the energy product of electricity.
GAS-STEAM POWER PLANT
A combined gas-steam power plant is a power plant where the principles of a gas turbine power plant are combined with those of a steam power plant.
GRID FEES
In the liberalised energy market, grid fees, also known as grid utilisation fees, are the fees collected by electricity and gas grid operators as consideration for grid use or grid transmission by the various users.
GROSS ELECTRICITY OUTPUT
The gross electricity output of a generation unit refers to the electricity output produced at the generator clamps in MWh/a.
H-GAS
H is short for high. H-gas designates gas with high calorific value (natural gas).
L-GAS
L is short for low. L-gas designates gas with low calorific value.
MARKET DESIGN IN THE ENERGY / MARKET
Detailed definitions of “market rules” governing the interaction between the regulated value chain stage of grid operation and the competitive value chain stages of generation, trading and sales.
MARKET FACILITATORS
Ideal underlying a new understanding of the role to be played by grid operators, who then see themselves as promoters of competition on the energy markets. The market facilitator bases its actions on the needs of its customers (sales businesses, traders, generators) and provides efficient infrastructure and services to meet these needs.
NET ELECTRICITY OUTPUT
The generation unit’s output to the supply system (transmission grid, distribution grid or consumers). This figure is calculated by deducting own consumption at the plant from the gross electricity output.
RDF
Abbreviation for refuse-derived fuels produced from high-calorific household, industrial and commercial waste. RDF is already partly substituted for coal, natural gas and heating oil at conventional power plants and cement factories.
RENEWABLE ENERGIES ACT (EEG)
Law dated 29 March 2000 which accords priority to renewable energies, most recently amended as of 1 January 2009 (EEG 2009). Key component of German climate protection strategy. Under EEG, the share of electricity generated from renewable energies is to be increased to above 30% by 2020. Renewable energies include biomass, the biogenic share of waste (50 %), photovoltaics, hydroelectricity and wind energy.
SMART GRIDS
By working with the latest technologies and developments, smart grids offer extended possibilities of actively and flexibly adjusting generation, grid control, storage and consumption to the constantly changing needs of the energy markets.
SMART METERING
A smart meter is an electronic meter enabling consumption data for electricity, gas, district heating and water to be recorded and automatically read and processed by energy suppliers in future. The latest smart metering technology provides customers with detailed information on their current consumption and costs.
WHISPERGEN
House energy plant powered by natural gas. This uses a Stirling motor to simultaneously produce heating energy and electricity for detached and semidetached houses. It is operated on a decentralised basis – and thus without conduction losses – and works on the principle of cogeneration.
