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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute estimated that raising the efficiency of the US car and light truck fleet by _____ mile(s) per gallon would cut oil consumption by about 295,000 barrels a day.
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1
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Superinsulated houses built now in Sweden use ___ percent of the energy used by a modern American home.
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10
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Which of the following electric power plant devices has the least net efficient energy?
These are all about the same in terms of net energy efficiency. Oil-burning generator Coal-fired generator Hydroelectric Nuclear generator |
Nuclear generator
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In terms of generating electricity, fuel cells are _______than thermal-conversion machines because the chemical energy of a fuel is______________________.
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more efficient
converted directly into electricity without an intermediate combustion cycle |
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Net energy yield differs from energy efficiency in that net yield takes into account
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lifetime energy costs of equipment, infrastructure, and disposal.
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Utility companies are investing in public education and incentive programs to reduce energy use because
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it is cheaper for them to invest in energy conservation than build new power plants.
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The idea of cogeneration is to actively use ________ electricity generating plants.
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both electricity and waste steam heat from
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How does eating locally grown food in season save energy?
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Locally grown food does not need to be transported far distances.
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A glass greenhouse on the south side of a building is an example of
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passive heat absorption.
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A system of pipes painted black that have water circulating on the wall in a glass greenhouse on the south side of a building is an example of
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an active solar heating system.
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Active solar energy systems involve
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pumps and moving fluids.
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Eutectic chemicals release heat when they
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solidify.
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Parabolic mirrors ________ sunlight on a collecting medium.
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focus intense
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The most effective technology developed so far to produce solar energy concentrated enough to run an industrial furnace or turbine is to use
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parabolic mirrors.
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The quickest and easiest way to save money on energy bills is to
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modify your energy-using behavior.
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The two greatest energy users in the average American home are |
the furnace and water heater.
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Photovoltaic cells work because solar energy striking their surface
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releases electrons, causing an electric potential in attached wires
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Renewable energy makes up about 18 percent of total world energy use with biomass making up ____ of that supply.
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75 percent
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Which of the following is normally considered a biomass fuel?
ethanol peat wood waste wood chips All of these |
all of these
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In the United States and Canada, the most common problem with using wood as a major heat source is
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the production of pollutants.
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Manure or dung makes a good fuel except that it is
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needed to rebuild the soil.
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Since the 1920s, hydropower production has
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risen, but not as fast as fossil fuel use.
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Low-head hydropower involves _____ dams on _____ rivers
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small
minor |
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Some highly efficient turbines can be submerged directly in a river and require only _______ to operate.
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run-of-the-river flow
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Windmills that operate best in light winds are those that have
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many blades.
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Geothermal energy uses ________ to produce usable heat or electricity.
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naturally occurring hot groundwater
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Tidal power stations operate by using
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turbines that spin in the flow of tide water.
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Ocean thermal electric conversion (OTEC) uses _________ to produce usable energy.
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warm surface water and cold deep seawater
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