Glossary
Below are a few terms that may be new or confusing. If you have any comments or questions that have not been sufficiently addressed on this website, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Building Envelope
- The term used to describe the shell of your home, your primary protection from the outdoor elements. The building envelope includes the roof, outer and inner walls, foundation and floors, windows and exterior doors.
- HVAC
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning system. Typically when the term HVAC is used, it refers to the whole system: compressor, air handler, heater, and duct work.
- kW
- kW is short for a kilowatt, which is one thousand watts.
- kWh
- kWh stands for Kilowatt Hour. One kilowatt hour is one kilowatt used over one hour of time. Your electric bill probably includes the number of kilowatt hours you are being charged for. This is the total number of kilowatt hours your household used over the term of the bill. For example, if you used 10 kilowatts per day for 300 hours, your total usage is 3000 kWh. If you used 100 kilowatts for only 30 hours, the result is the same: 3000 kWh.
- SEER
- Air conditioning systems are measured in terms of their SEER rating: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating is a measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioners and heat pumps. The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient the unit.
