Glossary

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a measure of the abundance of different forms of life within a particular landscape or a geographically defined area.

Biogas is a combustible gas produced by the fermentation of all types of biomass. It is generated in biogas plants, where both animal waste and renewable raw materials are fermented.

Its main component is methane, which gives it properties very similar to natural gas. The prefix “bio” highlights its biological production method, in contrast to fossil natural gas.

A combined heat and power (CHP) plant is a technical system for generating electrical energy. It uses the principle of cogeneration, achieving high efficiency in relation to the energy source used (e.g., biogas).

Gas storage units are used to store biogas, which is continuously produced in the fermenter. This gas can then be utilized in the CHP unit as needed.

Refers to energy in the form of heat that has been generated from biological raw materials.

Defossilization refers to the reduction of fossil fuels in energy and economic systems.

Electrolysis is a chemical process in which electric current forces a redox reaction. Examples of important electrolyses include the production of hydrogen, aluminum, chlorine, and caustic soda.

Energy storage is used to store energy that is currently available but not needed, for later use.

District heating refers to the supply of buildings with hot water for heating purposes. The thermal energy is transported through a heat-insulated piping system, which is mostly laid underground. Through these pipelines, heat is delivered from the producer or heat storage facility to the consumers.

Agriculture, also referred to as farming, is a sector of primary production. Its goal is the targeted production of plant or animal products on land specifically managed for this purpose.

A reaction in which hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are converted into methane (CH₄) and water (H₂O).

Sustainability is a guiding principle for the use of resources, aiming to ensure lasting fulfillment of needs by preserving the natural regenerative capacity of the systems involved (particularly living organisms and ecosystems).

The term selective catalytic reduction (SCR) refers to a technology for reducing nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases of combustion plants, gas turbines, and internal combustion engines.

In a virtual power plant, many generation units and electricity consumers with controllable loads are interconnected. This creates large generation capacities. The virtual power plant is controlled and regulated according to the demand in the power grid.

In energy engineering, this describes a tank used for the temporary storage of thermal energy until it is consumed.

The ratio of the originally available energy to the converted/used energy. It is used to determine the efficiency of systems, plants, and applications.