Green Jobs Terminology
The green jobs pipeline for women consists of a set of resources that, when combined, help prepare and connect women to green jobs. The term 'pipeline' conveys a continuum of supportive services that helps to create an environment within which a job seeker can move forward along a career pathway. Pipeline resources help women secure family-supporting jobs in industries that foster energy efficiency and renewable energy.
A quick resource to the Green Jobs language:
Anaerobic Digestion – Organic matter broken down by bacteria in the absence of air, producing a gas (methane) and solid (digestate). The by-products, for example biogas, can be used in a furnace, turbine or gas-powered vehicles. Digestates, for example, can be used on farms as a fertiliser.
Bio Fuels – Fuel produced from renewable biomass material, commonly used as an alternative, cleaner fuel source
Carbon Footprint – A measure of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by a person, organization, or location at a given time
CEM – Certified Energy Manager – Professional certification issued by the Association of Energy Engineers
Clean Energy – Energy that when generated, does not produce pollution
EMS – Energy Management Systems – A control system that monitors environmental and system loads and adjusts HVAC operations accordingly in order to conserve energy while maintaining comfort levels
Energy Efficiency – A system instituted in an organization to achieve energy efficiency through well laid out procedures and methods, and to ensure continual improvement, which will spread awareness of energy efficiency throughout an entire organization
Geothermal – Energy derived from the heat from the interior of the earth
HAZMAT – An abbreviation of Hazardous Material
HVAC – An abbreviation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
Hydroelectric – Electricity generated by converting the energy of moving water
Hydrology – The branch of geology that studies water on the earth and in the atmosphere
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
NERC – An abbreviation of North American Electric Reliability Council; an organization that makes reliability rules and standards for the electric utility industry
New Energy Economy – The New Energy Economy is Governor Ritter’s vision for an energy policy and infrastructure in Colorado that embraces and fully utilizes renewable energy and energy efficiency while creating jobs for Colorado workers
Photovoltaic – (or PV) a technology which uses a device (usually a solar panel) that when exposed to light, produces free electrons, resulting in the production of an electric current
PV – See Photovoltaic
Recycling – Processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials
Renewables or Renewable Energy – Energy generated from natural resources--such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat--which are renewable/naturally replenished
Smart Grid – Nickname for an ever-widening palette of utility applications that enhance and automate the monitoring and control of electrical distribution
Solar Power – Energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. (See also Photovoltaic)
Sustainability – Method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged
Sustainability Consultant – A hired professional that provides organizations with the tools and expertise they need to actively manage their social and environmental impacts
Urban Agriculture – Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around a village, town or city
Waste Diversion – The act of preventing garbage from being disposed of in landfills or incinerators by reducing the amount of materials that are used or bought, by reusing, recycling or composting
Weatherization – Modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency
Wind Turbine – A rotating machine (similar to a propeller) which converts the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy
Wraparound services – A term used to describe a process by which service providers agree to collaborate to improve the lives of women and their families by creating, enhancing and accessing a coordinated system of support
