Intelligen Resources, LP (IRE) is a national energy procurement and management firm helping companies implement strategies to control and reduce energy costs. IRE is comprised of energy professionals from leading energy companies across the country. Through our strong retail supplier network and operations, we are able to leverage our purchasing power across trading regions nationwide to obtain the most aggressive pricing in the marketplace creating maximum savings for our clients.
Energy Glossary
British Thermal Unit (BTU) – defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of liquid water by 1 °F at a constant pressure of one atmosphere. MMBtu represents one million BTU. This is a common measurement unit of several types of energy.
Carbon footprint – the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product, or person.
Carbon offsetting – reducing a carbon footprint.
Consumption vs Demand – kWh vs kW – Consumption is the total amount of energy used during a period of time (kWh); demand is the rate of that consumption usually measured in 15 or 30 min intervals. (Automobile analogy to understand how demand and consumption relate: the car’s speedometer is like the demand and the odometer is like the consumption.)
Capacity (kW) – how much energy the system must be able to generate to meet the instantaneous load.
Degree days – Used in the energy industry as a representation of outside temperatures and how it relates to energy consumption.
Heating degree days (HDD) – measure of how much (in degrees) and for how long (in days) outside temperature was lower than a specific base temperature.
Cooling degree days (CDD) – measure how much (in degrees) and for how long (in days) outside temperature was higher than a specific base temperature.
Demand Response – Mechanism to manage customer consumption of electricity in response to supply conditions.
Heat Rate – Used to calculate how efficiently a generator uses heat energy. It is expressed as the number of BTUs of heat required to produce a kilowatt-hour of energy. Power / Natural gas = Market Implied Heat Rate.
Hedging – a position established in one market in an attempt to offset exposure to price changes or fluctuations with the goal to minimize risk.
kW, kWh – 1 kilowatt or 1 kilowatt hour of electricity.
Load Factor – average consumption divided by the peak power over a period of time.
RECs – Renewable Energy Credits – are tradable, non-tangible energy commodities in the U.S. that represent proof that 1 MWh of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable energy resource.