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Green Glossary

Absorption chiller
A thermodynamic technology that uses a heat-absorbing material—the Morris chiller uses lithium bromide solution—to remove heat from steam or hot water. Morris’s absorption chiller cools campus buildings in the summer.
Biomass
Renewable organic matter such as crops and crop residues, perennial grasses, wood, algae, animal manure, and the organic parts of municipal and industrial waste.
Carbon credits
A financial instrument aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One carbon credit represents the reduction of one ton of carbon dioxide. Carbon credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their greenhouse gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be bought and sold in the international market. The Morris campus buys carbon credits to offset its fleet emissions.
Carbon footprint
The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to support human activities, usually expressed in tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Carbon neutral
Emitting no net carbon dioxide. The Morris campus is working to become carbon neutral by cutting fossil fuel use, conserving resources, and generating renewable power.
Chilled beam cooling
Chilled beams use cold water, rather than air, to remove heat from a room. Cold water is pumped through coiled pipes in the ceiling, cooling the air through convection, a little like a car radiator. Chilled beam cooling can cut energy use by 20 to 50 percent. Morris’s Welcome Center uses chilled beam cooling instead of traditional air conditioning.
Combined heat and power (CHP)
Sometimes called cogeneration, CHP systems produce heat and electricity simultaneously. The Morris campus’s CHP system captures heat from the biomass gasifier to power a turbine that generates electricity. CHP systems are extremely efficient, supplying heat and electricity at about 90 percent efficiency.
Corn stover
The cobs, leaves, and stalks left after corn grain is harvested.
Gasification
A thermal process that burns organic materials in a low-oxygen environment, producing low-BTU producer gas, or syngas. Syngas can be substituted for natural gas in a furnace, turbine, or engine.
Green Prairie Alliance
An informal Morris research consortium that includes the University of Minnesota, Morris, the West Central Research and Outreach Center, and the USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conversation Laboratory.
Photovoltaic collector
Solar energy collector that converts sunlight into electricity. Morris’s photovoltaic array is used for solar polymer research and instruction.
Solar thermal collector
Solar energy device that heats water. Morris’s solar thermal array heats swimming pool water.
Steam turbine
A turbine that rotates when pressurized steam strikes the vanes on a rotor, providing mechanical energy to generate electricity.



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