The ABC of energy

A

• Aerogenerator: Installation that generates wind energy, consisting of a mast, propeller, turbine and alternator that transform wind energy into electricity. 

• Aerothermal: Technology that extracts heat from ambient air and converts it into electrical energy, without the need for sun or wind. 

• Access Charges: Costs charged to the user for the use of the distribution networks, equal throughout the national territory and set by the government. They would vary according to the tariff and the period of consumption. 

B

• Biomass: Renewable energy produced from organic matter of agricultural, forestry or waste origin. 

• Bulletin de Reconocimiento de Instalaciones Eléctricas (BRIE): Document that certifies that the electrical installation complies with current safety regulations. In force in Catalonia, the Electrical Installations Certificate (CIE) is also used according to the power of the installation.

C

• Certificate of Electrical Installations (CIE): Document that certifies that an installation complies with current regulations and is safe for electricity supply. It is valid for 20 years and must be issued by an accredited electrical installer. 

• Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC): Body that oversees the proper functioning of the markets for goods and services, including the energymarket. 

• CUPS (Universal Supply Point Code): Alphanumeric code that identifies each electrical supply, starting with ES and consisting of 20 or 22 digits. 

• Cost allocators: Devices placed on central heating radiators that measure the consumption of each user to calculate the heating bill. The obligation to install these devices was suspended in 2020.

• Connection Fees: Set of charges payable by a customer for the installation of a new electricity supply point, including extension, hook-up, access and verification fees. 

• Contracted Power: Maximum amount of energythat can be consumed in a given period. It is measured in kW and defines the tariff and access toll of the supply. 

  
  

D

• Digital or Smart Meter: Digital metering system that automatically collects and sends electricity consumption data to the distributor, avoiding the need for manual readings and reflecting actual consumption. 

• Differential: Switch that disconnects the electrical installation in the event of an incident to prevent damage. 

• Distribution company: Company that transports electricity, maintains the power grid and guarantees the arrival of energyat the supply points. It is in charge of pipelines, meter installation, supply registration, meter reading and breakdown attention, applying tolls for the use of the networks through the electricity bill of the commercial companies. 

• Discriminación Horaria (DHA): Electricity tariffs that apply different prices depending on the hourly period of consumption. Since June 1, 2021, domestic tariffs with power up to 15 kW have three schedules: peak, flat and off-peak. 

E

• Energy Efficiency: Intelligent use of energyto achieve the same performance with lower electricity consumption, seeking energy and economic savings, sustainability and care for the environment. 

• Electricity Tariff: Price per kWh paid by the user to his supplier. It can be a government regulated tariff (PVPC) or a free market tariff established by the supplier.

• Electric Vehicle (EV): Vehicle that runs on electricity and can be recharged through an electrical network or charging stations.

• Enganche: Connection of a supply point to the electrical network through the service connection. 

• Electricity Tax: Tax regulated by the state government, collected through the light bill from electric companies and levied on power and consumption terms. 

  
  

F

• Flat Period: Hours with intermediate price in tariffs with hourly discrimination, from Monday to Friday from 8h to 10h, from 14h to 18h and from 22h to 24h. 

• Fixed Price: Tariffs where the marketer and the customer agree on a fixed price of energyfor a given period. 

• Free Regime: Market where marketers set their own electricity prices, adjusted to market supply and demand. 

• Fixed Term or Power Term: Fixed cost of the electricity bill for the contracted power, calculated by multiplying the price per kW by the contracted power and the days of consumption. También incluye los derechos de enganche. 

  
  

G

• Garanties of Origin (GdOs): Certificates granted by the CNMC to renewable energy producers to guarantee that the energy marketed comes from renewable sources. 

• Generators: Companies that produce energythrough different technologies (hydro, nuclear, renewable, thermal) and inject energy into the market, matching supply to demand managed by REE. 

• Geothermal: Renewable energy that harnesses heat from the earth's crust, used for hot water and heating. 

• Green Energy: Energy with guarantees of renewable origin certified by the CNMC. Not all marketers offer green energy in the same proportion. In Nordy you can contract the Renewable Energy Plan to consume only green energy, discover it here. 

• Geothermal Energy: Renewable energy that harnesses the natural heat of the Earth's interior for heating, frost prevention and electricity generation in geothermal power plants. 

  
  

H

• Hydroelectric power: Energy that harnesses the kinetic force of water in rivers and reservoirs to generate electricity through generators. 

I

• Intake: Part of the electrical installation that connects the distribution network of the supplying company with the general box of the supply points.

• Indexed Price: Rates where the price of energyvaries according to its cost in the wholesale market. 

  
  

K

• kWh (Kilowatt-hour): Unit of measurement of the energy consumed by a supply per hour. 

L

• Light marketers: Company that buys energyon the wholesale market and delivers it to users, taking advantage of the electricity distribution networks and billing its customers for the supply. Discover the difference between a marketer and a distributor.  

  
  

M

• Maximeter: Electric meter that calculates the maximum power demanded during a period of time. 

N

• National Energy Commission (CNE): Institution in charge of outlining state policy in the field of energy. 

• Nuclear Energy: Energy produced in nuclear power plants from nuclear or atomic reactions. 

  
  

P

• Peak Period: Hours when electricity is more expensive in tariffs with hourly discrimination. From June 1, 2021, in the 2.0TD tariff for supplies up to 15kW, the peak period is from Monday to Friday from 10h to 14h and from 18h to 22h. 

• Pool: wholesale market where energyis bought and sold. 

• Photovoltaic Self-consumption: Private production of solar energy by means of photovoltaic panels for own consumption. 

• PVPC Tariff (Voluntary Price for Small Consumers): Tariff regulated by the government for supplies up to 10 kW, managed by reference marketers and necessary to access the Social Bonus. 

  
  

R

• Red Eléctrica de España (REE): Operator of the high-voltage electricity transmission system and in charge of managing the electricity grid to ensure a balance between generation and consumption. 

• Regulated Regime: Market where the price of electricity is set by the government, with the PVPC tariff managed by reference marketers. Ofrece el Bono Social a colectivos vulnerables. 

• Rental of Metering Equipment: Price for meter rental, if not owned by the user.

• Reactive Energy: Energy measured in kVArh that some electrical appliances need to operate, reflected in the electricity bill.

• Renewable Energies: Clean and unlimited energies such as solar, wind, hydro, tidal and geothermal, which do not emit polluting gases and are more environmentally friendly.

• Readings: Count of kW consumed by a supply during a billing period. It can be an actual reading (meter data) or an estimated reading (based on historical consumption). The remote management of digital meters eliminates the need for estimated readings.

  
  

S

• Social Bonus: Aid regulated by the government that offers a discount on the electricity bill to vulnerable groups, provided that certain economic conditions are met and they have contracted the PVPC tariff with a power of up to 10kW. 

• Solar Energy: Energy that harnesses the sun's rays to produce electricity.

• Solar Panels: Devices with photovoltaic cells that absorb the sun's rays and transform them into electricity. 

  
  

T

• Tidal energy: Energy produced by the kinetic motion of the tides. 

  
  

V

• Variable Term or Energy Term: Variable cost of the electricity bill for the consumption made, calculated by multiplying the price per kWh by the number of kWh consumed. Includes access tolls and the cost of energy.

• Valley Period: Hours in which electricity is cheaper in tariffs with hourly discrimination. In the 2.0TD tariff, the off-peak period is from 00h to 08h from Monday to Friday and 24 hours on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays.

  
  

W

• Watt (W): unit of power measurement indicating the consumption of energyper second. 

• Wind Energy: Renewable energy that generates electricity from wind by means of wind turbines. 
  

Knowing all these terms will make you an energy expert. Enter Nordy.es and discover all our offers or if you prefer, call us at 900 373 681 Switch to environmentally responsible energy with Nordy!