Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Nitrogen dioxide:
A compound of nitrogen and oxygen formed by the oxidation of
nitric oxide (NO) which is produced by the combustion of solids fuels.
Nitrogen oxides (NO
x
):
Compounds of nitrogen and oxygen produced by the burn-
ing of fossil fuels.
Nitrous oxide (N
2
O):
A colorless gas, naturally occurring in the atmosphere. Nitrous
oxide has a 100-year global warming potential of 310.
Nocturnal cooling:
The effect of cooling by the radiation of heat from a building
to the night sky.
Non-biomass waste:
Material of non-biological origin that is a byproduct or a dis-
carded product; includes municipal solid waste from non-biogenic sources,
such as plastics, and tire-derived fuels.
Nonforest land:
Land that has never supported forests and lands formerly forested
where use of time management is precluded by development for other uses.
Note:
This category includes areas used for crops, improved pasture, residen-
tial areas, city parks, improved roads of any width and adjoining clearings,
powerline clearings of any width, and 1- to 4.5-acre areas of water classi-
fied by the Bureau of the Census as land. If intermingled in forest areas,
unimproved roads and nonforest strips must be more than 120 feet wide, and
clearings, etc., must be more than 1 acre in area to qualify as nonforest land.
Non-industrial private:
An ownership class of private lands where the owner does
not operate wood-using processing plants.
Non-point source:
A diffuse form of water quality degradation produced by erosion
of land that causes sedimentation of streams, eutrophication from nutrients
and pesticide used in agricultural and silvicultural practices, and acid rain
resulting from burning fuels that contain sulfur.
Non-renewable fuels:
Fuels that cannot be easily made or renewed, such as oil,
natural gas, and coal.
Non-utility generation:
Electric generation by end-users, or small power producers
under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, to supply electric power for
industrial, commercial, and military operations, or sales to electric utilities.
Non-utility power producer:
A corporation, person, agency, authority, or other
legal entity or instrumentality that owns electric generating capacity and
is not an electrical utility. Non-utility power producers include qualifying
cogenerators, qualifying small power producers, and other non-utility gen-
erators without a designated, franchised service area that do not file forms
listed in the Code of Federal regulations, Title 18, Part 141.
O
Occupied space:
The space within a building or structure that is normally occupied
by people and that may be conditioned (heated, cooled, and/or ventilated).
Ocean energy systems:
Energy conversion technologies that harness the energy in
tides, waves, and thermal gradient in the oceans.
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC):
The process or technologies for pro-
ducing energy by harnessing the temperature differences (thermal gradients)
between ocean surface waters and the ocean depths. Warm surface water
