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GLOSSARY OF TERMS 4 x 50: Xcel Energy’s privacy rule, which requires all data summary statistics to contain at least four premises, with no single premise responsible for more than 50% of the total. Following these rules, if a premise(s) is responsible for more than 50% of the total for that data set, it is/they are removed from the summary. Beneficial Electrification (BE): The replacement of direct fossil fuel use with electricity that results in either lower costs, reduced emissions, or more effective use of the power grid. British Thermal Unit (BTU): The amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water at maximum density through one degree Fahrenheit. Carbon-free: Carbon-free refers to sources of energy that will not emit additional carbon dioxide into the air. Wind, solar and nuclear energy are all carbon-free sources but only wind and solar are renewable. Carbon-neutral: Carbon-neutral, also described as “net zero,” could include carbon-free sources but is broader and refers to energy that removes or avoids as much carbon dioxide as is released over a set period of time. Carbon-neutral is sometimes used to describe a site that produces an excess amount of electricity from a renewable energy source, such as solar, compared to what it consumes. That excess energy is put back into the grid in an amount that offsets the carbon dioxide produced from the electricity it draws from the grid when it is not producing renewable energy. Community Data Mapping: A baseline analysis of energy data in a geospatial (map) format across the community. Decatherm (Dth): Quantity of energy that is equivalent to ten therms. Demand Side Management (DSM): Modification of consumer demand for energy through various methods, including education and financial incentives. DSM aims to encourage consumers to decrease energy consumption, especially during peak hours, or to shift time-of-energy use to off-peak periods such as nighttime and weekend. Direct Installation: Free energy-saving equipment installed by Xcel Energy or other organization, for program participants, that produces immediate energy savings. Energy Burden: Percentage of gross household income spent on energy costs. Energy Reduction: The result of behavior changes that cause less energy to be used. For example, setting the thermostat to a lower temperature reduces the energy used in your home during the winter. Since energy reductions can be easily reversed, they are not accounted for when calculating changes in energy usage. Energy Savings: Comes from a permanent change that results in using less energy to achieve the same results. A new furnace uses X% less energy to keep your home at the same temperature (all things being equal), resulting in energy savings of X%. For accounting purposes, energy savings are only counted in the year the new equipment is installed.