Meaning & use
energy system
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Meanings
nouncountable
The whole network by which energy is produced, converted, stored, moved, and used in a place or device.
Grammar: Countable when talking about a particular system: a national energy system. Also used in the plural: energy systems.
Patterns
- a national energy system
- the global energy system
- energy system planning
The country is investing in renewable sources to make its energy system cleaner.
Engineers are testing how the energy system responds when demand suddenly rises.
A modern energy system must balance supply and demand every second.
nouncountablebiologytechnical
In biology, the set of chemical processes a cell or organism uses to release and store energy.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when referring to several pathways: the body's energy systems.
Patterns
- the body's energy systems
- aerobic energy system
Sprinters rely on a different energy system than long-distance runners.
The aerobic energy system uses oxygen to break down fuel.
nouncountabletechnical
A particular arrangement of equipment and controls that supplies power to a building, vehicle, or machine.
Grammar: Used for a specific installation, often with a modifier: the building's energy system.
Patterns
- a solar energy system
- an energy system for a building
The school installed a solar energy system on its roof.
A fault in the energy system left the whole block without power.
Word forms
| plural | energy systems |
|---|
Common combinations
- national energy system
- The national energy system needs major investment to meet new targets.
- renewable energy system
- A renewable energy system can reduce a country's dependence on imported fuel.
- energy system model
- Researchers built an energy system model to predict future demand.
- integrated energy system
- An integrated energy system links electricity, heating, and transport.
Synonyms and how they differ
- power system
- Usually refers specifically to the electricity network, while energy system can include fuels, heat, and other forms of energy.
- energy infrastructure
- Focuses on the physical structures and facilities rather than the whole working system.
Commonly confused: energy system or power system?
energy system vs power system
Power system is narrower and usually means the electricity grid; energy system is broader and covers all energy types.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'energy system' in the most general, academic way?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 refers to a national network of energy production and use, which is the broad, academic sense. Option 0 is biological, option 2 is a small device, and option 3 is a vehicle's electrical setup.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “energy system”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.