Glossary of Terms

A

Annual Research Portfolio The annual research portfolio is EPRI's offering of collaborative R&D work for a given year. Companies that invest in the annual portfolio programs and projects are considered EPRI members.

Annual Research Programs refer to EPRI's collaborative science and technology development programs.

Advisory Structure focuses on strategic guidance, evaluation and transfer of results, and future program development. The councils and committees of EPRI's advisory structure work in complementary fashion to provide guidance at different organizational levels as well as industry-based insights into the science and technology development process.

Applications Services are technical consulting, rapid response services, and training and education services that are available for purchase. Services support the application of EPRI-developed technology, use EPRI subject matter experts to support specific needs based on the subject matter, and use knowledge-type materials developed by EPRI to address an issue or provide a solution.

C

Collaborative R&D programs or projects, characterized by uncertainty, experimentation and analysis, are offered annually in the R&D portfolio or through supplemental projects introduced during the year.

Commercial Consulting Use describes the use of EPRI software and licensable reports to conduct consulting services for members' clients. It excludes the right to create derivative works, or to manufacture, have manufactured, or sell EPRI products, or to sublicense EPRI intellectual property.

Commitment Process the period during February and March that determines which deliverables will actually be delivered. The commitment process combines customer on-line prioritization, Advisory Meeting discussions and other input to identify those deliverables that EPRI will deliver in the coming Delivery Year to Program and Project funders. These results will have a target completion date during the relevant Delivery Year and are to be delivered to those funders, regardless of final completion date.

D

Deliverables are outputs of a project's specific work activity. Note-Individual deliverables are not generally sold separately from their associated project during the life of the project. Deliverables consist of one or more of the following items: hardware, software, reports, training materials, peer-reviewed literature, and services.

Delivery Year is the time during which committed deliverables from a given Portfolio year are scheduled for completion. The Delivery Year is from April 1 of the Portfolio year thru March 31 of the following year. This is true for all customers, both Domestic and International.

E

EPRI International is designed to work with overseas electricity companies to help them realize the greatest possible benefit from their investment in EPRI 501's science and technology program. In addition, EPRI International will work with overseas clients to create company-specific science and technology projects and provide applications consulting.

I

Internal Use specifies EPRI results that are available for internal use by members in their own business operations or in those of their participating subsidiaries or affiliate companies.

Interest Group forms around a technology area not necessarily a product; users pay EPRI for the infrastructure for periodic meetings to exchange knowledge and experiences, which may lead to new project work.

M

Major Field Tests and Demonstrations are large-scale, multi-year efforts, such as the Power Systems Plant of the Future, that validate Collaborative R&D work.

Market Segment EPRI has identified four market segments for which it develops products and services: environment, generation, nuclear, and power delivery and markets.

Member is considered a company that funds at least one program within the EPRI annual research portfolio.

Membership Year is the 12 month time period during which each membership agreement is in effect. For domestic members this coincides with the Research Year. International members often have split year membership (for access to staff, EPRI's proprietary web content, etc.) but access to deliverables coincides with the appropriate Delivery Year.

P

Product is anything EPRI sells, specifically, goods and services that provide a solution to a problem or issue. Products can be either intangible (e.g., Programs, Project Sets, Projects, Services or User Groups) or tangible (e.g., Hardware, Software, Reports, Peer-Reviewed Literature, etc.).

Program, a focused technical area that addresses specific industry issue(s) and business needs through development and execution of projects.

Project, a specific technical activity (research and/or service) that addresses a problem or issue, and results in one or more solutions. A solution consists of one or more deliverables and/or services. This is the level at which value can be documented and communicated; it is also the level at which implementation plans are created. Functionally, a project is a set of related activities sharing specific objectives, characterized by a well-defined statement of work with requirements for distinct outputs (deliverables), and controlled by a discrete schedule and budget.

Project Sets are a group of Projects strategically bundled to solve a technical issue. A group of Project Sets are strategically bundled together to form a program to solve a broader technical issue

R

Reports and Software are products that have been produced and released prior to the current membership year.

Research Year is the January 1-December 31 time period to which the customer has committed membership funding. This term is used in membership agreements to describe this obligation.

S

Services are technical consulting, rapid response services, and training and education services that are available for purchase. Services support the application of EPRI-developed technology, use EPRI subject matter experts to support specific needs based on the subject matter, and use knowledge-type materials developed by EPRI to address an issue or provide a solution.

Supplemental Projects include individual projects available for participation that are related to a annual research program or to a broader issue area.

T

Tailored Collaboration (TC) allows program members to direct supplemental funds (over and above their membership payments), matched by EPRI dollars, toward projects within the EPRI program that are of competitive or strategic importance. These projects are managed by EPRI and may involve a single member or small alliances of interested members.

Technology Innovation is EPRI's fundamental, cross-cutting science and technology program that has beneficial application in multiple segments of the energy enterprise. Technology Innovation allows members to leverage their longer-term investment in science and technology to create entirely new markets, products and services; increase the public benefits of efficient, clean, affordable energy; and ensures the competitiveness of the energy enterprise.

Tech Transfer and Information Exchange Services include interest groups, users groups, training and workshops to help transfer technology to customers. Any R&D resulting from group interaction will be handled within Collaborative R&D.

U

User Group forms around users of a product (e.g., software or equipment) produced by EPRI, where EPRI provides the infrastructure to support user interactions and the maintenance of that product (i.e., upgrades).