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Back Office An office primarily for handling clerical work that is not open for outsider visitation; an office environment without the presence of layers of upper management or from which directions, controls, and instructions for other operations of an enterprise don't originate. Telecommunications work that doesn't include face-to-face meetings with outsiders, such as telemarketing or customer support services, may be included in back office operations.

Backhaul (Transportation) To haul a shipment back over part of a route it has traveled.

Back-up Power Power that a wheeling utility must provide by contract to another utility or by virtue of its control area responsibility to a customer when that customer's normal source of power is not available.

Balance Sheet A financial statement showing assets and liabilities.

Balloon An installment payment agreement granting the payee the right to make a larger payment at the end than that required for previous payments. The balloon pays the debt in full. At any time consideration is given to making payment in full a balloon is that remaining balance due.

Bandwidth The transmission capacity of a telecommunications link, usually measured in bits per second (e.g., 64 kbps).

Barge Facilities Infrastructure and terminal or wharf and mooring facilities to handle loading and unloading of barges.

Barrel (BBL) A term of measure referring to 42 gallons of liquid at 60^o F.

Base Load The minimum amount of electric power or natural gas delivered or required over a given period of time at a steady rate. The lowest load level during a utility’s daily or annual cycle.

Base Load Capacity The generating equipment normally operated to serve a load on an around-the-clock basis.

Base Load Plants A plant, usually housing high-efficiency steam-electric units, which is normally operated to take all or part of the minimum load of a system and which consequently produces electricity at an essentially constant rate and runs continuously. These units are operated to maximize system mechanical and thermal efficiency and minimize system operating costs.

Basin A hydrologic unit consisting of a part of the surface of the earth covered by a drainage system consisting of a surface stream or body of impounded surface water plus all tributaries.

Basis Point One-hundredth of one percent as used to describe the amount of change in the market price of a bond or any other debt instrument.

Bearing Capacity The capacity of an element in a building structure to support a weight in addition to its own, whether vertically or laterally. Thus a load-bearing wall is one that supports part of the structure in addition to its own weight.

Benchmark A standard, or something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged.

Beneficial Use In order for certain projects to be approved or for certain natural resources to be utilized, the activity must be considered one that is for the public good. Typically the law recognizes the following uses as beneficial: (1) domestic and municipal uses, (2) industrial uses, (3) irrigation, (4) mining, (5) hydroelectric power, (6) navigation, (7) recreation, (8) stock raising, (9) public parks, and (10) game preserves.

Berm An earthen mound used to direct the flow of runoff around or through a structure.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) Activities or structural improvements that help reduce the quantity and improve the quality of storm water runoff. BMPs include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks; sludge or waste disposal; or drainage from raw material storage.

Best Practices A strategic approach to maintain personal and/or business production at a level that creates customer satisfaction; a continuous improvement strategy that is applied to address issues such as cost controls and quality and to make just-in-time inventory systems work.

Bill of Lading (B/L) A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods.

Bill of Sale Confirms the transfer of ownership of certain goods to another person in return for money paid or loaned.

Binder An agreement formed by the receipt of earnest money (an advance payment that confirms a contract) for the purchase of real property as evidence of the purchaser's good faith and intention to complete the transaction; i.e., the payment binds the agreement making it a binding agreement.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand See BOD

Biomass The amount of living matter in a given unit of the environment. A variety of organic fuel sources that can either be processed into synthetic fuels or burned directly to produce steam or electricity.

Bioremediation A process that uses living organisms to remove pollutants.

Biosolids A nutrient-rich organic material resulting from the treatment of wastewater. Biosolids contain nitrogen and phosphorus along with other supplementary nutrients in smaller doses, such as potassium, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, copper and zinc. Soil that is lacking in these substances can be reclaimed with biosolids use. The application of biosolids to land improves soil properties and plant productivity, and reduces dependence on inorganic fertilizers.

Bit A binary digit, the smallest unit of information in a computer, represented as a 0 or 1. One character is typically seven or eight bits in length. Any voice, data, or video information can be turned into a stream of bits.

Blackout Total loss of power to electrical equipment, causing loss of memory and requiring the restart of certain equipment and systems.

Blocked Trains Railcars grouped in a train by destination so that segments (blocks) can be uncoupled and routed to different destinations as the train moves through various junctions. Eliminates the need to break up a train and sort individual railcars at each junction.

Blowdown The water drawn from boiler systems and cold-water basins of cooling towers to prevent the buildup of solids.

BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand. The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed during the decomposition of organic material. Also, a measured characteristic of sewage or sewage effluents. BOD₅ is the standard test for pollution levels, requiring a five-day incubation period. High BOD levels in effluent cause receiving water bodies to become anoxic (lacking in available oxygen) which can result in fish kills and malodorous stagnant ponds.

Bog A type of wetland that accumulates appreciable peat deposits. They depend primarily on precipitation for their water source and are usually acidic and rich in plant matter with a conspicuous mat or living green moss.

Boiler A device for generating steam for power, processing, or heating purposes or for producing hot water for heating purposes or hot water supply. Heat from an electrical combustion source is transmitted to a fluid contained within the tubes in the boiler shell. This fluid is delivered to an end-user at a desired pressure, temperature and quality. Boilers are often classified as steam or hot water, low pressure or high pressure, capable of burning one fuel or a number of fuels.

Boiler Efficiency The ratio of the useful heat output to the heat input, multiplied by 100, and expressed as a percent.

Boiler Rating The rating of a steam boiler expressed as the total heat transferred by the heating surfaces in Btu per hour. Sometimes also expressed in horsepower or pounds of steam per hour.

BOMA Building Owners’ and Managers’ Association. BOMA is an international network of more than 18,500 real estate professionals. BOMA’s main functions are to provide information about office building development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns,
local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics and technological developments as well as to represent its members by monitoring and lobbying pertinent legislative, regulatory and codes/standards issues.

Bond A promissory note, which is a signed agreement promising payment of a sum of money on demand or at a particular time; a certificate promising payment of a debt.

Bonded Warehouse A warehouse authorized by Customs authorities for storage of goods on which payment of duties is deferred until the goods are removed.

Book Value Value of an asset as shown in the accounting records of its owner. A net value after liabilities have been deducted from assets.

Boxcar A closed rail freight car.

Boundary Survey This survey finds and verifies any existing monuments and sets any missing monuments. A Plat of Survey is prepared and recorded in the Register of Deeds and defines the borders of the property. Upon completion of the drawing, the surveyor in charge will review and put his seal and signature on the plat. A copy of this plat is sent to the client and the original is recorded and microfilmed at the Register of Deeds as a permanent record of the survey.

Bps Bits per second, used to refer to transmission speeds of sending data (e.g., 2400 bps, 14,400 bps, etc.). Speed takes on particular importance when using on-line Internet services. See also "kbps."

Break Bulk 1.) To unload and distribute a portion or all of the contents of a rail car, container, or trailer. 2.) Loose, non-containerized cargo.

Brine Highly salty and heavily mineralized water containing heavy metal and organic contaminants.

Bridge (Financial) A short-term loan, generally used to cover the period between the termination of one loan, such as a construction loan, and another, such as a permanent take-out loan; a bridge loan.

British Thermal Unit See Btu

Broadband A transmission method in which the networks range of transmission frequencies is divided into separate channels and each channel is used to send a different signal. Broadband is often used to send different types of signals simultaneously (i.e. voice and data or voice and video). Broadband is generally defined as a communications channel using any technology with transmission speeds greater than or equal to 1.544 mbps.

Broker Someone who arranges a deal for a fee or percentage; one who acts as an intermediary between parties to a transaction. A brokerage can be an agency or it can be the act of bringing together parties to an agreement for a fee or percentage of the deal. Real estate brokers are generally thought of as representatives of owners. Brokers who represent buyers and help them select real estate often prefer to be called real estate consultants.

Brownfield An abandoned, used, real estate site available for redevelopment. It's a term associated with land that presents environmental challenges, usually stemming from industrial or waste disposal operation.

Brownout A system voltage reduction in response to a shortage of power relative to demand. Although service is not disrupted completely, a brownout will cause a dimming of lights and may result in a loss of load.

Btu British Thermal Unit. The standard unit for measuring quantity of heat energy, such as the heat content of fuel. It is the amount of heat energy necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Building Owners’ and Managers’ Association See BOMA

Build-to-Suit A property constructed and finished-off or retrofitted to the specifications of a lessee or purchaser. A build-to-suit may be included in a lease-purchase deal, wherein a lessor becomes a seller at some point in the future in accord with terms of a contract.

Buffer Strip or Zone Strips of grass or other erosion resistant vegetation located between a waterway and an area of more intensive land use.

Bulk Cargo Not in packages or containers; shipped loose in the hold of a ship without mark and count. Grain, coal and sulfur are usually bulk freight.

Bulk Mail Facilities Bulk Mail Centers are highly mechanized mail processing plants that are part of the National Bulk Mail System. These facilities distribute parcel post, media mail, standard mail and periodicals in bulk form. Auxiliary Service Facilities are mechanized facilities that are usually part of a general mail facility that serves as a subordinate mail-processing hub for a parent bulk mail center.

Facility Locations http://www.usps.com/bulkmailcenters/officeinfo/bmcofficeinformation.htm

Bundling 1) For electricity, combining the costs of generation, transmission, and distribution and other services into a single rate charged to the retail customer. 2) For natural gas, providing a combination of products and services in a single package at fixed price with no customer ability to accept less than the entire package.

Business Climate A collection of location factors directly or indirectly expressing the general or governmental attitudes toward business. Various local qualities or attributes that affect business operations and business representation in local decision-making. See Business Climate

Business Prospects Same as Users. Those parties interested in the possibility of directing capital investment to Pennsylvania. See also Users

Byte A collection of bits used to form a character or some other information.