Wiener Stadtwerke Annual Report 2012

glossary
Technical and industry-specific terms
Audit
An audit is an independent, systematic inspection of whether, for example,
specific criteria defined in accepted standards are being satisfied. In the context
of the audit, a distinction is made between a certification audit and a renewal
audit. A certification audit is an inspection performed to achieve initial
certification. In order for this to retain its validity, it has to be renewed at regular
intervals (every two or three years). This is done by carrying out a renewal audit.
Biomass
This term refers to all organic, non-fossil materials, and therefore includes
naturally occurring and growing materials and the resulting waste materials both
from living and dead organic matter.
CApEX ratio
The CAPEx ratio is an indicator of the propensity of a company to invest, i.e. the
percentage of turnover invested in tangible and intangible assets.
Capital employed
Shareholder‘s equity + interest-bearing borrowings + provisions for pensions -
securities held to cover pension fund obligations - working capital
Capitalisation ratio
(Fixed assets / total assets) x 100
Cash flow
Cash flow is an economic indicator which expresses the financial resources of a
company and its ability to finance dividend payments, service its debts and fund
investments from its own business activities.
Certification
Certification refers to successfully withstanding an audit of products or services,
operational processes or entire companies performed by an independent and
accredited certification company relating to compliance with criteria, mostly
defined in standards, which is acknowledged by means of the awarding of a
certificate (e.g. seal of approval or standard).
CO 2 emission certificates
These permit the holder to emit a defined quantity of CO 2 . Certificates can be
traded without restriction; their price being determined by the principle of
supply and demand.
Cogeneration technology (Chp)
By producing electricity and heat at the same time – co-generation – fuels can
be used as efficiently as possible.
District cooling
This refers to supplying buildings with refrigerated air for air conditioning
purposes. The necessary refrigeration (cold) is either generated at a refrigeration
centre and then delivered to consumers via well insulated district cooling
networks, or the refrigeration is generated on-site by the consumer by means of
heat absorption machines relying on the hot water supplied by the district
heating network.
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Annual Report 2012 ⎢ Glossary
EBiT margin
EBIT margin = EBIT (restated) / turnover (restated)
EBT is the abbreviation for earnings before tax (also referred to as the result of
ordinary activities). It is calculated as follows: EBIT +/- financial result = EBT
EEX (European Energy Exchange)
The EEx is a market place for energy and energy-related products and, with over
200 market players from 22 countries, is currently the leading energy exchange
on the European mainland.
Equity ratio
(Shareholder’s equity / total equity and liabilities) x 100
Equity-to-fixed-assets ratio
[(Shareholder‘s equity + social capital + long-term borrowings + deferred
investment grants)/ fixed assets] x 100
Environmental management system
An environmental management system, e.g. EMAS or ISO 14001, includes a clear
organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, codes of conduct
and standard operating procedures in order to ensure compliance with
environmental legislation as well as with voluntary additional targets in terms of
environmental protection.
e-mobility on demand
The pilot project 'e-mobility on demand' is paving the way for an area-wide and
use-oriented e-mobility concept for the Greater Vienna metropolitan area. The
objective is to test important new components of a use-oriented and complex
range of e-mobility services. The overriding aim, however, is to increase the
share of public transport in the modal split and to establish electromobility not
as an alternative but as a supplement to public transport.
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is the ratio between energy input and energy output. When
producing electricity in power stations, a considerable proportion of the primary
energy employed is converted into heat. Relying on cogeneration technology,
this heat is used in combined heat and power plants to produce district heating.
Essential services
Providing essential services means ensuring that every citizen has equal access
to all necessary services and facilities which are considered essential to the
smooth running of a modern society, and thus are associated with a particular
responsibility for public welfare.
geothermal energy
Geothermal energy refers to the energy stored in the Earth‘s crust and is
considered to be a renewable source of energy. Geothermal energy can be used
both as a source of heat or cooling, or indirectly for the production of electricity
and heat (relying on cogeneration technology).
isO 14001
ISO 14001 is the ISO standard for eco-management systems.
ipD
Integrated Personnel Development
Modal split
The share of each individual type of transport compared to the total traffic
volume.