A
Agricultural
Fibers: Natural fibers,
sometimes used for insulation.
Air Change Effectiveness: Measurement of ventilation system
performance.
Air Changes Per Hour (ACH): Number of times per hour a volume
of air is replaced.
Air Quality Construction Management Plan: A plan that addresses
construction practices that can impact air quality during and
after construction.
Air Quality Standards: Guidelines dictating amount of pollutants
not to be surpassed during a given time in a specific area.
Alternative Energy: Energy such as wind, running water or
solar originating from a source other than fossil-fuel sources
of oil, natural gas and coal.
ANC: Active Noise Cancellation reduces a sound field through
the interaction of a primary sound source with an actively
controlled identical secondary sound that is 180 degrees out
of phase.
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B
Bacteria Sink: Porous material allowing growth of biological
contaminants within it.
Baffle: Element used to diffuse, minimize or shield a surface
from direct light.
Bakeout: Process used to remove VOCs by raising
the temperature in an unoccupied, fully furnished, and ventilated
building.
Bioaccumulants: Substances that increase in
concentration in living organisms as they take in contamination
from air, water, or food that is slow to metabolize or excrete.
Biodegradable: A material that decomposes
naturally within a relatively short time.
Bioengineering: Method of using living plants
or a combination of living plants and other materials to stabilize
environments such as steep hills or drainage paths.
Bioremediation: Cleanup of a contaminated
site using biological methods. Bioremediation is being used to clean up hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.
Bioswale: Technology using plants, compost
or soil to retain and cleanse runoff.
Breathable Wall: Wall system that allows
air exchange through itself.
Brownfields: Area where improvement or redevelopment
is difficult due to contaminates present.
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C
Casein Paint: Water-resistant paint containing
lime putty or clay and milk protein as a binder; used over
earth plasters.
Cellulose Insulation: Insulation containing
a mixture of waste paper and fire retardant, with thermal properties
superior to glass fiber.
Certified Forest Product: Product originating
from a managed forest that has passed guidelines for responsible
harvesting and certified for green building.
Certified Lumber: Lumber certified
sustainable
harvest by independent certification authority.
Clean Energy: Energy created from renewable
sources with low environmental impact.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs): Lamps using
less energy than standard incandescent or fluorescent light
bulbs.
Conservation Easement: Restricts the use of
land with uses not compatible with long-term conservation goals.
Convective Loop: Heating cycle fueled
by direct solar energy in which liquid or gas is confined within
a closed system, allowing cooler liquid or gas to be heated.
Cool Roof: Comprised of roofing materials
designed to reflect the heat of the sun away from the building,
reducing associated air conditioning costs.
Cradle-to-Cradle: Term used to describe material
or product recycled into a new product at end of its life.
Critical Zone: Location within a building
where contaminants could thrive if proper ventilation is not
in place. Such zones could include (but are not limited to)
conference rooms and break rooms where occupancy rate could
change quickly.
Cullet: Waste glass that can be melted down
or recycled into other products.
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D
Daylighting: The use of natural through various
design methods such as skylights and strategically placed windows.
Demand Hot Water System: Hot water heater
designed to provide immediate hot water, rather than storing
preheated hot water in a tank.
Demand-Controlled Ventilation (DCV) CO2-based: Ventilation-control
strategy in which the concentration of CO2 is the measured
variable that is controlled to a set point by modulating outdoor
airflow. Only human source contaminants are considered.
Dioxin: Compounds known chemically as dibenzo-p-dioxins.
Toxic man-made compound found commercial products.
Dual Flush Toilet: Toilets with two
different settings, usually 0.8 gallons for liquid removal
and 1.6 gallons for full flush solid removal.
Dust Spot Efficiency: The measure of a filter's
collection efficiency for fine particles.
Dynamic Environmental Chamber: System (including
temperature, relative humidity (RH) and air quality/purity)
utilizing realistic air flows for the assessment of chemical
emissions from products and materials.
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E
Emission: Release of any gas or vapor into
the environment from sources including smokestacks, chimneys,
and motor vehicles.
Energy Efficiency: Generic term for products
or systems designed to use less energy for the same or higher
performance than traditional items.
Energy Heel Truss: Engineered roofing
truss with an elevated portion at the wall plate line to
provide
for full-depth insulation.
Energy Management System: Compilation of energy
strategies including a control system capable of monitoring
environmental and system loads and adjusting HVAC operations
accordingly in order to conserve energy and maintain comfort
levels.
Energy Modeling: Computerized method of analyzing
a building's energy systems to project the likely consumption
rate.
Energy Recovery: Process of attaining energy
from waste.
Energy Star: Program administered by the Environmental
Protection Agency that evaluates products based on energy efficiency.
Engineered Lumber: Smaller dimension
lumber that can be assembled in various configurations to
span
long distances with equal or superior strength, thereby reducing
the impact on old growth forests.
Engineered Studs: Small diameter stock
shredded and reassembled by forming into nominal-sized framing
materials. Stable and less susceptible to warping, they are
considerably heavier than sawn wood.
Environmental Footprint: For business purposes,
the footprint is the impact determined by the amount of depletable
raw materials and nonrenewable resources consumed to make a
company's products.
Environmental Impact Statement: Document required
of federal agencies by the National Environmental Policy Act
for major projects or legislative proposals significantly affecting
the environment. It describes the positive and negative effects
of the undertaking and cites alternative actions.
Environmental Impact: Any positive or negative
change to the environment resulting from manufacturing processes.
EPDM: Synthetic rubber.
Ethanol: High octane, clean burning, renewable fuel processed from feedstocks such as corn, sugar cane and switchgrass.
A large amount of arable land is required for ethanol producing crops, and interest is growing in the energy used and pollution produced during the ethanol production cycle.
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F
Feedstocks: Raw material used in manufacturing
a product.
Flow Reducer: Device designed to reduce
or limit the amount of water flow in relation to the delivery
pressure from the street.
Flush-Out: A period of time after finish work
(and before occupancy) allowing building materials to cure
and release volatile compounds and other toxins.
Footprint (Building): The area formed by the
perimeter of the foundation.
Foundation Drain: Assembly, usually
including a perforated pipe, installed to direct water away
from the foundation of a building.
FSC-Certified Wood: Wood from forests
certified by The Forest Stewardship Council . These forests
are often quickly renewable using hybrid timber and advanced
forestry methods.
Fuel Cell: Electrochemical device used to
convert energy into electrical power that is cleaner and quieter
than most power sources.
Full Spectrum Lights: Lights that imitate
the natural light spectrum. Considered to be better for visual
clarity and reducing eye fatigue.
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G
Geothermal Heat: Technology using heat from
subsurface water to heat buildings. It also extracts this heat
placing it back in the ground for cooling.
Glazing: Transparent element of a window assembly
that increases thermal performance.
Green Building: Building constructed to incorporate
Green Design and minimizing environmental impacts.
Green Design: Design adhering to environmental
principles of building, material and energy use using such
features as solar panels, skylights and recycled building materials.
Green Electricity Provider: A utility that
generates or invests in electricity from renewable sources.
Green Power: The production of electricity
from environmentally friendly sources such as photovoltaic,
geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, hydrogen fuel cells, ocean
energy and wind power.
Greenwash: Negative term for misinformation
intentionally released by an organization that creates an unwarranted
and unearned environmentally friendly image.
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H
Halon: Bromine-containing compounds with long
atmospheric lifetimes whose breakdown causes depletion of ozone.
Harvested Rainwater: Rainwater channeled by
gutters to a storage unit that can then release the water for
other uses.
Heat Island Effect: Phenomenon created by
the 2-10 degree difference between urban, suburban and
nearby rural areas caused by structural and pavement heat fluxes, pollutants
and emissions.
Heat Recovery Systems: Mechanical devices
that capture and use waste heat from another system, thereby
not tapping into the primary energy source.
High Performance Glazing: Generic term for
glazing materials with increased thermal efficiency.
High-Performance Building: Structures specifically
aimed to be energy efficient, safe, and healthy.
Hydrocarbons (HC): Chemical compounds consisting
entirely of carbon and hydrogen.
Hydroelectricity: Electricity generated
by falling water.
Hygroscopic Wall: Wall system constructed
to respond to humidity changes, taking on or releasing water
vapor as needed.
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I
Impact Isolation Class (IIC): Single-number
rating system designed to provide a comparison between different
floor/ceiling constructions for structure-borne impact transmission
between vertically adjoining spaces.
Indigenous Materials: Materials produced in
an area near construction site, simultaneously reducing costs
and boosting local economy.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): ASHRAE defines acceptable
indoor air quality as air in which there are no known contaminants
at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant authorities
and with which 80% or more people exposed do not express dissatisfaction.
Insulated Concrete Form (ICF): Various
panel shapes consisting in part of expanded polystyrene foam
(EPS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) or polycarbonate (PC). These highly insulated
forms
significantly reduce heating and cooling loads.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Compilation
of strategies, chemical and non-pesticide, that control pests.
Integrated Skin: Protective coating
on a building material.
Integrated Waste Management: Compilation
of strategies to handle solid waste safely and effectively
including such practices as source reduction, recycling and
composting.
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J
No terms available.
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K
No terms available.
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L
Lead Ventilation: Ventilation of a building
space immediately prior to its occupancy for the purpose of
diluting contaminates.
LEED™: Green building rating system developed
by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED™ stands for Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design.
Light Pollution: Presence of unshielded
lighting that allows light on a site to escape.
Light Shelf: Shelf positioned to reflect daylight
onto the ceiling and to shield direct glare.
Living Roof: Roof partially or completely
covered with vegetation and soil planted over waterproof
membrane.
Low Biocide: Term for paint that contains
no toxic additives.
Low Toxic: Generic term (not governed by specific
criteria) for products with lower levels of hazard than conventional
products.
Low VOC: Materials, products and finishes
that exhibit low levels of "offgassing." See "Volatile
Organic Compound (VOC)" and "Offgassing."
Low-E Windows: Windows coated with thin metal
or metallic oxide layers that reflect heat, not light, thereby
keeping spaces warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Low-Pressure Drop Air Filters: High efficiency
air filters with extended surface resulting in more filtration
without an increase in horsepower.
Lumen Method: Method of estimating the interior
luminance from window daylighting at three locations within
a room, based on empirical studies.
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M
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Information
required under the OSHA Communication Standard on the identity
of hazardous chemicals, health, and physical hazards, exposure
limits, and precautions.
Mixed Air: Mixture of outdoor air and return
air in an HVAC system. Once filtered and conditioned, mixed
air becomes supply air.
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N
Natural Cooling: Use of natural ventilation,
evaporative cooling, and radiative cooling to cool buildings.
Natural Ventilation: Uses existing air currents
on a site and natural convection to distribute air
through
a structure or space.
Night Flushing: Process of removing hot and
stale air from a building during the cool evening hours.
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC): Average
of the sound absorption coefficient of the four octave bands
250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hertz rounded to the nearest 0.05.
Nonrenewable Energy: Energy created through
lengthy geological processes and existing in limited quantities
on the earth. (Gas, Oil, Coal).
Nonrenewable Resource: A resource that cannot
be replaced in the environment (e.g., fossil fuels) because
it forms at a rate far slower than its consumption.
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O
Occupancy Sensor: A sensing device that shuts
down services such as lighting, heating and air conditioning
when the space is unoccupied.
Offgassing: Release of volatile chemicals
from a product or assembly that impacts occupant comfort and
indoor air quality.
On-Site Stormwater Management: Compilation
of building and landscape strategies designed to limit storm
water pollution and runoff. Elements can include vegetated
roofs, compost-amended soils, pervious paving, tree planting,
drainage swales, and more.
Orientation (Solar): Solar Design element
essential to maximum solar benefits such as heating and cooling.
Ozone Depletion: Destruction of the earth's
ozone layer caused by photolytic breakdown of certain chlorine-
and/or bromine-containing compounds (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons).
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P
Passive Cooling/Heating: A technique that
increases ventilation and retention of heating/cooling using
the building's components.
Passive Design: Building design using natural
processes such as radiation, convection, absorption, and conduction
as support.
Passive Solar: Strategies such as well placed
windows or trombe walls that use the sun’s energy to heat (or
cool) a space, mass, or liquid.
Perlite: Volcanic glass that can be
expanded through heating to produce a light, airy material
used as infill insulation.
Pervious Paving: Material that allows water
to penetrate the soil beneath it.
Photocells: Light-sensing cells used to activate
controllers at dawn or dusk.
Porous Paving: Paving surfaces allowing storm
water infiltration and runoff reduction.
Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content: Materials
that have been recovered after use.
Post-Industrial Recycle Content: Product
composition
containing a percentage of manufacturing waste material that
has been reclaimed from a process generating the same or
a
similar product.
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Q
No terms available.
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R
Radon: A naturally occurring radioactive gas
that causes health problem in human when gas is trapped in
a building.
Reclaimed lumber: Lumber reclaimed by "deconstruction" of
a building or structure. Reusable in paneling and flooring
and sometimes within a structure if properly treated.
Reclamation: Reclaiming waste materials
and processing them to something other than original use.
Recyclable Content: Materials that have potential
to be recycled for use in new product or process .
Recycling: A process that collects, processes
and returns materials to the economic mainstream to be reused
in another form.
Renewable: Product that can be grown, replenished
or cleansed at a rate exceeding human depletion of the resource.
Resource Conservation: Practices that protect,
preserve or renew natural resources in a manner that will ensure
their highest economic or social benefits.
Reuse: Use of a product or component in its
original form more than once.
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S
SEER (or EER): Seasonal Energy Efficiency
Ratio is the amount of cooling produced (BTU) divided by the
amount of electricity (watts) used. The higher the SEER, the
greater the efficiency.
Sick Building Syndrome: Building where no
specific illness or cause can be identified, yet occupants
experience discomfort or ill effects when spending time in
it.
Site Preservation: In building, the practice
of minimizing disruption reusing existing structures or interfering
in any way with fragile ecosystems.
Sludge Composting: Mixing municipal sewage
waste with organic matter to create soil amendment.
Solar Panels: Photovoltaic modules which decrease
a building’s reliance on nonrenewable sources of power.
Solar Photovoltaics (PV): Material that converts
sunlight directly into electricity by using materials made
from semiconductor materials.
Solar Water Heating: Method of heating
water supply using the sun's energy.
Source Reduction: Practice of designing, manufacturing,
purchasing, or using materials (such as products and packaging)
in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created.
Structural bamboo: Very strong material
that along with new methods of handling is capable of structural
uses such as trusses, supporting poles and simple beams.
Superfund: Federal Government program established
to clean up nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
Sustainability: Practice that strives to ensure
the continued viability of a product well into the future.
Sustainable Development: Development designed
to meet the needs of the present without compromising the resources
of the future.
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T
Tight Construction: Proper air sealing
and
ventilation that eliminate gaps and holes in exterior of
building
thereby creating a more energy efficient environment.
Total Volatile Organic Compounds: Typically
measured in milligrams per cubic meter, the total mass of organic
compounds collected in air.
TXV (Also TEV) Thermostatic expansion valve: Valve
installed on an air conditioning system that can dramatically
improve the efficiency by moderating air flow according to
demand.
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U
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): A national
organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of
green building practices, technologies, and standards.
Urbanite: Recycled concrete used in stacked
stone walls.
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V
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC): Organic substances
capable of entering the gas phase from either a liquid or solid
form.
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W
Walk-Off Mat: Grating or other material designed
to reduce amount of contaminants introduced into interior space
by shoes.
Waste-To-Energy: Process of incinerating waste
products to generate steam, heat, or electricity.
Water Efficiency: Products that use less water
yet still maintain the same performance as established products.
Water Harvesting: Collection of runoff and
rainwater for irrigation or water features.
Water Reclamation: Reuse of effluent from
wastewater treatment facilities for irrigation or other uses.
Water-Source Heat Pump: Heat pump using wells
or heat exchangers to transfer heat from water to the inside
of a building.
Watts Per Square Foot: Measure of the energy
use of a building, commonly applied to indoor lighting.
Whole-Building Design: Design that maximizes
environmental benefits by taking into account energy systems,
building materials, design methods, site preservation, and
indoor air quality.
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X
Xeriscape: Gardening designed to thrive with
less than average water.
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Y
No terms available.
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Z
No terms available.
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