Glossary
Please note that the numbers in brackets refer to the defenition citation listed at the bottom of the page.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AFUE – Annual fuel utilization efficiency: ration of annual output energy to annual input energy. Measure of efficiency of gas furnaces and boilers. [10]
Agrifiber Board– A composite panel product derived from recovered agricultural waste fiber from sources including, but not limited to, cereal straw, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower husk, walnut shells, coconut husks, and agricultural prunings. The raw fibers are processed and mixed with resins to produce panel products with characteristics similar to those derived from wood fiber. [2]
Air Handling Unit –a mechanical device used to condition and circulate indoor air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system
Albedo – Ratio of reflected light to the total amount of light falling on a surface. In hot climates, it is desirable to use roofing materials with a high albedo. [10]
Alternative Energy – all energy sources and technologies that minimize environmental impact, generally other than fossil or nuclear fuel driven.
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) –
Assembly Recycled Content – Includes the percentages of post-consumer and pre-consumer content. The determination is made by dividing the weight of the recycled content by the overall weight of the assembly. [2]
Attic Venting System – Venting devices installed in an attic structure which allow fresh outside air to enter the attic and exhaust out of it, so the attic will be cooler and drier. The most effective attic venting system combines a continuous soffit vent with a continuous ridge vent. This system allows the most even flow of air over the underside of the roof, and the best position for the exhaust vent at the highest point of the attic where the attic air is hottest. [10]
Autoclaved Cellular Concrete – Lime, sand, cement and water are mixed, and then put into molds, where an aluminum powder is added, which causes the mass to expand. It is then put into a steam-curing chamber, which gives it great strength. The resulting material has many benefits (non-combustible, easily worked, R-value or 1.25 per inch, etc.) [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Backdrafting – The occurrence of combustion gases from a gas appliance entering the living space instead of being drawn up the vent pipe and exiting a building. This may happen as a result of depressurization (for example when the furnace or exhaust fans are turned on).
Biodiveristy - The tendency in ecosystems, when undisturbed, to have a great variety of species forming a complex web of interactions. Human population pressure and resource consumption tend to reduce biodiversity to dangerously low levels; diverse communities are less subject to catastrophic disruption. [10]
Biological Wastewater Management - Purifying wastewater in a natural or emulated wetland environment. Such systems are powered mainly by sunlight and achieve purification through the combined action of living food chains, many of which are microscopic. [10]
Biomass – Plants and plant materials, trees, crop residues, wood and bark residues, and animal manure. (From the Greek, bio meaning life and maza, meaning lump or mass). [10]
Bioswales – depressed areas planted with specific types of plants that clean water as it soaks into the ground slowing it whelming the storm sewer system. Larger strategies involve constructed wetlands, mechanical filtering systems and bioretention basins.
Borate-treated Wood - Treatment of wood with borates to make it resistant to termites and moisture.
Borate is a mineral product derived from borax and is benign compared with most other wood treatments. [10]
Brownfields - Abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities/sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. [10]
Btu - British thermal unit: a measure of heat energy. Approximately the heat required to raise the temperature of a pound of water one degree. About equal to the energy released by the lighting of one match. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - Any of a group of compounds that contain carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen and have been used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, aerosol propellants, and in the manufacture of plastic foams. CFCs have been linked to the destruction of the ozone layer and their use is being phased out because they destroy the planet's stratospheric ozone protection layer. [10]
Cisterns – a large container used to hold liquids. Used for rainwater catchment.
Color Temperature of Light - Color appearance of a light. So called “warm” looking lights are actually cooler than “cool” looking lights. An incandescent light has a color temperature of about 2500; a cool white fluorescent light has a color temperature of about 4000. [10]
Commissioning – is the process of ensuring that systems are designed, installed, functionally tested, and capable of being operated and maintained to perform in conformity with the design intent. Generally procured by the owner. [1]
Composting - A waste management option emulating nature involving the controlled biological decomposition of organic materials into a relatively stable humus-like product that can be handled, stored, and applied to the land without adversely affecting the environment. [10]
Conduction - Flow of heat through solid materials which are touching each other. [10]
Convection - Transfer of heat by means of a moving stream of air or water. [10]
Cradle-to-Cradle – a method used to minimize the environmental impact of products by employing sustainable production, operation, and disposal practices and aims to incorporate social responsibility into product development. Under the cradle-to-cradle philosophy, products are evaluated for sustainability and efficiency in manufacturing processes, material properties, and toxicity as well as potential to reuse materials through recycling or composting. [4]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Daylighting – is the controlled admission of natural light into a space through glazing with the intent of reducing or eliminating electric lighting. [1]
Dessicant - A drying agent, such as silica gel, which can be used to reduce latent cooling loads. [10]
Development Footprint – the area on the project site that has been impacted by any development activity. Hardscape, access roads, parking lots, non-building facilities and building structure are all included in the development footprint. [2]
Dewpoint - The temperature at which water vapor in air will condense at a given state of humidity and pressure. [10]
Drip Irrigation - Above-ground, low-pressure watering system with flexible tubing that releases small, steady amounts of water through emitters placed near individual plants minimizing evaporation. [10]
Dry Bulb Temperature - The temperature of air indicated by an ordinary thermometer. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ecology - In biology, it is the study of the relationship between living organisms and their environment. In sociology, it is the study of the relationship between the distribution of human groups with reference to material resources and the consequent social and cultural patterns. [10]
EER - Energy efficiency ratio: ratio of net cooling capacity of an air conditioner in Btu per hour to total rate of electric input in watts under designated operating conditions. [10]
Efficacy of a light bulb/lamp - Measure of lumens of light per watt [10]
Embodied Energy - All the energy required to grow, harvest, extract, manufacture, refine, process, package, transport, install and dispose of a particular product or building material. [10] if two products perform equally, the one with the lower embodied energy would be preferable.
Emissivity – is the ratio, between zero and one, of the radiation emitted by a surface to the radiation emitted by a blackbody at the same temperature. [1]
Energy - The capacity for doing work. Different types of energy may be transformed from one form to another. English units express energy in Btu’s or kilowatt hours (kWh). [10]
Energy Conservation - Efficiency of energy use, production, transmission, or distribution that yields a
decrease in energy consumption while providing the same, or higher, levels of service. [10]
Energy or Water Efficiency - Using less energy or water to perform the same tasks. A device is energy efficient if it provides comparable or better quality of service while using less energy than a conventional technology. Building weatherization or high efficiency showerheads are efficiency technologies. [10]
Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) - An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is an air to air heat exchanger or
preconditioner, designed to reduce the energy required to heat or cool required outdoor air in mechanical ventilation systems by as much as 80%. These products exchange temperature and moisture properties from one airstream to another. The result is capturing the cooling or heating energy from the exhaust air before it leaves the building. [10]
Energy Star – is a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy to help save money and protect the environment by using energy efficient products and practices.
Engineered Wood - Reconstituted wood products that result in strength appropriate for a given use and consistent quality with less material. [10]
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) – Also known as secondhand smoke, consists of airborne particles emitted from the burning end of cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, and exhaled by smokers. These particles contain about 4,000 different compounds, up to 40 of which are known to cause cancer. [2]
Erosion – a combination of processes in which materials of the earth’s surface are loosened, dissolved or worn away, and transported from one place to another by natural agents (such as water, wind or gravity). [2]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Fly Ash - Ash residue from high-temperature combustion processes. Electric power plants using western coal produce a non-toxic fly ash which can substitute for a portion of portland cement in concrete, to produce a strong, durable concrete. [10]
Forest Stewardship Council – is an international certification system established for forests and wood products. FDC promotes social and environmental responsible forest management through various criteria and accreditation.
Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde is an important but toxic chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes. Thus, it may be present in substantial concentrations both indoors and outdoors. [5]
Fossil Fuels - Nonrenewable, naturally-occurring fuels from organic material deposited in the earth. The altered remains of once-living organisms that are burned to release energy. Examples are coal, oil, and natural gas. It takes millions of years to form fossil fuels. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Green Building - is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or high performance building. [7]
Green Development - A development approach that goes beyond conventional development practice, by integrating the following elements: Environmental responsiveness—Benefiting the surrounding environment; Resource efficiency—Using resources in the construction, development, and operations
of buildings and/or communities in ways that are not wasteful; and Sensitivity to existing culture and community—Fostering community in design, construction, and operations. Bringing these elements together through the green development approach provides numerous environmental and economic benefits by capitalizing on the interconnections. [10]
Green Wash - To falsely claim a product is environmentally sound. Also known as faux green. [10]
Greenfields – an undeveloped or virgin site that has had no previous construction and is often used for agricultural purposes.
Greenguard – The GREENGUARD Certification Program is a third-party, voluntary testing program for low-emitting products and materials. To qualify for GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification®, products and materials are regularly tested to ensure that their emissions meet indoor air quality pollutant guidelines/standards. [6]
Greenhouse Gas – any gas, such as carbon dioxide that contribute to the greenhouse effect warming when released into the atmosphere.
Green Seal – Third-party, voluntary testing program for low-emitting products and materials.
Greywater – is untreated household water that typically comes from showers, bathtubs and washing machines. Not the blackwater from toilets.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Hazardous Material – Any type of substance that will cause harm the environment and human life.
HCFC’s - Hydrogen chlorofluorocarbon. Considered to be a contributor to ozone layer destruction. 1/20th as potent as CFC’s. [10]
Heat Island Effect – occurs when elevated temperatures are experienced over urban landscapes as a result of structural and pavement heat fluxes and solar energy retention. Temperatures are normally 5-10 degrees higher in these urban settings compared to rural areas.
Heat Pump - A mechanical device used for heating and cooling which operates by pumping heat from a cooler to a warmer location. Heat pumps can draw heat from a number of sources, e.g., air water or earth and are classified as either air-source or water source units. [10] Your refrigerator is a form of heat pump that pumps heat into your kitchen.
HVAC – Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning systems that are essential to indoor thermal comfort.
Hybrid Vehicles – Vehicles that use a gasoline engine to drive an electric generator and use the electric generator and/or storage batteries to power electric motors that drive the vehicle’s wheels. [2]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Impervious Surfaces - Surfaces that promote runoff of precipitation volumes instead of infiltration into the subsurface. The imperviousness or degree of runoff potential can be estimated for different surface materials. [2]
Indoor Air Quality – is the nature of air inside the space that affects the health and well-being of building occupants. [1]
Infiltration – Uncontrolled inward air leakage to conditioned spaces through unintentional openings in ceilings, floors and walls from unconditioned spaces or the outdoors caused by the same pressure differences that induce exfiltration. [2]
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) – forms for poured concrete walls that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly serving as insulation. ICFs are excellent for thermal properties that make mechanical heating can cooling more effective.
Insulation – provides your building with resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides (R-Value), the lower your heating and cooling costs.
- Blanket Insulation – comes in a form of batts or rolls. It consists of flexible fibers, most commonly fiberglass.
- Loose-fill Insulation – consists of small particles of fiber, foam, cellulose, or other materials. These small particles from an insulation material that can conform to any space without disturbing any structures or finishes. This ability to conform makes this insulation well suited for retrofits and for places where it’s difficult to install blanket insulation.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Kilowatt (kW) - A unit of power equal to 1,000 watts. It is usually used as a measure of electrical power. On a hot summer afternoon a home with central air conditioning and other equipment in use might have a demand of 4 kW each hour. [10]
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) - A measure of energy equal to the amount of power multiplied by the amount
of time the power is used. It is most often used to describe amounts of electrical energy. A 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses one kilowatt-hour of power. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Landfill – land set aside for the disposal of solid waste.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – A voluntary nationwide green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of green buildings. There are four levels of LEED certification for new buildings-Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Certification is based on a point system, with points awarded for performance in categories of water, energy, materials, indoor environment, innovation in materials and sustainable sites. [1]
Life Cycle Assessment - A process to evaluate all costs of a product or process through its entire existence, including extracting and processing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, use, maintenance, recycling, reuse, and disposal. [10]
Low-emissivity Windows - Glazing that has special coatings to permit most of the sun’s light radiation to
enter the building, but prevents heat radiation from passing through. (Low-E) [10]
Lumens - Amount of light given off by a light source. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Mass Transit – transportation service that provides transportation to the general public to numerous fixed stops. This transportation is designated for large groups of people, for example: buses, trains, light rails, and carpool vans.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Ventilation – ventilation that is typically provided by thermal, wind or diffusion effects through doors, windows or other intentional openings in the building. [2]
Net Metering – A metering and billing arrangement that allows on-site generators to send excess electricity flows to the regional power grid. [2]
New Urbanism - A city planning movement that focuses on revitalizing the inner city and reforming the American suburb within an integrated regional structure. New Urbanists strive for a built environment that must be diverse in use and population, must be scaled for pedestrian use without entirely eliminating automobile access, and must have a well defined public realm supported by vernacular architecture. [10]
Non-potable Water – Water that is not suitable for human consumption without treatment that meets or exceeds EPA drinking water standards. [2]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Off-gasing – the emission of volatile organic compounds from synthetic and natural products. [2]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Passive Building Design - Building configurations which take advantage of a natural, renewable resource (like sunlight, cooling breezes, etc.) Passive design strategies typically do not involve any moving part or mechanical processes. [10]
Pedestrian Access – refers to services that are within walking distance of one another and do not require vehicular transportation to access.
Permaculture - A unique approach to the practice of sustainable farming, ranching, gardening and living, by designing constructed ecosystems that serve the needs of human populations without degrading the natural environment. Permaculture sites integrate plants, animals, landscapes, structures, and humans into symbiotic systems while requiring a minimum of materials, energy, and labor to maintain. [10]
Permeable - Open to passage of fluids/gases. Important to know permeability of building materials in exterior walls if moisture problems are to be avoided. [10]
Phantom Load – energy appliances consume even though they are switched OFF.
Photovoltaic (PVs) - Solid-state cells (typically made from silicon) that directly convert sunlight into electricity. [10]
Photovoltaic Energy – electricity that is produced from solar panels that convert the energy from the sun into electricity.
Plug Load – the amount of equipment plugged into an electrical system.
Post-Consumer (Recycled Content) – Waste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their roles as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of materials from the distribution chain. [2]
Potable Water – is suitable drinking water that often times comes from wells and municipal water systems.
Power - The rate at which energy is consumed or produced. It is expressed in watts (W). A 1-watt source supplies energy at the rate of 1 joule per second. (A 100-watt lamp consumes energy at the rate of 100 joules per second; the human body involved in normal activity is rated at about 100W, a significant
proportion being used to drive the brain). The sun radiates energy at the rate of about 70 million watts per square meter of its surface; at the equator the Earth receives a mean annual solar energy flux of around 1,400 watts per square meter. [10]
Pre-Consumer (Recycled Content) – Material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. Excluded is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed
Psychrometric Chart - A graphical representation of the thermodynamic properties of moist air. Used to ascertain the potential effectiveness of passive strategies to maximize human comfort. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
R-value – is the measurement of thermal resistance to ability to conduct heat in building materials. The higher the R-value the more resistance, the better insulator.
Radiant Barrier - A material (typically an aluminum foil) that is good at blocking the transfer of radiant heat across a space because it has a low emissivity. In a hot climate it is often installed in attics under the roof decking to keep the attic cooler. [10]
Rainwater Harvesting – Rainwater harvesting is the process gathering falling rainwater from your roof, patio or site into storage containers and reusing it for many different purposes instead of importing it from city pipelines by processing if after intake from lakes and rivers.
Rapidly Renewable Materials – Material considered to be an agricultural product, both fiber and animal, that takes 10 years or less to grow or raise, and to harvest in an ongoing and sustainable fashion. [2] For example, an Aw Oak tree can take over 100 years to mature to harvest, bamboo is ready in 3.5 years.
Recycling – the collection, reprocessing, marketing and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream destined for the landfill. [2]
Refurbish – is another word for restoration. Refers to repairing of a product to its original aesthetics.
Regionally Extracted Materials – according to LEED criteria, the source of a product’s raw material is located within a 500-radius of the project site. [2]
Regionally Manufactured Materials – according to LEED criteria, the product must be assembled as a finished product within a 500-mile radius of the project site. [2]
Renewable Energy – is energy from sources that are renewed on an ongoing basis. This includes energy from the sun, wind and small hydropower. [1]
Residential Energy and Efficiency Program (REEP) – The City of Houston, in partnership with Center Point Energy and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs weatherization program to low to moderate income households.
Reuse – is a sustainable building strategy that reduces the amount of garbage in our landfills by simply using a material or product from an existing or old job again in its original or altered state. Salvaged or unused materials can be donated to non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Historic Houston, and the City of Houston Reuse Warehouse.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Salvaged Materials – construction materials recovered from existing buildings or construction sites and reused in other buildings. Common salvaged materials include structural beams and posts, flooring, doors, cabinetry, brick and decorative items. [2]
Sedimentation – the adding of soils to water bodies by natural and human-related activities. This process decreases water quality and accelerates the aging process of lakes, rivers and streams. [2]
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) –the total cooling output of an air conditioner during its normal annual usage period for cooling, in Btu/h, divided by the total electric energy input during the same period, in watt-hours. (in other words, the measure of the energy efficiency of the air conditioner). The higher this number the better.
SEER = seasonal Btu of cooling
seasonal watt-hours used
Sick Building Syndrome –is a condition in which occupants of a building experience ill health effects that are linked to time spent in a building with poor indoor air quality.
Site Assessment – is an evaluation of above ground and subsurface characteristics, including the geology and hydrology of the site, to determine if a release has occurred, as well as the extent and concentration of the release. [1]
Solar Energy - Energy received from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength region from 0.3 to 2.7 microns. This includes all visible light as well as some ultraviolet and infrared radiation. [10]
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient - The ratio of solar heat gain through a given window glazing or screen material to that through 1/8 inch clear double strength glass. Expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s or screen’s SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits, and the greater it’s shading ability. [10]
Solar Reflectance – is the percentage of solar energy that is reflected by a surface.
Source Reduction - Elimination of waste at the beginning of a process. Sometimes called “precycling”. [10]
Sprawl - The spread of residential areas, shopping centers, and small industries outside of city boundaries. [10]
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) – A type of building system combining exterior sheathing, structural support, and insulation, and interior sheathing into one modular factory-assembled unit, thus reducing the number of vertical joints, interior voids, and assembly time. [10]
Sustainability – has been defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Task Lighting - Lighting to provide illumination for a specific activity in a specific place. [10] Generally using less power than illuminating the entire area to that level.
Thermal Break - An element of low conductance placed between elements of higher conductance to reduce the flow of heat. For example, a thermal break material, such as plastic, may be placed between the inner and outer parts of an aluminum window frame to make the window more energy efficient. [10]
Thermal Bridging - An element in a building envelope which has high conductivity (is a poor insulator) and compromises the insulating value of the envelope. (For example, a metal stud between exterior insulation) [10]
Thermal Emittance – the percentage of energy a material can radiate away after it is absorbed.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
United States Green Building Council (USGBC) –A non-profit organization consisting of professionals from the building industry devoted to promoting buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC developed the LEED rating system. [1]
U (U-Value) – Measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a material. The reciprocal of R-value. The lower the U-value, the greater the material’s resistance to heat flow and better its insulating value. The opposite of R-Value. [2]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Volatile organic compound (VOC) - Carbon-based substances that occur as gases under typical ambient air temperature and pressure. For the purposes of regulating air pollutants, EPA and other agencies include only compounds that contribute to smog in their definition of VOCs. For indoor air quality purposes the definition is not limited in that way. There are also semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) that don’t become gaseous as readily but are still found in indoor air. Those most commonly identified as chemicals of concern are pesticides, flame retardants, and phthalates. Finally, microbial VOCs are generated and released as a result of microbial growth. [8]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Wastewater – Any water that has been used and/or contaminated by some form of human domestic or industrial activity and now contains waste material.
WaterSense – is a program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency designed to encourage water efficiency in an effort of protecting our country’s water supply.
Wind Power – the conversion of wind energy into power through the usage of wind turbines.
Whole-Systems Thinking - A process through which the interconnections of systems are actively considered, and solutions are sought that address multiple problems at the same time. [10] This often results in advance of overall energy use.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Xeriscaping - Creative landscaping design for conserving water that uses drought-resistant or drought-tolerant plants. [10]
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Sources:
1. U.S. Green Building Council, 2006. Commercial Interiors (Version 2.0) Reference Guide.
2. U.S. Green Building Council, 2006. New Construction and Major Renovation (Version 2.2) Reference Guide.
3. Environmental Stewardship Initiative (July 2002).
4. Cradle-to-Cradle www.ecomii.com/ecopedia/cradle-to-cradle
5. US Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html
6. Haworth www.haworth-europe.com/en/sustainability/sustain_06_abbrv.php
7. US Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/about.htm
8. Green Building www.buildinggreen.com
10. Austin Energy http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Green%20Building/Sourcebook/sourcebookGlossary.pdf