Green Terms

Here is a good start on Terms that will help you understand green concepts.

Acceptable indoor air quality - Air in an occupied space toward which a substantial majority of occupants express no dissatisfaction and in which there are not likely to be known contaminants at concentrations leading to exposures that pose a significant health risk (ASHRAE 62-1989 revision)
Active solar heating - Heat from the sun is absorbed by collectors and transferred by pumps or fans to a storage unit for later use or to the house interior directly. Controls regulating the operation are needed. Active solar water heater - Heat from the sun is absorbed by collectors and transferred by pumps to a storage unit. The heated fluid in the storage unit conveys its heat to the domestic hot water of the house through a heat exchanger. Controls regulating the operation are needed. Agricultural by-products - Products developed in agriculture that were not a primary goal of the agricultural activity. The most commonly used as a building product is straw, which is used in wall panels or as bales in a technique called straw bale construction with the bales used as building blocks. The straw bale construction method was common in the plains states at the turn of the century and is currently being revived in Europe and the U.S.
Agricultural fiber - Agricultural fibers (i.e., cotton) are just recently being introduced for use as insulation materials. 
Air Pollution - Airborne contaminants or pollutants that adversely affect the environment or human health.
Asbestos - A mineral fiber that has been commonly used in many building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. Invisible fibers of asbestos can be inhaled and have been connected to lung diseases and cancer
Biodegradable - A material or substance which, when left exposed to nature, will decompose without harmful effects to the environment. 
Brownfield - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) designation for existing facilities or sites that have been abandoned or underused because of real or perceived environmental contamination. The EPA sponsors an initiative to help mitigate these health risks and return the facility or land to renewed use.
Building Envelope - The entire perimeter of a building enclosed by its roof, walls and foundation. Properly designed, the envelope can minimize temperature gain or loss and moisture infiltration.
Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) - Solar panels that have been integrated into the design of the building or structure.
Building-Related Illness (BRI) - Serious and diagnosable health conditions, usually of the respiratory system, that can be attributed to specific air quality problems within a building.
Captured Rainwater - Through the use of appropriate roofing materials and gutter systems, rainwater can be harvested or collected then stored for future non-potable use such as showers and hand washing. (See also Graywater)
Carbon dioxide - A naturally occurring greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, concentrations of which have increased (from 280 parts per million in pre-industrial times to over 350 parts per million today) as a result of humans burning coal, oil, natural gas and organic matter (e.g., wood and crop wastes). It is attributed with being a major contributor to global warming.
Carbon monoxide - A colorless, odorless gas that comes from incomplete combustion of gas stoves, fireplaces, kerosene appliances, tobacco smoke, and automobile exhaust. Proper ventilation is important to prevent negative health effects such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea and even death. 
Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) - A voluntary initiative of the carpet industry and government to prevent carpet from burdening landfills, CARE focuses on developing carpet reclamation and recycling methods.
Cellulose - The fibrous part of plants used in making paper and textiles. Most building products with the word cellulose imply that paper was used in the manufacture. 
Cellulose insulation with borates - Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newspaper. The borates provide fire and vermin protection. Most cellulose insulation now uses chemical fire retardants as opposed to the natural borates. Environmentally sensitive persons should avoid cellulose insulation that contains newspaper ink, which can cause allergic reactions. There are cellulose insulation products made without inked newspaper.
Cementitious foam insulation - A magnesium-oxide based material blown with air to create an inert, effective insulation. It is especially good for people with chemical sensitivities. 
Certified sustainably managed - Some certifying organizations have been established that oversee the harvesting of wood for lumber. The underlying guidelines are for preservation of a diverse sustainable forest that exhibits the same ecological characteristics as a healthy natural forest. 
Certified Wood - Under the guidance of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), wood-based materials used in building construction that are supplied from sources that comply with sustainable forestry practices, protecting trees, wildlife habitat, streams and soil. 
Chain of Custody - The verification of certified wood. 
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) - A family of chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, or as solvents and aerosol propellants. Because CFC’s are not destroyed in the lower atmosphere they drift into the upper atmosphere where their chlorine components destroy the earth’s protective ozone layer. 
Clean Air Act 1972 - Ground-breaking legislation administered by the EPA that mandates specific measures to protect the air quality and respiratory health of U.S. inhabitants.
Composite materials - A complex material made up of two or more complementary substances. They can be difficult to recycle. Plastic laminates are an example. Composite materials are best applied in situations where they can be removed for reuse (not requiring remanufacture). 
Composting - A process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a produce rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioner, mulch, resurfacing material, or landfill cover.
Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) - A plan that diverts construction debris from landfills through conscientious plans to recycle, salvage and reuse. For best results, this type of plan should also eliminate packaging of materials when possible and be carefully monitored or audited by the contractor.
Cradle-to-Cradle - A concept introduced by architect William McDonough that prescribes at the end of a product's useful life, the product will decompose entirely with no negative environmental impact; otherwise it can be used as post-consumer material when recycled into a new product. 
Cradle-to-Grave - With no consideration for sustainability, these types of products are used for a period of time and then discarded, often long before their useful life is actually complete.
Daylighting - Natural daylight introduced into interior spaces and controlled specifically to reduce levels of electric lighting, minimize glare and optimize lighting quality. 
Earth sheltered design - Home design that is partially or totally below ground, either by digging into existing topography or filling over parts of the structure. Earth sheltered design uses the constant temperature of the soil to improve energy efficiency and can be beneficial for us on hilly sites to decrease maintenance and environmental impact. 
Earth's thermal energy - A short distance below the surface, the Earth maintains a mostly constant temperature very close to the human comfort range. This can be used advantageously for geothermal heating systems.
Embodied Energy - All the energy used to grow, extract and manufacture a product including the amount of energy needed to transport it to the jobsite and complete the installation.
Energy Efficient - Products and systems that use less energy to perform as well or better than standard products. While some have higher up-front costs, energy-efficient products cost less to operate over their lifetime.
Energy Star® Rating - The label given by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to appliances and products that exceed federal energy efficiency standards. This label helps consumers identify products that will save energy and money. ENERGY STAR® -labeled appliances often exceed the efficiency levels of other new products.
Environmentally Friendly - A term that refers to the degree to which a product may harm the environment, including the biosphere, soil, water and air.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - The federal government requires the purchase of products or services that have the least negative effect on the environment and human health in consideration of the acquisition of raw materials, manufacturing methods, packaging, distribution, recyclability, operation, maintenance and final disposal. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) - Tobacco smoke producing airborne, cancer-causing particles that are exhaled by smokers and inhaled by all. ETS must be entirely eliminated from any built environment that considers itself green.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) - Electric and magnetic fields are common in nature and in all living things. Electric power produces fields that have a possible association with health risks. 
Embodied energy - Embodied energy accounts for all energy expended for production and transportation plus inherent energy at a specific point in the life cycle of a product.
Energy modeling - A computer model that analyzes the building’s energy-related features in order to project energy consumption of a given design. 
Environmentally preferable - Products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or service.
Flush Out - To help ensure the indoor air quality, mechanical systems are operated for a minimum of two weeks using 100 percent outside air at the end of construction and prior to building occupancy.
Fly ash - The ash residue from high temperature combustion processes. Electric motor plants using western coal produce a non-toxic fly ash that because of its very high calcium content can be a substitute for Portland Cement (the common bonding material in concrete).
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - A non-profit organization that created and administers a forestry certification program to assure that businesses supply trees and wood from a forest managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. 
Fossil fuel - Fuel, such as coal, oil and natural gas, produced by the decomposition of ancient (fossilized) plants and animals. 
Formaldehyde - Colorless, pungent smelling, toxic material used as an adhering component of glues in many wood products. It can cause respiratory problems, cancer, and chemical sensitivity.
Fuel cell - A technology that uses an electrochemical process to convert energy into electrical power. Often powered by natural gas, fuel cell power is cleaner than grid-connected power sources. In addition, hot water is produced as a by-product that can be utilized as a thermal resource for the building.
Full spectrum lights - These lights come closer to the natural light spectrum and are considered more healthy.
Graywater - Refers to wastewater coming from sinks, showers and laundry that can be collected and treated for some reuse, such as the flushing of toilets or watering of landscape. (See also Captured Rainwater.)
GreenGuard™ - Established performance-based standards to define goods such as building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning and maintenance products, electronic equipment and personal care products with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors. The standards establish certification procedures including test methods, allowable emissions levels, product sample collection and handling, testing type and frequency, and program application processes and acceptance.
Hazardous Waste - Byproducts of society with physical, chemical or infectious characteristics that pose hazards to the environment and human health when improperly handled.
High Performance Green Building - These buildings include design features that conserve water and energy; use space, materials and resources efficiently; minimize construction waste; and create healthy indoor environments.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) - Though not without some negative environmental impacts, these substances are used to replace CFCs because they are less damaging to the ozone layer. HCFCs are slated to be banned along with CFCs by 2030.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) - The supply and introduction of adequate air for ventilation and control of airborne contaminants, acceptable temperatures and relative humidity.
Integrated Design Team - A term referring to all individuals involved in a project from very early in the design process, including the design professionals (architect, engineers, landscape architect and interior designer); the owner's representatives  (investors, developers, building users, facility managers and maintenance personnel); and the general contractor and subcontractors.
LEED™ - The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Rating System sets industry standards for green building design.
Life-Cycle Assessment - The comprehensive examination of a product's environmental and economic effects throughout its lifetime, including raw material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use and disposal.
Life-Cycle Cost - The amortized annual cost of a product that includes first costs, but also extends to include installation, operating, maintenance and disposal costs over the product's lifetime.
Low Toxic - This refers to the degree to which a product is poisonous to people or other living organisms.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) - Informational fact sheets that identify hazardous chemicals and health and physical hazards, including exposure limits and precautions for workers who may come into contact with these chemicals. Green design professionals review product MSDS when specifying materials and require their submittal during the shop drawing phase.
Non-Renewable - A finite resource.
Ozone Layer - Defined by the EPA as the protective layer of atmosphere, 15 miles above the ground, that absorbs some of the sun's ultraviolet rays, reducing the amount of potentially harmful radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Ozone depletion is caused by the breakdown of certain chlorine- and/or bromine-containing compounds such as CFCs or halons. 
Photovoltaic (PV) - The capacity of photocells to generate electricity from the sun's energy. PV panels, now more affordable than in the past, are incorporated into building design. (See Building Related Photovoltaics)
Pollution Prevention - Reducing the amount of energy, materials, packaging or water in the design, manufacturing or purchasing of products or materials in an effort to increase efficient use of resources, reduce toxicity and eliminate waste. 
Post-Consumer - A material or finished product that served its intended use as a consumer item. It may be recycled and incorporated into building materials and identified as containing post-consumer recycled content or recovered material.
Post-Industrial or Pre-Consumer - This refers to waste produced during the manufacturing process of virgin material and rerouted from one step in the process to the next. This does not refer to recycled material. 
Rapidly Renewable - Materials that are not depleted when used, but are typically harvested from fast growing sources and do not require unnecessary chemical support. Examples include bamboo, flax, wheat, wool and certain types of wood.
Recyclability - The ability of a product or material to be recovered or otherwise diverted from the solid waste stream for the purpose of recycling (EO 13101).
Recycled/Recovered Materials - Waste materials and by-products that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste but do not include those materials and by-products generated from and commonly reused within an original manufacturing process (EO 13101).
Recycling - A series of activities including collection, separation and processing by which products or materials are recovered from the solid waste stream for use in the form of raw materials in the manufacture of new products other than fuel for producing heat or power by combustion (EO 13101).
Resource Efficiency - A practice in which the primary consideration of material use begins with the concept of "Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Repair" stated in descending order of priority. This concept may be applied in everyday life to help promote a sustainable society. In design, begin by reducing the amount of material that is specified; find ways to reuse materials, recycle products or product waste; specify products made from recycled materials; and repair or restore products instead of replacing them.
Renewable Energy - Energy harvested from sources that are not depleted when used, typically causing very low environmental impact. Examples include solar energy, hydroelectric power and wind power.
Remanufacturing - A recycling concept by which an existing product can have its useful life extended through a secondary manufacturing or refurbishing process such as remanufactured systems furniture. 
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) - Health complaints such as nasal congestion, headache, irritated eyes, lethargy and tiredness, which are difficult to medically diagnose but are present in individuals when they are within a building and disappear or diminish once they leave the building. The cause of SBS is suspected to be poor air quality and conditions within the building.
Sustainable Yield vs. Ecologically Sustainable Forestry - Sustainable yield forestry dictates that the same number of trees cut down are planted. Clear-cutting with 100 percent replanted is an example of sustainable yield. Ecologically sustainable forestry dictates the management of a productive forest that supports a healthy ecosystem.
Thermal Comfort - The appropriate combination of temperatures, warm or cool, combined with air flow and humidity, which allows one to be comfortable within the confines of a building. This comfort is not usually achieved by the fixed setting of thermostats but through careful design and planning.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) - These substances are indoor air pollutants or chemical compounds that exist as vapor or gases at normal temperatures and are carbon-based molecules typically used as solvents in products such as household cleaners, paints, inks and dyes. Sources of VOCs include formaldehyde (a suspected carcinogen), xylene, toluene, benzene (a known carcinogen) and acetone.
Waste Reduction - This is a process to reduce or eliminate the amount of waste generated at its source or to reduce the amount of toxicity from waste or the reuse of materials. The best way to reduce waste is not to create it in the first place.
Waste Stream - The total flow of solid waste from homes, businesses, institutions and manufacturing that is recycled, burned or disposed of in landfills.
Wastewater - Water that has been used and contaminated. Wastewater must be purified before being used again or before being returned to the environment.



 




 

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