Glossary

Glossary
Absorption Chiller - A water chilling process in which cooling is accomplished by the evaporation of a fluid (usually water), which is then absorbed by a different solution (usually lithium bromide), then evaporated under heat and pressure. The fluid is then condensed with the heat of condensation rejected through a cooling tower.
Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) - The movement of a volume of air in a given period of time; if a house has one air change per hour, it means that the air in the house will be replaced in a one-hour period.
Acid Rain - Precipitation that is contaminated with acid due to sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in the air.
Bauxite - the raw material mined from the earth we use to make aluminum.
Biodegradable - capable of being broken down by living organisms, principally bacteria and fungi.
Biomass - biomass energy is derived from plants. Alcohol fuels are produced from wood, sugarcane and corn. Firewood, crop residue and cattle dung can also be burned as biomass fuel. As long as the amount of plants regrown equals the amount of fuel burned there will be no additional carbon dioxide produced to contribute toward global warming.
Btu - a British Thermal Unit. A measure of energy in the English system measurement, roughly the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. This unit of measuring heat will soon no longer be used and will be replaced in usage by “joule.”
Calorie - currently the most common unit for measuring heat and soon to be replaced by joules (J). The calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one cubic centimeter of water one degree Celsius (formerly called centigrade).
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - a colorless, odorless, nonflammable gas formed during decomposition, combustion and respiration. CO2 is used in food refrigeration (dry ice), carbonated beverages, fire extinguishers and aerosol cans. Whenever something burns — such as gasoline, wood or a candle — CO2 is produced from the available oxygen combined with the carbon in the fuel.
Carbon Monoxide - (CO) a colorless, odorless gas formed when carbon is oxidized in a limited supply of air. It is a poisonous constituent of car exhaust fumes, forming a stable compound with hemoglobin in the blood, thus preventing the hemoglobin from transporting oxygen to the body tissues.
Chlorofluorocarbon - (CFC) synthetic chemical that is odorless, nontoxic, nonflammable but reacts with chemicals high in the atmosphere resulting in the depletion of the earth’s protective ozone layer. CFCs have been used as propellants in aerosol cans, as refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioners, and in the manufacture of foam packaging. They are partly responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer.
Coal - coal is a form of stored solar energy. It is created from the remains of plants that have been concentrated by heat and pressure for millions of years. Coal is found in various forms or “grades,” which depend on the ratio of carbon mass to energy content. Represented in descending order of hardness and energy content per pound, these grades are anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite.
Cogeneration - the use of waste heat from an electrical generating plant for other purposes, such as heating. Also, the use of waste heat from a high-temperature industrial process to generate electricity.
Cooling Load - A measure of the energy that must be expended by a building’s systems to cool the indoor to a desired temperature.
Crude Oil - crude oil is petroleum direct from the ground, prior to refinement or processing.
Daylighting - The means by which daylight is brought into a building to either supplement or replace electrical lighting in order to allow the occupants to perform their tasks.
Distribution - the facilities of the electric system that deliver electricity from substations to customers. The distribution system “steps down” power from high-voltage transmission lines to a level that can be used in homes and businesses.
Ecology - study of the relationship among organisms and the environments in which they live, including all living and nonliving components.
Efficiency - output of a machine (work done by the machine) divided by the input (work put into the machine), usually expressed as a percentage. Because of losses caused by friction, efficiency is always less than 100%, although it can approach this for electrical machines with no moving parts (such as a transformer).
Electric Current - the flow of electronically charged particles through a conducting circuit due to the presence of a potential difference. The current at any point in a circuit is the amount of charge flowing per second; its SI unit is the ampere (coulomb per second).
Electricity - a property of matter caused by the movement of electrons. This “movement” is initiated usually by a generator that is fueled by any number of energy resources such as coal, uranium, water (hydropower), or directly converted from solar radiation on photovoltaic cells. Electricity is not energy per se, but the “carrier” of energy that originates in fossil fuel and renewable energy sources.
Electromagnetic Waves - oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling together through space at a speed of nearly 186,000 mi/300,000 km per second. The (limitless) range of possible wavelengths or frequencies or electromagnetic waves, which can be thought of as making up the electromagnetic spectrum, includes radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays.
Embodied Energy - it takes energy to make something. Embodied energy is associated with the production of a good or service or the energy to prepare or make a product.
Energy - energy can be defined as the ability to do work — the ability to exert a force.
Energy Conservation - methods of reducing energy use through insulation, increasing energy efficiency, and changes in patterns of use.
Fluorescent Lamp - This form of lighting constitutes approximately 70% of the electrical light used in North America. Efficacy rates (lumens output / watts input) for fluorescent lamps range from 50-80 lm/w.; much higher than that of incandescent bulbs.
Formaldehyde - A volatile organic compound off-gassed in paints, glue adhesives, and laminates that can cause sickness and contribute to ground-level ozone formation.
Fossil Fuel - fuel, such as coal, oil and natural gas, formed from the fossilized remains of plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource and will eventually run out. Extraction of coal and oil causes considerable environmental pollution, and burning coal contributes to problems of acid rain and the greenhouse effect.
Fuel Chain - the chain of activities involved in transforming energy into forms more convenient for society. This “chain” may include some or all of the following: fuel exploration, extraction, preparation, transportation, conversion to electricity, distribution and waste disposal.
Geothermal Power - geothermal energy is the natural heat of the earth that is conducted or convected to the earth’s surface through volcanoes and hot springs. By harnessing this energy and using it to power steam turbines, we can convert geothermal energy into electricity that we can use.
Glazing - A transparent covering usually made from glass or plastic used to admit light through a window, door, skylight, or other opening.
Graywater - Water drained from building such as dishwashers, clothes washers, sinks, and showers. Graywater usually requires some degree of treatment before it can be reused because it is likely to contain soap, contaminants from the kitchen, etc., but it does not include wastewater from toilets. Today, we usually mix graywater and blackwater (sewage from toilets). The potential uses for graywater are numerous, including landscape irrigation, carwash, toilet flushing, and pool use.
Grid - the transmission network (or “highway”) over which electricity moves from suppliers to customers.
Habitat - in ecology, the localized environment in which an organism lives. The dominant plant type or physical feature, such as a grassland habitat or rocky seashore habitat often describes habitats.
Heat - a form of internal energy of a material based on the kinetic energy in the motion of its molecules or atoms. Heat energy is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation.
Heat Exchanger - A mechanical system that allows the heat from outgoing exhaust air to be transferred to incoming fresh, air. This is achieved by constant fan-forced ventilation, using either flat-plate, or rotary exchangers.
Hydrocarbons - an extensive group of chemicals that always include the elements hydrogen and carbon. Natural sources of hydrocarbons are the by-products of digestion and decomposition (e.g., rotting, spoiling, and putrefying). Coal, natural gas, oil, sugar, starches, and plastics are all composed of hydrocarbons. The incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons from fossil fuels contributes to our pollution and global warming problems.
Incandescent Lamp - A lamp that produces light by directing electrical current through a metallic medium. The efficiency of lamps is stated as an efficacy rating (lumens/input wattage). For example, a 100-watt lamp that produces 1,740 lumens has an efficacy of 17.4 lumens per watt. The average incandescent lamp typically falls in the 10-25 lumens per watt range. Incandescent lamps are considered to be very inefficient.
Joule - (symbol J) - named in honor of British physicist James P. Joule (rhymes with pool) who proved in 1843 that a specific amount of work was converted into a specific amount of heat. A joule is now a unit for all forms of energy. One joule of work is done when the force of one NEWTON is exerted on an object moving in the direction of the force, a distance of one meter. It takes about one joule to lift an apple over your head. As the transition from the English system of energy measurement to the international system of units (SI) picks up momentum, we will soon become accustomed to hearing more frequently of kilojoules (Kj) and megajoules (Mj). One kilowatt-hour = 3.6 x 106 joules. One calorie = 4.187 joules.
Kilowatt - a measure of electric energy equal to 1,000 watts. Put another way, it’s the amount of electric energy required to light ten 100-watt light bulbs.
Kilowatt-Hour - a measure of energy use over time. Utility companies typically sell energy as kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour is 1,000 watts used for one hour. If you purchased a kilowatt-hour from your utility for less than a dime, you could burn ten, 100-watt incandescent light bulbs for one hour. Other electrical appliances such as stoves, heaters and blow dryers, would operate for less time for that same nickel because their energy demands are greater for their operation. (1 kWh = 3.6 x 106J or 36,000,000 J.)
Life Cycle Analysis - A methodology of quantitative assessment that determines the relative environmental “pluses” and “minuses” of a product, over its lifetime, on the topics of resource depletion, manufacture, installation methods, and recyclability and/or reuse.
Light - electromagnetic waves in the visible range, having a wavelength from about 400 nanometers in the extreme violet to about 770 nanometers in the extreme red. Light is considered to exhibit particle and wave properties, and the fundamental particle, or quantum, of light is called the photon. The speed of light (and of all electromagnetic radiation) in a vacuum is approximately 186,000 mi/300,000 km per second, and is a universal constant denoted by c.
Load Profiling - the study of the consumption habits of consumers to estimate the amount of power they use at various times of the day and for which they are billed. Load profiling is an alternative to precise metering.
Luminescence - emission of light from a body when its atoms are excited by means other than raising its temperature. Short-lived luminescence is called fluorescence.
Megawatt - one million watts of power potential. (see watt, joule, and newton)
Megawatt-Hour (MWH) - one million watts used for one hour. If you purchased a megawatt-hour of energy for a nickel per kilowatt-hour, it would cost you 1,000 nickels, or $50.00. Using a kWh your could burn one, 100-watt incandescent for 24 hours a day for about 14 months, or 3 hours a day for over 9 years.
Methane (CH4) - Methane is a simple hydrocarbon composed of one carbon atom surrounded by four hydrogen atoms. It is an odorless, flammable and invisible gas and the primary ingredient in natural gas. Natural gas companies add a strong odorant to the gas for safety so it can be easily detected by smelling. Methane is a relatively clean fuel and it is commonly used to fuel vehicles in many countries, such as New Zealand and Italy.
Natural Gas - mixture of flammable gases found in the Earth’s crust (often in association with petroleum), now one of the world’s three main fossil fuels (with coal and oil). Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, chiefly methane, with ethane, butane and propane.
Oil - flammable substance, usually soluble in water, and composed chiefly of carbon and hydrogen. Oils may be solids (fats and waxes) or liquids. The three main types are: essential oils, obtained from plants; fixed oils, obtained from animals and plants; and mineral oils, obtained chiefly from the refining of petroleum.
Ozone - O3 highly reactive pale-blue gas with a penetrating odor. Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen made up of three atoms of oxygen. It is formed when ultraviolet radiation or electrical discharge splits the molecule of the stable form of oxygen (O2). It forms a thin layer in the upper atmosphere, which protects life on Earth from ultraviolet rays, a cause of skin cancer. At lower atmosphere levels it is an air pollutant and contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Particulates - Particulates can be suspended solids or liquids that include dust from automobile and truck brake linings, road grit, ash from factory smokestacks, some from home chimneys and aerosols. Particulates reduce visibility and can cause lung and eye damage, especially when combined with other pollutants such as sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrous oxides (NOx). Many people with respiratory problems are unaware their breathing problems can result from particulate pollution.
Passive Solar System A system that relies on the natural phenomena of energy (radiation, convection, and conduction) for the transfer and storage of heat or “coolness.” Some basic elements of a passive solar system are south-facing glazing for solar collection and thermal mass for absorption, storage and distribution.
Photovoltaic Cells - photovoltaic cells are used to directly convert solar radiation into electricity. Materials called semiconductors, usually made from pure silicon, transfer light energy (photons) into electrical energy in a process known as the photoelectric effect.
Post-Consumer Content - Refers to the percentage of total content of a material that has passed through its end-usage as a consumer item and has been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream for the purpose of recycling.
Pyrolysis - Decomposition of a chemical by extreme heat.
Quad - a quadrillion BTUs (1015 BTUs). This is an enormous number equivalent to 3.6 x 106 metric tons of coal, or 172,000,000 (1.72 x 106) barrels of oil. A quadrillion is the number one followed by 15 zeros. It would be impossible to count to such a number even if you counted by 1,000s for every second of your life until you were 100 years old. The United States used about 80 quads of energy in 1990.
R-Value - A measure of thermal resistance, indicating how effective a material is as an insulator. R-value is measured in the hours needed for one Btu to flow through one inch of the material when the temperature difference (from one side of the material to the other) is one degree Fahrenheit. Its units are hour-square foot-degree Fahrenheit/Btu-inch.
Radiant Heat - Heat transferred in the form of light energy (including non-visible spectra). Distinct from conductive heat, occurring with the direct contact between two materials.
Radon - A colorless naturally occurring, radioactive, inert gas formed by radioactive decay of radium atoms in soil or rocks. Design strategies help reduce the amount of radon infiltration into a building and remove the gas that does infiltrate. 1
Rainwater Catchment/Harvest - On-site rainwater harvest and storage systems used to offset potable water needs for a building and/or landscape. Systems can take a variety of forms, but usually consist of a surface for collecting precipitation (roof or other impervious surface) and a storage system. Depending on the end use, a variety of filtration and purification systems may also be employed.
Raw Material - the original material as taken from its source, usually the ground. A good example is bauxite ore that is used to make aluminum.
Recycle - to recycle is to put into the cycle again. In other words, to take a product and reuse it when discarded. Recycling saves enormous amounts of energy and raw materials.
Recyclability - Technically, any material can be recycled if the amount of energy or money consumed in the process is not a factor. For our purposes, recyclability means any material that is: in demand, requires less energy to remanufacture than to manufacture from virgin materials and the technology exists to remanufacture it.
Recycled Content The percentage of the total content of a material comprised of post-consumer content and pre-consumer content.
Regional Manufacture - Goods produced within a certain radius of the project site. Using regionally produced goods is considered a sustainable building strategy in that it reduces the transportation impacts associated with the product, it often allows for a better understanding of the production process and increases the likelihood that the product was manufactured in accordance with environmental laws, and it supports regional economies.
Resource - A substance for which there is an identifiable use within society.
Reuse - Using a product or component of waste in its original form more than once; e.g., refilling a glass bottle that has been returned or using a coffee can to hold nuts and bolts. Reuse is a sustainable building strategy in that it reduces the strain on both renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Sick Building Syndrome - Building whose occupants experience acute health and/or comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent therein, but where no specific illness or cause can be identified. Complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may spread throughout the building.
Solar Energy - energy derived from the sun’s radiation. The amount of energy falling on just 0.3861 sq. mil/1 sq. km is about 4,000 megawatts, enough to heat and light a small town. In one second the Sun gives off 13 million times more energy than all the electricity used in the U.S. in one year. Solar heaters have industrial or domestic uses. They usually consist of a black (heat-absorbing) panel containing pipes through which air or water, heated by the sun, is circulated, either by thermal convection or by a pump. Solar energy may also be harnessed indirectly using solar cells (photovoltaic cells) made of panels of semiconductor material (usually silicon), which generate electricity when illuminated by sunlight.
Solar Panels - General term for an assembly of photovoltaic modules. See photovoltaic. Use of solar panels is a sustainable building strategy in that it lessens a building’s reliance on nonrenewable sources of power distributed through the grid system.
Stack Effect – Air that moves upward because it is warmer than the ambient atmosphere.
Stranded Cost - costs that were incurred by utilities to serve their customers with the understanding that state regulatory commissions would allow the costs to be recovered through electric rates. Stranded costs can occur either because particular customers discontinue their use of a service or because such customers are no longer willing to pay the full costs incurred to provide a service. Potentially stranded costs are the result of decisions that were reviewed and approved by government regulators and were made by utilities under the unique regulatory compact with their state and their customers.
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) - Manufactured panels consisting of a sandwich of rigid insulation between two layers of engineered wood paneling. SIPs can be used for walls, roof, or flooring, and result in a highly insulative structure that is very resistant to air infiltration.
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) - a corrosive gas produced both by nature and technology in nearly equal amounts. Burning fuels, such as coal and oil, that contain sulfur produces SO2. It is also produced from sea spray, organic decomposition and volcanic eruptions. When combined with water in the air, it produces a weak, corrosive sulfuric acid — an ingredient of “acid rain.”
Sustainable - The Worldwatch Institute defines “sustainable” as “meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” For example, wood harvested from a “sustainable forest” means that the wood is derived from a forest managed in a manner so that the trees harvested will be replaced at a rate that matches the rate of removal. In this regard, the forest will continue producing wood for successive generations.
Thermal Mass - A mass (often stone, concrete, or brick) used to store heat and reduce temperature fluctuation in a space, by releasing heat slowly over time.
Toxins - Chemical or natural substances that can cause harmful effects on humans; toxins include heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, as well as organic compounds like petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Trombe Wall - Thermal storage system used in passive solar design. A high-mass wall that stores heat from solar gain during the day and slowly radiates the heat back into the living space at night.
U-value - U-value is the overall coefficient of heat transmission. It is a measure of the rate of heat flow through any given combination of materials, air layers, and air spaces. It is equal to the reciprocal of the sum of all resistances (R). In other words, the U-value can be calculated for a particular wall, roof, or floor system by finding the resistances (R-value) of each of its materials, its air layers, and its internal air spaces, then adding all of these resistances and finding the reciprocal. The lower the U-value, the lower the heat loss or the higher the insulating value. The units are Btu/hour/square foot/degree Fahrenheit.
Vapor retarder - a material or coating, impermeable to moisture, designed to impede passage of water or water vapor.
Ventilation - Process by which outside air is conveyed to an indoor space.
Ventilation Control (by Occupants) - The ability of building occupants to control ventilation rates. A strategy for giving control of comfort back to occupants, this can be achieved through access to individual electronic controls or by operable windows in workspaces. Studies show that giving increased control to occupants over their environment results in greater occupant tolerance for variability in the indoor environment.
Ventilation Rate: The rate at which indoor air enters and leaves a building. Expressed as the number of changes of outdoor air per unit of time: air changes per hour (ACH), or the rate at which a volume of outdoor air enters in cubic feet per minute (CFM).
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - VOCs are chemical compounds common in many building products: solvents in paints and other coatings; wood preservatives; strippers and household cleaners; adhesives in particleboard, fiberboard, and some plywoods; and foam insulation. When released, VOCs can contribute to the formation of smog and can cause respiratory tract problems, headaches, eye irritations, nausea, damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system, and possibly cancer.
Wastewater - The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter.
Watt - a unit of power defined as a joule of energy per second.
Worm Bin - System for on-site management of food scraps and other organic materials. Similar to a compost bin, a worm bin uses worms to digest organic wastes, in a process known as “vermicomposting”.
————————————————————-
The author would like to thank the following, whose glossaries were particularly helpful in compiling our own:
The Seattle Dept. of Planning Green Building Glossary
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/GreenBuilding/OurProgram/Resources/Greenbuildingglossary/default.asp
The Green Building Products Directory North Carolina Recycling Association
The ENERGY DIVISION, N.C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
7330 Chapel Hill Road, Suite 207
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Contact: Craig Barry (919) 851-8444 or at NCRecycles@aol.com
Other Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/aterms.htmlhttp://antron.dupont.com/content/resources/green_glossary/ant06_04_01.shtmlhttp://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/rea_data/gl.htmlhttp://lightingdesignlab.com/library/glossary.htm
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

UFAD vs Ceiling Plenum air distrubution

UFAD vs Ceiling Plenum air distrubution