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184 Cards in this Set

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Green Materials Certification
Programs that evaluate products based on a variety of criteria including resource depletion, embodied energy, transportation costs, recycled content, recyclability, durability, reparability, energy costs, production of toxic byproducts, and lifetime toxicity. Some include: Greenguard®, Green Seal®, Energy Star®, and WaterSense®.
Embodied Energy
The amount of commercial energy used to bring a product to market and dispose of it.
R Value
A measure of thermal resistance. The higher the R Value, the greater the material’s insulation properties.
U Value
A measure of how much heat can pass through a material. The lower the U Value the higher the R Value.
Low Emissivity (Low-e)
Films or metal oxide layers that are applied to interior glazed surfaces of windows, doors, and skylights to reduce unwanted heat flow. Can be customized to weather conditions. Northern low-e keeps heat inside the building. Southern low-e keeps heat outside the building.
Radiation
Heat energy that travels through space in waves that follow a straight course. These waves can be reflected or absorbed.
Thermal Radiation
Surface heat of a material. The warmer the material, the greater radiation it emits. Dark materials absorb and radiate heat. Reflective materials repel thermal radiation.
Thermal Bridging
The way heat or cold travels the most direct route through a material that has poor insulation properties. Wall studs and metal-framed windows are good examples. A layer of insulation material will interrupt a thermal bridge.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
Forms made of wood or polystyrene foam that become permanent insulation for cast-in-place, reinforced concrete walls, roofs, and floors.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)
Foam that is sandwiched between rigid panels of oriented strand board (OSB) or a similar material. They are used for walls, floors, and roofs, providing a super-insulated, quick-to-assemble option to stick-frame construction.
Expanded Polystyrene Board (EPS)
Rigid insulation that has fewer harmful properties than other petroleum-based insulation products. These panels block air infiltration, are durable, and flexible.
Foam Sheathing
An insulation product applied to exterior walls as large sheets in place of plywood or OSB. It has good insulation properties, reduces thermal bridging, and helps reduce moisture problems.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Natural and human-produced chemicals used in a wide variety of materials that are released as a gas at room temperature. Many are carcinogens and cause health problems. VOCs are found in all kinds of building products, paints, lacquers, glues and adhesives, cleaning supplies, pesticides, furnishings, office equipment, and graphics and craft materials.
Urea-Formaldehyde
A resin used in finishes, adhesives, and binding agents for wood and fiberboard products including particleboard, medium density fiberboard, interior plywood, and furniture. It is toxic and should be avoided.
Phenol-Formaldehyde
A product similar to urea-formaldehyde used in finishes, binding agents, and adhesives, that is less toxic.
Reclamation & Salvaging
Processes to acquire materials for reuse, reducing the need to extract raw materials and manufacture new products. These processes reduce emissions, environmental degradation, and limit the amount of wastes destined for landfills.
Deconstruction
The process of taking a building apart, allowing many components to be reused or recycled. It is time intensive and usually done by hand.
Demolition
The process of deconstructing a building with machinery that produces construction debris. Some of the materials may be recyclable (concrete, steel, scraped wood), but may not reusable without refurbishing or other work.
Recycled Content
Material that has previously been used and is substituted for raw materials. Post-consumer recycled content is reclaimed after consumer use (plastic bottles, newspapers, aluminum cans). Pre-consumer or post-industrial recycled content is gathered as part of the manufacturing process and fed back into production (metal scraps, cardboard from box making, scrap fabric).
Recyclable Materials
Products and materials that can be recycled and used again for their original purpose or used in a new product.
Biodiesel
A petroleum fuel alternative made from animal or vegetable fats that can be used in diesel engines. In the US, soybeans are the dominant fuel crop. Biodiesel reduces CO2 emissions by almost 50% and can be blended with petroleum diesel in various percentages – the greater the biodiesel percentage, the more environmentally friendly the fuel.
Ethanol
A petroleum fuel alternative made predominantly from corn, sugar cane, or sugar cane wastes called bagasse. Twenty percent of domestic corn production is used to produce ethanol that is used as a blend with gasoline to reduce emissions.
Fly Ash
A residue generated from the combustion of coal that is removed from chimneys of coal-fired power plants. It can be used to replace up to 50% of Portland cement, making concrete stronger and more durable. It is a material called a pozzolan [pot-suh-luhn] that reduces shrinkage and permeability among other benefits.
Pozzolan [pot-suh-luhn]
A material that can be added to concrete to reduce shrinkage during the drying process, reduce permeability, improve salt resistance, and makes concrete easier to pump. Originally volcanic tuff used in ancient mortars, pozzolans now include fly ash, silica fume, slag, and rice hull ash.
Cork
A rapidly renewable material used for flooring and other products that is made from the bark of cork oak trees. Harvesting does not harm trees of 25 years of age or older. As a rapidly renewing material, it has less environmental impact than other types of standard flooring materials, although cork oak trees do not grow in the US, making transportation a sustainability issue.
Bamboo
A rapidly renewable material used for flooring, furniture, fibers, and a wide variety of other materials. Bamboo can be harvested frequently with low environmental impact, although it is not produced in the US, making transportation a sustainability factor.
Linoleum
A flooring material made of pine resin, chalk, clay pigment, linseed oil, and fibers. It was a popular flooring material before the advent of vinyl. It is coming back into fashion because it is made of natural materials.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
An international, nonprofit organization that promotes the sustainable management of forests worldwide. FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
A sustainable forest management and certification program established by the American Forest & Paper Association.
Optimum Value Engineering (OVE)
A practice that uses engineering principles to minimize material usage, cut waste, and save time. It uses modular layouts on 24-inch centers, single top plates for exterior and non-load bearing interior walls, and headers sized for particular loads and spans.
Albedo
A measurement of the solar radiation reflected by a material as a ratio of the radiation that strikes the material. High albedo surfaces are usually light-colored membranes or coatings that reflect heat. Or, they may be materials that are naturally light in color like concrete. Use of high albedo surfaces reduces heat islands and air conditioning demands of buildings.
Green Roof / Living Roof
Roofs that are designed to support a growing medium and living plants. A waterproof membrane protects the roof, and drainage layers support water and plant life. Green roofs reduce heat islands, provide habitat and green space, and help control stormwater.
High-Efficiency Toilet (HET)
Toilets that use typically 20% less water than traditional models, about 1.28 gallons per flush. They are an important part of building water conservation measures.
Dual-Flush Toilet
A water-conserving toilet that offers different water levels for solid and liquid wastes and helps reduce water use.
Waterless Urinal
A urinal that uses a sealed liquid filter to absorb odor and waste and requires no water for operation. They are an important part of building water conservation measures.
Composting or Waterless Toilet
A toilet that relies on microbial organisms to convert waste to compost.
Heat Recovery Ventilation System
Using a heat exchanger, these systems transfer heat from stale exhaust air to incoming air, reducing energy requirements. They provide ventilation and air movement.
Evaporative Cooling
A system where hot air passes over water causing evaporation and cooling. These systems are an efficient option for dryer climates and use about 25% less energy than a traditional air conditioning system.
Hydronic Heating
A heating system that uses water as a medium to transfer heat or cooling (radiators are an example). They are more energy efficient than forced-air, ducted systems, but don’t offer ventilation benefits.
Natural Ventilation Rate
The rate at which inside air moves due to pressure differences caused by wind, humidity, or temperature.
Underfloor Air Distribution
Duct work for heating and cooling systems is installed under raised floors to provide air supply from below. An advantage is the ease of reconfiguring rooms when new floor layouts are desired.
Duct Pressurization Test
Often called duct blaster test, this assessment measures duct leakage by pressurizing the ducts and measuring air flow. It is an effective way to identify air leaks that can result in energy losses.
PEX Tubing
Flexible tubing laid into concrete that is filled with a liquid to carry heat as part of radiant floor heating system.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)
Mercury-containing lights that use significantly less energy than incandescent blubs.
Metal Halide Lamps
High intensity discharge (HID) lamps that are used in commercial applications to provide light to large areas. They are an efficient option to traditional T12 fluorescent tubes.
Light Emitting Diode (LED)
The newest breed of lighting that consumes 25% less electricity than fluorescent lighting.
Light Efficiency Rating
The light output rating of light bulbs/lamps measured as lumens per watt. LED lights are the most efficient registering 30 to 80 lumens per watt.
Earth Bricks
Compacted and dried, but not fired, blocks of locally-available dirt and clay that are used like masonry for construction. Once complete, the structure is covered with plaster to protect the bricks from weathering.
Straw Bale Construction
Stacked bales of wheat, rice, rye, or oat straw used for nonstructural walls. The straw provides good insulation, is inexpensive, and is locally available. Like earth bricks, straw is plastered to protect it from the elements.
Earth-Bermed Construction
Structures built partially below grade (below the ground) to take advantage of the stable ground temperature, reducing the energy demand for heating and cooling. Dirt is piled against walls, tamped down, and sloped so that water drains away from the structure. Basements can be considered earth-bermed.
Green Buildings
Often called sustainable or high-performance, green buildings are an alternative to traditional construction that integrates design and construction processes that focus on energy and resource-efficient strategies. Energy and water use reduction, materials selection, and benefits for the interior and exterior environment are priorities.
Life Cycle Assessment
A way to determine a product’s environmental impact – from extraction or harvesting of raw materials, to manufacturing and transportation, use and disposal.
Full Cost Accounting
A part of a life cycle assessment that tallies all costs of a product, process, or project – not only the dollar cost – but the non-market values including environmental and social costs and benefits.
Life Cycle Costs
The real costs of a product or system over time. It includes purchase and installation, operation, and maintenance. This is valuable for comparing similar products or materials.
Whole Building Design
An all-inclusive team process that brings together members of the design and construction team, as well as the owner and other stakeholders, during project planning and programming phases.
Integrated Design
This is an approach to design and construction that involves all stakeholders and brings them together throughout the building process to review building goals, solve problems, and report on progress. Integrated design contributes to greener buildings.
Charrette
A collaborative meeting held during the design process that focuses on the exchange of ideas among designers, the contractor, subcontractors, the owner, and others.
Bioclimatic Design
Design strategies that use local climate and other environmental factors to guide building development, including orientation, location of windows and doors, shading, and ventilation.
Building Orientation
The position of a structure in relationship to the path of the sun. Orientation can have a significant impact on passive heating and cooling, daylighting, and energy efficiency. Buildings should be orientated with their lengths running east to west or within 30 degrees of that alignment for maximum efficiency.
Smart Growth
A development approach that promotes compact living and working areas with mixed-use zoning and transportation options that reduce dependence on private vehicles.
Mixed-Use Development
Integration of home, work, school, services, and recreation in close proximity to reduce the need for car travel and urban sprawl.
Sprawl
The spread of development outward from an urban center.
Low-Density Development
Areas of single-family residences and car-dependent populations that commute.
Permaculture
Development of sustainable communities within agricultural areas and productive ecosystems where each element balances the other.
Brownfield
Areas that have been used for commercial or industrial purposes that may be polluted, contaminated, or abandoned.
Ecosystem
Large or small geographical areas where plants, animals, and other organisms live and die, feed, reproduce, and interact.
Commissioning
A way to verify and document that a building and its various mechanical and electrical systems are working properly and working together for maximum efficiency.
Weatherization
Protection of a building's interior through exterior measures that reduce impact of the elements and air infiltration to promote energy efficiency.
Building Energy Audit
An assessment of building energy use and efficiency that includes performance of heating and air conditioning systems, lighting, and other building systems.
Thermal Imaging
The use of thermography (infrared images) to identify temperature variations that can signal heat or cool loss, water leaks, and other conditions that threaten building efficiency and operation.
High Performance Window
An energy efficient window that uses glass with low-e coatings and sandwiches air or gas between two panes to block heat loss or gain and provide insulation properties.
Building Envelope
Building components that enclose conditioned space – roof, walls, floor, doors, and windows.
Radiant Barrier
A reflective material that inhibits heat transfer through thermal radiation that is used in a wide variety of insulation products.
Expanded Polyurethane Foam
An insulation and sealant that expands to fill cracks and holes.
Light Pollution
Light pollution is illumination that has human, ecological, and energy consequences. It can be light that escapes from buildings at night, exterior lighting of buildings and signs, as well as traffic and highway lighting. It creates sky glow, disrupts wildlife and nocturnal cycles, keeps the night sky from view, and in the case of buildings, is a waste of energy.
Full Cut-Off Lighting
Lights that shine down toward the ground at an angle of 90 degrees or less from vertical.
Cut-Off Angle
An angle 90 degrees from vertical used for exterior lighting to reduce light pollution.
Rain Garden
Low areas that collect rainwater and encourage water infiltration.
Rainwater Harvesting
Collecting and storing rainwater for reuse.
Municipal Reclaimed Water
Wastewater that has been processed through a treatment facility and may be used for non-potable uses.
Bioretention Strategies
Approaches that keep water from leaving a building site, promoting infiltration, and filtering runoff.
Retention Pond
A collection area for stormwater to encourage infiltration instead of runoff.
Constructed Wetland
A collection area for stormwater with a porous base that encourages water to seep into the ground and that uses plants to filter out pollutants.
Ecological Wastewater Treatment
Systems that use plants and organisms to break down wastes and remove nutrients and pollutants from water.
Living Machine
A concept patented by John Todd that uses a series of progressively different living organisms – from trees to fish – to break down wastes without the use of chemicals.
Reverse Osmosis
The treatment of water using a semipermeable membrane to remove salt and other impurities.
Invasive Plants
Plants that can overtake and crowd out local or native plants. They can include trees, vines, shrubs, and grasses.
Hydrozoning
Landscape design that uses zones that provide different moisture levels for different types of plants.
Lawn
Areas planted with grass that require maintenance, irrigation, and fertilizers.
Xeriscaping
A type of landscaping that needs minimal water due to use of drought tolerate species, and mulch to reduce moisture evaporation, protect plants, and control weeds.
2030 Challenge
A challenge for designers and contractors, supported by a wide variety of organizations, to build structures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral by 2030.
Net Zero
A building that produces as much energy as it consumes.
Living Building
Buildings that operate like natural organisms, placing no net demands on the surrounding environment. They don’t require more energy, water, or materials for treating wastewater and solid wastes than they produce. Also known as regenerative or restorative buildings.
Power Mix
Sources of energy for electrical generation. They include: coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, renewable resources, and others.
Energy Demand Reduction
A strategy to decrease the amount of fossil fuel-derived energy, and reduce the overall amount of energy needed.
Peak Oil
The global point of highest oil production, after which resource depletion begins. Like other natural resources, petroleum is a finite resource. One of the keys to peak oil is cost. There are vast reserves, but reaching some of those resources will be increasingly expensive, a cost that will be passed on to consumers.
Daylighting
Using natural sunlight to provide interior building lighting, reducing the need for electric lights and the energy they require. Daylight is introduced through windows, doors, skylights, and other openings.
Visible Transmittance
The amount of light that enters a building through a window, door, or other opening. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 7, with the higher the number indicating the more light that enters.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
A measure of how well a material blocks the sun’s heat. It is based on a scale of 0 to 1. The lower the number indicating less heat transmission.
Glazing
A transparent part of the building envelope that allows light to enter through glass, plastic, or other materials.
Fenestration
Any opening in the building envelope that has glazing – windows, doors, and skylights, among others.
Passive Heating and Cooling
Strategies that use the sun’s heat during the winter for warmth, and shade and breeze for cooling in the summer.
Thermal Mass
Materials that retain and release heat that contribute to reducing the amount of energy a building consumes.
Stack-Effect Ventilation
Based on the principle that warm air rises. Openings up high allow heat to escape while cooler air is drawn in from openings below.
Shading
Reducing unwanted heat gain by creating cooler areas through the use of shade provided by trees, other vegetation, and structural devices.
Night Flushing
A practice of cooling a building by introducing low-temperature night air.
Living Wall / Green Wall
Similar to trellises, these structures can support plants growing up from the ground or may have a growing medium that allows plants to grow on the wall to shade buildings.
Peak Load / Peak Demand
The maximum power requirement of an electrical system to meet consumer needs. Utilities must generate enough power to meet peak load, and utility rates are set on this maximum demand. Peak load occurs during summer months when use of air conditioning is high.
Off-Peak Cooling
A strategy for bigger buildings when a portion of the energy needed for air conditioning is consumed during off-peak hours when electricity rates and demand on the power grid are lower.
Thermal Energy Storage
A practice of chilling or freezing water during off-peak hours to offset daytime air conditioning needs and higher energy costs.
Phantom Load
The energy used by appliances and electronics while they are not in use, are turned off, or in a standby mode.
Renewable Energy
Power generated from naturally-occurring renewable resources – predominantly the sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass (plant material).
Photovoltaic (PV) Cells
Thin layers of silicon and other minerals that convert sunlight into electrical energy by absorbing photons of light and releasing electrons that are captured as electricity.
Solar Thermal
Energy systems that use the sun’s energy for its heat value, usually warming air, water, or a thermal mass.
On-Site Renewable Energy
Renewable systems that are installed to supply energy to a building or campus to offset or eliminate the need to purchase electricity.
Renewable Energy Credits (REC)
RECs or green tags represent renewable energy that can be purchased through a broker or utility company to offset CO₂emissions.
Net Metering
The credit customers receive from a utility when they use on-site renewable energy to produce electricity for their own use.
Feed-In Tariffs
A guarantee to customers who generate electricity that they are able to sell back excess power to local utility.
Renewable Portfolio Standards
A requirement that a portion of the energy electric utilities provide is generated by renewable resources.
Heat Island
Areas that are warmer than their surroundings because of heat-absorbing pavement and roofs; a reason why cities are warmer than rural areas.
Topsoil
A thin layer of soil that supports plant life.
Stormwater Management
A variety of practices that limit the amount of water leaving a project site. The goal is to encourage infiltration, reduce pollution and siltation of streams, and lighten the load on municipal water treatment plants.
Stormwater Best Practices
A selected group of strategies that are effective in reducing the impact of stormwater: limiting surface disruption of the project site, reducing graded areas, covering disturbed areas with mulch or fabrics to protect topsoil, planting grasses, shrubs and trees; and using silt fences, sediment traps, straw, and retention ponds.
Erosion
The action of water or wind to remove topsoil.
Groundwater Aquifer
Fresh water reserves below the surface that may be a body of water or a water-saturated layer of rock.
Waste Diversion
The process of recycling, reusing, or salvaging materials from a job site and diverting them from a landfill.
Building Related Illness
Resulting from airborne contaminants, predominantly molds, this is a human illness that can cause headaches, eye and skin irritation, dizziness, and nausea. It is of longer duration than Sick Building Syndrome.
Sick Building Syndrome
Illness that results from airborne contaminants, commonly molds, that causes headaches, eye and skin irritation, dizziness, and nausea. It is of shorter duration than Building Related Illness.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
A severe allergic reaction triggered by a variety of pollutants.
Biological Contaminants
Molds, fungi, and viruses; dust, pollen, and plant debris; animal and insect debris, and many other substances that create indoor air pollution.
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) Filter
A filter used in heating and air conditioning equipment, vacuum cleaners, and other systems that filter particulates out of the air.
Relative Humidity
The amount of water vapor in the air. Comfortable levels for people range from 30% to 50% relative humidity. Higher levels allow molds and mildew to flourish.
Dehumidification
A process to remove excess humidity from indoor air, keeping water vapor low and reducing the impact of respiratory illnesses like asthma.
Asthma
A common and chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
Vapor Barrier
A wide variety of materials including films, sheets, coatings, and coverings that keep water and water vapor from entering a building through walls or under floors and concrete. These barriers have perm ratings, a measure of permeability, under 1.0.
Vapor Diffusion Retarder
Plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), heavily impregnated building papers, and most latex paints are considered vapor diffusion retarders and have perm ratings, a measure of permeability, between 1 and 10.
Vapor Permeable Materials
Materials that block air flow but don’t impede water or water vapor penetration. They include some types of insulation, building wraps, and unpainted stucco. They have perm ratings, a measure of permeability, over 10.
Indoor Air Quality
Air quality within and around buildings and structures that contributes to the health and comfort of building occupants. The goal is to maintain a high level of indoor air quality by limiting the entry of pollutants and contaminants during construction, prior to occupancy, and during operation
Indoor Air Pollutants
Commonly found in indoor environments, these include: biological contaminants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), combustion byproducts (CO₂and carbon monoxide), and synthetic chemicals.
Combustion Byproducts
Substances formed by the burning of hydrocarbons – fossil fuels and tobacco smoke are a few of many.
Indoor Environmental Quality
Encompasses indoor air and other aspects of the indoor environment that contributes to occupant health, productivity, and wellbeing. Some include: use of daylighting and glazing, and greater control over temperature, lighting, and air flow.
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
The most popular plastic used in construction, and for many other purposes, that emits dioxin and other harmful chemicals.
Ecological Footprint
A model developed in the 1990s to help people understand and gauge the demands of humans on the natural resource base. A carbon footprint is a component of an ecological footprint.
Sustainability
A balance between the needs of people and the resources on which they depend, today and in the future.
Hydrologic Cycle
The continuous movement and reuse of water on, below, or above the earth’s surface through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface flow, groundwater recharge, and filtering.
Overdrafting
The removal of groundwater faster than the natural recharge rate.
Water Use
An overall approach to study of the quantity of water used and how it is used.
Potable Water
Water that is purified and safe to drink.
Non-Potable Water
Untreated water, including graywater, municipal reclaimed water, and rainwater that is unsafe to drink without the threat of illness.
Graywater
Water that has been used for a variety of purposes in the home or by business or industry that is not carrying human wastes. This can include water from showers and baths, sinks, dish and clothes washers, and various manufacturing processes, among others. Blackwater contains solid and liquid human waste.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A federal agency created to protect human health and the environment.
Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
Compounds that allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere and absorb and trap heat. Some are naturally occurring (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane) and others are human produced (aerosol propellants and refrigerants).
Ozone Layer
A concentration of colorless gas high above the earth that shields the planet from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation
Radiation emitted by the sun and other sources that causes sunburn, cancer, cataracts, and kills living cells.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)
Organic compounds that destroy the ozone layer. Used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, and propellants, they were the first substances banned for ozone depletion in 1987 by the Montreal Protocol.
Climate Change
Global temperature and climate patterns that occur over time.
Carbon Dioxide - CO₂
One of the primary atmospheric greenhouse gases created by natural processes and by burning fossil fuels that contributes to keeping the planet warm. When too much CO₂is present, heat cannot escape from the atmosphere and global temperatures increase.
Carbon Monoxide - CO
A weak greenhouse gas that is colorless and odorless that is created by natural processes and by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels. It has an impact on global climate when concentrations grow and extend the lifetimes of more serious greenhouse gases. Because carbon monoxide has no odor, it presents human health risks without obvious detection and can be fatal in non-ventilated spaces.
Nitrous Oxide - NﾩO
One of the primary atmospheric greenhouse gases created by natural processes and by internal combustion engines that contributes to keeping the planet warm. When too much nitrous oxide is present, heat cannot escape from the atmosphere and global temperatures increase. It also creates ground-level ozone.
Methane - CH₄
One of the worst atmospheric greenhouse gases created by animals, natural processes, and production of fossil fuels that contributes to keeping the planet warm. When too much methane is present, heat cannot escape from the atmosphere and global temperatures increase.
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Program
A green building certification program for residential structures – homes and multi-unit developments – and remodeling. Projects earn points for sustainable features and are awarded bronze, silver, gold, and emerald ratings.
Green Building Codes
Locally written and enforced building guidelines that mandate adherence to sustainability standards.
International Green Construction Code (IGCC)
The first effort of its type, the IGCC provides a regulatory framework for sustainability in commercial buildings with a focus on: energy and water use, material and resource use, indoor environment quality, building impacts on the environment, site design, sustainability and facility management education, and exiting buildings.
Green Building Rating Systems
Programs that promote sustainable design and construction through adherence to standards and guidelines. Buildings typically earn points for compliance with standards and meeting credit goals in various categories and are awarded levels of certification based on point totals.
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Launched by the U.S. Green Building in 2000, LEED is the most globally-recognized program of its kind. Third-party assessors review building submittals to confirm compliance with standards. Projects receive ratings at the certified, silver, gold, or platinum level. Individuals who have attained a basic level of knowledge are LEED Green Associates. Those with more expertise are LEED Accredited Professionals.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
A nonprofit organization formed in 1993 by a diverse group of grouups and individuals to address the impact of buildings on the environment. National membership is open to companies and organizations. Local membership is open to individuals. The USGBC created the LEED® Green Building Rating System.
Green Globes®
A green building rating program introduced by the Green Building Initiative used in the Canada and the U.S. It is a web-based tool with scoring throughout the design and construction process. A third-party assessor reviews the building to confirm compliance with standards. Projects receive ratings of one to four Green Globes. Individuals who have achieved a level of expertise are Green Globes Professionals.
Green Advantage®
A certification program designed to meet the needs of designers, construction personnel, and others within the industry who need an understanding of green buildings and green building rating systems. It is a nationwide program unaffiliated with a trade association. Individuals who pass the Green Advantage exam in commercial, residential, or combined fields earn a three-year certification and are Green Advantage Certified Practitioners.
Energy Balance
A comparison between the amount of energy a fuel contains and the amount of energy needed to produce it.
Environmental Impact
As it relates to buildings - the result of material production and transportation, the construction process, and building operation once occupied.
First Flush
Pollutants that have accumulated during dry weather and are then flushed into stormwater with the first large rain.
Green Cleaning
A method of cleaning that limits introduction of pollutants into a building that includes everything from cleaning products and equipment to the sequence of cleaning.
Infill Development
When construction takes place in areas that have been previously developed - filling in gaps where buildings no longer exist or are being renovated. A good strategy to reduce sprawl.
Cistern
A tank or holding device to contain rainwater.
Convection
Heat transfer through air or a liquid, based on the principle that less dense substances rise while more dense or heavy substances sink.
Economizer
Equipment that uses cool outside air to help cool a building instead of using air conditioning.
Carcinogen
Any of a number of substances that are known to cause cancer or worsen existing cancer.
Air Barrier
A combination of approaches that reduces air infiltration through use of materials, sealants, and other products.
Aquifer Recharge
Part of good stormwater management practices, this encourages water to stay on site and seep into the ground to replenish underground water resources.
Local Sourcing
Purchasing materials locally or within a 500 mile range to reduce transportation costs and emissions and help boost local economies. This also can contribute to time savings.
Municiple Reclaimed Water
Stormwater that has been through some level of treatment as part of a city system and is made available for nonpotable uses such as irrigation.
Energy Efficiency Ratio
A rating for air conditioning systems that measures the amount of electricity used compared with the amount of cooling produced.
Silica Flume
A waste product generated by electric arc furnaces that can be used as a pozzolan in Portland cement.
Silt Fencing
A key part of stormwater management practices, silt fences are made using a fabric that is staked to the ground that allows water to drain but keeps sediment in place on job sites.