|
|
|
||||
|
||||||
|
|
|
GLOSSARY |
|
|
GLOSSARY |
Albedo The ratio of reflected light to the total amount falling on a surface. A high albedo indicates high reflectance properties.
American
Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers
Also referred to as "core and shell" building, includes overall building elements which are completed prior to construction of tenant finishe; including structure, enclosures (walls, glass and roof), the vertical core (consisting of elevators, stairs, bathrooms, shafts and risers) and central mechanical and electrical systems.
A material which can be decomposed when discarded by the normal action of bacteria and fungi. Typical examples are paper and wood products, natural fibers, starches.
A unit of measurement equivalent to the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
A systematic
process that begins in the design phase of a new or remodeled building,
and includes testing and fine-tuning of the HVAC, electrical, plumbing
and other system to assure proper functioning and adherence to design
criteria. Commissioning also includes preparation the systems operations
manuals, and instruction of the building maintenance personnel.
The elements
of a building (e.g. walls, roofs, floors) enclosing conditioned spaces
through which thermal energy may be transferred.
That energy
expended for running of building systems. Synthetic chemicals manufactured from hydrocarbons and chlorine, flourine, or bromine that are used in refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, and as solvents and aerosol propellants. Because CFCs drift into the upper atmosphere, where their chlorine components destroy the earth's protective ozone layer, they were completely banned in 1997.
A glass
"window" at the top of an interior building wall, specifically
intended to transmit daylight from the exterior to the interior.
Any exterior wall which is supported by or "hung" from the building structure. Typically, the term curtain wall is used to describe a metal and glass wall system.
The use of
controlled natural lighting methods indoors through top lighting (sklights),
side lighting (windows) and/or uplighting (reflection)
The rate at which energy is consumed by a piece of equipment or a building as a whole or the maximum amount of energy required for a specific length of time which may be greater than the amount of energy required at other times.
Sensing and
control of the building operating conditions with computer microprocessors
and digital communications.
A public
domain computer program for energy analysis developed by Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory. Well suited for large commercial buildings, the program
calculates a building's energy use and lifecycle costs based on its location,
construction, operation, and HVAC systems. It is useful in evaluating
building system design, energy budgets, and life-cycle costs and benefits,
and can explore trade-offs between design alternatives. It includes four
main calculation sections: loads, systems, plants, and economics.
A gas used
widely in production of adhesives, plastics, preservatives, and fabric
treatments and commonly emitted by indoor materials that are made with
its compounds.
Coals, gas or coal fuels derived from ancient vegetation. Fossil fuels were formed several million years ago and are generally considered non-renewable energy sources.
A technology
that uses an electromagnetic 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.
Parasitic lower plants (including mold and mildew) lacking chlorophyll and needing organic material and moisture to germinate and grow
Wastewater that does not contain sewage or fecal contamination and can be reused for irrigation after simple filtration.
A structural steel truss located at the top of the building to provide a rigid frame for resisting lateral wind loads and reducing building movement (sway).
The ratio
of the amount of water vapor actually present in the air to the greatest
amount possible at the same temperature
Substitute refrigerants and solvents which do not have as much potential to destroy atmospheric ozone if released into the environment as of CFCs . Most are less efficient as refrigerants than CFCs and some are quite toxic.
The equipment,
distribution network and terminals that provide either, collectively or
individually the processes of heating, ventilation or air-conditioning
to a building. According to the U.S. EPA and National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, the definition includes: 1) introduction and distribution of adequate ventilation air; 2) control of airborne contaminants; and 3) maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity. According to ASHRAE Standard 62-1989 indoor air quality is defined as " air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant authorities and with which a substantial majority (80% or more) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction.
A coordinated approach to pest control that is intended to prevent unacceptable levels of pests by the most cost-effective means with the least possible hazard to building occupants, workers, and the environment.
Set of generic standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created to give business management a structure for measuring environmental impacts. The standards include a broad range of environmental disciplines, including basic environmental management systems (EMS), auditing, environmental performance evaluations (EPE), labeling, life-cycle assessment (LCA), and environmental aspects in product standards (EAPS).
The amortized annual cost of a product, including capital costs, installation costs, operating costs, maintenance costs, and disposal costs discounted over the lifetime of the product.
A horizontal device positioned (usually above eye level) to reflect daylight onto the ceiling and to shield direct sunlight form the area immediately adjacent to the window.
Indicates a rate of flow of energy for either a heating or cooling requirement or a total of both (expressed in terms of BTU per hour, BTU per month or BTU per year)
Low-E (Emissivity) Glass Glass with
a selective optical coating that blocks transmission of infrared light
while allowing transmission of the remaining available light spectrum,
to reduce solar heating loads and cooling energy while maintaining visible
daylight. The use of Low-E Glass results in spaces that are warmer in
the winter and cooler in the summer.
A complete electric lighting unit, including housing, lamp and focusing and/or diffusing elements; informally referred to as a fixture.
A legal requirement for all potentially hazardous products, the data sheet indicates the risks from using and disposing of the product and recommends safe practices. The sheet may also indicate the chemical contents if the product.
A device
that detects the presence or absence of people within an area and causes
any combination of lighting, equipment or appliances to be adjusted accordingly.
The release
of gases or vapors from solid materials. It is a form of evaporation or
a slow chemical change which will produce indoor air pollution for prolonged
periods after installation of a material.
Operations refers to how equipment or systems are run, e.g., when a system should be turned on, temperature ranges, set points for boiler pressures and temperatures, thermostat set points, etc. Maintenance refers to servicing or repair of equipment and systems. "Preventive maintenance" performed on a periodic basis to ensure optimum life and performance is designed to prevent breakdown and unanticipated loss of production or performance. "Corrective" or "unscheduled" maintenance refers to repairs on a system to bring it back "on-line." "Predictive" maintenance is performed on equipment monitored for signs of wear or degradation, e.g., through thermography, oil analysis, vibration analysis, maintenance history evaluation.
Air taken
from the exterior of the building that has not been previously circulated
through the building.
The loss
of atmospheric ozone, which is the very high altitude layer that protects
the earth from destructive ultraviolet radiation. The amount of time it takes the savings resulting from the modification to "pay back" the costs involved. A "simple" payback does not consider the time value of money. A "discounted" payback period does.
Maximum predicted
load over a given segment of time for any system.
Generation
of electricity from the energy of sunlight, using photocells.
These devices
use semiconductor material to directly convert sunlight into electricity.
Power is produced when sunlight strikes the semiconductor material and
creates an electric current. BPCA GG
A reclaimed
waste product that has already served a purpose to the consumer, such
as a used newspaper, and has been diverted or separated from the waste
stream for recycling and reprocessing back into a new consumer product.
Material
that is the byproduct of the industrial production process.
A measure
of the thermal resistance of material.
Public domain lighting simulation software developed at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, for "analysis and visualization of lighting in design." It is used by architects and engineers to predict illumination, visual quality, and appearance of innovative design spaces. A PC version named ADELINE uses Radiance and can interface with CAD software.
Material that would be otherwise destined for disposal but is diverted or separated from the waste stream, reintroduced as material feedstock, and processed into marketed end products.
A renewable product that can be grown or naturally replenished or cleansed at a rate that exceeds human depletion of the resource.
Energy resources such as wind power or solar energy that can keep producing indefinitely.
Air that has circulated through a building as supply air and has been returned and has been returned to the HVAC systems for additional conditioning or release from the building.
The recovery of material to be used again for a similar application without reprocessing.
The total quantity of air supplied to a space of a building for thermal conditioning and ventilation. Typically, supply air consists of a mixture of return air and outdoor air that is appropriately filtered and conditioned.
The condition of being able to meet the needs of present generations without compromising those needs for future generations. Achieving a balance among extraction and renewal and environmental inputs and outputs, as to cause no overall net environmental burden or deficit. To be truly sustainable, a human community must not decrease biodiversity, must not consume resources faster than they are renewed, must recycle and reuse virtually all materials and must rely primarily on the resources of its own region. Sustainability The practice
of conservation and environmental protection which assures the availability
of resources for future generations.
Lighting
that provides illumination for specific visual functions, and is directed
to a specific surface or area.
An insulating
barrier which provides a separation between construction elements that
are exposed to the outside. A thermal break is used especially to reduce
the conductive transfer of curtain wall and window frame elements and
their resulting energy loss to the outside. A thermal break also minimizes
the the possibility of condensation on surfaces of exterior framing.
The capacity
of a material to transmit radiant energy.
The additional
heating of air over city as the result of the replacement of vegetated
surfaces with those composed of asphalt, concrete, rooftops and other
man-made materials. These materials store much of the sun's energy, producing
a dome of elevated air temperatures up to 10 degrees greater over city
compared to air temperatures over adjacent rural areas. Light colored
rooftops and lighter colored pavement can help to dissipate heat by reflecting
sunlight, and tree planting can further help modify the city's temperature
through shading and evapotranspiration. A method
of modulating the amount of heating or cooling effect that is delivered
to a building by the HVAC system. The flow of air is modulated rather
than the temperature. VAV systems typically consist of VAV boxes that
throttle supply air-flow to individual zones, some mechanism to control
supply-fan flow to match box demand, and the interconnecting ductwork
and components.
Motor drives for fans and pumps whose speed can be increased or decreased by modulating the frequency of the electrical input, thereby reducing electrical demand at part-load conditions.
Chemicals
that contain carbon molecules and are volatile enough to evaporate from
materials surfaces into indoor air at normal room temperatures (referred
to as off-gassing). Examples of building materials that may contain VOCs
include, but are not limited to, solvents, paints, adhesives, carpeting,
and particleboard. Signs and symptoms of VOC exposure may include eye
and upper respiratory irritation, nasal congestion, headache and dizziness. Sources:
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
