Green Glossary
Use this handy glossary to better understand terms often associated with green building and remodeling.
Agricultural fibers ~ Fibrous materials resulting from agricultural operations. Cotton fibers, for example, are beginning to see use in insulation applications.
Air-sealing ~ The sealing of cracks and holes in a home's envelope to prevent uncontrolled movement of air.
Compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) ~ A compact-size fluorescent light bulb designed to fit into the same socket as a regular incandescent bulb. Fluorescent bulbs last 8-10 times longer than incandescents and use 3-4 times less energy.
Cotton insulation ~ Insulation made from recycled cotton-textile trimmings that is treated with a fire-retardant (non-toxic) and sold in the form of batting sized to fit between framing studs.
Deconstruction ~ When an existing structure cannot be reused as is, the traditional practice is to demolish it and cart the collapsed remains off to a landfill. Deconstruction, on the other hand, is the careful disassembly of the building into its component parts, which allows many of those parts to be reused or recycled.
Double-glazed window ~ a window with two panes of glass separated by an air space. Some double-glazed windows contain a gas between the panes that further increases the window's insulative value.
Drywall ~ Wallboard made with gypsum. You can now find drywall products made with recycled gypsum content.
Dual-flush toilet ~ See Toilet.
Energy Star ~ A program sponsored jointly by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency that promotes energy-efficient products and practices for homes and businesses. The program rates certain consumer products for energy efficiency (via the Energy Star label), and makes tax credits available for certain home improvements and certain high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Tax credits are also available to consumers through the program for certain cars, solar energy systems and fuel cells. The program also provides tax incentives to residential and commercial builders for incorporating energy saving products and practices into their projects.
Engineered Wood ~ A range of derivative wood products made from fibers, chips, strands or veneers bonded with adhesives to form composite materials. Engineered wood products include structural members such as I-beams, floor and ceiling joists, framing studs, and sheet products such as fiberboard or particleboard.
Envelope ~ The boundary that separates a building's conditioned and unconditioned spaces. The term is usually used when referring to heat and air transfer, such as through walls, windows, and the roof. All of these are part of the building's envelope.
Formaldehyde ~ Chemical symbol: CH20, formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas or liquid with a wide range of uses that gives it a ubiquitous presence in our everyday lives. It's used as a tissue preservative in medical labs and embalming fluid in mortuaries; it's produced by burning wood, kerosene or natural gas; it's present in automobile exhaust and tobacco smoke; it's also used "as a preservative in some foods, and as an antibacterial ingredient in cosmetics, household antiseptics, medicines, dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners, carpet cleaners, lacquers, and wood products. It is used as a preservative in some paints, paper coatings, and cosmetics; in the permanent press coating on fabrics; in carpets; and in some foam insulation materials." It's used industrially, in "the manufacturing of other chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, latex rubber, photographic film, and preservatives; in glues and adhesives for pressed wood products such as particle board and plywood; in leather tanning; and as an industrial fungicide, germicide, and disinfectant." The National Toxicology Program lists formaldehyde as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." Long-term exposure is linked to cancer of the nose and throat. Exposure to high levels of formaldehyde, whether through ingestion, the lungs, or the skin, can cause a variety of severe reactions, from severe allergic reactions, to convulsions and death. Exposure to even low levels of formaldehyde can cause respiratory problems, aggravation of asthma, and in women, menstrual disorders. Formaldehyde is also referred to as a VOC (volatile organic compound). See VOC in this glossary for more information.
Green building ~ Also known as sustainable
building or environmental building. According to Wikipedia, green building
is "the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings
and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and reducing
[the impacts of buildings] on human health and the environment, through
better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal
- the complete building life cycle." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building)
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
~ Administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED® is a "voluntary,
consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance,
sustainable buildings." There are LEED ratings (project certification)
for commercial and residential construction, as well as for specific applications
such as "neighborhoods, and specific applications such as retail, multiple
buildings/campuses, schools, healthcare, laboratories and lodging. The LEED
Green Building Rating System™ standards emphasize "state of the
art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor environmental quality."
Low-E (low-emissivity) window ~ Allows
daylight to pass through the window but reduces the flow of heat through
it.
Offgas ~ The release of vapors (VOCs
or other chemicals) from a material through evaporation or chemical decomposition.
Many buidling materials and furnishings offgas, such as some structural
panels, paints, cabinetry (walls and veneers), carpets, upholstery, and
wall coverings. That "new home" smell is usually attributed to
offgassing and, in fact, can represent less than optimal indoor air quality.
More and more manufacturers are offering low-or no-VOC alternatives.
Passive solar ~ See entries for active
and passive Solar heating, below.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) ~ Used extensively
in building and consumer products and in industrial applications, PVC is
a family of plastics derived from vinyl choride. The issue of PVC manufacturing
and disposal continues to generate controversy.
Reclaimed materials ~ Materials that
are no longer needed where they are that are reused in a new location or
for a new purpose, for example, wood and other materials that are salvaged
from a building under demolition or deconstruction and used in the construction
of a new building.
Renewable energy ~ Energy generated
from renewable resources such as sunlight, wind, and agricultural products.
SEER (seasonal energy efficiency) ~
Energy efficiency rating for air conditioners. The higher the SEER number,
the more energy efficient the air conditioner.
Siting
~ The process of selecting where and how a proposed structure will be situated
on the land. This process is as important as the components of the building
itself and should, ideally, take into account such factors as landscape,
soil, vegetation, water supply, and the position of the sun relative to
the site at different points during the day. Good siting avoids unnecessary
disturbance to the environment during and after building, and among other
factors, takes advantage of natural light and existing vegetation for interior
illumination and temperature moderation, requiring much less energy use
over the life of the structure.
Solar heating, active
~ A heating methode whereby heat from the sun is absorbed by a collector
and pumped to a storage unit for controlled distribution, or to the interior
of the structure directly.
Solar heating, passive ~ A design approach
that considers factors such as siting, window placement,
and wall and floor materials to allow a building to collect and store heat
from the sun, and then release that heat gradually to help warm interior
spaces.
Solar water heater ~ A method of heating
water whereby heat from the sun is collected into a storage unit (see Solar
heating, active); the heat is conveyed to the building's hot water system
via a heat exchanger.
Sustainability ~ As defined by the World
Commission on the Environment and Development, "meeting the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs."
Toilet, Dual-flush
~ A toilet that conserves water by the use of two-different settings, one
that uses less water for liquid waste removal, and another that uses more
water for solid waste removal.
Toilet, Macerating ~ A toilet that uses
a rapidly rotating cutting blade to liquefy human waste and toilet paper.
The waste is then mixed with flushing water and pumped into a sanitary sewer
or septic system as a fine slurry. Macerating toilets are used where a conventional
gravity flow installation is not workable, such as where the main drainpipe
is too far away or the toilet will be situated below the drain line (i.e.
garages, basements). Macerating toilets use very little water (less than
2 gallons) per flush.
VOC (volatile organic compound)
~ A class of organic chemicals found in a wide range of building and home-furnishing
products that readily release vapors at room temperature and upon exposure
can cause reactions such as eye and throat irritation, headaches, and nausea.
Also see Formaldehyde.