CONSTRUCTION WASTE RECYCLING MANAGEMENT LIVING MACHINE rammed earth

Vegetated Roof SLAG Solar Reflective Index STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Living Wall

bio-swale

Photovoltaic Panels REC’s

THERMAL MASS PRE-INDUSTRIAL RECYCLED CONTENT

RAINWATER HARVESTING

retention pond Electric Vehicle

Radiant barrier

heat transfer

glazing Sedimentation

INDOOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

xeriscaping POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED CONTENT Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) SMART GROWTH HEPA filter

aquifer

CONSTRUCTED WETLAND

PERVIOUS PAVING

Green Building Safety Glossary

high-efficiency toilet (HET)

forest stewardship council UREA FORMALDEHYDE drain rock

Charrette Carbon Footprint Rapidly Renewable Materials Light Pollution

ENERGY STAR

EVACTUATED TUBE SOLAR COLLECTORS

Embodied Energy

portland cement

COMPOSTING Fenestration Salvaged Materials GRAYWATER

Non-potable water

deconstruction

Silt fencing

Natural Ventilation commissioning

Albedo See Solar Reflectance Alternative Fuel Vehicles USGBC Defines alternative fuel vehicles as vehicles that use non-polluting, non-gasoline fuels. Examples include electricity, hydrogen, propane, methanol, ethanol. For LEED purposes, fuel efficient, gas-electric hybrids are considered alternative fuel vehicles Ambient Temperature Temperature of the surrounding environment Aquifer Geological formation containing or conducting groundwater. Our aquifers supply us with fresh water. The aquifer overdraft rate in the U.S. exceeds 10 billion gallons a day Aquifer Recharge Allowing stormwater to infiltrate into the ground to replenish the natural, underground storage areas/aquifers. See Stormwater Best Management Practices Balanced Ventilation See Mixed Mode Ventilation Biodiesel Biofuel typically made from oily plants for the use in diesel engines. Biodiesel burns much cleaner than traditional diesel significantly reducing emissions from diesel equipment Biomass Plant matter that can be turned into fuel. Biomass can be burned directly (i.e. wood) or it can be processed into biofuels such as methane or ethanol Biomimicry Using nature as a model for design. For example, the Eastgate Center Building in Harare, Zimbabwe was designed to mimic the way that termites build their towers in Africa to use nature in order to maintain a constant temperature. See Living Machine for another example Bioswale Vegetated ditch that is typically installed by sidewalks or driveways to capture and treat stromwater before it can infiltrate back into our aquifers. Visit the South Lake Union Discovery Center for a great example of a bioswale

Blackwater Wastewater from toilets and urinals. Treated separately from graywater Brownfield The Environmental Protection Agency defines brownfields as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Often project teams are given incentives for restoring brownfields. Restoring and rebuilding on a brownfield prevents building on greenfields and prime farm land Building Envelope The skin of a building Building Footprint USGBC defines the building footprint as the area of the site occupied by the building structure, not including parking lots, landscapes, and other non-building spaces Building Orientation The position of a building in relation to the sun. Optimal building orientation can take advantage of passive cooling and passive heating strategies as well as provide plenty of daylight and views Chain-of-Custody (COC) USGBC defines COC as a tracking procedure for documenting the status of a product from extraction or harvest through to its consumer end use. COC’s are required as documentation for all FSC Wood for LEED MRc7 Charrette Collaboration design session for key project team members held prior to the design process Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Ozone depleting refrigerants. CFC production was banned by the Montreal Protocol of 1987. CFCs have the highest Ozone Depletion Potential of any refrigerant. See Ozone Depleting Potential Cistern A tank for collecting and storing rainwater for future use (i.e. for irrigation or for flushing toilets) Commingled Recycling Using one bin for the collection of recyclables (i.e. wood, glass, metal, plastic, etc.) separate from trash

Commissioning Process for testing building equipment to verify that it is functioning as designed. Commissioning of a building’s systems is similar to a doctor’s check-up for a patient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) An energy saving light buld that has been compressed into the size of a standard-issue incandescent light bulb. Modern CFLs typically last at least six times as long and use at most a quarter of the power of an equivalent incandescent bulb. One concern with CFLs is the mercury content in the bulbs Composite Wood A type of wood made from different particles fused together (i.e. particleboard) Compost Organic matter that has been broken down to be used to improve soil conditions Composting Toilet Toilet that uses a bacterial process to break down human waste to a safe environmentally friendly material that can be used like compost for soil improvement Constructed Wetland Artificial swamp or marsh that can be used as an alternative to clean water and allow it to infiltrate back into the ground Construction & Demolition Debris (C&D) USGBC defines C&D as waste and recyclables generated from construction, renovation, demolition, or deconstruction of pre-existing structures Construction, Demolition & Land Clearing Debris (CDL) CDL includes all C&D plus soil, vegetation, and rock from land clearing required by construction Cool Roof Light colored roofing materials that reflect the sun’s rays keeping the roof and surrounding areas cooler when compared to traditional roofing materials. (i.e. light colored coatings, light colored metals, light colored paints, etc.) Cotton Batt Insulation Insulation made cotton fibers and recycled denim (i.e. denim jeans). Cotton Batt insulation is not made with fiberglass and is thus a healthier substitute for anyone installing insulation

Cross Ventilation The movement of air from one side of a room to the other (i.e. opening a window on opposite sides of a space creates cross ventilation) Cuttoff Angle The angle of a light fixture at which light is no longer visible (i.e. full cutoff light fixtures direct light downwards preventing light pollution. Non-cutoff light fixtures would allow light to be sent upwards into the sky contributing to light pollution). See Light Pollution Daylighting Using natural sunlight to light a space, reducing the amount of electricity required to light that space Deconstruction Systematically taking apart a building structure in a way that promotes reuse/salvage. Deconstruction is an alternative to demolition which typically crushes a structure then sorts material for recycling or the landfill Densely Occupied Spaces USGBC defines a Densely Occupied Space as one that has a design occupant density of 25 people of more per 1,000 sf (or 40 sf or less per person) Development Footprint Entire area affected by project site activity Drain Rock Typically big rocks used to create space between each individual rock to allow for the passage of water back into the aquifer. Drain rock helps replenish our natural aquifers and is typically used in bioswales and other natural systems Drip Irrigation A highly efficient irrigation process in which water lines run directly to the roots of individual plants preventing water from being wasted as it otherwise would be in a typical irrigation system Dual Flush Toilet Water-conserving toilet that gives users two options for flushing. One is a reduced-flow flush for liquid wastes the other is a standard flush for solid wastes

Durable Goods Defined by the USGBC as goods that have a useful life of two years or more and are replaced infrequently (i.e. furniture, office equipment, appliances, etc.) Earth-Bermed Construction Buildings constructed partially or fully underground in order to utilize the earth’s constant temperature of 55 degrees to significantly reduce heating and cooling demands Ecological Footprint A measurement of the amount of land and water a population requires to continue to live the way they currently are Ecological Restoration Practice of renewing and restoring damaged ecosystems. Returning a site to its natural state Ecological Wastewater Treatment Replicating natural systems to treat wastewater typically through the use of natural organisms (i.e. plants, aquatic animals, bacteria). See Living Machine Ecosystems An environment created by the interaction/interdependence of all of the living and non-living organisms in a given area Electric Vehicle A vehicle powered exclusively by electricity Embodied Energy The complete energy required to produce a material, product, system, etc. (i.e. A piece of metal requires energy to be sourced, melted, crafted, shipped, fabbed, installed, etc.) Emissivity The ability of a surface to emit radiation, measured as the ratio of the energy radiated by a surface to that radiated by a blackbody at the same temperature. The lower the emissivity value the better (i.e. dark asphalt has an emissivity value of around 0.9 meaning it absorbs 90% of radiant energy). Emissivity is inversely related to reflectance. When added together their total equals 1 Energy Audit The review of a building’s energy use broken down by plug loads, lighting, HVAC, etc.

Energy Code Minimum requirements for building energy use typically determined by local, state and federal governing bodies ENERGY STAR Energy reduction standard for buildings and appliances created by the U.S. department of energy and the U.S. EPA to reduce green house gases. ENERGY STAR buildings and appliances are given a score that compares their performance to average buildings and appliances of similar design/make Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal agency responsible for managing and preventing air, water and land pollution Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) USGBC defines ETS as airborne particulates emitted directly from cigarettes, cigars and pipes, and indirectly as smokers exhale Erosion Loss of soil from a given site. A jobsite Temporary Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plan attempts to implement best management practices that reduce sedimentation caused by construction activities Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors Solar water heater system made of an exterior glass tube and a smaller interior glass tube. The space in between the tubes is filled with a gas and liquid that is quickly heated by the sun which in turn creates usable energy Evapotranspiration The return of moisture to the air through both evaporation from the soil and transpiration by plants Fenestration Glazed exterior building surfaces (i.e. windows, skylights, doors with windows, solar tubes, etc.) Fly Ash By-product of burning coal which can be used as an additive for cement mixes. Recently the use of fly ash has been controversial due to its high mercury content Forest Stewardship Council The only sustainable forestry certification program recognized by the LEED Rating System

Formaldehyde Formaldehyde is found in a wide range of things from our skin to the environment. Specific types of formaldehyde can be harmful to humans and their use should be avoided in building products. See Phenol-Formaldehyde & Urea-Formaldehyde Fuel-efficient Vehicles USGBC defines fuel-efficient vehicles as vehicles that have received a minimum green score of 40 from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Synonymous with full time employee. Part time employees have FTE values defined by the number of hours they work per week divided by 40 Geothermal Energy Using the earth’s constant 55 degree temperature to reduce heating and cooling demands. Some locations have higher temperatures due to volcanic activity Glazing A building material that allows light to pass through it (i.e. glass) Graywater Wastewater which has not come in contact with toilet waste (i.e. bathtub, shower, laundry, etc.). Can be used for flushing toilets or irrigation Green Cleaning The use of cleaning supplies and methods that reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals and environmental impacts compared to traditional supplies/methods Greenfield Undeveloped land such as prime farmland, forests, wetlands, public parkland etc. Green building attempts to protect and preserve greenfield sites Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Gases emitted due to human activities and natural processes (i.e. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, CFCs, etc.) that contribute to global climate change by increasing the “greenhouse effect” Groundwater Fresh, drinkable water stored beneath the earth’s surface in our aquifers. See Aquifers

Halons Ozone depleting substances used in fire extinguishers and fire suppression systems. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 has phased out the production of halons Hardscape Non-plant landscape elements (i.e. pathways, walkways, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, etc.). Hardscapes are typically impervious and tend to contribute to the heat island effect. Green building aims to reduce traditional hardscape and increase green space Heat Island Effect Change in temperature between urban areas and rural areas due to dark hardscapes, building materials, vehicle exhaust, etc. Green building aims to reduce the heat island effect by introducing light colored materials, and vegetated spaces such as green roofs and open grid pavement High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter Air filters that remove more than 99% of airborne particles High-efficiency Toilet Defined by the EPA’s WaterSense as a toilet that uses at least 20% less water than a standard 1.6 gallon per flush toilet Hydrocloroflourocarbons (HCFCs) Ozone depleting refrigerants. HCFC production is being phased out due to the Montreal Protocol of 1987. HCFCs are less damaging than CFCs, but still harm the environment Hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) Besides natural refrigerants, HFCs have the lowest ozone depleting potential for refrigerants. However, they are much less energy efficient which means that HFCs have a higher global warming potential (GWP) Hydrologic Cycle The continuous process of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and aquifer recharge through which water is filtered and recycled. Also known as the water cycle, the hydrologic cycle is a critical component of the ecosystem Impervious Surfaces Surface that does not allow water to pass through

Indoor Air Pollutants Material found in indoor air that has negative effects on human health (i.e. VOCs, particulate matter, urea-formaldehyde, 4 PCH, etc.) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) USGBC defines IAQ as the nature of the air that affects health and well-being of building occupants Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) IEQ looks beyond simply air quality to cover things such as thermal comfort, daylight and views, task lighting, etc. Good IEQ has been shown to increase productivity and worker retention among other benefits Integrated Design Process A design approach that encourages early and continual communication and collaboration among all parties involved with the design and construction of a project Integrated Pest Management Proactive pest prevention measures that reduce the demand for environmentally damaging materials, products and chemicals. IPM attempts to prevent pests from becoming a disturbance rather than dealing with them chemically after they become a problem Invasive Plants Disruptive plants that have a quick reproductive lifecycle (i.e. ivy, blackberry bushes, scotch broom, etc.). Invasive plants can be a great threat to ecosystems Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA) The Whole Building Design Guide defines LCCA as a method for assessing the total cost of facility ownership that takes into account all costs of acquiring, owning, and disposing of a building or building system Life Cycle Cost A method of analyzing all costs associated with a product or system over a period of time Light Pollution The USGBC defines light pollution as waste light from building sites that produces glare, is directed upward to the sky, or is directed off-site (i.e. unshielded building lights left on at nighttime)

Living Building A living building is a completely regenerative building. Living Buildings are beyond LEED Platinum. A living building is net zero energy, collects its own water, is free of contaminating materials/products, and even treats its own wastewater onsite Living Building Challenge A building rating system created by the Cascadia Green Building Council to create truly sustainable buildings. See Living Building & www.ilbi.org Living Machine A natural wastewater treatment system that uses a series of pools, organisms, plant and animal life to treat wastewater onsite Living Wall A living wall is similar to a vegetated roof. Imagine a vegetated roof on a wall, essentially a vertical garden. Living walls can be used indoors and outdoors Low Emitting Vehicles Vehicles classified as zero-emissions vehicles by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) MSDS sheets contain product information. MSDS sheets are important when determining the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) content of a product. Before applying any paint, coating, adhesive, sealant, etc. indoors you should always check to make sure the product is VOC compliant Mechanical Ventilation USGBC defines mechanical ventilation as ventilation delivered by machine powered systems such as motor driven fans. Mechanical ventilation systems are typically the most energy intensive Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) Composite board widely used in casework, cabinets, and furniture. MDF is traditionally made with urea formaldehyde. If you purchase MDF make sure to get it with no added urea formaldehyde Microirrigation Involves irrigation systems with small sprinklers designed to apply small amounts of water to specific locations. Microirrigation is much more efficient than traditional sprinkler systems

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) A filter rating established by ASHRAE. The higher the MERV rating the better (i.e. a MERV of 3 may let sand through while a MERV of 15 will catch nearly all particulates in the air) Mixed Mode Ventilation A combination of mechanical ventilation and natural ventilation Mixed-use Development A development that has been designed for multiple uses (i.e. an apartment building that has retail/restaurant space on the first floor) Mulch Dense, organic material applied on top of soil. Mulch helps retain moisture in soil which reduces the amount of water required for irrigation Native Plants Plants indigenous to an area. Native plants require less water, do not require maintenance, and protect natural habitats/ecosystems Natural Ventilation USGBC defines natural ventilation as ventilation provided by wind or diffusion effects through doors, windows, or other openings in a building (i.e. cross ventilation caused by opening windows on opposite sides of a building). Natural ventilation does not require any mechanical systems Net Zero Energy A building that produces as much energy as it consumes; energy neutral Non-native Plants Plants species not originally from the area that they are planted. Non-native plants can require significantly more water for irrigation and can be harmful to ecosystems Non-potable Water Water that does not meet the standards for human consumption (i.e. rainwater, graywater, etc.). A lot of building systems, such as irrigation, can replace potable water with non-potable water Offgassing Offgassing is the process in which VOCs are released from a product into the air. Offgassing can cause adverse human health effects and contributes to poor indoor air quality

Off-peak Cooling Using lower-cost nighttime electricity to cool building systems to be used during the day Ongoing Consumables Goods that are regularly used and replaced (i.e. paper, printing ink, binders, batteries, etc.) On-site Renewable Energy Energy that is produced on the building site or on the building itself. Typically electricity, on-site renewable can come from things like solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, etc. Open-grid Pavement Open cell pavement that has space for grass or vegetation to grow. For LEED purposes open-grid pavement must be more than 50% pervious Overdraft (Water) Water shortage that results from over-pumping groundwater Passive Cooling Strategies Using building orientation, exterior shading and things like operable windows to use nature to cool a building Passive Solar Design Using building orientation, roofing angles, thermal mass and other design strategies to use sunlight for heating and lighting a building Peak Load The maximum amount of energy that an electrical system can be burdened with at one time Pedestrian Access Walkable access to buildings and services that are unblocked by other buildings, roadways, walls, etc. Pervious Paving Paving materials that create space for water to pass through Phantom Loads A.K.A. plug loads, Phantom loads are the energy consumed by an appliance when it is not in use or after they are turned off

Phenol-formaldehyde Phenol-formaldehyde is slightly less toxic than urea-formaldehyde. For LEED purposes phenol-formaldehyde has not yet been banned from wood products Recycled Content % of a material made with products from the wastestream. See Post-consumer & Post-Industrial Recycled Content Photovoltaic (PV) Cell Solar panel cell. Silicon wafer that converts the sun’s energy into direct current (DC) electricity Potable Water Water that meets the EPA’s standards for human consumption Post-Consumer Recycled Content Percentage of a product that is created using consumer waste (i.e. tabletop made of recycled glass bottles) Pre-Consumer Recycled Content (aka Post-Industrial) Percentage of a product that is created using manufacturing waste (i.e. steel is high in post-industrial content because steel shavings/cuttings from creating steel is then put back into new steel products) Process Water USGBC defines process water as water required for industrial processes (i.e. for boilers, chillers, refrigeration equipment, etc.) Rain Garden Similar to a bioswale, a rain garden is a shallow vegetated area created to catch, retain stromwater to be drained back into our aquifers Rain Water Harvesting Collecting rainwater to be used for things like irrigation or flushing toilets. See Cistern Rapidly Renewable Materials Materials that have a growth cycle of less than 10 years (i.e. bamboo, wool, cotton, wheat, etc.) Recyclable Materials Materials that can be recycled and reused at the end of their useful life

Regional Materials Materials that are harvested/extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of a project site Renewable Energy Energy that is generated from renewable sources (i.e. wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, hydro, etc.) See On-site Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) RECs represent the generation of 1 kWh of renewable energy. Buildings can buy RECs to offset their energy consumption similar to carbon offsets Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) State by state regulations that designate the amount of renewable energy that state will produce by a certain date Retention Ponds Man-made wetland created to retain stormwater runoff. Retention ponds can be incorporated into a jobsite Temporary Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Salvaged Materials Materials that are reclaimed from an existing site to be reused for a new project Sedimentation USGBC defines sedimentation as the addition of soil particles to waterbodies by natural and human related activities. A jobsite Temporary Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plan attempts to implement best management practices that reduce sedimentation caused by construction activities Silt Fencing A construction activity best management practice that uses temporary silt fabric to prevent sedimentation during construction/land work Simple Payback The time that it takes to recuperate an initial investment through savings (i.e. if a solar panel costs $1,000 and saves you $100 a year in energy costs your simple payback would be 10 years) Smart Grid A smart grid uses digital technology to deliver energy from suppliers to consumers allowing both suppliers and consumer to meter energy consumption and ensure energy is being used properly

Smart Growth Smart growth can be thought of as the opposite of suburban sprawl. Smart growth encourages dense, walkable cities that are constructed around public transportation and access to amenities Solar Reflectance Ratio of reflected solar energy to the incoming solar energy. A reflectance of 100% means that all of the energy striking a surface is being reflected back into the atmosphere Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) Combination of Solar Reflectance and Emissivity. The higher the SRI value the better. High SRI materials help reduce the heat island effect Source Reduction USGBC defines source reduction as the method of reducing the amount of unnecessary materials that enter a building (i.e. building materials to size, reducing packaging, etc.) Sprawl Current land use practices in the U.S. reflect sprawl. Suburbanism is a great example. Sprawl occurs when people spread out over mass amounts of land leading to increase automobile use and more green house gas emissions Stormwater Best Management Practices Jobsite practices to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater that leaves a site Submetering Metering individual equipment end uses or subsystems Thermal Comfort A building occupant’s satisfaction with the thermal environment Thermal Mass Heat storage capability of a thick material, like concrete, over a period of time Transit-Oriented Development Form of Smart Growth that is centered around public transportation

Underfloor Air Distribution Moving your ventilation system under the floor. Used properly, underfloor air distribution can be more efficient than a traditional system because warm air rises meaning an underfloor air system requires less energy to heat a space Urea-Formaldehyde Urea-formaldehyde is found in a number of bamboo and wood products from MDF to door products. Urea-formaldehyde can offgas for years and is very harmful. When purchasing wood products purchase them Urea-formaldehyde free. Vegetated Swales See Bioswale Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Harmful organic compounds that change from a solid state to a gas at normal room temperature. VOCs are found in paints, coatings, finishes, adhesives, sealants, carpet systems, composite wood products, furniture systems, ceiling systems, and many other standard building products See Offgassing Walk-off Mats Mats located inside building entrances to capture dirt and other materials that are tracked into a building by people. For LEED puposes walk-off mats must be at a minimum 10 feet long in the direction of building traffic Waste Diversion Rate The total amount of construction, demolition, and domestic waste that has been diverted from a landfill. Typically a projects waste diversion rate is given as a percentage by weight Waste Management Plan A plan to divert construction, demolition, and domestic waste from the landfill Waterless Urinal Urinal without water lines Xeriscaping A landscaping technique that uses drought tolerant and native plants to reduce or eliminate the need for water for irrigation