| Photovolataic: Generation of electricity from the energy of sunlight using photocells. |
| Renewable Energy : An energy resource that is replaced rapidly by natural processes. Some examples of renewable-energy resources are sunlight, wind, geothermal, microscale hydropower and wood. |
| Tight Buildings : Buildings that are designed to let in minimal infiltration air in order to reduce heating and cooling energy costs. |
| Volatile Organic Compound : Chemical compounds based on carbon and hydrogen structures that are vaporized at room temperatures. VOCs are one type of indoor air contaminant. Although thousands have been identified in indoor air, only a few are well understood and regulated. |
| Xeriscaping : A term referring to water-efficient choices in planting and irrigation design. It refers to seven basic principles for conserving water and protecting the environment: (1) planning and design, (2) use of well-adapted plants, (3) soil analysis, (4) practical turf areas, (5) use of mulches, (6) appropriate maintenance and (7) efficient irrigation. |
| Carbon Footprint : The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full-life cycle of a product or service. |
| Energy Star : A joint program through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that sets energy-efficiency guidelines for products, homes and businesses. (See www.energystar.gov) |
| Green Building : Also known as sustainable building or environmental building, this definition varies depending on the agency or group. Generally it means to construct a building to the highest environmental standards by minimizing the use of energy, water and materials. |
| Greenwashing : A term playing off “whitewash” that is used to describe projects that are labeled as energy-efficient and sustainable when they’re really not. It’s also a term sometimes used to describe the distribution of misleading information by a business or an organization to conceal its environmental record. |
| Forest Stewardship Council : A third-party certification organization that evaluates the sustainability of forest products. FSC-certified wood products have met specific criteria in areas such as forest management, labor conditions and fair trade. |
| U.S. Green Building Council : The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC is composed of more than 15,000 organizations from across the building industry that are working to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Members includes building owners and end-users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building system manufacturers, government agencies, and nonprofits. (See www.usgbc.org) |
| LEED : Third-party certification program created by the U.S. Green Building Council and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. (See www.usgbc.org) |
