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Some Green Building Definitions:
* Cluster Development - Cluster development
is grouping a development's structures on a portion of available
land, reserving a significant amount of the site for protected
open space. The goal of cluster development is to preserve significant
open space that consists of critical ecological habitat, steep
slopes and/or agricultural land. Cluster development uses the
smallest amount of new road possible in order to minimize impervious
surfaces.
* Edible Landscaping - Landscaping with cultivated
and maintained vegetables, fruits and herbs.
* Hydro-Appropriate Landscape - Landscaping
that does not normally need supplemental water, utilizes drought
tolerant plantings that are not invasive, mainly native plants.
* Light Pollution Reduction – Use of
outdoor light at night only when and where it is needed and
at appropriate lighting levels, incorporating fully shielded,
light efficient fixtures aimed downward where needed. Timers
and sensors should be used to shut off lights when not in use.
More info at www.darksky.org.
* Low Impact Development (LID) Stormwater Management
- Property that has been developed using Low Impact Development
(LID) measures. These minimize runoff, maximize infiltration,
and maximize on-site retention with the use of bio-swales, rain
gardens, wetlands, rainwater retention, green roofs, and pervious
pavement, for example.
* Natural Resources Inventory - A natural resources
report and management plan performed by a licensed landscape
architect, botanist, wildlife manager, or other appropriately
licensed professional. The inventory identifies hydrology, wildlife
habitat, natural plant communities, and plants found on the
site, and is used to design any development of the site.
* Solar Access - A site or building that has
adequate solar access will not be significantly shaded by neighboring
buildings, trees or mountains in the winter months.
* Solar Site Design - Property that has proper
solar site design has deciduous trees (not evergreen) on the
south and west sides of a building. These provide shade in the
summer months, reducing cooling needs, and let light and heat
through in the winter months, reducing heating needs. Qualifying
property must have a sun study of the site on record that shows
how the sun interacts with the trees to block sun in summer
months and allow sun through in the winter months. Architects,
green builders, and solar energy companies can usually perform
sun studies.
* Tree Canopy - A site where at least 40 percent
of the area is covered by a tree canopy, measured by the tree
canopy at maturity on a site plan. A healthy tree canopy provides
many benefits in both urban and rural environments. The tree
canopy provides shade and a habitat for animals. It helps slow
down rainfall and is integral to a healthy water cycle. Trees
also help to clean the air, produce oxygen, and absorb carbon
dioxide from the air. Preserving trees, or planting new trees,
should be part of a master site plan. Improperly placed trees
can create problems such as greater heating demands for buildings
and foundation problems. (from: americanforests.org/)
Location, Linkages and Community
* Infill Development - Property that has developed
land surrounding it and is within 1/16th of a mile (330 ft)
from the existing water, sewer and road network.
* Pedestrian-Oriented Real Estate - Property
that is within 1⁄4 mile walk to goods and services. People
are more likely to walk to their destination if it is within
1⁄4 mile of their point of origin.
* Shared Parking - Property that shares parking
with another property. This can be a more efficient use of space.
* Transit-Oriented Real Estate - Property that
is within 1⁄4 mile walk of a public transportation stop.
People are more likely to use public transit if it is within
1⁄4 mile of their point of origin.
* Walkable Real Estate - Property that is adjacent
to sidewalks, greenways or a trail. Sometimes this also refers
to being pedestrian-oriented.
Design
* ADA Accessible Design - Buildings that meet
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible design standards
are more easily used by people with physical challenges. For
example, the building's occupants may be able to "age in
place," remain in their home as they age because of features
like a ramp and hand rails strategically placed.
* Daylighting – Design that maximizes
the use of natural light throughout the house, minimizing use
of artificial lighting.
* Optimum Value Engineered (OVE) framing -
Also called Advanced Framing, an engineered framing design that
minimizes wood use. OVE results in lower material and labor
costs and improved energy performance. (from toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Whole-House-Systems/advance-framing-techniques)
* Passive solar design - A building system
that takes into consideration design elements such as thermal
mass within the house to absorb the sun’s heat in the
winter, sun shading that blocks sun in the summer and allows
sun to enter the house in the winter, and natural ventilation.
* Small - Units that are 1500 square feet or smaller take fewer
materials and resources to construct than larger units. They
have smaller footprints, requiring less grading and site disturbance.
They use less energy and when demolished, there are fewer resources
wasted.
Materials
* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Wood
- FSC is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the
responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets
high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally
responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.
Landowners and companies that sell timber or forest products
seek certification as a way to verify to consumers that they
have practiced forestry consistently with FSC standards. Independent,
certification organizations are accredited by FSC to carry out
assessments of forest management to determine if standards have
been met. Certifiers also verify that companies claiming to
sell FSC certified products have tracked their supply back to
FSC certified sources. This chain of custody certification assures
that consumers can trust the FSC label. (from fscus.org)
* Formaldehyde-free cabinetry and countertops
- Most conventional cabinets and Formica countertops are made
using materials that outgas urea formaldehyde. The use of solid
wood, solid countertops or formaldehyde-free materials will
mitigate a potential indoor air quality problem. (from greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/Cabinets.html)
* Local material use - Materials from within
250 miles of the building's location. Less energy is used to
transport these than materials from further distances. Purchasing
materials from close to the building's site of construction
also support local/regional economy.
* Low Emitting Materials - Low Emitting Materials
do not offgas high levels of harmful chemicals into the air.
No-VOC paints, no-VOC adhesives, and Formaldehyde-free cabinetry
are examples of Low Emitting Materials. The LEED program offers
credits for products that emit low levels of harmful particulate
matter. To select this element, documentation is required showing
that building products are eligible for Low Emitting Materials
LEED credits.
* Low- and no-VOC adhesives, paints and other finishes
– These contribute to healthy indoor air. VOCs (Volatile
Organic Compounds) are gases that are emitted from certain liquids
or solids. They include a variety of chemicals and some can
cause short- or long-term health problems. Adhesives, paints
and finishes are used throughout the building process and almost
all emit Volatile Organic Compounds. (from epa.gov/iaq/voc.html)
* Rapidly renewable resources - These have
a shorter harvest rotation—typically 10 years or less.
They are often biodegradable and generally produced from agricultural
crops. Because sunlight is generally the primary energy input
(via photosynthesis), these products may be less energy-intensive
to produce, with some transportation and processing energy.
Examples include bamboo, form-release agents made from plant
oils, natural paints, geotextile fabrics from coir and jute,
cork, and such textiles as organic cotton, wool, and sisal.
(from www.BuildingGreen.com)
* Recycled content materials - Recycled content
materials are made from post-consumer or post-industrial waste
or byproducts. Examples include cellulose insulation, which
is made from newspaper, and concrete that is made using fly
ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power generation. It should be
noted that while recycling is a good thing, not all recycled
content is healthy. (from
epa.gov/garbage/buyrec.htm)
* Reused/salvaged material - A reused material
is one that is refurbished or is salvaged, such as flooring
salvaged from a home before the home is demolished.
* Site-harvested materials - Materials that
come directly from the site such as lumber milled with a portable
sawmill from trees cut on the site or earth plaster made from
clay on the site.
Building Envelope
* Air infiltration test - This test shows how
much air leakage there is in a house. You don’t want heat
to escape in winter months. An efficient home has had an air
infiltration test done within the last year and has either:
1) obtained a HERS score of 85 and under (scale 0 - 500; 0 best),
or 2) documentation of an air infiltration test performed by
a home energy rater with no more than .35 air changes per hour
(0 air changes per hour being the best).
* Building envelope - This is the roof, exterior
walls and floor of a building.
* Ductwork within conditioned space - Ductwork
that is inside the home's occupied area (conditioned space)
is more efficient and contributes to healthier indoor air quality.
(from www.homeenergypartners.com)
* Energy Star windows - Windows that are energy
efficient and are certified and documented as Energy Star.
* Energy Star door - Doors that are energy
efficient and are certified and documented as Energy Star.
* Energy Star reflective roof - Energy Star
reflective roofs reflect the heat of the sun and can lower the
roof surface temperature by as much as 100 degrees. That decreases
the amount of heat transferred into the building and the amount
of air conditioning needed.
* Fully insulated home - A fully insulated
home is more energy efficient than one that is not. If documentation
cannot be provided showing that a home is fully insulated, proof
must be obtained using an infrared photography assessment conducted
by a home inspector or a home performance rater to show a home's
insulation in all walls, ceiling and floor.
Energy Consumption and Production
* Electricity load control device – Use
of professionally installed and programmed equipment to regulate
power use during peak hours - also called Demand Side Management
(DSM). It saves on power bills and resources.
* Energy Star air conditioner - Energy Star-qualified
central air conditioners have a higher seasonal efficiency rating
(SEER) than standard models by about 14 percent.
* Energy Star heat pump - Energy Star-qualified
heat pumps have a higher seasonal efficiency rating (SEER) and
heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) than standard models,
which makes them about eight percent more efficient than standard
new models and 20 percent more efficient than older models.
* Energy Star refrigerator and dishwasher -
Energy Star-qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies
that use 10–50 percent less energy and water than standard
models.
* EPA certified wood stove - Properly installed
EPA certified wood stove and fireplace inserts burn wood efficiently,
more safely, and heat a home effectively with much less smoke.
Wood smoke is waste. Any smoke that escapes from a wood stove
unburned is wasted fuel that will stick in the chimney as creosote
or be released as air pollution. An old or poorly installed
wood stove can result in higher maintenance costs, greater risk
of smoke in a home, and more environmental pollution. (from
epa.gov/woodstoves/efficiently.html)
* Geothermal heating and cooling - A geothermal
heating and cooling system is a heat pump that uses the ground's
constant temperature to create a very efficient heating and
cooling system.
* High-efficiency furnace - A high-efficiency furnace has a
minimum 90 percent efficiency and is a sealed combustion furnace.
* Micro-hydro electric - A micro-hydro system
uses the energy of a stream of moving water to create electricity.
This is done by using the water to turn a turbine that generates
electricity.
* Optimized HVAC (Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning)
system - A home where the HVAC system has been optimized
for combustion efficiency by a combustion analyst with documentation
on file.
* Solar Photovoltaic (PV), grid-tied - A power
system with solar PV panels that use the sun’s energy
to create electricity and are tied to the utility lines and
batteries, not required to store the electricity. These can
use net metering or dual metering.
* Solar Photovoltaic (PV), off grid - A power
system with solar PV panels that use the sun’s energy
to create electricity and that are tied to a battery bank which
stores the electricity. This PV system is not tied to utility
lines.
* Solar thermal hot water - A hot water system
with one or more solar collectors that use the sun’s energy
to heat water. This is not to be confused with solar photovoltaic
(PV) panels that use the sun to create electricity.
* Solar thermal space heating - A building
with one or more solar collectors that use the sun’s energy
to provide space heating for the building. This is often combined
with a solar thermal hot water system. Examples include solar
hot water with a tie-in to radiant floor heating, heat pumps,
or furnaces. This is not to be confused with solar photovoltaic
(PV) panels that use the sun to create electricity.
* Wind energy – Wind energy production
machines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy.
The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift,
like the effect on airplane wings, causing them to turn. The
blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric
generator to produce electricity.
Indoor Environmental Quality
* Appropriately-sized HVAC (Heating, Venting, and Air
Conditioning) system – This is an installed appropriately
sized HVAC unit that has a Manual-J load calculation on file.
For more information on Manual-J load calculations, see www.acca.org.
* Carpet below grade - Homes with carpet below
grade tend to have air quality problems due to moisture and
possible mold.
* Carpet fixed - A house without any carpet
attached to the sub-floor. Fixed carpet cannot be cleaned well
and can harbor indoor pollutants.
* Central air filtration system - A home with
ductwork can also have a central air filtration system, which
is integrated into the HVAC system. As air cycles through an
HVAC system, particulate matter, bacteria and allergens are
filtered out. There are different kinds of filters. Some systems
also clean the air with ozone or UV lights. The filter needs
a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating of 12 or
higher. (from doityourself.com/stry/centralheatingsystem)
* Combustion appliances tested - All combustion
appliances should be tested. The test should be conducted using
the Building Performance Institute's Combustion Safety Test
Procedure for Vented Appliances Guidelines and verify that ambient
carbon monoxide levels are below 8ppm. (from http://www.bpi.org/documents/Gold_Sheet.pdf.)
OSHA’s guidelines are 8 PPM.
* Crawlspace sealed - Crawlspaces must be sealed
with at least an 18 millimeter vapor barrier, 100% coverage,
all seams sealed, no vents to outside, and active dehumidification
or other state code approved method of conditioning. (from crawlspaces.org
)
* Dehumidification system - A central or permanently
attached dehumidification system is in addition to an HVAC system.
It is controlled by a humidistat, rather than a thermostat,
to remove moisture from the air of a home. Central dehumidifiers
are a mechanical refrigeration system that works in conjunction
with air conditioning to automatically monitor and control moisture
levels for optimal comfort and health. Humidity levels should
be between 30 and 60 percent for comfort and under 50 percent
to prevent health problems from dust mites, mold, mildew and
bacteria. (from achrnews.com/Articles/Feature_Article/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000150866)
* Detached garage - Having a detached garage
prevents fumes from vehicles and yard equipment from entering
into the house. Also, there is no heat loss to the living space
when the garage door is opened. (from thehighpoint.com/expo/Homes_Devland.html#Detached%20Garage)
* Ductwork absent - The absence of ductwork,
which is used in heating and cooling systems in a home, leads
to healthier indoor air quality because ductwork usually spreads
dust, bacteria, fiberglass, and other particulate matter that
is harmful to indoor air. Ductwork tends to be poorly maintained
and is insulated with fiberglass. (from cecer.army.mil/kdsites/hvac/commissionpedia/Publications/Papers/CalienesDuct%20Free%20Splits%20Systems.pdf)
* Ductwork without fiberglass - Ductwork systems
that are not made with fiberglass are healthier than ductwork
made from fiberglass. Fiberglass particles are released into
the air and are thought to be carcinogenic. If fiberglass in
ductwork becomes wet it can also breed harmful mold and bacteria.
(from thefreelibrary.com/POOR+OVERSIGHT+CITED+IN+USE+OF+POTENTIALLY+DANGEROUS+FIBERGLASS.-a083833930)
* Ductwork sealed, cleaned and tested - Ductwork
that has been sealed, cleaned and tested performs more efficiently
and provides healthier indoor air than ductwork systems that
have not been sealed and tested.
* Formaldehyde testing – This is testing
for formaldehyde using a test kit from Advanced Chemical Sensors,
Inc., or equivalent, and meets EPA and American Lung Association
recommendations for safe indoor air quality limits. (from acsbadge.com).
* Fresh air introduction – This is an
HVAC system that has a mechanical fresh-air introduction system
to supply fresh air into the house. When a house is built tightly
and sealed, fresh air needs to be introduced in a controlled
way.
* Lead testing – This refers to testing
for the presence of lead on painted surfaces (walls, floors,
trim) and water using EPA guidelines. (from www.epa.gov/lead)
Before 1978, lead was used in house paint.
* Low level CO monitor - Low level CO (carbon
monoxide) monitors installed at head height or higher help alert
building occupants if there are dangerous carbon monoxide levels.
Monitors need to be installed at head height or higher because
carbon monoxide rises, so they are not effective if installed
lower than head height.
* Radon mitigation system - A radon mitigation
system usually entails sealing cracks in the foundation and
venting the basement, slab, or crawlspace. Radon mitigation
systems can be installed during the construction of a home,
which is easiest, or can be retrofitted into an existing home.
(from epa.gov/radon)
* Ventilation - All bathrooms, the kitchen,
and all combustion appliances need to be vented outdoors. If
there is spot ventilation for a commercial range hood in the
kitchen, the ventilation system must be coupled with a fresh
air replacement system.
* VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) testing –
Testing for VOCs using a test kit from Advanced Chemical Sensors,
Inc., or equivalent, and identifies chemicals of concern. (from
www.acsbadge.com)
* Water quality testing - Testing for one or
more of the following: toxic metals, volatile organic compounds,
bacteria, lead, herbicides and pesticides. Sample kits can be
purchased to test the water, samples taken and sent to a laboratory
for analysis. City and county health departments may also conduct
testing.
Water Use
* Dual flush toilets - Dual flush toilets have
two flush modes - one is .8 gallons and the other is 1.6 gallons.
They use about half the water of a conventional single flush
toilet. (from
hgtvpro.com, glossary of green building terms)
* Innovative wastewater management - Wastewater
is domestic water that has been used or is water used in a manufacturing
process. It contains waste products and is often called sewage.
Wastewater is typically treated in septic tanks or in a central
sewage treatment facility. Innovative wastewater management
techniques include grey water recycling, Living Machines and
Wastewater Wetlands.
* Low flow faucets and showerheads - Low flow
faucet aerators attach to the faucet and mix water with air,
which reduces the amount of water coming out of the faucet by
50% and keeps the pressure the same. Low flow showerheads may
reduce water flow through the use of an aerator. There are also
low flow showerheads that reduce flow but do not aerate. (from
cleanairtrust.org/hot-water-conservation.html
)
* Rainwater harvesting - This is capturing rain and storing
it for future use. The most common rainwater harvesting technique
is to use rain barrels or cisterns to hold water collected from
a roof. This water can be used for gardening, washing cars,
and other non-potable uses. (from gogreenva.org/?/green_glossary)
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