acid rain: precipitation that is unusually acidic. It has harmful effects on plants, aquatic
animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is mostly caused by human emissions of sulfur and
nitrogen compounds which react in the atmosphere to produce acids. In recent years,
many governments have introduced laws to reduce these emissions.
adaptive plant: non-native plants that use less fertilizer, pesticides and water in a given
landscape. These plants have adapted to the local climate and are not considered invasive
plants or weeds.
adaptive reuse: adaptive reuse is the process of adapting old structures for purposes other
than those initially intended. This saves on new materials needed. Example: warehouse
turned into condos. Also refers to the design of a new building with consideration to
what it could be used for in the future.
agrifiber product: products made from agricultural fiber such as wheat board and straw
board
air conditioning: a system or process for controlling the temperature, humidity, and
sometimes the purity of the air in an interior space (office, warehouse, residence).
air quality standards: The level of pollutants prescribed by regulations that are not to be
exceeded during a given time in a defined area. (EPA)
airborne pollutant: Any substance in air that could, in high enough concentration, harm
man, other animals, vegetation, or material. (EPA)
albedo: a material's ability to reflect sunlight measured on a scale of 0 (black) to 1
(white). A value of 0.0 indicates that the surface absorbs all solar radiation and a value of
1.0 represents total reflectivity.
alternative fuel vehicle: any method of powering an engine that does not involve solely
petroleum (e.g. electric car, petrol-electric hybrid, solar powered)
ambient temperature: temperature of the surrounding air or other medium (EPA)
aquifer: an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated
materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted
using a water well. Aquifers are critically important in human habitation and agriculture.
Deep aquifers in arid areas have long been water sources for irrigation. Many villages
and even large cities draw their water supply from wells in aquifers.
ASHRAE: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE; pronounced ash-ray) is an international technical society for all
individuals and organizations interested in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and
refrigeration (HVAC&R).
baseline building performance: total building energy costs (including all plug loads)
annually. This value is intended to be used to compare against design cases to compute
energy savings from a proposed design.
242 © 2011 Green Building Education Services
baseline vs. design: the comparison between a standard gage and the estimated in a
building’s design scenario. In LEED, the baseline usually refers to the EPAct 1992 water
flow and flush rates.
baseline vs. actual use: the comparison between a standard gage and an actual result. In
LEED, the baseline usually refers to the EPAct 1992 water flow and flush rates while
actual use would represent an existing building
biodegradable: capable of being decomposed by natural agents, especially bacteria
biodiversity: the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem or for the entire Earth.
Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.
animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is mostly caused by human emissions of sulfur and
nitrogen compounds which react in the atmosphere to produce acids. In recent years,
many governments have introduced laws to reduce these emissions.
adaptive plant: non-native plants that use less fertilizer, pesticides and water in a given
landscape. These plants have adapted to the local climate and are not considered invasive
plants or weeds.
adaptive reuse: adaptive reuse is the process of adapting old structures for purposes other
than those initially intended. This saves on new materials needed. Example: warehouse
turned into condos. Also refers to the design of a new building with consideration to
what it could be used for in the future.
agrifiber product: products made from agricultural fiber such as wheat board and straw
board
air conditioning: a system or process for controlling the temperature, humidity, and
sometimes the purity of the air in an interior space (office, warehouse, residence).
air quality standards: The level of pollutants prescribed by regulations that are not to be
exceeded during a given time in a defined area. (EPA)
airborne pollutant: Any substance in air that could, in high enough concentration, harm
man, other animals, vegetation, or material. (EPA)
albedo: a material's ability to reflect sunlight measured on a scale of 0 (black) to 1
(white). A value of 0.0 indicates that the surface absorbs all solar radiation and a value of
1.0 represents total reflectivity.
alternative fuel vehicle: any method of powering an engine that does not involve solely
petroleum (e.g. electric car, petrol-electric hybrid, solar powered)
ambient temperature: temperature of the surrounding air or other medium (EPA)
aquifer: an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated
materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted
using a water well. Aquifers are critically important in human habitation and agriculture.
Deep aquifers in arid areas have long been water sources for irrigation. Many villages
and even large cities draw their water supply from wells in aquifers.
ASHRAE: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE; pronounced ash-ray) is an international technical society for all
individuals and organizations interested in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and
refrigeration (HVAC&R).
baseline building performance: total building energy costs (including all plug loads)
annually. This value is intended to be used to compare against design cases to compute
energy savings from a proposed design.
242 © 2011 Green Building Education Services
baseline vs. design: the comparison between a standard gage and the estimated in a
building’s design scenario. In LEED, the baseline usually refers to the EPAct 1992 water
flow and flush rates.
baseline vs. actual use: the comparison between a standard gage and an actual result. In
LEED, the baseline usually refers to the EPAct 1992 water flow and flush rates while
actual use would represent an existing building
biodegradable: capable of being decomposed by natural agents, especially bacteria
biodiversity: the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem or for the entire Earth.
Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.
