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Green building glossary

A glossary of words and phrases used in green construction and sustainable development.

A

Abiotic

A non living component of an Ecosystem e.g. sunlight.

ACH (Air changes per hour)

Air outside a building is constantly infiltrating through cracks in a building shell and exchanging with inside air. ACH is the measure of the rate at which this occurs. For example, an ACH or 0.5 means that all the air in the building will change out in two hours.

Acid rain

Commonly used to mean the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, fog, dew, or dry particles. The more accurate term is acid precipitation. Clean or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of 5.6, the extra acidity in rain comes from the reaction of air pollutants, primarily Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides, with water in the air to form strong acids (like sulphuric and nitric acid). The main sources of these pollutants are vehicles and industrial and power-generating plants.

Acidification

The process whereby air pollution, mainly Ammonia, Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides, is converted into acid substances

Action Research

The collecting of information to bring about social change, eg. to get data to expose environmental dangers and recommend actions for change.

Adaptable buildings

Buildings that can be easily remarketed, retrofitted, or reconfigured to better meet the changing needs of occupants, maintenance, and the larger community.

Adobe

Is basically dirt that has been moistened with water, sometimes with chopped straw or other fibers added for strength, and then allowed to dry in the desired shape. Commonly adobe is shaped into uniform blocks that can be stacked like bricks to form walls

Advanced Sustainable Performance Index (ASPI)

ASPI Eurozone lists the top 120 Euro zone companies in terms of sustainable development performance. These companies are rated by the French agency Vigeo, according to 6 socially responsible criteria.

Aerobic digestion

Decomposition of organic waste using micro-organisms and oxygen in the process. See - Composting.

Afforestation

Planting of new forests on lands which, historically, have not contained forests.

Agenda 21

A framework of political recommendations designed to protect the environment and encourage nations to move towards achieving sustainable development in the 21st Century.

Air infitration

Uncontrolled inward air leakage through cracks in a building envelope. May also refer to air leaking outward (called air exfiltration).

Air-to-Air heat exchanger

See - Heat recovery ventilator

Ammonia

A compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. At standard temperature and pressure, ammonia is a gas. It is toxic and corrosive to some materials, and has a characteristic pungent odour.

Annual fuel utilisation efficiency (AFUE)

Ratio of annual output energy to annual input energy, used as a measure of efficiency of gas furnaces and boilers.

Aseismic buildings

Buildings constructed so as to withstand different degrees of earthquake damage.

Attenuation

Is the reduction in amplitude and intensity of a signal with respect to distance traveled through a medium. Attenuation is usually measured in units of decibels per centimetre of medium (dB/cm) and is represented by the attenuation coefficient of the medium in question.

Autoclaved concrete

Mix of lime, sand, cement and water are mixed, and then put into moulds, where an aluminium powder is added, which causes the mass to expand. It is then put into a steam-curing chamber (autoclave), which gives it strength. The resulting material has many benefits (non-combustible, easily worked, Low U-value, etc.)

Available biological capacity

The quantity of biologically productive space available for human use.

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