Energy and Atmosphere Flashcards
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
The organization that oversees the creation, promulgation and use of thousands of standards and guidelines that directly impact businesses in nearly every sector. ANSI is also actively engaged in accrediting programs that assess conformance to standards, including globally recognized cross-sector programs such as the ISO 9000 (quality) and ISO 14000 (environmental) management systems.
ASHRE 90.1
A standard that sets the minimum requirements for energy efficient design of most buildings
British thermal unit (Btu)
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water 1F; this standard measure of energy is used to describe the energy content of fuels and compare energy use
Building envelope
The interface between the interior of a building and the outdoor environment; reducing the transfer of hot or cold air through the building envelope is important for energy efficiency measures; insulation, air sealing and windows can each play an important role in minimizing heat transfer
Building footprint
The area of ground that the building occupies as defined by its perimeter
Building loads
The amount of energy and the devices and systems that use energy in a building
Carbon footprint
The amount of GHGs and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something such as a company or the manufacture and transport of a product during a given period
Carbon offsets
A unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoided or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere
Chiller
A machine that removes heat from liquid via a vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycle; this liquid can then be circulated through a heat exchanger to cool air or equipment as required
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
Any of several simple gaseous compounds that contain carbon, chlorine, fluorine and sometimes hydrogen that are used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, and aerosol propellants and in the manufacture of plastic foams and that are believed to be a major cause of stratospheric ozone depletion; CFCs are banned in many countries, including the US
Commissioning (Cx)
Verification after construction that a structure and its systems and subsystems meet project requirements as intended and designed
Commissioning authority (CxA)
A third party contracted by a building owner who reports directly to the owner and oversees the incorporation of the design and energy goals throughout the lifetime of a project
Demand response (DR) program
A program offered by utilities that allow large energy users to reduce energy loads during peak energy usage times in exchange for reduced rates
Energy efficiency
Utilizing less energy to complete the same amount of work
Energy Star Portfolio Manager
A building benchmarking system by the EPA
The energy and water data for a building is entered into a web-based tool that then displays where the building type falls in whole-building energy use compared to other buildings of the same type
GHGs are also measured
Energy use intensity (EUI)
A metric that expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size
Fossil fuels
Nonrenewable energy produced from the burning of ancient, organic remains such as peat, coal, crude oil and natural gas
Green power
Renewable energy from solar, wind, bio-based, water and geothermal sources
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)
A refrigerant used as a replacement for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants and propellants in aerosol canisters; considered to be less destructive to the atmosphere
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)
A refrigerant that is considered a long-term replacement for CFC and HCFC refrigerants since it consists of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon but not ozone-damaging chlorine; it does, however, contribute a small amount to global warming
Illuminating Engineer Society of North America (IESNA)
An organization that publishes nationally and internationally used standards for the lighting industry
Lighting power density (LPD)
The installed lighting power per unit area
Mechanical ventilation
The process of supplying, directing and removing air from an indoor space by mechanical means
Megawatt hour (MWh)
A unit of energy equivalent to one megawatt (1 MW) of power expended for one hour (1 h) of time
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
An international treaty that was adopted in 1987 to eliminate the production and consumption of ozone-depleting chemicals, ratified at the UN by 197 countries and the EU. The Montreal Protocol bans the use of CFCs and phases out the use of HCFCs.
Natural ventilation
The process of supplying, directing and removing air through an indoor space by natural means, meaning without the use of a fan or other mechanical system
Net-zero energy project
A project that uses no more energy from the grid than it can produce on site
Nonrenewable energy
Resources such as fossil fuels that are depleted by use
Passive design
A design strategy that uses natural climatic conditions to heat, cool or light a building
Performance monitoring
Continuously tracks efficiency metrics of energy, water and other systems to achieve increased levels of efficiency
Photovoltaic (PV) energy
Electricity from photovoltaic cells that converts the energy in sunlight into electricity
Refrigerant
One of any number of substances, such as CFCs, HFCs, and HCFCs, used in cooling systems to transfer thermal energy in air conditioning and refrigeration systems
Renewable energy
Resources, such as sunlight and wind, that are not depleted by use
Renewable energy certification (REC)
A tradable commodity sold by producers of renewable energy on the open market (such as a stock exchange), which supports the production of additional renewable energy. One REC represents one kilowatt hour of renewable energy produced).
