Energy and Atmosphere

Question 1

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

ASHRE 90.1

Answer 2

A standard that sets the minimum requirements for energy efficient design of most buildings

Question 3

British thermal unit (Btu)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Building envelope

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Building footprint

Answer 5

The area of ground that the building occupies as defined by its perimeter

Question 6

Building loads

Answer 6

The amount of energy and the devices and systems that use energy in a building

Question 7

Carbon footprint

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Carbon offsets

Answer 8

A unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoided or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere

Question 9

Chiller

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Commissioning (Cx)

Answer 11

Verification after construction that a structure and its systems and subsystems meet project requirements as intended and designed

Question 12

Commissioning authority (CxA)

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Demand response (DR) program

Answer 13

A program offered by utilities that allow large energy users to reduce energy loads during peak energy usage times in exchange for reduced rates

Question 14

Energy efficiency

Answer 14

Utilizing less energy to complete the same amount of work

Question 15

Energy Star Portfolio Manager

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Energy use intensity (EUI)

Answer 16

A metric that expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size

Question 17

Fossil fuels

Answer 17

Nonrenewable energy produced from the burning of ancient, organic remains such as peat, coal, crude oil and natural gas

Question 18

Green power

Answer 18

Renewable energy from solar, wind, bio-based, water and geothermal sources

Question 19

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)

Answer 19

A refrigerant used as a replacement for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants and propellants in aerosol canisters; considered to be less destructive to the atmosphere

Question 20

Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Illuminating Engineer Society of North America (IESNA)

Answer 21

An organization that publishes nationally and internationally used standards for the lighting industry

Question 22

Lighting power density (LPD)

Answer 22

The installed lighting power per unit area

Question 23

Mechanical ventilation

Answer 23

The process of supplying, directing and removing air from an indoor space by mechanical means

Question 24

Megawatt hour (MWh)

Answer 24

A unit of energy equivalent to one megawatt (1 MW) of power expended for one hour (1 h) of time

Question 25

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Natural ventilation

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Net-zero energy project

Answer 27

A project that uses no more energy from the grid than it can produce on site

Question 28

Nonrenewable energy

Answer 28

Resources such as fossil fuels that are depleted by use

Question 29

Passive design

Answer 29

A design strategy that uses natural climatic conditions to heat, cool or light a building

Question 30

Performance monitoring

Answer 30

Continuously tracks efficiency metrics of energy, water and other systems to achieve increased levels of efficiency

Question 31

Photovoltaic (PV) energy

Answer 31

Electricity from photovoltaic cells that converts the energy in sunlight into electricity

Question 32

Refrigerant

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Renewable energy

Answer 33

Resources, such as sunlight and wind, that are not depleted by use

Question 34

Renewable energy certification (REC)

Answer 34

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).