AG Coombs Pty Ltd :: Resource Centre

Glossary

Below you will find explanations of some common terms used in the building services industry.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ABCB: Australian Building Codes Board.
ABGR: Australian Building Greenhouse Rating. A system that rates the energy and greenhouse performance of existing buildings.
Air quality: to do with the level of particulates, gases, vapours, pollens and micro-organisms in the air. Achieving and maintaining indoor air quality, are sustainable design and building management objectives which need to be addressed to mitigate Sick Building Syndrome, enhance amenity and promote healthy, productive work environments. (See off-gassing, sick building syndrome, Volatile Organic Compounds).
Air-conditioning: the mechanical process of treating air so as to control simultaneously any or all of the following properties: temperature (by heating or cooling), humidity (by humidifying or dehumidifying), purity (by filtering), and movement (by circulating the treated air throughout a building or it's parts) to achieve and maintain desired comfort conditions (Milton, 1994).
Air-handling system: a system for the purpose of directing air in a positive manner to or from specific enclosures by means of air-handling plant, ducts, plenums, air distribution devices or automatic controls (AS/NZS 1668.1 - 1998).
Architect: the designation "architect" is generally reserved by law or custom to a person who is professionally and academically qualified and generally registered/licensed/certified to practice architecture in the jurisdiction in which he or she practices and is responsible for advocating the fair and sustainable development, welfare, and the cultural expression of society's habitat in terms of space, forms, and historical context (UIA, 1998).
As Built drawing: A drawing of a project, part of a project or component of a project showing actual form after completion, as distinct from the form in which it was proposed to be built of constructed. (Construction Industry Terminology, Standen D, RAIA, 2000).
Asbestos: a mineral crystal, consisting of thin tough fibres which can withstand high temperatures without change. Asbestos types include chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown or grey asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos) (Milton, 1994). Known to be carcinogenic and to cause lung diseases. Asbestos containing materials of most health concern are sprayed insulation, acoustic plaster, soundproofing, and insulation fabrics and laminates.
Australian Standard: Common name of codes, specifications, test methods, and other publications of Standards Australia.

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Baseline: standard measure or perceived common level of performance at a given point in time, against which design objectives and/or performance targets may be set to achieve improved design outcomes or performance standards.
BCA: Building Code of Australia (published under authority of ABCB).
Benchmarking: the process of identifying the best "performer" in respect of a product, service, function, process or activity at a given point in time and using its performance as a target, goal or benchmark against which to set or judge performance (e.g., the energy consumption of particular classes of buildings) (FMA, SA, 1997). An example of ESD benchmarks is the energy consumption of particular classes of buildings.
Biodegradable: a material capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms as a result of the action of micro-organisms (EPA, NSW and NSW TAFE, 1997).
Biodiversity: the variety of all life forms: the different plants, animals and micro organisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems they form. It is usually considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity (EPA, NSW, 2000).
Black water: the waste from toilet systems.
Build - Own - Maintain (BOM): This type of arrangement involves the private sector developer building, owning and maintaining a facility.
Build - Own - Operate (BOO): The Build-Own-Operate (BOO) project operates similarly to a BOOT project, except that the private sector owns the facility in perpetuity. The developer may be subject to regulatory constraints on operations and, in some cases, pricing. The long term right to operate the facility provides the developer with significant financial incentive for the capital investment in the facility.
Build - Own - Operate - Transfer (BOOT): Projects of the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) type involve a private developer financing, building, owning and operating a facility for a tenant for a specified period to provide. At the expiration of the specified period, the facility is returned to the tenant, usually a Government.
Building envelope: commonly understood as the skin and structural elements (walls, floors, glazing, roofs etc) of a building that enclose interior and/or conditioned spaces and through which thermal energy may be transferred to and from the exterior.
Building Monitoring System (BMS)(aka Building Automation Systems BAS): a computerised system that monitors the engineering services, security and other building systems for the purposes of recording, reporting and operational control of the systems to maximise safety, security, operational performance and for overall cost minimisation and efficiency.
Building orientation: considered in relation to onsite placement, building orientation is concerned with the direction of prevailing winds and the position of the north-south, east-west exposures as these relationships affect heat loss-gain properties of the building (American Institute of Architects, 1996). (See building envelope, passive design).

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Carbon dioxide (CO2): a naturally occurring, colourless gas essential to life, abundant in the atmosphere and essential to natural and industrial processes. It is a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal greenhouse gas that affects the earth's temperatures. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are indexed and therefore has a 'Global Warming potential' of 1. Carbon dioxide constitutes approximately 0.036 % of the atmosphere (IPIECA, 2000). (See greenhouse gas, global warming potential).
Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 equivalent): an amount of a greenhouse gas expressed as the amount of carbon dioxide that would cause the same amount of global warming as the amount of gas under consideration. It is calculated by multiplying the mass of a greenhouse gas by its global warming potential (AGO, 2001).
Carbon monoxide (CO): poisonous, colourless gas produced by incomplete combustion of petrol and diesel fuels.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): synthetic products which do not occur naturally and contain chlorine and fluorine; commonly used in various industrial processes and as refrigerants and prior to 1990, as a propellant gas for sprays. CFCs deplete ozone in the stratosphere and are powerful greenhouse gases. (See hydro fluorocarbons, polyurethane).
Climate change: a change of climate, attributed directly or indirectly to human activity, that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and is in addition to natural climate variability over comparable time periods (UNFCCC definition) (IPIECA, 2000). (See greenhouse gas).
Climate zone: a geographical area which is assumed to have uniform climatic characteristics throughout. All locations in the same climate zone use weather data from a single representative location.
Cogeneration: the simultaneous production of two forms of useful power, typically electricity and heat, from a single fuel source in a single process. (See sustainable energy, transitional energy).
Comfort: the optimal degree of psychological and biological stability. In terms of the built environment, this relates to a concept of shelter that achieves a safe and healthy environment.
Commissioning (of plant and equipment): the systematic checking-out and testing to establish that all systems, plant and equipment in a building or facility conform to the performance requirements defined in the design specifications .
Computer modelling: a process whereby a computer program can be used to evaluate the various aspects of a building design. The programs provide an interface for the input of project data, suitable access to the calculations and environmental information databases, calculation of assessment and suitable representation of outputs.
Conditioned zone: the parts of a building in which artificial heating or cooling is able to operate.
Constructability: a term referring to the optimum use of construction knowledge and experience in planning, design, procurement, and field operations to achieve overall project objectives in an integrated manner, to ensure that construction methods, materials and products, including availability, and supply chain management issues are addressed during the design phase of a project. Constructability implies a minimisation of construction risk due to design omissions, lack of integration between design disciplines, poor documentation and variations (leading to cost and time increases) resulting from a failure to appreciate construction issues during design. The introduction of new building technologies and changed delivery mechanisms also implies a responsibility for greater attention to issues of constructability.
Construction and demolition waste: materials in the waste stream which arise from construction, refurbishment or demolition activities (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Cooling load: the rate at which heat must be removed by cooling equipment to maintain the constant value assumed when calculating heat gain (See thermal comfort, air-conditioning)
Cost benefit analysis: a method of evaluating projects or investments by comparing the present value or annual value of expected benefits to costs (FMA, SA, 1997). It is the practical embodiment of discounted cash flow analysis. A useful technique for making transparent the benefits of 'upfront' investments in ESD design features or technologies. (See discounting, life cost planning and analysis, life cycle cost, payback period).
Cross ventilation: the use of wind, temperature and pressure differences to ventilate a building naturally usually via windows or vents (and orientation) (Edwards, 1996). (See passive design).

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Daylight: a natural source of light which determines the internal 'Daylight factor'. Daylight itself consists of sunlight, cloud diffused sunlight, and both reflected by the ground and adjoining surfaces. The 'Daylight factor' is dependent upon direct light, external reflected light, and internal reflected light. (Edwards, 1996).
Daylight transmittance: the ratio of the amount of light transmitted through a window system (glass and frame), divided by the amount of light incident on its outside surface (AWC, 2000).
Daylighting design: the use of controlled natural lighting methods indoors, through skylights, windows and reflected light. Diffuse reflection of light from matte coloured surfaces, sky illuminance and the performance of advanced glazing techniques, such as prismatic glazing and light shelves, are incorporated in radiosity based modelling tools. Together, such tools with integrated design approaches can maximise effective utilisation of daylight. (See Energy efficiency, Passive design, Comfort).
Delivered energy services: (see Energy performance contracting and Energy service companies under Energy Performance Contracting)
Demand management: technological, cultural and economic initiatives which alter practices so that the demand for materially intensive or environmentally deleterious services and products is reduced, but the service or access desired by consumers is delivered either more efficiently or in new ways through new products and services. (See Sustainability).
Design and Construction (D&C): The principal prepares a brief setting out project requirements. Contractors undertake to design the project in accordance with the brief, and build it for an agreed sum, which may be fixed or subject to escalation.
Design review: a formal, documented and systematic assessment of a design proposal by independent specialists who are not part of the design team.
Design-for-life: a design philosophy and approach which incorporates consideration of the full life cycle of the product, building or material so that its current use life can be maximised and so that it can be readily returned to further use (via disassembly, recycling, reuse or remanufacture) at the end of its 'current' use life. Not to be confused with 'design life' which is the intended functional life of a product.
Double glazing: a form of glazing for windows or doors consisting of two panes of glass separated by an air or gas space to improve insulation against heat transfer and/or sound transmission. The air between the glass sheets is dried and the space is sealed, eliminating possible condensation and providing superior insulating properties. Gases other than air (such as argon, krypton, xenon, etc), known as gas fill, can be used within the sealed glazing unit for the purpose of reducing conductive/convective heat transfer (AWC, 2000). (See daylighting, thermal comfort, energy efficiency).

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Eco-efficiency: the delivery of competitively priced goods and services while progressively reducing ecological impacts and resource intensity throughout their life cycle. There are seven components commonly identified with eco-efficiency, including reducing the material intensity of goods and services, reducing the energy intensity of goods and services, reducing toxic dispersion, enhancing material recyclability, maximising sustainable use of renewable resources, extending product durability and increasing the service intensity of goods and services (Environment Australia, Environet website). (See cleaner production, eco-efficiency, design-for-life, ecodesign, obsolescence).
Ecolabelling: environmental assessment of products based on third party certification. Also known as Type I or third-party 'environmentally preferred' labelling under the series of ISO 14000 Standards . (See timber certification).
Ecological footprint: a measure of environmental impact defined 'as the area of productive land and water ecosystems required to produce the resources that the population consumes and assimilate the wastes that the population produces, wherever on Earth that land and water may be located'. An ecological footprint is calculated by totaling the flows of material and energy required to support an economy or subset of an economy. Those flows are then converted to standard measures of production required from land and water areas. The total land surface required to support any given activity or product is the footprint (Krockenberger et al, 2000, Hawken et al, 1999). The area of land that is needed to produce the natural resources a population consumes and to assimilate the wastes that it produces. (See ecologically sustainable development).
Ecologically sustainable design: the use of design principles and strategies which help reduce the ecological impact of buildings. e.g., by reducing the consumption of energy and resources, or by minimising disturbances to existing vegetation
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD): no singular definition is universally agreed, reflecting its overall complexity and the various emphases and interpretations which can be accorded to each of the descriptors within the term. Frequently, ESD, Sustainability and Sustainable Development are used interchangeably. The interpretation of the 'ecological' in Australian official definitions of ESD has oriented the term toward bio-physical issues and understandings of the ecological. This approach is progressively being opened up to more 'ecological' understandings of the systems relationships between the social, economic and environmental in many contemporary 'ESD", 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' debates and action programs. In recognition of the necessary ambiguity of ESD and the associated terms sustainability and sustainable development, the following definitions are offered as examples of those in common circulation. (see Sustainable development)
Ecology: the interrelationship of living things to one another and their environment; and the study of such interrelationships (Davidson and Dolnick, 1999). (See Ecologically Sustainable Development, defuturing, sustainability, social ecology).
Economic, effective or useful life: the timespan within which the building reaches the notional return on investment criteria. Tax Depreciation Rules (Australian Taxation Office 1991) define effective life as 'the estimated life over which an item could be expected to be used for income producing purposes'. Common ESD objectives may be to recast the 'end of life' economic thinking in how we value materials, products and components in order to act to ensure that they are restored or redirected to a 'new' use life once their current economic functional use life expires.
Efficiency: The relationship between the achievement of a desired objective and the resources consumed in achieving the objective. Commonly expressed as the ratio of actual output (derived from a given input of resources) to a standard output (ideal output less allowance for wastage). (Construction Industry Terminology, Standen D, RAIA, 2000).
Electromagnetic field (EMF): a field with two components, one electrical and one magnetic, arising from the conduction of electricity through a medium of transmission (Davidson and Dolnick, 1999).
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR): fields that surround electrical conductors and equipment. Generally associated with high voltage or heavy current power cables and with radio frequency transmitters, EMR is now an increasing area of scrutiny with regard to a range of electrical devices and associated infrastructure (such as high voltage transmission lines, mobile phones and mobile phone towers). EMR can cause disturbances to electronic equipment such as sensitive hospital monitoring equipment and computers. EMR can be measured with specialist instruments. The cumulative health impacts of EMR, high and low frequency, is an emerging area of scientific research and debate. Technically, EMR is the emission or transfer of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves (AS 1852 (845) - 1989).
Embodied energy: is the energy required directly and indirectly to produce a product (which may be a physical entity or service). At a specific point in the life cycle of a product/material, the embodied energy accounts for all energy expended in production processes, in the transportation and maintenance of that product/material to be ready for use at that point in time. (See Gross energy requirement, Process energy requirement).
Emissions: the act of releasing or discharging air borne pollutants, particles or radiation from any source into the outdoor atmosphere (Stein, 1993). Can refer to the release of greenhouse gases and/or their precursors into the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time (IPIECA, 2000). (See Greenhouse gas, Global warming potential, Radiative forcing).
Emissions trading: a market-based approach to achieving environmental objectives that allows those reducing greenhouse gas emissions below what is required, to use or trade the excess reductions to offset emissions at another source inside or outside the country. In general, trading can occur at the domestic, international and intra company levels (IPIECA, 2000).
Emissivity: the relative ability of a surface or material to emit radiant energy, compared to a perfect black body at the same temperature and with the same area, expressed as a ratio. A perfect black body has an emissivity of 1, while a perfect reflector has an emissivity of 0. (Milton, 1994) The emittance of uncoated, clear glass is 0.84. A very good low-emittance coating will have an emittance of 0.05 or less. (AWC, 2000).
Energy: the capacity to perform work (force x distance) which exists in various forms, such as kinetic energy, potential energy, electrical energy, radiant energy, etc and can be converted readily from one into another. The term is commonly used in relation to thermodynamic energy matters. The SI unit for energy, work and quantity of heat is the joule (J), which is equal to one Newton metre (N.m) and one watt second (W.s) (Milton, 1994).
Energy audit: an examination and analysis of a building's architectural elements, environmental support systems (e.g., HVAC, lighting etc), fuel consumption records, operation and use patterns, and sometimes, code compliance. Energy audits also identify opportunities for improving energy performance (American Institute of Architects, 1996).
Energy efficiency: in buildings, employing strategies to minimise the use energy required to maintain occupant comfort and building services.The desire to maximise energy efficiency is driven by three principal concerns: reducing operating costs, conserving finite resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (See Energy performance contracting).
Energy management plan/program (EMP): a program for the monitoring and control of energy use. It involves the orderly control of energy and includes the following steps, Survey and measurement of energy use, Reporting of the energy use, Analysis of the reported data, Selection of a plan of action to reduce energy use, Implementation of selected energy management measures, Monitoring of the energy use against the estimated energy budget (AS 2725 - 1984).
Energy Performance Contract (EPC): also known as Energy Services / Savings Agreements (ESA). The contract (typically) guarantees an energy consumption savings level by the Energy Service Company. There are two basic types of EPCs, Guaranteed Savings and Shared Savings.
Energy performance contracting: a turnkey service for the implementation of energy cost savings measures in buildings where the savings are guaranteed against some measure of performance. It is these two aspects, turnkey service and guaranteed performance, that differentiates performance contracting from other traditional design and construction services .
Energy rating tools: tools are described mainly as computer aided conversions of calculation and assessment methods. Energy rating tools specifically rate the operational energy efficiency or greenhouse gas emissions of a completed building.
Energy service companies: also known as ESCOs, these are firms that offer turnkey performance based services.also known as ESCOs, these are firms that offer turnkey performance based services: Guaranteed Savings: under a Guaranteed Savings EPC, the ESCO guarantees a minimum level of savings for the term of the EPC and accepts most technical risks for the project. The client must accept the loan repayment obligation if a loan is required for project implementation. A Guaranteed Savings EPC splits the technical and financial risks between the ESCO and the client.Shared Savings: in a Shared Savings EPC, the ESCO is the borrower and has an independent agreement with its lender for the funds for the project; i.e., the ESCO maintains the loan repayment obligations, not the client. The contract provides for an agreed sharing of the resulting savings from the project, not a minimum guarantee. The amount and percentage of share which the ESCO receives is calculated on the basis of the ESCO meeting their monthly repayment obligation. A Shared Savings EPC puts both the technical and financial risks on the ESCO. These types of EPCs are currently not used in Australia.
Energy units: Energy is often expressed in GJ (Gigajoules). (See Energy).
Engineer: a person who is qualified and registered, where necessary, to design engineering works or systems and, if required, supervise their construction or installation. Professional engineers involved in building projects are generally identified by the branch of engineering in which they practise and may include: civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical and/or electronic engineers, hydraulic engineers, illumination engineers, environmental engineers, acoustical engineers, or communications engineers (Milton, 1994).
Engineers Australia: See IEAust.
Environment: surroundings in which an organisation operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelations (Note: Surroundings in this context extend from within an organisation to the global system) (AS ISO 14050).
Environmental accounting: involves combining current financial accounting systems with concepts such as material flow and a 'balanced scorecard'' (assigning dollar values to all inputs and outputs of the system). In this way, financial gains can be recognised from taking the whole of life approach and considering natural resources as capital Furthermore, issues normally viewed as 'external' to the business can be included, to factor in risks associated with potential social and environmental disasters. This promotes the economic drive for environmental improvement, highlighting how financial, environmental and social impacts of a company are intrinsically linked (Alsop, 2001).
Environmental audit: systematic, documented verification process of objectively obtaining and evaluating audit evidence to determine whether specified environmental activities, events, conditions, management systems, or information about these matters conform with audit criteria, and communicating the results of this process to the client (AS ISO 14050). (See Benchmark).
Environmental impact: any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organisation's activities, products, or services (AS ISO 14050).
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): a document, required by legislation, which describes a proposed development or activity, predicts the possible or certain effects of the activity on the environment, and outlines safeguards to mitigate or control environmentally damaging effects.
Environmental impact study: a multi-disciplinary assessment of existing environmental conditions and the likely effect on a specified environment of the introduction of a proposed development or actions which may change the existing environmental conditions and ecological balance (FMA, SA, 1997).
Environmental management plan: a management and communication process to enable the range of environmental aspects and impacts of a given activity (whether a design process, a project, or consultancy or corporate operation), to be systematically considered, addressed, monitored and reviewed to ensure compliance with regulatory, project and organisational environmental requirements, policies and objectives.
Environmental management system: part of the overall management system that includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy (AS ISO 14050).
Environmental performance: measurable results of the environmental management system, related to an organisation's control of its environmental aspects, based on its environmental policy, objectives and targets (AS ISO 14050).
Environmental policy: statement by the organisation of its intentions and principles in relation to the overall environmental performance which provides a framework for action and for the setting of its environmental objectives and targets (AS ISO 14050).
Environmental rating system: design and management systems which provide a framework for identifying, setting and reporting upon environmental design and performance objectives for buildings. Such systems provide industry with mechanisms for industry wide improvement and internal benchmarking while also providing a rating system through which to communicate the environmental performance characteristics of buildings to the community.
ESD: is using, conserving and enhancing the communities resources so that the ecological processes on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life now and in the future, can be increased (Commonwealth of Australia, 1992).
Evaporative cooling: utilising the cooling effect of the change in state of a liquid (usually water) to vapour. The evaporative cooling effect can be maximised by increasing the water/air contact area and speed of interface (Edwards, 1996).
Extended producer responsibility: a strategy by which producers accept the responsibility for the environmental impacts of products and services beyond the point of sale. Attention is focussed on recovering products at their end-of-life (EOL), rather than pollution abatement measures. This can unlock and recover valuable resources and information in the product, otherwise destined for the waste stream. Methods include product take-back, buy-back, trade in and servicing (Alsop, 2001). (See Design-for-life, Recycling).
Externality cost: costs and benefits other than those that are normally internalised in a conventional economic analysis.

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Facilities audit: an audit of the physical and functional adequacy of a facility, with particular reference to the building fabric and building services components, to provide an input for life cycle cost analysis, short-term maintenance planning, and long-term planning purposes (FMA, SA,1997).
Facilities renewal and replacement program: a systematic and cost-effective approach to planning and budgeting, which extends the life and retains the useable condition of facilities and systems. It may not be covered by the annual operating budget and may include (but not be limited to) the following: deferred maintenance, capital renewal and replacement, facilities remodelling and renovation for functional improvements, retrofitting for energy conservation, health and life safety problems, provisions for accessibility for people with disabilities, compliance with federal, state and local regulatory requirements (FMA, SA, 1997). (See Ecologically sustainable design, Design-for-life, Obsolescence).
Facility (or Facilities) management: a professional discipline that has emerged in recent years defined by the Facility Management Association of Australia as 'a business practice that optimises people, process, assets and the work environment to support the delivery of an organisations business objectives' (FMA, SA, 1997). Facility management aims to deliver integrated strategic planning and management of assets and changing technologies and work environments and has a strong focus upon effective collecting, recording and interpreting of data electronically. Facility management has considerable scope to contribute to enhanced sustainable energy and environmental performance of buildings and their operation.
Feng Shui: means literally 'wind/water'. Ancient Chinese theory of creating harmonious interaction between humans and environment through the placement of objects and the design of built form.
FMA: Facilities Management Association of Australia. The FMA represents Facility Management professionals - those who manage people, process, assets and the work environment.
Formaldehydes: plastics once used for moulding a wide range of products (from ash trays to furniture and bench tops), formaldehyde resins are now more commonly used in buildings as adhesives, surface coatings, foams and in the manufacture of laminates and sandwich panels. Formaldehyde adhesives can present a health hazard due to the tendency for off-gassing and care is required when working with them. Good ventilation can assist in reducing the risks associated with formaldehydes. Off-gassing release rates are increased by high humidity, moisture and temperature. Release is also greater from cut edges of board and from unpainted surfaces. Urea-formaldehyde (now considered potentially carcinogenic) is considered the worst while phenol-formaldehyde is more stable and provided the surface of the panel is well sealed, off-gassing can be minimised. (See Sick building syndrome).
Free running: without mechanical cooling or heating systems operational.
Fuel cell: an electrochemical device, like a battery, that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water. The source of hydrogen can be either pure hydrogen or a number of other fuels (such as methanol or other hydrocarbons) which are converted to hydrogen (IPIECA, 2000). (See Sustainable energy).
Functional life: the timespan within which building occupants can expect to operate without changes to the building design .

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GBCAus: Green Buildings Council of Australia. The Green Building Council's mission is to develop a sustainable property industry for Australia and drive the adoption of green building practices through market-based solutions.
Geothermal energy: energy derived from heat stored within the earths crust, either from hot water or steam that accompanies geothermal activity or by pumping water into geothermal boreholes to be heated to steam. The hot water is then used to drive turbines and produce electrical power (Milton, 1994). Geothermal energy may be accessed and utilised in a variety of ways - for direct heat transfer (e.g., to air or water for circulation in a building) or via the pumping of water into geothermal boreholes to be heated to steam. The hot water or steam is then used drive turbines and produce electrical power. (See Renewable and Sustainable energy).
Green power: electricity generated from clean renewable sources such as the sun, wind, water and organic matter. The electricity is bought by energy suppliers on behalf of their customers and independently audited and verified by the National Green Power Accreditation Steering Group (Greenpower website).
Green Star: The environmental rating system for buildings developed by the Green Buildings Council of Australia.
Greenhouse effect (of the planet): the warming of the planet due to the increase in density of trace greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which have the effect of increasing the absorption of sunlight by preventing the outward radiation of heat from the Earth. (See Enhanced greenhouse effect).
Greenhouse effect (within a building): the warming of a building due to the absorption, usually through glass, of short-wave solar energy which is stored as heat by elements of construction and prevented from being re-emitted as long-wave radiation by the glass (Edwards, 1996).
Greenhouse gas: gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect, frequently referred to as 'carbon dioxide equivalent' since carbon dioxide is the most abundant greenhouse gas (followed by methane). Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone. Certain human activities add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases. Very powerful greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which are generated in a variety of industrial processes (US EPA website). Indirect greenhouse emissions (those which do not have a strong radiative effect themselves but influence the atmospheric concentrations of the above direct greenhouse gases) include carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen other than N2O and non-methane volatile organic compounds..
Grey water: a general term for domestic waste water that has been stored after being used once for non-sewage utilities (such as showers, baths and washing machines), and has not come into contact with sewage or faecal matter.
Grey water re-use system: a system where grey water (waste water but not soil or black water), is collected, not treated and re-used for acceptable purposes (AS/NZS 3500.0 - 1995).
Gross Energy Requirement (GER): the measure of all energy inputs which contribute to the embodied energy of a component, material or whole building. As such it includes a range of indirect energy inputs (such as the embodied energy in the manufacture and repair of processing and manufacturing equipment, embodied energy of transport infrastructures utilised in transporting materials) and direct inputs such as energy used in construction on site. GER as a measure of embodied energy offers the most comprehensive measure of the comparative embodied energy of materials, components or buildings. However as a preferred measure of embodied energy it raises difficulties - foremostly access to correct, comparable data. Commentators such as Lawson recommend the use of the Process Energy Requirement (PER) as a more readily accessible, firmer basis for comparing the embodied energy performance of materials (Lawson, 1996). (See embodied energy, Process energy requirement).
Gross Lettable Area (GLA): Defined by the PCA as the area in square metres derived from measuring all floors occupied by a tenant for exclusive use from the centre line of inter-tenancy walls or partitions and from the outside faces of external walls or the building alignment including shopfronts. (Construction Industry Terminology, Standen D, RAIA, 2000).
Ground source heat pump systems: a cooling system that provides heating and cooling using ground water and earth as a medium to reject or absorb heat.

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Halons: Organic compounds containing halides. Halons containing Bromine are used for instance, in fire suppressants. (See Chlorofluorocarbons).
Hazardous waste: component of the waste stream which by its characteristics poses a threat or risk to public health, safety or to the environment (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Heat gain: as applied to HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditioning) calculations, the amount of heat gained by a space from all sources including people, incoming and reflected radiation, machines, lights etc. It represents the amount of heat that must be removed from a space to maintain desired indoor conditions. (See Cooling load).
HIA: Housing Industry Association.
Holistic design: an integrative and comprehensive design approach that considers the interrelatedness of a projects parts, components, systems, and subsystems, in order to optimise energy and environmental performance (American Institute of Architects, 1996).
Hot desking: the practice of sharing dedicated work spaces between two or more persons, an emerging key area of workplace environment design.
Hybrid system: a solar heating or cooling system that combines passive and active elements (Brown, 1985).
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): transitional replacements for CFCs; they are also greenhouse gases. HFCs have been produced by the plastics industry to replace ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). HFCs are considered to have approximately 5% of the ozone depleting potential of CFCs, however they do contribute to ozone depletion and some possess other environmental and health disadvantages such as toxicity and flammability (Lawson, 1996).

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IEAust: The Institution of Engineers, Australia, commonly known as Engineers Australia.
Illuminance: the density of luminous flux incident on a surface. Measured as Lumens per square metre or lux (SI) or in footcandles.
Indoor air quality (IAQ): the quality of air required within a work environment to minimise harmful effects to human health including the provision of adequate airspace and ventilation, and the limitation of contaminants or harmful substances such as dust, other airborne particles, fumes, mists or vapours, and smoke. Air quality requirements for workplaces are stipulated in occupational health and safety legislation or Standards, and usually specified by the building owner and/or users (FMA,SA, 1997).
Input-output analysis: a method of analysis sometimes used in life cycle analysis. A statistical method is employed, drawing upon data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which shows financial flows (inputs and outputs) between all sectors of the economy. The financial flows are converted to energy flows and used to produce data wherein the upstream energy requirements from all sectors to any one sector are summed. Consequently, this method, unlike process analysis, is systemically complete however it is necessarily subject to assumptions and errors. (See Embodied energy, Process analysis, Hybrid analysis, Process energy requirement, Gross energy requirement).
Insolation: the total amount of direct, diffuse, and reflected solar radiation incident on a unit horizontal surface at the top of the atmosphere. It is sometimes referred to as solar irradiance. The latitudinal variation of insolation supplies the energy for the general circulation of the atmosphere. Insolation depends on the angle of incidence of the solar beam and on the solar constant. Commonly measured in kW per m2 per day and referred to as peak hours per day.
Insulating Glass Unit (IGU): a hermetically sealed, multiple-pane glazing system consisting of two or more glazing layers held and bonded at their perimeter by a spacer bar. Termed 'insulating' because thermal heat transfer is reduced compared with single glass (AWC, 2000).
Insulating material: a material with a low conductivity to reduce the passage of heat, sound, vibration or electricity. The purpose of an insulating material should always be specified (Milton, 1994).
Insulation (thermal): material having a relatively high resistance to heat flow and used primarily to retard the flow of heat (American Institute of Architects, 1996). Mandatory insulation requirements are now helping to ensure more energy efficient building design and operation.
Integrated design: a design process which mobilises multidisciplinary design input and cooperation, ideally to maximise and integrate environmental and economic life cycle benefits. Integrated design is a process that delivers value by understanding impacts across a broad range of disciplines during design. Integrated design can also describe a resulting solution or building/services system, the physical integration of services and building components. (See Alliancing, Energy performance contracting, Partnering).
Integrated planning: defined as the process of planning transport, land use and the environment on the basis of common goals, objectives and desired outcomes (Westerman, 1998).
Intelligent buildings: building designed with extensive use of sensors, microprocessor controls, and automated systems and able to detect, diagnose, and control the response to varying environmental conditions or operational requirements. The use of integrated management systems generally results in improved performance and cost savings through conservation of energy and other resources. Also called 'Smart building' (FMA, SA, 1997).
Interior amenity: a sense of amenity in the interior environment based upon spatial quality, extent of natural daylight and interior air quality (Edwards, 1996).
Inverter: a device which can change direct current to alternating current without utilising moveable parts. A key component required in photovoltaic systems to enable electricity generated by the system to be exported to the grid and to enable AC electrical devices to be operated using the energy generated onsite.
Ionising radiation: electromagnetic radiation which is high enough in energy to cause an atom or molecule to gain or lose an electron, creating an ion. Ionising radiation occurs above the ultraviolet band of the electromagnetic spectrum (Baggs, 1996).
ISO 14000: the international series of standards on environmental management (republished in Australia by Standards Australia as AS/NZS ISO 14000 series). These standards can be used to establish environmental credentials by putting in place an environmental management system to ISO 14001.

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Kilowatt-hour (kWh): a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for one hour. A unit of electricity used to describe how much energy is generated by a photovoltaic system. A kWh is the amount of energy consumed by a 100 watt light-bulb over 10 hours, where 1 kWh = 3.6MJ .
Kilowatt-hours peak (kWp): the maximum amount of power a photovoltaic module can generate under standard test conditions
Kyoto Protocol: an international agreement reached in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, which extends the commitments of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In particular, it sets targets for future emissions by each developed country over the first commitment period, and foreshadows further action over future commitment periods (2008 - 2012).

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Lease: a grant of possession without conferring ownership, usually for a specified time and on specified terms. (Construction Industry Terminology, Standen D, RAIA, 2000).
Lease - Develop - Operate (LDO): This type of project involves a private developer being given a long-term lease to operate and expand an existing facility. The private developer agrees to invest in facility improvements and can recover the investment plus a reasonable return over the term of the lease. (Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance, Guiding Principles for Private Sector Participation in Public Infrastructure Provision)
Legionnaires disease: a respiratory disease caused by legionella bacteria found in some water cooled air conditioning systems. Water stored in stagnant conditions between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius and allowed to become contaminated by organic sources can lead to the growth of Legionella bacteria.
Life cost planning and analysis: 'Life cost' planning, analysis and assessment is a term becoming prevalent in Australia to describe total cost approaches. It encompasses a range of common terminologies including life cycle cost, recurrent cost, cost-in-use, operational cost and ultimate cost. It incorporates economic costs, but does not include environmental externalities or costs for material end of life rehabilitation, reuse or recycling. Life Cost should be understood as Life Cycle Cost. Life cycle costing is currently generally defined as the economic assessment of competing design alternatives, considering all significant costs of ownership over the economic life of each alternative, expressed in equivalent dollars. The technique takes account of both initial design and acquisition costs and subsequent running costs and is measured over the assets 'effective life', which is generally considered as the economic or operating life. Life Cost approaches often aggregate costs under capital and operating expenses. More useful categories for consideration in Life Cost planning and analysis include: Capital costs (land cost, construction materials, plant and equipment, purchase costs); operating costs (ownership costs, maintenance cost, occupancy cost, selling cost) and finance costs. Life cost approaches are increasingly recognised as essential for effective investment decision-making and for the integration of sustainable design and sustainable energy considerations into design and capital expenditure programs (Langston, 1997). (See also Life cycle cost analysis, Whole-of-life costing, Cost benefit analysis).
Life cycle: consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation of natural resources to the final disposal (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998). In sustainable design and practice, the objective is to respect and/or maximise the use life of a material or product, and to then ensure further use lives for the material or product via reuse, refurbishment, re-manufacturing or recycling.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product or process, by compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs; evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs; and interpreting the results of the inventory analysis and impact assessment phases in relation to the objectives (scope, boundaries and levels of detail) of the study. (AS/NZS ISO 14040:1998).
Life cycle cost: the sum of acquisition cost and ownership cost of a product over its life cycle. (Acquisition cost - the initial cost to gain possession of the completed product. Included any research, development, testing and evaluation costs, as well as the investment and installation cost. Ownership cost - summation of all operating expenses, maintenance, support and disposal costs borne by the owner or user of a complete product during its life cycle). (AS/NZS 4536 - 1999).
Life cycle cost analysis: a technique which enables a comparative cost assessment to be made for various investment alternatives, over a specified period of time, taking into account all relevant factors, both in terms of initial capital costs and future (estimated) costs. The objective is to identify the most economic overall choice. Initial costs include all investment costs directly related to the project, such as the costs of planning, design, construction and installation, fees and changes, and financing costs, and future costs. Future costs mainly comprise operating, maintenance, rehabilitation, demolition or removal costs, and property and capital gains taxes. (Milton, 1994).
Life cycle energy: the energy attributable, in the case of a building, to the energy used in operation over its lifetime, together with the embodied energy and the added embodied energy as the building is maintained and refurbished or altered, over its lifetime.
Life cycle inventory analysis: phase of life cycle assessment involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs, for a given product throughout its life cycle. (AS/NZS ISO 14040:1998).
Light shelves: a means of deflecting incoming daylight deeper into an internal space. Light shelves are horizontal projections with reflective surfaces. They are placed either outside, half outside/half inside or fully inside a window, providing indirect light deep into an interior space, while reducing solar gain and glare. Their effectiveness depends upon window height, room height and depth, and the dimensions, surface finish and positioning of the light shelf.
Lighting level: the level of illumination inside a facility usually measured in light (1 lux = 1 lumen per square metre) which can be determined with the help of specialist equipment. Australian Standards have documented prescribed lighting levels for the different types of activities/spaces in a building (FMA, SA, 1997). (See Lumen, Lux).
Load: the demand for energy required at any moment to compensate for the difference between existing outdoor conditions and desired indoor conditions. (Brown, 1985).
Load Collector Ratio (LCR): the ratio of the building load coefficient to the collection area. LCR is an expression of the relationship between energy conservation and solar gain and can be used to compare buildings within the same locality. (Brown, 1985).
Local Environmental Plan (LEP): a planning instrument prepared and adopted by local council and gazetted, which provides general details of the permitted and restricted forms of development and of the requirements to be fulfilled by persons or organisations wishing to proceed with developments within its boundaries (FMA, SA, 1997).
Low-e (Low-Emittance) coating: a thin (<100nm thick) metal oxide or multi-layer coating deposited on a glazing surface to reduce its thermal infrared emittance and thereby reduce radiative heat transfer. Near-infra-red transmittance may also be reduced depending on whether solar heat is to be rejected or admitted. All low-e coatings behave as heat mirrors. A low-e coating increases a window's ability to insulate (lower U-value). Also includes spectrally selective coatings which are low-e coatings, on one or more surfaces of a glazing, whose optical properties vary with wavelength, so as to transmit visible radiation more than near-infrared and long-wave radiation. (AWC, 2000).
Lumen: measure of light intensity. The amount of visible light emitted from a lamp. (SEDA, 2000).
Lux: unit of measurement for average illumination on a surface. One lux equals one lumen per square metre.

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Maintainability: the ability of a product, under stated conditions of use, to be retained in, or restored to, a state in which it can perform its required functions, when maintenance is performed under stated conditions and using prescribed procedures and resources. (AS/NZS 4536 - 1999).
Maintenance: all actions necessary to retaining an item or asset in, or restoring it to, its pre-existing condition. The Facilities Management Association defines a number of forms which reflect different life cycle management strategies. They include: condition, corrective, deferred, operational, periodic, planned, preventive, programmed, routine, routine corrective, running, shutdown and statutory maintenance approaches. (FMA, SA, 1997).
MBA: Master Builders Australia, a federation of the nine Master Builders Associations representing the states, the territories, and Newcastle.
Methane (CH4): colourless, odourless, inflammable gas released from decaying organic material. A strong greenhouse gas with a GWP of 21. (See Global Warming Potential, landfill gases, methane power-generation).
Microclimate: the climatic environment in a very small or confined local area with a climatic region which may be modified by the creation of artificial lakes or planting of trees. The microclimate usually differs with altitude and varies from regional averages in humidity, temperature, rain shadows, wind patterns, cloud cover etc. (Milton, 1994).
Mixed-mode ventilation: natural ventilation involving openable windows combined with mechanical air change usually with an emphasis upon local control of the environment (Edwards, 1996). (See Passive design).

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NABERS: National Australian Built Environment Rating System.
Natural cooling: the use of ground cooling, night time radiation loss, cross ventilation and evaporative cooling to reduce internal temperatures or improve thermal comfort (e.g., cross ventilation doesn't necessarily reduce internal temperatures, but has a cooling effect on bodies thus improving thermal comfort). (Edwards, 1996).
Natural ventilation: ventilation by natural (non-mechanical) air flow through fixed ventilators, doors or open-able windows and louvres due to differences in thermal and/or pressure gradients.
Net energy analysis: a method of evaluating the life cycle performance of energy efficiency features and devices, comparing the 'energy pay back period' and the 'energy return on investment'.
Net Lettable Area (NRA): defined as the floor space in square metres confined within the building at each floor level, including area occupied by structural columns. Measurements are taken 1.5 metres above the floor and between internal walls (or the internal surfaces of windows if applicable). Common areas such as foyers, stairs, toilets, lift shafts, plant rooms, and areas not used exclusively by tenants are excluded. (See Gross lettable area).
Net Present Value (NPV): is the sum of the discounted present values of net benefits over the life of a project (asset or piece of equipment). It is commonly considered one of the most useful methods employed for determining project/investment/capital equipment selections. Useful for making transparent the benefits of investment in ESD features which may entail comparatively greater upfront investments, the financial benefits of which are returned over the life of the asset in operation when compared to more conventional technologies or features. (See Life cycle cost analysis).
No regrets: with respect to climate change, actions which result in greenhouse gas limitations and abatement, but which do not require additional economic costs in the short to medium term.
Noise rating: a single rating of noise in a given acoustic environment intended to rank its undesirability for human activities. It is derived by a special procedure (AS 1469), using numerical or graphical means, from a frequency analysis of the sound pressure in the environment. (Milton, 1994).
Non-renewable resources: a natural resource considered finite in supply because of its scarcity, rapid depletion or extreme length of time to reproduce. (AS 1886 Supp1 - 1994).

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Obsolescence: Buildings and other physical assets held on a long term basis have limited useful or economic lives; that is, their service potential declines over time to a point where, for all practical purposes, it is used up or lost (Australian Accounting Standard: AAS 4 1993 ). Such 'obsolescence' can be measured in terms of the decrease in a building's value, i.e., depreciation, which is a measure of the wearing out or reduction in the economic life of a fixed asset whether arising from use, passage of time or through technological or market changes . Obsolescence is often a result of cultural change rather than of physical deterioration or failure and is thus something that is amenable to cultural change strategies to forestall its onset. (See sustainability).
Off-gassing (outgassing): the emissions from a process, equipment, material or product occurring under 'normal' conditions within an indoor environment as it cures or ages (American Institute of Architects, 1996). Common sources of off-gassing are paints, adhesives, synthetic floor coverings and laminates. Off-gassing of some emissions can have irritating, toxic or carcinogenic effects on human health. Off-gases of concern include Volatile Organic Compounds and formaldehydes (Willis and Mellick, 1999).
Operation and Maintenance Contract (O&M): These projects involve the private sector operating a publicly-owned facility under contract with the Government. (Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance, Guiding Principles for Private Sector Participation in Public Infrastructure Provision).
Operational energy: the energy used in the day to day operation of a building; includes energy used for space conditioning (heating and cooling), cooking, refrigeration, lighting and appliances and other equipment.
Operations and Maintenance manuals (O&M manuals): manuals provided by the services engineering contractors after setting up a new installation of electrical/mechanical/hydraulic/fire protection services for a facility (FMA, SA, 1997). O&M manuals can play a key role in the life cycle management of energy and environmental performance of buildings. (See energy rating tools, environmental ratings systems, total building commissioning services).
Organic solvents: many building products from paints and adhesives to some laminates, contain organic solvents which are a health and environmental hazard in application, use and disposal. Wherever possible, designers should specify water based, solvent free materials, and maintenance staff should avoid solvent based cleaning agents. (Edwards, 1996).
Overall insulation level: the total resistance of a building element, taking into account resistances of construction materials, internal air spaces, insulation, and air films adjacent to solid materials.
Ozone (O3): triatomic form of oxygen formed naturally in the stratosphere by a photochemical reaction with solar ultraviolet radiation and provides a protective layer shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. In the troposphere, it is usually formed from anthropogenic emissions and is a major component of photochemical smog; ozone is also a greenhouse gas. (Stein. 1993).
Ozone depletion: the reduction in the concentration of stratospheric ozone as a consequence of chemical reactions caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halons. Reduced stratospheric ozone concentrations have resulted in increased levels of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earths surface. (See chlorofluorocarbons).
Ozone layer: a layer in the stratosphere containing a high concentration of ozone that absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. (Moore, 1997).

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Partnering: a formal process of cooperation between the client, the design team, the contractor(s) and suppliers to achieve a more efficient outcome in a construction project and minimise or eliminate disagreements or disputes, based on mutual understanding of each other's expectations and values and joint benefit from any resultant economies. A partnering agreement which sets out the objectives is usually drawn up following the award of contract. (FMA, SA, 1997).
Passive design / passive solar design: an integrated building design approach in which thermal energy is collected and stored by natural means. It exploits the orientation of building spaces, the placement of building elements, and the choice of building materials in relation to solar radiation to modify the indoor climate and thermal comfort, and reduce building energy requirements. Passive solar design concentrates on the admission of desirable radiation, the prevention of heat losses, and the storage of excess energy for subsequent use (active solar design uses purpose designed and manufactured systems in addition to the design of the building to make use of solar energy). (Milton 1994, Baggs, 1996).
Passive solar gain: direct admittance of solar heat to a building (usually in winter and usually deliberately) via equator-facing windows, to reduce or eliminate bought heating energy. (AWC, 2000).
Passive system: a system of heating and/or cooling for buildings by natural energy sources without any electrical or mechanical assistance. (Milton, 1994).
Payback period: is a popular non-discounting project selection technique. It is used when organisations require the capital investment of a project to be recovered within a specified period. The payback period of a project is the period it takes for the stream of net cash flows to equal the initial investment. The term is gaining increasing use in the evaluation of sustainable and renewable energy options, wherein 'greenhouse' or greenhouse intensive 'energy' savings which the technology may enable over its useful life, are assessed in relation to the embodied energy required for its manufacture. For renewable energy systems, it can also be used to refer to the period of time over which energy cost savings derived from accessing renewable energy, offset the up-front capital costs of the system. (See Life cycle cost).
Peak cooling load: the delivered cooling capacity (in kW) required to cool the dwelling down to the thermostat setting in one hour on the hottest day in the climate data file.
Peak heating load: the delivered heating capacity (in kW) required to heat the dwelling up to the thermostat setting in one hour on the coldest day in the climate data file.
Performance based contracting: a technique that has been mainly utilised in the energy industry, but has great potential for being applied to many parts of business activity. Under performance based contracting, a third party contractor takes responsibility for the management of a specific part of the business. The contractor adopts the risk for managing that part of the business but also gains financial rewards for making it more efficient. The efficiency gains are shared between the contractor and the owner of the business (Environment Australia, Environet website). (See Energy performance contracting).
Performance based selection: selection of service providers against specified performance targets (such as energy efficient design and operation or other environmental performance criteria), the achievement or exceeding of which are reflected in incentive based remuneration structures.
Performance indicator: a quantitative or qualitative measure of the quality of service, efficiency, productivity or cost-effectiveness of an agency, program, or activity which enables a comparison to be made of performance against a standard (or defined) target or norm.
Photovoltaics: devices which capture photons of light from solar insolation, and convert this light energy into electrical energy (DC current). Typically solid state devices, often made from silicon, photovoltaics are expanding to include technologies based upon a range of thin film and other material technologies.
Physical or technical life: the timespan within which a building meets the technical performance criteria in a given maintenance strategy. .
Planner: a qualified professional engaged in urban and regional and land use related planning activity, such as regional planner, city planner, town planner, and in broader circumstances, the allied tasks of transportation planner, environmental planner, sociologist planner, or economic development planner. (RAPI, 2001).
Pollution control: activities designed to control contamination of the environment. (Milton, 1994).
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): a group of synthetic chlorinated organic compounds, toxic to humans and identified as a carcinogenic substance, that were used mainly in older type electrical capacitors (ballasts) for fluorescent luminaries or in transformers. (Milton, 1994).
Polyurethane (PUR): a common plastic polymer used in the building industry, it was until recently produced via a foaming process using the blowing agent CFC 11 and water. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) are now being phased out in accordance with the Montreal Protocol agreement. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are alternatives to CFCs, and are also powerful greenhouse gases (Institution of Engineers, 1997). (See Chlorofluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons).
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): PVC is used to make a wide variety of building products, the main application being in pipes and associated fittings. A number of adverse environmental impacts are associated with PVC including disposal methods (most Australian building site PVC is disposed of in landfill; heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are added as stabilisers to PVC for some applications), and the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during production and/or from incineration of PVC. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and fired clay are considered by many as preferable alternatives to PVC piping, with both performance and environmental impact advantages (UNESCO, 1995).
Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE): a systematic way of comparing actual building performance with stated performance criteria usually undertaken by organisational or facility managers. POE's are usually undertaken after the building has been occupied for at least one year and seek to measure and evaluate user satisfaction, fitness for purpose (based on client requirements), technical performance and value for money. Although developed in the 1960s, POE is still a young field that requires further research and development and comprehensive application to integrated ESD and energy efficient design initiatives which may need to be explained and promoted to building managers and occupants. (See Extended producer responsibility, Total building commissioning services).
Potable water: water that is satisfactory for drinking, culinary and domestic purposes and meets the requirements of the health authority having jurisdiction. Water fit for human consumption: Water free from impurities that could cause disease or harmful physiological effects. Bacteriological and chemical quality must conform to the regulations of applicable codes. (Stein, 1993).
Primary energy: the energy of a fuel source that has not undergone any processing to alter its nature and convert it into useful energy, such as crude oil or natural gas at the wellhead, or coal at the pit (Milton, 1994). (See Secondary energy).
Process analysis: a method for determining the energy requirements of a particular process, and a limited number of upstream processes.
Process energy: energy input required for a unit process to operate the process or equipment within the process excluding energy inputs for production and delivery of this energy. (AS/NZS ISO 14041 - 1999).
Process Energy Requirement (PER): is that component of the Gross Energy Requirement(GER) of a material or component which directly relates to the manufacture of the material or component. In the absence of comprehensive, comparable and publicly available full life cycle analyses of the embodied energy of building materials and components, PER data is generally more readily accessible and considered a useful basis for comparing building materials and components in terms of their embodied energy. The PER is generally thought be within the vicinity of 50%-80% of the GER (Lawson, 1996). (See Embodied energy).
Product stewardship: managing the life-cycle of a product or service from 'cradle' to 'grave', to systematically limit its direct and indirect impacts on the environment at all stages of that 'life'. It involves taking an holistic approach, and is often underpinned by the related concepts such as Extended Producer Responsibility, Shared Producer Responsibility and Environmental Stewardship (Alsop, 2001). (See Extended producer responsibility, Design-for-life, Life cycle).
Property Council of Australia: The Property Council of Australia is the leading advocate for the Australian property industry.

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Quantity Surveyor (also known as Construction/Building Economist, Construction Cost Manager, Cost Planner or Estimator): one who uses cost management, construction cost data, measurement and building knowledge to produce cost plans, cost estimates, cost audits, contract management, depreciation schedules, feasibility studies and other related management tools for the construction/building process and may prepare schedules of quantities of building work for tender documentation. (AIQS, 2001).

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R-value: a measure of the thermal resistance of a building element or material; the reciprocal of the U-value. Thermal resistance of a window, wall or other building element. Units are m2.K/W [SI units] or ft2.hr.!F/Btu {US units] (AWC, 2000). (See U-value).
Radiative forcing: a change in the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation. Without any radiative forcing, solar radiation coming to the Earth would continue to be approximately equal to the infrared radiation emitted from the Earth. The addition of greenhouse gases traps an increased fraction of the infrared radiation, radiating it back toward the surface and creating a warming influence (i.e., positive radiative forcing because incoming solar radiation will exceed outgoing infrared radiation) (US EPA website). (See Greenhouse gas).
Radiatively active gases: gases that absorb incoming solar radiation or outgoing infrared radiation, thus affecting the vertical temperature profile of the atmosphere. Most commonly cited radiatively active gases are water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone. (See Greenhouse gas, Radiative forcing).
RAIA: Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
Re-manufacturing: industrial system and process whereby products and/or materials are refurbished for the same or a different use; design for re-manufacturing ensures the inclusion of features which enable products to be refurbished, upgraded or manufactured for other use.
Re-use: using a product again for the same or different purpose without further manufacture. (AS 4082 - 1992).
Recyclable: having the potential to be collected, processed and used as a raw material for the manufacture of a useful new product through an existing commercial process. (AS 4082 - 1992).
Recycling: a cyclic process of respecting the ecological integrity of all products, materials and structures (natural or manmade) by extending and/or adapting their form and or use so that their useful material cycle is not terminated via relegation to landfill or incineration. Set of processes (including biological) for converting recovered materials that would otherwise be disposed of as wastes, into useful materials and or products. The following definitions apply: Closed loop recycling - recycling process in which the reclaimed output is used as an input to the same product system. Open loop recycling - recycling process in which the reclaimed output is used as an input to another product system. (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Reflective glass: glass with a metallic coating to reduce solar heat gain. (AWC, 2000).
Refurbishment: the remodelling, refashioning and general renovation of a building, site, product or even social and community infrastructure.
Remediation: the action or measures taken, or to be taken, to lessen, clean-up, remove or mitigate the existence of hazardous materials existing on a property to such standards, specifications or requirements as may be established or required by Federal, State or Local statutes, rules or regulations. (Davidson and Dolnick, 1999).
Renewable energy: any source of energy that can be used without depleting its reserves. For the purposes of the Australian national 2% renewable energy target, renewable energy includes: solar; wind; ocean, wave and tidal; hydro; geothermal; biofuels (landfill gas, biogas, biomass); specified wastes (biomass by-products of agricultural crops but excluding broad-scale land-clearing for agricultural purposes; biomass by-products of sustainably managed forestry operations; biomass by-products of food processing and production industries; sewage treatment; biomass component of mixed municipal wastes; other biomass wastes as approved by the regulator), solar water heating; pump storage hydro; Renewable Stand Alone Power Systems (RAPS); co-firing renewables with fossil fuels; and fuel cells using a renewable fuel. (AGO website, Nov 2000).
Renewable materials: organic materials; i.e., material which contains carbon, can be used as carbon sinks and can degrade. Virtually all renewable materials will burn.
Renewable resource: natural source of material that is capable of regeneration. (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Renovation: renewing the building fabric and installations to their former condition.
Resource depletion: the systematic reduction of finite resources from useful life, by complete consumption or by degrading them (via use or transformation to forms from which they cannot be usefully extracted or remodelled for reuse) or by relegating them to the waste stream.
Resource recovery: process that extracts material or energy from the waste stream (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998). (See Ecodesign / Ecoredesign).
Retrofitting: improving the building fabric and installations for higher performance and new uses.

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Secondary energy: the energy contained in a fuel source at its point of use after processing and distribution. Primary sources such as coal have often been used to generate electricity. Electricity, in turn is a secondary source of energy. When we speak of electricity consumption (e.g., kilowatt hours) we are usually speaking of consumption at the point of use, and thereby fail to account for the energy which is lost in the conversion and for the electrical energy lost in transmission and distribution.
Secondary resources: materials or objects recovered from the waste stream which can be used to provide energy and materials for re-use and recycling. (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Shading Coefficient (SC): the ratio of the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of a glazing system, for a particular angle of incidence, to that of reference, clear single 3mm glass, under the same conditions. The latter has a SHGC of 0.87, so the relationship between SC and SHGC for single glass is SC = SHGC/0.87. (AWC, 2000).
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS): as it relates to people, a term coined over the past 10-15 years to describe conditions of illness or discomfort experienced by occupants in certain office buildings. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, stress, ear, nose and throat irritations, coughs, mental fatigue and general lethargy. Sick Building Syndrome is associated with a combination of factors including poor thermal, visual and aural comfort conditions, and indoor air quality issues such as the presence of volatile organic compounds (e.g., formaldehyde and xylene, off-gassed from materials), other gaseous pollutants, microbiological contamination, dust and fibres and tobacco smoke. Sick Building Syndrome is exacerbated when building occupants lack the ability to perceive natural conditions (daylight) and are unable to control their own internal environment conditions. Design to minimise or mitigate Sick Building syndrome requires a thorough appreciation of the toxicology of all materials and finishes, design for occupant interaction with external and internal environments and enhanced natural ventilation and lighting (Edwards, 1996).
Smartglazing / smart windows: a window whose thermal, solar and light transmitting characteristics can be varied dynamically in response to the application of an electrical signal. (AWC, 2000).
Solar collector: components used in buildings to enable the capture of solar thermal energy for direct heat transfer, for example solar collectors for solar hot water systems or a feature window or space specifically designed to capture solar thermal gain.
Solar control glass: tinted and/or coated glass that reduces the amount of solar heat gain transmitted into the building. (AWC, 2000).
Solar energy: the energy of the sun, which reaches the surface of the earth in the form of visible light, shortwave radiation, and near ultra-violet light.
Solar energy reflectance: in the solar spectrum, the percentage or fraction of solar energy that is reflected from the glass surface(s). (AWC, 2000).
Solar energy transmittance: percentage or fraction of ultraviolet, visible and near infrared energy within the solar spectrum (300 to 2500 nanometres) that is transmitted through the glass. (AWC, 2000).
Solar heat gain: the heat gained due to direct and diffuse radiant energy from the sun, entering a building or falling on a surface and being conducted or radiated to the interior.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): the total solar heat gain divided by exterior solar irradiance. Composed of the solar direct transmittance plus the inward-flowing fraction of absorbed solar energy that is re-radiated, conducted, or connected into the space. Also known as Total Solar Energy Transmittance (TSET). (AWC, 2000).
Solar Heat Gain Factor (SHGF): hourly-averaged solar heat gain in W/m2 through a single 3mm clear glass. Based on average cloudless day and ground reflectance of 0.20 (US and Australian usage). (AWC, 2000).
Solar heating: the use of heat from the sun to heat buildings, through direct solar transfer to a space or via another conduit (e.g., thermal mass such as stone, concrete, water or masonry) which stores and releases heat into spaces over time.
Solar hot water systems: hot water systems in which the primary source of heating is provided by solar collectors which convert solar thermal energy to heat the water or other heat transfer fluids. (See solar collectors).
Solar panels: panels which provide a platform for the interconnection of solar cells. (See Photovoltaics).
Solar power: energy obtained by converting solar energy to other useful forms. Common forms include photovoltaics which convert light energy to electricity, and solar thermal systems, which directly transfer thermal energy to other applications, such as domestic solar hot water systems.
Solar shading: the protection of a building from sunlight radiation by external (and sometimes internal) means of shading. Since the sun moves both seasonally and during the day, such shading is often adjustable. (Edwards, 1996).
Solar thermal: energy produced by using the sun's rays to heat a gas or liquid that then performs useful work, such as powering an electrical generator.
Solar transmittance: fraction of direct-beam solar radiation energy transmitted by a glazing system. Does not include the inward-flowing fraction of the absorbed solar irradiance. (AWC, 2000).
Stack effect ventilation: Stack effect: the draught that is created by warm buoyant air as it rises in a tall confined space such as a chimney, stairwell, atrium or lift shaft. Stack assisted ventilation: the use of the stack effect as a means of naturally ventilating and cooling a building. An example would be the use of a building element such as a stairwell or shaft, with a top vent, air movement across this vent and high temperature at or above roof level - all which would work together to extract hot air out of a space and induct in ground level cool air.
Stand alone power systems: sometimes referred to as 'RAPS' (Remote Area Power Supply) Systems, these systems are not connected to the power distribution systems of an electric supply authority. Stand alone systems are supplied with power from one or more of a number of sources, including, but not limited to, a photovoltaic array, a wind turbine generator, a micro-hydro generator or an engine generator set. (AS 4509.1 - 1999).
Storm water: the runoff due to rainfall from roofed areas, termed roof water, from paved and unpaved areas, termed surface water and from water bearing ground, termed subsoil water. (AS/NZS 3500.0 - 1995).
Superwindows: a highly insulating window, usually employing three or more glazing layers, low-emittance coatings and inert gas fill instead of air. Alternatively may be an evacuated window. U-value is below 1 W/m2.K; visible transmittance and SHGC usually in the range 0.4-0.7. (AWC, 2000).
Supply Chain Management (SCM): improving the processes and relationships that exist to support the provision of goods and services along a supply chain. A supply chain is a group of organisations that contribute to the provision of a final product or service. Environmental gains from supply chain management include greater efficiency in distribution, better environmental management practices and identification of market opportunities for environmentally preferable goods. (Environment Australia, 1999).
Sustainability: Sustainability is an emerging and expanding field of thought, practice, judgement and advocacy involving many stakeholders, interests and points of view. It is many things, including a desired state; a wide ranging web of aptitudes, skills and abilities; an ethical and pragmatic imperative; the sum of the many actions and decisions which are effected daily in everyday life, politics and commercial practice to better sustain wellbeing. Unlike ESD, it is not described in legislation, however in broad terms it shares and is the means by which many of the principles, concepts and objectives of ESD and sustainable development are being put into practice. A complex and contested term, the following is offered as one of many possible descriptions of how a working definition of 'sustainability' might be approached:
Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1990).
Sustainable energy: generally understood to refer to renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives (management approaches, efficient technologies and demand side management initiatives). In the transition to a more sustainable energy society and economy, sustainable energy is also considered by many to include transitional fuels. e.g., natural gas, which in the range of applications to which it can be applied, is generally substantially less greenhouse intensive than other fossil fuels.

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Task lighting: lighting designed to illuminate an area with a higher illuminance at certain specified positions, where work is carried out. Also termed localised lighting (AS 1852 (845) - 1989).
Telecommuting: combination of home-base and office work linked by technology with employees utilising their office space one or more days a week.
Temperature gradient effect: the exploitation of different temperatures of air (and hence density and pressure) to create currents, thereby ventilating a building, usually by natural means (Edwards, 1996). (See stack effect ventilation).
Thermal comfort: a variable level of perceived comfort based upon a combination of metabolism, clothing, skin temperature, room temperature and relative humidity. (Edwards, 1996).
Thermal mass: the availability of a material to act as a storage medium for heat. Measured as a function of its specific heat and its density. Materials suitable for thermal mass are heavy (or dense) materials with the ability to store large amounts of heat energy. In building terms, this translates to elements such as concrete or brick floors, brick, mud brick, rammed earth or water walls. (See passive design, solar heating).
Thermostat setting: the temperature at which artificial heating or cooling is scheduled to operate.
Total building commissioning services: a new type of commercial service now offered in the United States which is designed to encourage and enable compliance with initial design intent for the delivery of energy, ESD and performance objectives across different stages of the procurement and process. (Malin, 2000).
Toxic waste: waste materials that contain toxins or poisonous substances, and which require special precautions for handling and removal. (Milton, 1994).
Transmissivity: a standard measure of the ability of a material to transmit sound or radiation from one side of a material to the other.

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U-value (coefficient of heat transfer): rate of heat flow through a window or other building element, driven by a temperature difference across the element. Measured as heat flow per unit area, per degree of temperature difference. Also called the thermal transmittance or overall heat transfer coefficient. (AWC, 2000).
Ultraviolet radiation (UV): electromagnetic radiation from the sun, with wavelengths shorter than visible light; i.e., below 380 nanometres (AWC, 2000). That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with a wavelength shorter than those of visible light but longer than those of x-rays. Most ultraviolet radiation from the sun is normally absorbed by the stratospheric ozone layer; when it reaches the Earth's surface, it can harm living matter. Exposure to high levels of ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer, cataracts, suppression of the immune system in animals, and leaf damage and reduced yields in some plant crops.
UV block: measures the factor for reduction of damaging ultraviolet radiation that is blocked from being transmitted through glass. (AWC, 2000).

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Vapour barriers: a non-breathable barrier which is impervious to water vapour movement (cf. moisture barrier).
Ventilation: intentional air flow through a building.
Virtual office (workplace): a concept in which employees are free to work anywhere (home, car, hotel, and similar) through the use of portable technology.
Visual comfort: the perception of vision based upon relative brightness, clarity and even colour spread. Generally, glare free conditions and artificial lighting colours close to natural lighting are preferred. (Edwards, 1996).
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): chemicals that contain carbon molecules and are volatile enough to evaporate from material surfaces into indoor air at normal temperatures (referred to as off-gassing); can be natural or synthetic. Examples of building materials which contain VOCs include solvents, paints, stains, adhesives, carpeting, particle-board and other petroleum based products. VOCs can be off-gasses from a variety of interior sources including partitions, floor adhesives and coverings, curtains, upholstery, and newly painted surfaces. These off-gases can contain chemicals such as benzene or formaldehyde which can be toxic or carcinogenic to human health. They also contribute to smog formation in the atmosphere (Willis, A. and Mellick, A, 1999, American Institute of Architects, 1996). (See Sick Building Syndrome).

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Waste: 'waste' represents both an under-utilisation and misuse of resources; associated with wasted energy, health and pollution costs. Materials and energy which have no further use and are released to the environment as a means of disposal (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998). (See Extended Producer Responsibility, life cycle, obsolescence).
Waste avoidance: preventing the generation of waste using practices such as resource conservation and source control. (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Waste management: strategies which will reduce the likelihood of on-site waste being produced, and that deal with waste when it is produced (TEC 1). The concept of 'waste management' is management of the entire process from production to final disposal. (AS/NZS 3831 - 1998).
Waste water: the spent used water of a community or industry which contains dissolved and suspended matter. (AS/NZS 3500.0 - 1995).
Whole-of-life cost: the integration of life cost planning and analysis and Life Cycle Assessment and Analysis in project planning, feasibility assessment, design and management decisions, so that all due economic and environmental costs and considerations are integrated into decision-making processes and delivery and operational practices.
Window labelling: concept and implementation of standards and ratings for energy performance, weather-tightness, structural, acoustic and safety issues for window products. (AWC, 2000).
Windpower: non-continuous renewable form of energy.

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Xeriscaping: landscape design using natural and drought tolerant species of plants and appropriate/efficient water management design. (American Institute of Architects, 1996).

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Zone control (in buildings): the control of conditions, such as temperature, humidity, or air flow with in a portion or zone of an air-conditioned building by means of manual or automatic control devices that are applicable only to that zone.

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A.G. Coombs Building Industry Resources

Glossary