A

Adhesive – any substance that is used to bond one surface to another surface by attachment. (Source:  www.dictionary.com )

Aerosol Adhesive – an adhesive packaged as an aerosol product in which the spray mechanism is permanently housed in a non-refillable can designed for hand-held application without the need for ancillary hoses or spray equipment. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Anti-corrosive paints – A paint formulated with a corrosive-resistant pigment (such as lead chromate, zinc chromate, or red lead) and a chemical- and moisture-resistant binder; used to protect iron and steel surfaces. (Source: www.answers.com)

Aquatic Systems - are ecologically designed treatment systems that utilize diverse community of biological organisms (e.g., bacteria, plants and fish) to treat wastewater to advanced levels. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Assembly Recycled Content - includes the percentages of post-consumer and pre-consumer content.  The determination is made by dividing the weight of the recycled content by the overall weight of the assembly. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

B

Basis of Design - includes all information necessary to accomplish the design intent, including weather data, interior environmental criteria, other pertinent design assumptions, cost goals, and references to applicable codes, standards, regulations and guidelines. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Biodegradable - Capable of decaying through the action of living organisms. (Source: www.merriam-webster.com)  

Breathing Zone –  the region within an occupied space between planes 3 and 72 above the floor and more than 2 feet from the walls or fixed air-conditioning equipment. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

C

Carbon offset - The process of reducing the net carbon emissions of an individual or organization, either by their own actions or through arrangements with a carbon offset provider.  (Source: www.carboncatalog.org)

Car-pool - is an arrangement where two or more people share a vehicle together for transportation. (Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary)

Chain-of-Custody - A document that tracks the movement of a product from it's place of harvest to a vendor and (in the case of wood) is used to verify compliance with FSC Guidelines.  A “vendor” is defined as the company that supplies wood products to the product contractors or subcontractors for on site installation. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Closed Loop Recycling - A product is manufactured, used, made into something else, re-used, and made into something else, and so on.  The “loop” is continued.  (Source: www.visyclosedloop.com)

CO² – carbon dioxide. (Source: Universal Table of Elements) 

CO₂ emissions - The emission of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas harmful to the O-zone, from the use of aerosol cans, motorized vehicles, industry and other sources.  (Source: www.earth-policy.org)

Comfort Criteria – a specific original design conditions that shall at least include temperature, humidity, and air speed as well as outdoor temperature design conditions, outdoor humidity design conditions, clothing, and activity expected.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Composting Toilets - are dry plumbing fixtures that contain and treat human waste via microbiological processes. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Commissioning - is the process of ensuring that systems are designed, installed, functionally tested, and capable of being operated and maintained to perform in conformity with the design intent. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Commissioning Plan - is a document defining the commissioning process, whish is developed in increasing detail as the project progresses through its various phases. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Commissioning Report - is the document that records the results of the commissioning process, including the as-built performance of the HVAC system and unresolved issues. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Commissioning Specification- is the contract document that details the objective, scope and implementation of the construction and acceptance phases of the commissioning process as developed in the design phase commissioning plan. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Commissioning Team- includes those people responsible for working together to carry out the commissioning process. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Conditioned Space – that part of a building that is heated or cooled, or both, for the comfort of occupants. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Connectivity- is a measurement of the functional adjacencies within a reasonable walking distance of a project. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Construction IAQ Management Plan – a document specific to a building project that outlines measures to minimize contamination in the building during construction and to flush the building of contaminants prior to occupancy. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Constructed Wetlands - are engineered systems that are designed to mimic natural wetland treatment properties.  Advanced design incorporate a wide variety of wetland trees, shrubs, and plants while basic systems only include a limited number of vegetation types. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Contaminant – Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water, or soil. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Cradle to Cradle - This is a term coined by MBDC that refers to sustainable products.  Cradle to Cradle is based on a living model for sustainability rather than a dying model.  Literally - a product is born, used, made into something else, re-used, and made into something  else.   (Source: McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.  Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way we Make Things.  New York.  North Point Press 2002.)

Cradle to Grave - This is a term coined by MBDC and refers to products that are born, live a life, and then they die.  (Obsolescence) put in a landfill and takes up resources and space.  Essentially, it is a product that is produced, used for one purpose, then put in a landfill and never used again.  The opposite of closed loop recycling.  (Source: www.epa.gov)

Cutoff Angle- The angle of light distribution from a luminaire, measured upward from nadir, between the vertical axis and the first line at which the bare source (lamp) is not visible. (Source: www.lrc.rpi.edu)

Curfew Hours- are locally determined times when greater lighting restrictions are imposed. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

D

Daylighting- is the controlled admission of natural light into a space through glazing with the intent of reducing or elimination electric lighting.  By utilizing solar light, daylighting creates a simulating and productive environment for building occupants. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Daylight-Responsive Lighting Controls - are photo sensors used in conjunction with other watching and dimming devices that control the amount of artificial lighting in relationship to the amount and quality of natural daylight. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Deforestation - Removal of trees from a forested area without adequate replanting   (Source: www.earth observatory.nasa.gov) 

Depletion time – Also known as Resource Depletion – is the time it takes for a certain percent of a resource to deplete until there is too high of a cost to retrieve any remaining bit of the resource.  (Source:  Earth’s Natural Wealth by David Cohen, May 2007)

Desertification – A phenomenon in which only 10% of the original agricultural land is left in a specific area due to human activities (Source: www.pbs.usgs.gov.)

Design Intent - is a detailed explanation of the ideas, concepts and criteria that are defined by the owner to be important.  This typically is an expansion of the information provided in the owner’s program. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Detention Ponds - A constructed pond that captures storm water runoff for the purposes of retention and treatment. (Source: www.restoringrivers.org)

Downcycling – A recycling process that diminishes the value of the material over time to a point where farther recycling is not possible.  Also, the energy to recycle may be more valuable than the product. It also may cause damaging chemicals and/or emissions to be released into our environment.   ( Source: www.wordie.org)  

Drip Irrigation - is a high-efficiency irrigation methods in which water drips to the soil from perforated tubes or emitters. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

E

Ecological  Footprint - An individual’s average environmental impact in terms of the amount of resources that person uses.  (Source:www.happyplanetindex.org)  

Evapotranspiration- is the loss of water by evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Exfiltration – air leakage outward through cracks and interstices and through ceilings, floors, and walls of a space or building. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Exhaust Air – the air removed from a space and discharged to outside the building by means of mechanical or natural ventilation systems. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

F

Filtration Basins - remove sediment and pollutants from stormwater runoff using a filter media such as sand or gravel.  A sediment trap is usually included to remove sediment from stormwater before filtering to avoid clogging. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Foot-candle (fc)- is a measure of light falling on a given surface.  One foot-candle is equal to the quantity of light falling on a one-square-foot area from a one candela light source at a distance of one foot (which equals one lumen per square foot).  Foot-candle can be measured both horizontally and vertically by a foot-candle or “light meter.” (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Formaldehyde – a naturally occurring VOC found in small amounts in animals and plants, but is carcinogenic and an irritant to most people when present in high concentrations causing headaches, dizziness, mental impairment, and other symptoms. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

F.R.E.S.H.  -  An acronym: Fabrics Re-Defining Environmental Standards for Hospitality.  F.R.E.S.H. is Valley Forge’s environmentally sensitive fabric program. All fabrics are made with a recyclable fiber.  Valley Forge is offering a service to pick-up and facilitates the recycling of all FRESH products when their clients are finished with them.  (Source: www.valleyforge.com) 

Full Cutoff - luminaire has zero candela intensity at an angle of 90 degrees above the vertical axis (nadir or straight down) and at all angles greater than 90degrees from straight down.  Additionally, the candela per 100 lamp lumens does not numerically exceed 100 (10%) at an angle of 80 degrees above nadir.  This applies to all lateral angles around the luminaire. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Functional Performance Testing (FPT)- is the process of determining the ability of the HVAC system to deliver hearing, ventilating and air-conditioning services in accordance with the final design intent. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

G

Generation Offset Technology - Any renewable technology that reduces the demand for electricity at a site where a customer consumes electricity. An example of this technology is solar water heating.  (Source: www.bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov) 

Glare- a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted. (Source: www.dictionary.com)

Global Warming - An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change.  (Source: www.epa.gov) 

Graywater- is defined by the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) in its Appendix G, titled “Gray Water Systems for Single-Family Dwellings” as “untreated household waste water which has not come into contact with toilet waste.  Graywater includes used water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom wash basins, and water from clothes-washer and laundry tubs.  It shall not include waste water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers.” (Source: www.epa.gov)

Green  - Catch all phrase lending a sense of purpose for doing anything even remotely beneficial to the environment.  Good effort and easy to achieve; (Source: www.energypriorities.com) 

Greenhouse  Effect - An atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused by short-wave solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longer-wavelength heat radiation less readily transmitted outward, owing to its absorption by atmospheric carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and other gases; thus, the rising level of carbon dioxide is viewed with concern. Literally it is as if plastic wrap is surrounding the earth and not allowing heat to escape which is resulting in Global Warming.   (Source: www.epa.gov)

Greenwashing - A negative term that environmentalists and other critics use to describe the activity of giving a positive public image to environmentally unsound practices. Literally there are many companies and people selling products as “green.”  Some fabrics that are 10% recycled polyester and 90% regular polyester or some other content may call this attempt “green” but the fabric is not sustainable or recyclable. This also refers to even 100% recycled and sustainable fabrics that on their own are sustainable but have an added finish that is not recyclable.  Such fabrics are rendered non-sustainable and non-recyclable due to the chemical finish they come with and there inability to be used again.  (Source: www.terrachoice.com) 

Greenfield- is undeveloped land or land that has not been impacted by human activity. (Source: www.dictionary.com)

Green Seal – an independent nonprofit organization that promotes the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

H

High Occupancy Vehicles- are vehicles with more that one occupant. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

HVAC Systems – include heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems used to provide thermal comfort and ventilation for building interiors. (Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary )

I

Illuminance - is the amount of light falling on a surface, measured in units of foot-candles (fc) or lux (lx). (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Impervious Surfaces - promote runoff of precipitation volumes instead of infiltration into the subsurface.  The imperviousness or degree of runoff potential can be estimated for different surfaces materials. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Individual Occupant Spaces – typically private offices and open office plans with workstations. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Indoor Air Quality – the nature of air inside the space that affects the health and wellbeing of building occupants. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Infiltration – air leakage inward through cracks and interstices and through ceilings, floors, and walls of a space or building. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Infiltration Basins and Trenches- are devices used to encourage subsurface infiltration of runoff volumes through temporary surface storage.  Basins are ponds that can store large volumes of stormwater.  They need to drain within 72 hours to maintain aerobic conditions and to be available for the next storm event.  Trenches are similar to infiltration basins except that they are shallower and function as a subsurface reservoir for stormwater volumes.  Pretreatment to remove sediment and oil may be necessary to avoid clogging of infiltration devices.  Infiltration trenches are more common in areas where infiltration basins are not possible. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

L

Laminate Adhesive – an adhesive used in wood/agrifiber products. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Landfill- is a waste disposal site for the deposit of solid waste from human activities. (Source: www.dictionary.com)

LEED  - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - LEED is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance buildings.  Lifecycles LEED certification points are given to buildings not products.  (Source: www.usgbc.org/leed)  

Life Cycle Assessment -  Systematic process that examines the environmental impacts of a product or service system throughout its life cycle.  (Source: www.epa.gov)   

Light Pollution - The illumination of the night sky caused by artificial light sources on the ground. (Source:  www.wro.org)

Light Trespass - When a bright, uncontrolled lighting installation occurs near residential areas, the tranquility of the nighttime environment is disturbed and the quality of life diminished. (Source: www.volt.org) 

Luminance - is what we commonly call brightness or the light coming from a surface or light source.  Luminance is composed of the intensity of light striking an object or surface and amount of that light reflected back toward the eye.  Luminance is measured in candela per square meter (cd/m2) or foot lamberts (fl). (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

M

Makeup Air – The volume of air required to replace air exhausted from a given space. (Source: www.answers.com)

MBDC - Is the leading private firm serving industry’s sustainable goals and criteria.  MBDC is an acronym for McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry.  (Source: www.mbdc.com)  

Mechanical Ventilation – The use of fans and intake and exhaust vents to mechanically distribute ventilation and other conditioned air. (Source: www.egreenideas.com)

N

Natural Ventilation – The process of air moving into and out of a building through intentional routes without the assistance of mechanical equipment. (Source: www.egreenideas.com)

Non-Occupied Spaces – include all rooms used by maintenance personnel that are not open for use by occupants.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Non-porous Sealant – a substance used as a sealant on non-porous materials.  Non-porous materials do not have opening in which fluids may be absorbed or discharged. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Non-Regularly Occupied Spaces – include corridors, hallways, lobbies, break rooms, copy rooms, storage rooms, kitchens, etc. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Nontoxic - Not producing or resulting from poison. (Source: www.answers.com) 

Non-Water Using Urinals - are dry plumbing fixtures that use advanced hydraulic design and a buoyant fluid to maintain sanitary conditions. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

O

Occasional Furniture – furniture located in lobbies and in conference rooms. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Occupied Zone – the region normally occupied by people within a space, generally considered to be between the floor and 6 feet above the floor and more than 3.3 feet from outside walls/windows or fixed heating, ventilating or air-conditioning equipment and 1 foot from internal walls. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

On-Site Wastewater Treatment - uses localized treatment systems to transport, store, treat and dispose of wastewater volumes generated on the project site. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)]

Organic - Noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds that is comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals. (Source: www.merriam-webster.com)

P

Phenol Formaldehyde - off-gasses only at high temperature, is used for exterior products, although many of those products are suitable for interior applications. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Plug Load - refers to all equipment that is plugged into the electrical system, from office equipment to refrigerators. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Porous Pavement and Permeable Surfaces - are used to create permeable surfaces that allow runoff to infiltrate into the subsurface.  These surfaces are typically maintained with a vacuuming regime to avoid potential clogging and failure problems. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Porous Sealant – a substance used as a sealant on porous materials.  Porous materials have tiny openings, often microscopic, in which fluids may be absorbed or discharged.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006)

Post-Consumer Recycled Content - is consumer waste that has become a raw material (feedstock) for another product.  It originates from products that have served a useful purpose in the consumer market. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Potable Water- Water of a quality suitable for drinking.  (Source: www.groundwater.org) 

Pre-Consumer Content - previously referred to as Post-Industrial Content, is output from a process that has not been used as part of a consumer product that is sold, traded, or exchanged under commercial terms as feedstock for another industrial process, and that would otherwise be land filled, incinerated or somehow disposed of as waste, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Primer – a material applied to a substrate to improve adhesion of subsequently applied adhesive. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

R

Rated Power - is the nameplate power on a piece of equipment.  It represents the capacity of the unit and is the maximum a unit will draw. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Re-circulated Air – the air removed from a space and reused as supply air.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Recycling - is a collection, reprocessing, marketing and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Refurbished Materials - include those materials that have been restored to serve in place of a new item.  The refurbishing typically includes replacement of worn and non-functioning parts, and possibly refinishing. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Regionally Extracted Materials - must have their source as a raw material from within a 500-mile radius of the project site. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Regionally Manufactured Materials - must be assembled as a finished product within a –mile radius of the project site.  Assembly does not include on-site assembly, erection or installation of finished components. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Relative Humidity –  the ratio of partial density of water vapor at the same temperature and the same total pressure.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Remediation - Cleanup or other methods used to remove or contain a toxic spill or hazardous materials from a Superfund site. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Renewable Energy Credit (REC or credit) - An REC represents one megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy that is physically metered.  (Source: www.nativeenergy.com)  

Renewable Energy Technology - Any technology that exclusively relies on an energy source that is naturally regenerated over a short time and derived directly from the sun, indirectly from the sun, or from moving water or other natural movements and mechanisms of the environment. Renewable energy technologies include those that rely on energy derived directly from the sun, on wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave, or tidal energy, or on biomass or biomass-based waste products, including landfill gas. A renewable energy technology does not rely on energy resources derived from fossil fuels, or waste products from inorganic sources.  (Source: www.rockymtnpower.net)  

Renewable Resource - Any natural resource that can replenish itself naturally over time, as wood or solar energy (Source: www.eia.doe.gov)  

Return Air - the air removed from a space to be then re-circulated or exhausted. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Reuse - Using a product or component of municipal solid waste in its original form more than once. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Reused or Salvaged Materials - include recovered construction materials reused in the project.  Common salvaged materials include structural beams and posts, flooring, doors, cabinetry, brick, and decorative items.  Items that were never placed into service but are being re-sold, are not salvaged materials.  The Synergies and Trade-Offs section above provides detail on how the materials in this credit relate to other LEED for Commercial Interiors credit. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

S

Sealant – any material with adhesive properties that is formulated primarily to fill, seal, or waterproof gaps or joints between two surfaces. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Seating – task and guest chairs used with systems furniture. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Shielding - is a non-technical tern that describes devices or techniques that are used as part of a luminaire or lamp to limit glare, light trespass and/or sky glow. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Site Area - is the total area within the legal property boundaries of a building and encompasses all areas of the site including constructed areas and non-constructed areas.  This is also called the “property area.” (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Site Assessment - is an evaluation of above-ground (including facilities) and subsurface characteristics, including the geology and hydrology of the site, to determine if a release has occurred, as well as the extent and concentration of the release.  Information generated during a site assessment is used to support remedial action decisions. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Sky Glow - Illumination of the night sky by electric lights, as in an urban area. (Source:  www.answers.com)

Solar Reflectance - is the ratio of the reflected electromagnetic energy to the incoming electromagnetic energy.  A reflectance of 100% means that all of the energy striking a reflecting surface is reflected back into the atmosphere and none of the energy is absorbed by the surface. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) - SRI is a yardstick that compares different materials based on their reflectance and emissivity characteristics.  The Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) calculation is based on the relative temperature (Ts) of a surface of a specific material with respect to standard white (SRI = 100) and standard black (SRI = 0) under standard solar and ambient conditions.  The SRI calculation allows equivalent comparison of materials having a lower reflectivity but higher emissivity with materials having a high reflectivity but lower emissivity.  Higher SRIs are “cooler” than lower SRIs.  SRI can also be determined by laboratory testing, using ASTM Standard E1980-01 Standard Practice for Calculating Solar Reflectance Index of Horizontal and Low Sloped Opaque Surfaces. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Square Footage - a building is the total area in square feet of all rooms including corridors, elevators, stairwells and shaft spaces. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Stormwater Runoff - precipitation that does not infiltrate into the ground or evaporate due to impervious land surfaces but instead flows onto adjacent land or water areas and is routed into drain/sewer systems. (Source: www.aquatechnologies.com)

Supply Air – air delivered in a conditioned space through ducts or plenums from the heat exchanger of a heating, cooling or ventilation system. (Source: www.whinspection.com)

Sustainability - Meeting Humanity's needs without harming future generations.  In other words,  Making products and recycling, without destroying resources or releasing toxins that will hurt the environment we will pass on to our children and grandchildren.  (Source: www.epa.gov/Sustainability)  

Sustainable Forestry - the practice of managing forest resources to meet the long-term forest product needs of humans while maintaining the biodiversity of forested landscapes.  The primary goal is to restore, enhance and sustain a full range of forest values – economic, social, and ecological. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Systems Furniture – either a panel-based workstation comprised of modular interconnecting panels, hang-on components and drawer/filing components or a free-standing grouping of furniture items and their components that have been designed to work in concert.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

T

Tertiary Treatment - Advanced cleaning of wastewater that goes beyond the secondary or biological stage, removing nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and most BOD and suspended solids. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Thermal Comfort – a condition of mind experienced by building occupants expressing satisfaction with the thermal environment.  (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Thermal Emittance - is the ration of the radiant heart flux emitted by a sample to that emitted by a blackbody radiator at the same temperature. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Tipping Fees - a fee assessed for waste disposal in a sanitary landfill, waste-to-energy plant, or composting facility for a given amount of waste, usually in dollars per ton. Fees are established based on disposal facility costs and the amount disposed of at the facility. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Total Phosphorous (TP) - consists of organically bound phosphates, poly-phosphates and orthophosphates in stormwater, the majority of which originates from fertilizer application.  Chemical precipitation is the typical removal mechanism for phosphorous. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Total Suspended Solids (TSS)- A measure of the amount of small, particulate solid pollutants that are suspended in wastewater. (Source: www.epa.gov)

Tragedy of the Commons - The effect in which each person in a population uses a certain amount of resources with no regard to other people using the same resource, leads to a population with very small amounts of a renewable/nonrenewable resource (Source: www.seedmagazine.com) 

U

Urea Formaldehyde – a thermosetting synthetic resin made by condensing urea with formaldehyde. (Source: www.merriam-webster.com)

V

Vegetated Filter Strips and Grassed Swales - utilize vegetation to filter sediment and pollutants from stormwater.  Strips are appropriate for treating low-velocity surface sheet flows in areas where runoff is not concentrated.  They are often used as pretreatment for other stormwater measures such as infiltration basins and trenches.  Swales consist of a trench or ditch with vegetation and require occasional mowing.  They also encourage subsurface infiltration similar to infiltration basins and trenches. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

Ventilation – is the process of supplying and removing air to and from a space for the purpose of controlling air contaminant levels, humidity or temperature within the space. 

Verification - includes the full range of checks and tests carried out to determine if all components, subsystems, systems, and interfaces between systems operate in accordance with the contract documents.  In this context, “operate” includes all modes and sequences of control operation, interlocks and conditional control responses to abnormal or emergency conditions. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

VOC – Volatile Organic Compounds - Organic substances capable of entering the gas phase from either a liquid or solid form. (Source: www.egreenideas.com)

W

Weathered Radiative Properties - refer to the solar reflectance and thermal emittance of a roofing product after three years of exposure to the weather. (Source: LEED CI 2.0 Reference Guide 2006) 

X

Xeriscape - a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques.  (Source: www.merriam-webster.com)