9 green building and design terms to know
Become a green home expert with this vocabulary roundup of today's industry buzzwords, strategies and methodologies in the building and design community.
Green homes are energy- and water-efficient, create less waste and are healthier for occupants than a standard home. Looking for more? Learn about their benefits and why more homeowners are working to transform their spaces into more sustainable places to live.
1. Biomimicry
Biomimicry is the study and imitation of nature’s systems for solutions to today’s human challenges. It’s based on the idea that nature has already solved the issues that societies worldwide are grappling with, such as energy and transportation.
Derived from the Greek words bios (meaning "life") and mimesis (meaning "to imitate"), the term "biomimicry" gained popularity following Janine Benyus’ 1997 book “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.” Explore how biomimicry can be applied to building design in “Biomimicry: Designing to Model Nature” by Stephanie Vierra of Vierra Design and Education Services, LLC.
2. Embodied energy
Embodied energy is a common term you’ve likely run across in sustainability or building literature. It’s defined as the sum of all energy required to produce any goods or services, including extraction, manufacturing and transportation.
3. Energy Star
Have you been on the lookout recently for energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines or lighting? You’ve probably seen the label Energy Star. Energy Star is a voluntary labeling program created in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify and promote energy-efficient products.
4. Greywater
Greywater, or gray water, is generally referred to as water that’s been used from showers and baths, washing clothes, and doesn’t include toilet waste, according to New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Although the used water may contain grease, food particles and other impurities, it’s still suitable for reuse and is a good source for irrigating landscapes. Visit Greywater Action’s website to learn more about how greywater can help cut water use.
5. Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
The HERS Index is a scoring system developed by RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) that’s used to calculate a home’s energy efficiency. The lower the score, the more energy-efficient the home is. A home’s HERS Index score is generated from the results of an energy rating conducted by a RESNET Home Energy Rater.
6. Life cycle assessment
Life cycle assessment is an evaluation that attempts to identify all environmental effects throughout the life of materials, products or buildings. It looks at all processes and associated inputs and outputs, including material extraction and processing, manufacturing, transportation, maintenance and recycling/disposal, according to the LEED Core Concepts Guide.
7. Passive building
Passive building, based originally on the Passivhaus concept, comprises a set of design principles that aims to promote energy efficiency, according to the Passive House Institute US. It uses five building-science principles:
- Continuous insulation through a building’s entire envelope, without any thermal bridging
- An extremely airtight building envelope that prevents outside air infiltration
- High-performance windows and doors
- Balanced heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation and a minimal space conditioning system
- Solar energy used for heating purposes
8. Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
VOCs are carbon-containing substances that can be present in paints, coatings such as varnishes and cleaning products. They can cause headaches; nausea; and irritation to the respiratory system, skin and eyes, among other ailments. Learn more about how you can avoid VOCs in your home.
9. Zero net energy (ZNE)
Zero net energy means that a building consumes only as much energy as it can produce by renewable methods. In the past few years, the number of buildings achieving zero net energy has increased 74 percent as this concept catches on. The state of California has even set goals for all new residential construction to meet this standard by 2020.
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