CHLOROFLUOROCARBON (CFC): Chemical compound found in many aerosol products and manufacturing processes (e.g. foam upholstery cushions); believed to be responsible for depleting the earth’s ozone layer.

CONSERVATION: Minimizing the use of a natural resource, (e.g., water); conservation is an aspect of sustainable resource management.

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (EMF): Produced by high-tension electrical power lines or by the electrical wiring inside of buildings; some research has linked EMF to cancer, miscarriages, and other disorders including tension, irritability, and depression.

EMBODIED ENERGY: Energy required to extract, manufacture, transport, and assemble materials and components.

ENGINEERED LUMBER: Recycled or reconstituted wood materials, may employ laminated wood chips or strands and/or finger joints.

FLY ASH: By-product of coal burning that increases the strength of concrete.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Energy from rock and/or water that is heated by contact with molten rock deep in the earth’s core (i.e., magma). The heat can be extracted and used for space heating or to generate electricity.

GRAY WATER: Wastewater captured from washbasins, bathtubs, showers, and clothes washers; can be recycled to flush toilets or for irrigation.

HARVESTED RAINWATER: Rainwater captured and used for indoor needs and/or irrigation.

HYDROCHLOROFLUOROCARBON (HCFC): Chemical compound used in aerosol cans.

HYDRONIC HEATING: In-floor heating system; hot water is pumped through a thermal mass floor that absorbs the heat and evenly radiates it over an extended period of time.

HYDROPOWER: Production of electricity by harnessing the power of flowing water, usually through the use of a waterwheel.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ): Assessment of the indoor air to determine levels of molds, bacteria, viruses, and chemicals produced by off-gassing of products used in the building or carried into the building by the HVAC system.

LONG LIFE/LOOSE FIT: Built environments that can be easily adapted to new uses in the future; they conserve the energy embodied in their construction and increase the returns on initial investment.

LOW ENERGY/HIGH PERFORMANCE: Built environments designed to use as little energy as possible and minimal or no fossil fuel.

LOW TECH: Anything that doesn’t incorporate sophisticated electronics or mechanisms.

MATERIAL TOXICITY: Toxic affect of materials used in the built environment, ranges from being an irritant to causing severe health problems; such toxins can be delivered through contact, ingestion, or inhalation.

NATURAL DAYLIGHTING: Use of daylight and often direct sunlight in a built environment.

ORGANIC: Anything having an interrelationship with living things. Organic also refers to anything produced or grown naturally, i.e., without chemical enhancement, artificial ingredients, etc.

PASSIVE SOLAR: Technology of heating and cooling a building naturally, through the use of energy efficient materials and proper site placement of the structure.

PHOTOVOLTAICS: Solar panels used to harness the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity that can be stored in batteries and/or used to power electrical systems.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC): Chlorinated vinyl plastic; very durable material used for flexible, vinyl flooring, plastic upholstery, and plastic siding. Produced in a closed process using vinyl chloride, a hazardous material; vapors are toxic during off-gassing and when PVC is burned.

RADIANT HEAT: Flexible tubing is installed under flooring, behind walls, or above the ceiling to circulate warm water used as a heat source.

RAMMED-EARTH HOMES: Buildings made from wall forms filled with earth instead of poured concrete.

RECYCLING: Disassembly of product components so that they can be the raw material for future manufacturing processes.

RENEWABLE: A resource that is replenished through a relatively fast-acting natural process (e.g., sustainable reforesting for lumber production).

REPLENISHABLE: Energy harvested from the sun, wind, or water; materials from renewable sources (e.g., sustainably managed forests) or virtually inexhaustible ones (e.g. mud, clay, sand).

SALVAGED MATERIALS: Reusable materials from carefully demolished and deconstructed buildings.

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC ELECTRICITY: Silicon solar panels that produce electricity that can be immediately used, stored in batteries, or sold back to the utility grid.

SOLAR WATER HEATING: Solar collectors used to convert the sun’s energy into heat for hot water, space heating, or industrial processes. Collectors use light-absorbing plates made of a dark-colored material (e.g., metal, rubber, or plastic) covered with glass. The plates transfer heat to water circulating above or below the plates; heated water can be used immediately or stored for later use.

STRAW-BALE CONSTRUCTION: Building walls are constructed of stacked and tightly-wrapped hay bales that will be coated in mud, plaster, or concrete stucco.

THERMAL MASS: Heat holding capacity of a material; heat is collected and stored (often using masonry or water), then slowly released.

TOTAL LIFE-CYCLE COSTING: Life-cycle analysis that includes social costs and benefits, the ecological impact of the materials, and the recyclability of its components.

TOXIC OFF-GASSING: Harmful vapors produced at room temperature by the drying/curing of building materials (e.g. formaldehyde found in manufactured wood products and carpets; phenol found in fiberglass insulation; volatile organic compounds (VOC) found in paints, adhesives, plastics and synthetics).

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC): Highly evaporative, carbon-based chemical substance, that produces noxious fumes; found in many paints, caulks, stains, and adhesives.

WIND POWER: Energy generated through the use of a turbine that collects wind energy and converts it to electricity.

XERISCAPE: Low-maintenance landscaping that conserves water and protects the environment by using soil analysis, mulch, and appropriate plant selection.