Page 461 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers

Definitions 421

Ecosystem ‘A basic unit of nature that includes a community of organisms and their
nonliving environment linked by biological, chemical, and physical processes.’
Embodied Energy ‘Energy that is used during the entire life cycle of the commodity for
manufacturing, transporting and disposing of the commodity as well as the inherent energy
captured within the product itself.’
Emissivity ‘The ratio of the radiation emitted by a surface to the radiation emitted by a black
body at the same temperature.’
Endangered Species ‘An animal or plant species that is in danger of becoming extinct
throughout all or significant portion of its range due to harmful human activities or
environmental factors.’

Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) ‘Installations of equipment or systems, or modifications
of equipment or systems, for the purpose of reducing energy use and/or costs.’
Energy Star ‘The rating a building earns using the ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager to
compare building energy performance to that of similar buildings in similar climates. A
score of 50 represents average building performance.’
Environmental Attributes of Green Power ‘Emission reduction benefits that result from green
power being used instead of conventional power sources.’

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) ‘Also known as secondhand smoke, consists of airborne
particles emitted from the burning end of cigarettes, pipes and cigars, and exhaled by
smokers. These particles contain about 4000 different compounds, up to 40 of which are
known to cause cancer.’
Environmentally Preferable Products ‘Products identified as having a lesser or reduced effect
on health and the environment when compared with competing products that serve the
same purpose.’
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing ‘A U.S. federalwide program (Executive Order 13101)
that encourages and assists executive agencies in the purchasing of environmentally
preferable products and services.’
Erosion ‘A combination of processes in which materials of the earth’s surface are loosened,
dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by natural agents (such
as water, wind, or gravity).’

Exhaust Air ‘The air removed from a space and discharged to outside the building by means
of mechanical or natural ventilation systems.’
Ex Situ Remediation ‘Removal of contaminated soil and groundwater. Treatment of the
contaminated media occurs in another location, typically a treatment facility. A traditional
method of ex situ remediation is pump-and-treat technology that uses carbon filters and
incineration. More advanced methods of ex situ remediation include chemical treatment or
biological reactors.’
Flat Coatings ‘Coatings that register a gloss of less than 15 on an 85-degree meter or less
than 5 on a 60-degree meter.’

Fly Ash ‘The solid residue derived from incineration processes. Fly ash can be used as substitute
for portland cement in concrete.’ Concrete is frequently made with around 25 percent by
weight of its cementitious material as fly ash with the remainder portland cement.