|
National Green Building Standard
The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is an ANSI-approved green building certification program, specifically focused on single-family and multi-family residential buildings, remodeling projects, and land developments. In a partnership with the ASHRAE, the International Code Council (ICC), and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NGBS was developed to provide a uniform national platform for recognizing and advancing green residential construction and development. To date, over 100,000 residential units have been certified green with the National Green Building Standard. Rating System The NGBS is a point-based system, wherein a single-family or multifamily building(s) can attain certification depending on the sustainable and green practices included in design and construction, and planned for its operation and maintenance. Projects can qualify for four certification levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald) by earning the required number of points for each ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide. ANSI accredits standards that are developed by representatives of other standards organizations, government agencies, consumer groups, companies, and others. These standards ensure that the characteristics and performance of products are consistent, that people use the same definitions and terms, and that products are tested the same way. ANSI also accredits organizations that carry out product or personnel certification in accordance with requirements defined in international standards. The organization's headquarters are in Washington, D.C. ANSI's operations office is located in New York City. The ANSI annual operating b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Building
Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.Yan Ji and Stellios Plainiotis (2006): Design for Sustainability. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press. The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building also refers to saving resources to the maximum extent, including energy saving, land saving, water saving, material saving, etc., during the whole life cycle of the building, protecting the environment and reducing pollution, providing people with healthy, comfortable and efficient u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Single-family Detached Home
A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelling. Definitions The definition of this type of house may vary between legal jurisdictions or statistical agencies. The definition, however, generally includes two elements: * Single-family (home, house, or dwelling) means that the building is usually occupied by just one household or family, and consists of just one dwelling unit or suite. In some jurisdictions allowances are made for basement suites or mother-in-law suites without changing the description from "single family". It does exclude, however, any short-term accommodation (hotel, motels, inns), large-scale rental accommodation ( rooming or boarding houses, apartments), or condominia. * Detached (house, home, or dwelling) means that the building does not share wall with oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Multi-family Residential
Multifamily residential (also known as multidwelling unit or MDU) is a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can be next to each other (side-by-side units), or stacked on top of each other (top and bottom units). A common form is an apartment building. Many intentional communities incorporate multifamily residences, such as in cohousing projects. Sometimes units in a multifamily residential building are condominiums, where typically the units are owned individually rather than leased from a single apartment building owner. History Before the Industrial Revolution, such examples were rare, existing only in historical urban centers. In Ancient Rome, these are called ''insulae'', skyscrapers in Shibam, malice houses in Madrid, and casbah in the Casbah of Algiers. Examples *Apartment building or block of flats - a building with multiple apartments ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ASHRAE
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE ) is an American professional association seeking to advance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems design and construction. ASHRAE has over 57,000 members in more than 132 countries worldwide. ASHRAE's members are composed of building services engineers, architects, mechanical contractors, building owners, equipment manufacturers' employees, and others concerned with the design and construction of HVAC&R systems in buildings. The society funds research projects, offers continuing education programs, and develops and publishes technical standards to improve building services engineering, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainable development. History ASHRAE was founded in 1894 at a meeting of engineers in New York City, formerly headquartered at 345 East 47th Street, and has held an annual meeting since 1895. Until 1954 it was known as the Ame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Association Of Home Builders
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is one of the largest trade associations in the United States, representing the interests of home builders, developers, contractors, and associated businesses. NAHB is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Overview Founded in 1942, NAHB is a federation of more than 700 state and local home builder associations (HBAs). About a third of the more than 140,000 NAHB members are home builders or remodelers. The rest of the membership works in closely related specialties such as sales and marketing, housing finance, and building materials manufacturing and supply. Each year, NAHB members build approximately 80% of new homes constructed in the United States. NAHB's various groups analyze policy issues, take the industry's story to the public through the media and other outlets, monitor and work toward improving the housing finance system, analyzing and forecasting economic and consumer trends, and educating, training, and disseminating infor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Resource Efficiency
Resource efficiency is the maximising of the supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively, with minimum wasted (natural) resource expenses. It means using the Earth's limited resources in a sustainable manner while minimising environmental impact. Motivation A 2014 report by The Carbon Trust suggested that resource challenges are intensifying rapidly – for example, there could be a 40% gap between available water supplies and water needs by 2030, and some critical materials could be in short supply as soon as 2016. These challenges could lead to disruptions to supply, growing regulatory requirements, volatile fluctuation of prices, and may ultimately threaten the viability of existing business models. Related concepts Resource efficiency measures, methods, and aims are quite similar to those of resource productivity/ resource intensity and of the slightly more environment-inclined concept o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Efficient Energy Use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a thermal comfort. Installing light-emitting diode bulbs, fluorescent lighting, or natural skylight windows reduces the amount of energy required to attain the same level of illumination compared to using traditional incandescent light bulbs. Improvements in energy efficiency are generally achieved by adopting a more efficient technology or production process or by application of commonly accepted methods to reduce energy losses. There are many motivations to improve energy efficiency. Decreasing energy use reduces energy costs and may result in a financial cost saving to consumers if the energy savings offset any additional costs of implementing an energy-efficient technology. Reducing energy use is also seen as a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Efficiency
Water efficiency is the practice of reducing water consumption by measuring the amount of water required for a particular purpose and is proportionate to the amount of essential water used.Vickers, Amy. “Water use and conservation." Amherst, MA Waterplow Press. June 2002. 43 Water use and conservation Water efficiency differs from water conservation in that it focuses on reducing waste, not restricting use. Waterwise Solutions for water efficiency not only focus on reducing the amount of potable water used but also on reducing the use of non-potable water where appropriate (e.g. , [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. By 2015, there were over 80,000 LEED-certified buildings and over 100,000 LEED-accredited professionals. Most LEED-certified buildings are located in major U.S. metropolises. LEED Canada has developed a separate rating system adapted to the Canadian climate and regulations. Some U.S. federal agencies, state and local governments require or reward LEED certification. This can include tax credits, zoning allowances, reduced fees, and expedited permitting. Studies have found that for-rent LEED office spaces generally have higher rents and occupancy rates and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Resource Consumption
Resource consumption is about the consumption of non-renewable, or less often, renewable resources. Specifically, it may refer to: * water consumption * energy consumption ** electric energy consumption ** world energy consumption * natural gas consumption/ gas depletion * oil consumption/oil depletion * logging/deforestation * fishing/ overfishing * land use/land loss or * resource depletion and * general exploitation and associated environmental degradation Measures of resource consumption are resource intensity and resource efficiency. Industrialization and globalized markets have increased the tendency for overconsumption of resources. The resource consumption rate of a nation does not usually correspond with the primary resource availability, this is called resource curse. Unsustainable consumption by the steadily growing human population may lead to resource depletion and a shrinking of the earth's carrying capacity. See also * Ecological footprint *Jevons paradox *Na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Water Efficiency")
.jpg "Click for more on -> Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design")