Glossary

Chilled beam technology: Chilled beam technology is an air-conditioning system that combines radiant cooling and ventilation. The cooling effect is achieved by convection, using finned elements through which water is passed at around 15 to 18°C, with air supplied to rooms through diffusers built into the beams.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes) are a group of chemical compounds consisting of alkanes, such as methane or ethane, with one or more halogens linked such as chlorine or fluorine, making them a type of organic halide.
One major use of CFCs has been as propellants in aerosols. Since the late 1970s, the use of CFCs has been heavily regulated because of their destructive effects on the ozone layer.
ESD: ESD stands for environmentally sustainable design.
Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a colourless, strong-smelling gas widely used to manufacture building materials. Its most significant use is as an adhesive resin in pressed wood products. There are two types of formaldehyde resins: urea formaldehyde (UF) and phenol formaldehyde (PF). Products made of urea formaldehyde can release formaldehyde gas; products made of phenol formaldehyde generally emit lower levels of the gas.
Heat pump water system: A heat pump is essentially a refrigeration system working in reverse. Instead of pumping heat from an evaporator inside the refrigerator to a condenser in the room, the heat pump pumps heat from an evaporator in the atmosphere to a condenser attached to the hot water cylinder.
Laminex MDF: Laminex MDF is a medium-density fibre board made up of wood particles, urea formaldehyde resin, melamine urea formaldehyde resin and paraffin wax.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride): A plastic used in electrical cable insulation, piping and many other building industry applications.
Solid-state, long-life LED lamps: Lighting applications that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or light-emitting polymers are commonly referred to as solid-state lighting.
T5 low-mercury lamps: Linear fluorescent lamps with low mercury content and good light output that is highly energy efficient.
VAV or variable air volume: A technique for controlling the capacity of a heating, ventilating and/or air-conditioning system. The air volume can be varied to meet the rising and falling heat gains or losses within the thermal zone served.
VOCs: VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. They are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapour pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporise and enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The group includes carbon-based molecules such as ketones and hydrocarbons.

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