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Glossary

Drainage swale
A drainage swale is a shaped and sloped depression in the soil surface used to convey water run-off to a desired location.
ESD
ESD stands for environmentally sustainable design.
Grey water
Grey water is wash water, that is, all waste water except for toilet waste and food waste derived from garbage grinders. In the context of this document, it also refers to rainwater.
Outdoor air economy cycle operation
An outside air economy cycle can be used by an air-conditioning system to provide the majority of a building’s cooling requirements over a year. It uses outside air when ambient conditions are mild instead of the usual varying percentage of recycled air.
Photocell switch
A photocell switch is used to maintain a standard intensity of light. It senses the intensity of the natural or ambient light and adjusts the intensity of the electrical light to suit.
Rain garden
A rain garden is a planted depression that is designed to take all, or as much as possible, of the excess rainwater run-off from a house or other building and its associated landscape.
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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