Glossary

The terms below are used throughout the site.

Aerator (faucet)

A device installed at the nozzle end of a facuet that introduces air into the water stream, thereby substantially reducing the water flow.

Biodegradable

Capable of decomposing rapidly by microorganisms under natural conditions, either aerobic or nonaerobic.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting/Bulb (CFL)

A type of fluorescent light bulb that screws into a standard light bulb socket or plugs into a small lightening fixture. CFLs generally have a longer-rated life than traditional light bulbs.

Connectionless steamer

A traditional steamer oven that uses water only as needed as opposed to using a continuous flow of water.

Dual- or triple-paned windows

Windows made with two (or three) sheets of glass for additional insulation.

Incandescent light

A traditional light bulb that uses a heated filament to produce light.

LED

A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent narrow-spectrum light when electrically biased in the forward direction. Typically, LEDs are associated with two-prong connectors.

LEED

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED is a division of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Low-flow toilets

Toilets designed to use 1.6 gallons per flush.

Pre-rinse spray valve

A valve commonly used in restaurants to wash down dishes prior to their placement in a dishwashing system.

Recycled content

The amount of pre- and post-consumer recovered material introduced as feed stock in a material production process (particularly common with paper) and usually expressed as a percentage (e.g., 30 percent post-consumer recycled content).

Unbleached

Paper products that are not bleached using chlorine and typically are brown in color.

Waterless urinal

A men's urinal that uses no water, and instead typically uses a trap system that eliminates the need for flushing.