SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

Indicators and Terminologies in Sustainable Architecture

DR AVLOKITA AGRAWAL
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

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 Carbon footprint
• A carbon footprint is historically defined as
the total emissions caused by an individual,
event, organization, or product, expressed as
carbon dioxide equivalent.
• A measure of the total amount of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions
of a defined population, system or activity,
considering all relevant sources, sinks and
storage within the spatial and temporal
boundary of the population, system or
activity of interest. Calculated as carbon
dioxide equivalent using the relevant 100-
year global warming potential (GWP100).

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http://www.footprintcalculator.org

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 Environmental Footprint
This is the environmental impact determined by
the amount of depletable raw materials and
nonrenewable resources consumed to make
products (including structures), and the quantity
of wastes and emissions generated in the
process.

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the Three R’s of Sustainability
Reduce
•to use fewer resources in the first place. It takes
resources to manufacture, transport, and dispose of
products, so reduction minimizes the use of new
resources.

Reuse
•Use materials more than once in their original form
instead of throwing them away after each use. Reuse
keeps new resources from being used for a while
longer, and old resources from entering the waste
stream.

Recycle
•Converting waste materials into new products,
changing them from their original form by physical and
chemical processes. Although recycling uses energy, it
helps to prevent new resources from being used and
old materials from entering the waste stream.

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Renewable & Recyclable Resources
• Recycling is the practice of transforming waste
products into new supplies and products.
• Renewable resources are resources that have
the capability to be naturally and organically
replaced in a set time period.

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 Circular economy
• A circular economy is an economic system aimed
at minimising waste and making the most of
resources. In a circular system resource input and
waste, emission, and energy leakage are
minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing
energy and material loops; this can be achieved
through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair,
reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and
recycling.

• This regenerative approach is in contrast to the

traditional linear economy, which has a 'take,
make, dispose' model of production.

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 Life Cycle Assessment
Life-cycle assessment is a
technique to assess
environmental impacts
associated with all the stages
of a product's life from raw
material extraction through
materials processing,
manufacture, distribution,
use, repair and maintenance,
and disposal or recycling.

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 Cradle-to-grave
• Cradle-to-grave is the full Life Cycle Assessment from
resource extraction ('cradle') to use phase and disposal
phase ('grave'). For example, trees produce paper, which
can be recycled into low-energy production cellulose
(fiberised paper) insulation, then used as an energy-saving
device in the ceiling of a home for 40 years, saving 2,000
times the fossil-fuel energy used in its production. After 40
years the cellulose fibers are replaced and the old fibers are
disposed of, possibly incinerated. All inputs and outputs are
considered for all the phases of the life cycle.

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 Cradle-to-gate
• Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial
product life cycle from resource extraction
(cradle) to the factory gate (i.e., before it is
transported to the consumer). The use phase and
disposal phase of the product are omitted in this
case. Cradle-to-gate assessments are sometimes
the basis for environmental product declarations
(EPD) termed business-to-business EPDs.
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 Cradle-to-cradle
• Cradle to Cradle Design™ (also referred to as Cradle to Cradle, C2C,
cradle 2 cradle, or regenerative design) is a biomimetic approach to
the design of products and systems that models human industry on
nature's processes viewing materials as nutrients circulating in
healthy, safe metabolisms. The term itself is a play on the popular
corporate phrase "Cradle to Grave," implying that the C2C model is
sustainable and considerate of life and future generations (i.e. from
the birth, or "cradle," of one generation to the next versus from
birth to death, or "grave," within the same generation.)

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 Gate-to-gate
• Gate-to-gate is a partial LCA looking at only
one value-added process in the entire
production chain. Gate-to-gate modules may
also later be linked in their appropriate
production chain to form a complete cradle-
to-gate evaluation.

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 Economic input–output life cycle
assessment
• Economic input–output LCA (EIOLCA) involves
use of aggregate sector-level data on how
much environmental impact can be attributed
to each sector of the economy and how much
each sector purchases from other sectors.

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 Ecologically based LCA
• While a conventional LCA uses many of the same
approaches and strategies as an Eco-LCA, the
latter considers a much broader range of
ecological impacts. It was designed to provide a
guide to wise management of human activities by
understanding the direct and indirect impacts on
ecological resources and surrounding ecosystems.
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 Life Cycle Energy
• Life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) is an approach in
which all energy inputs to a product are
accounted for, not only direct energy inputs
during manufacture, but also all energy inputs
needed to produce components, materials and
services needed for the manufacturing process.
An earlier term for the approach was energy
analysis.
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 Energy recovery
If materials are incinerated during the disposal
process, the energy released during burning can
be harnessed and used for electricity
production. This provides a low-impact energy
source, especially when compared with coal and
natural gas

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 Life Cycle Cost
• Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA)
is a tool to determine the
most cost-effective option
among different competing
alternatives to purchase, own,
operate, maintain and, finally,
dispose of an object or process,
when each is equally
appropriate to be implemented
on technical grounds.

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 ISO 15686
• ISO 15686 is the in development ISO standard dealing with service life
planning. It is a decision process which addresses the development of
the service life of a building component, building or other constructed
work like a bridge or tunnel. Its approach is to ensure a proposed design
life has a structured response in establishing its service life normally from
a reference or estimated service life framework.
• Then in turn secure a life-cycle cost profile (or Whole-life cost when called
for) whilst addressing environmental factors like life cycle
assessment and service life care and end of life considerations
including obsolescence and embodied energy recovery.
• Service life planning is increasingly being linked with sustainable
development and wholelife value.

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 Design for the Environment
• Design for the
Environment (DfE) is a
design approach to reduce
the overall human health
and environmental impact
of a product, process or
service, where impacts are
considered across its life
cycle.

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 Waste Stream Reduction
• Waste stream reduction is focused on making
new products from discarded used products.
We are all learning that recycling is a
beneficial and valuable process. Recycling
programs include water, plastic, metals, and
many other materials.

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 Embodied Energy
• Embodied energy is the
sum of all the energy
required to produce any
goods or services,
considered as if that
energy was incorporated
or 'embodied' in the
product itself.
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 Ecodesign
• Ecodesign is an approach to
designing products with special
consideration for the
environmental impacts of the
product during its whole lifecycle.
In a life cycle assessment, the life
cycle of a product is usually An electric wire reel reused as a center table in a
divided into procurement, Rio de Janeiro decoration fair. The reuse of
materials is a sustainable practice that is rapidly
manufacture, use, and disposal. growing among designers in Brazil.

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 Environmental effect analysis
• One instrument to identify the factors that
are important for the reduction of the
environmental impact during all lifecycle
stages is the environmental effect analysis
(EEA).

• For an EEA the following are taken into

account:
– Customers' wishes An electric wire reel reused as a center table in a

– Legal requirements, market requirements

Rio de Janeiro decoration fair. The reuse of
materials is a sustainable practice that is rapidly
(competitors) growing among designers in Brazil.

– Data concerning the product and the

manufacturing process

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 Water footprint
• The water footprint shows the extent of water use in
relation to consumption by people.
• The water footprint of an individual, community or
business is defined as the total volume of fresh water
used to produce the goods and services consumed by
the individual or community or produced by the
business. Water use is measured in water volume
consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of
time.
• A water footprint can be calculated for any well-
defined group of consumers (e.g., an individual,
family, village, city, province, state or nation) or
producers (e.g., a public organization, private
enterprise or economic sector), for a single process
(such as growing rice) or for any product or service.

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 Carbon Offset
A unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is
reduced, avoided, or sequestered to
compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere
(World Resources Institute)

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 Ozone depletion
Destruction of the earth's ozone layer by the
photolytic breakdown of chlorine and/or bromine
containing compounds (chlorofluorocarbons or
CFCs) which catalytically decompose ozone
molecules. Commonly used as refrigerants, CFCs
have been found to damage the stratospheric
ozone layer, creating holes and allowing harmful
ultraviolet radiation to leak through.
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 Sick Building Syndrome
A building whose occupants experience acute
health and/or comfort affects that appear to be
linked to time spent therein, but where no
specific illness or cause can be identified.
Complaints may be localized in a particular room
or zone, or may spread throughout the building
and may abate on leaving the building.
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 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Stable, artificially created chemical compounds
containing carbon, chlorine, fluorine and
sometimes hydrogen. Chlorofluorocarbons, used
primarily to facilitate cooling in refrigerators and
air conditioners, deplete the stratospheric ozone
layer that protects the earth and its inhabitants
from excessive ultraviolet radiation.
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 Greenfield & Brownfield
• The Greenfield project means that a work which
is not following a prior work. In infrastructure the
projects on the unused lands where there is no
need to remodel or demolish an existing
structure are called Green Field Projects. The
projects which are modified or upgraded are
called brownfield projects.
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 EPI
• Energy performance index (EPI) is
total energy consumed in a building over a
year divided by total built up area in kWh/sq
m/year and is considered as the simplest and
most relevant indicator for qualifying a
building as energy efficient or not.

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 Circles of Sustainability
Circles of Sustainability is a
method for understanding and
assessing sustainability, and for
managing projects directed
towards socially Sustainable
outcomes.
It is intended to handle
'seemingly intractable problems'
such as outlined
insustainable development
debates.
A Circles of Sustainability representation for Melbourne in 2011.
Image credits: SaintGeorgeIV

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Thank you

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 Surface – Volume Ratio
• Surface-Area-To-Volume
Ratio / Building Shape.
Thesurface area to volume ratio (S/V)
is an important factor for the
performance of a building. The
greater the surfacearea, the greater
the potential heat gain or loss
through it. Consequently, a small
S/V ratio implies minimum heat gain
and heat loss.

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 Raidly Renewable Materials
• Rapidly renewable materials and products are
made from plants that typically are harvested
within a tenyear cycle.
• The goal of using materials with rapidly
renewable content is to reduce the use of
resources with high environmental value.
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 Low- Flow Fixtures
• Low-flow fixtures are
plumbing fixtures that use
significantly less water than
conventional fixtures. They
include toilets, urinals,
showerheads, andfaucets.
Typically, a low-flow fixture will
reducewater consumption by at
least 20% when compared to
conventional fixtures.
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 Window to Wall Ratio
Window area or window-to-wall ratio (WWR) is an
important variable affecting energy performance in a
building. Window area will have impacts on the building's
heating, cooling, and lighting, as well as relating it to the
natural environment in terms of access to daylight,
ventilation and views. The window-to-wall ratio is the
measure of the percentage area determined by dividing
the building's total glazed area by its exterior envelope
wall area.

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 Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
• The SHGC is the fraction of
incident solar radiation admitted
through a window, both directly
transmitted and absorbed and
subsequently released
inward.SHGC is expressed as a
number between 0 and 1. The
lower a window's solar heat gain
coefficient, the less solar heat it
transmits.

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 Alternative fuel
• Low-polluting, nongasoline fuels such as
electricity, hydrogen, propane, compressed
natural gas, liquid natural gas, methanol, and
ethanol

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 alternative water source
• nonpotable water from other than public
utilities, on-site surface sources, and
subsurface natural freshwater sources.
Examples include graywater, on-site reclaimed
water, collected rainwater, captured
condensate, and rejected water from reverse
osmosis systems.
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 annual sunlight exposure (ASE)
• a metric that describes the potential for visual
discomfort in interior work environments. It is
defined as the percentage of an analysis area
that exceeds a specified direct sunlight
illuminance level more than a specified
number of hours per year.

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 Non Renewable Reource
• A resource that cannot be replaced in the
environment because it forms at a rate far
slower than its consumption.

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 Bio-degradable Waste
• Waste material composed primarily of
constituent parts that occur naturally, are able
to be decomposed by bacteria or fungi, and
are absorbed into the ecosystem. Wood, for
example, is biodegradable, while plastics are
not.

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 Post-consumer Recycled Content
• A product composition that contains some
percentage of material that has been
reclaimed from the same or another end use
at the end of its former, useful life.

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 R- Value
• A measure of effectiveness in stopping heat
transfer, most often used to indicate the
effectiveness of insulation. The higher the
number the less heat transfer there is. The R-
value is the reverse of U-factor.

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 U-Value
• The rate at which at which an object conducts
non-solar heat. It is the inverse of R-value. The
lower the U-factor number, the better heat
will be retained during cold weather.

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 Cubic ft./min. (CFM)
• Cubic feet per minute is a common measure
of airflow.

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 Recycling
Process by which materials that would
otherwise become solid waste are collected,
separated or processed and returned to the
economic mainstream to be reused in the form
of raw materials or finished goods.

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 Renewable Resources
A resource that can be replenished at a rate
equal to or greater than its rate of depletion;
i.e., solar, wind, geothermal and biomass
resources.

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Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)

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Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)
SEER is a rating system for cooling equipment.
The national efficiency standard for air
conditioners and heat pumps is currently 12.0.

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 Embodied Energy
• Embodied energy is defined as the commercial energy
(fossil fuels, nuclear, etc) that was used in the work to
make any product, bring it to market, and dispose of it.
Embodied energy is an accounting methodology which
aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for
an entire product lifecycle. This lifecycle includes raw
material extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly,
installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or
decomposition

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Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV)
ERV is the process of using the energy contained in
the air of a building to treat and condition the
incoming outdoor air in residential and commercial
systems. During the warmer seasons the system will
cool and dehumidify). It will humidify and heat air
in the cooler seasons. Energy recovery improves
indoor air quality and reduces demand on HVAC
equipment. See HRV.
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 Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV)
An HRV, also known as Mechanical ventilation heat
recovery, or MVHR, is an energy recovery system,
using equipment known as a heat recovery
ventilator, heat exchanger, air exchanger or air-to-
air exchanger. HRV provides fresh air and improved
climate control, while also saving energy by
reducing the heating (or cooling) requirements. See
also ERV.
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 Total Environmental Impact (TEI)
The total change on the environment, whether
adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially
resulting from human activity, industry or
natural disasters.

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 Fly Ash
It is a fine, glass-like powder recovered from the
gases of burning coal during the production of
electricity. When mixed with lime and water fly ash
forms a cement-like compound with properties very
similar to that of Portland cement. Concrete made
with fly ash is denser, resulting in a tighter,
smoother surface with less bleeding. Fly Ash
concrete offers a distinct architectural benefit with
improved textural consistency and sharper detail.
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 Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Its purpose is to coordinate the development
of forest management standards throughout
the different bio-geographic regions of the
U.S., to provide public information about
certification and FSC, and to work with
certification organizations to promote FSC
certification in the U.S.
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Geothermal or Ground-source system
A home heating and cooling system that draws
upon the relatively constant temperatures
beneath the ground to condition the inside of a
structure. Geothermal power is considered
sustainable because the heat extraction is small
compared to the Earth’s heat content.

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 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
ASHRAE defines acceptable indoor air quality as
air in which there are no known contaminants at
harmful concentration levels.

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 Low-emissive (Low-e) coating
A coating on widow glazing that permits most of
the sun’s short-wave light to enter while
blocking up to 90% of the long-wave light. Low-
emissive coatings raise a window’s R-value and
reduces its U-factor.

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 Volatile Organic Compound (VOC’s)
VOC’s are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOC’s include
a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term
adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOC’s are consistently
higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOC’s are
emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands.
Examples include: fuels, paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning
supplies, pesticides, building materials, carpeting and furnishings,
office equipment such as copiers and printers, graphics and craft
materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and
photographic solutions.

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 Green roof
A growing roof system using a specialized undercarriage for the
waterproof membrane and excess water removal. Various types of
vegetation in a special growing medium help to replace displaced
vegetation in the building footprint as well as greatly reduce the heat-
island effect of a roof, especially in hot climates. Depending on the
species of plants chosen, significant increases in watering
requirements may be required. On the other hand, on large walkable
roofs, pleasing garden atmospheres can be created, and watering
requirements can be reduced by the installation of stormwater-
recovery systems. Green roofs can also regulate the flow of excessive
stormwater by metering the release of the water from the roof area.

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 Heat-island effect
As cities replace natural landscaping with streets, buildings and other
infrastructure, the average ambient temperatures within these areas
begin to rise, as much as 10 degrees F higher than in less developed
rural areas. This increases the need for cooling energy; can exacerbate
pollution problems; and may contribute to the problem of global
warming. Heat islands can be effectively reduced by shading streets
with trees and improving the urban forest overall. Ironically, heat
islands can be beneficial in cold climates in the winter by reducing
heating demands; however, the overall effect is much more on the
negative side.

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 Hydronic radiant heating
A system of heating a building by using a central
boiler or hot water heater to distribute heat
through a system of tubes just under the flooring
surface. A single heater may be zoned to provide
independent heat to different parts of a building as
needed. The heating system is efficient and
provides a comfortable conditioned room.
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 Light pollution
Light pollution comes from many sources, but
generally from unshielded lighting that allows light
on a site to escape. Shielding cannot effectively
reduce some lighting, such as parking-lot or street
lights that reflect off structures and bounce light
away from the site. However, simple hooding of the
"naked" light source directing the light to the
ground or limiting its outward influence can
significantly reduce light pollution.
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 Permeable paving
• Pavement that allows the passage of water into
the ground. There is a variety of permeable
pavement method, including spaced pavers with
soil infills and newer specialized asphalt and
concrete applications that actually allow
rainwater to pass through the surface and help to
keep the water table from being depleted.
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 Recycled-content aggregate
Crushed and reused concrete salvaged from demolition
projects. Some can be introduced as a percentage of the
aggregate in new concrete, while some can be used for
roadbed underlayment. The actual use of the product is
limited to imagination and the structural requirements of
the project. Use of the material also reduces the amount
of new aggregate that must be mined from quarries and
the associated environmental concerns associated with
the operation.

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 Recycled-content material
Products manufactured using post-consumer
materials such as plastic, fiber, wood and glass.
Deconstruction of various structures can also
produce a variety of "raw" materials to create new
products from — everything from tiles to carpeting
to composite flooring materials and beyond.
Recycled-content materials help to reduce the need
for new raw materials and the accumulation and
manufacturing processes involved.
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 Water less Urinal
This wall-mounted urinal uses virtually no running water, with the
exception of an occasion servicing to clean the unit. The units rely on
simple physics: Urine has a specific gravity that is greater than a special
sealing liquid. Several inches of the liquid are used to create a trap seal
allowing the urine to flow into the system. The super slick surfaces do
not allow material to remain behind and thus reduces odor and
maintenance. The obvious advantage is a significant reduction in water
usage over long periods of time. A disadvantage to steel plumbing is a
build-up of salts on the pipe interiors, increasing corrosion. Careful
maintenance schedules must be followed to keep systems working
properly.

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 GREET Model
• GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in
Transportation) is a full life-cycle model sponsored by the Argonne
National Laboratory (U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy).
• It fully evaluates energy and emission impacts of advanced and new
transportation fuels, the fuel cycle from well to wheel and the
vehicle cycle through material recovery and vehicle disposal need to
be considered. It allows researchers and analysts to evaluate
various vehicle and fuel combinations on a full fuel-cycle/vehicle-
cycle basis.

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 Industrial ecology
• Industrial ecology (IE) is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. The
global industrial economy can be modelled as a network of industrial processes that extract
resources from the Earth and transform those resources into commodities which can be bought
and sold to meet the needs of humanity. Industrial ecology seeks to quantify the material flows and
document the industrial processes that make modern society function. Industrial ecologists are
often concerned with the impacts that industrial activities have on the environment, with use of
the planet's supply of natural resources, and with problems of waste disposal. Industrial ecology is
a young but growing multidisciplinary field of research which combines aspects of engineering,
economics, sociology, toxicology and the natural sciences.

• Industrial ecology has been defined as a "systems-based, multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to
understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated human/natural systems"

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 Design for Environment
• Four main concepts that fall under the DfE umbrella.[1]

• Design for environmental processing and manufacturing: This ensures that raw material extraction (mining, drilling, etc.), processing
(processing reusable materials, metal melting, etc.) and manufacturing are done using materials and processes which are not dangerous
to the environment or the employees working on said processes. This includes the minimization of waste and hazardous by-products,
air pollution, energy expenditure and other factors.
• Design for environmental packaging: This ensures that the materials used in packaging are environmentally friendly, which can be
achieved through the reuse of shipping products, elimination of unnecessary paper and packaging products, efficient use of materials
and space, use of recycled and/or recyclable materials.
• Design for disposal or reuse: The end-of-life of a product is very important, because some products emit dangerous chemicals into the
air, ground and water after they are disposed of in a landfill. Planning for the reuse or refurbishing of a product will change the types of
materials that would be used, how they could later be disassembled and reused, and the environmental impacts such materials have.
• Design for energy efficiency: The design of products to reduce overall energy consumption throughout the product's life.
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) is employed to forecast the impacts of different (production) alternatives of the product in question, thus
being able to choose the most environmentally friendly. A life cycle analysis can serve as a tool when determining the environmental
impact of a product or process. Proper LCAs can help a designer compare several different products according to several categories,
such as energy use, toxicity, acidification, CO2 emissions, ozone depletion, resource depletion and many others. By comparing different
products, designers can make decisions about which environmental hazard to focus on in order to make the product more
environmentally friendly.

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