Throughout our product line and industry you may see words or phrases that are very specific to certain systems, or are just general terms you may not have heard before. See below to find some of the more common terms that may be a bit confusing throughout our products, sites, and the overall industry.

• (BAS) Building Automation System: This term describes the system in place in any building that runs, monitors, and records data coming from different utilities and systems such as electricity, water, and natural gas
• Carbon Footprint: The amount of carbon dioxide produced in terms of a footprint or impact on the environment.
• (CFL) Compact Fluorescent Lamp: A type of energy-saving light produced to replace existing incandescent lamps. CFLs have a much longer lifespan than typical bulbs and use less power overall. They work by sending an electrical current through mercury vapor causing ultraviolet light to be produces, which causes a phosphor coating inside the tube to emit visible light.
• Daylighting: Adding multiple windows to a building so that natural light replaces the need for artificial lighting.
• Energy Audit: A test on a building to show any energy inefficiencies. Using industry standards a professional collects, provides analysis and ultimately creates a report on the efficiency of the building.
• Energy Star ®: A certification created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to judge household appliances’ and buildings’ effectiveness at conserving energy. An appliance is “Energy Star Rated” when it conforms to certain efficiency standards.
• Green: The term green has various definitions in the industry, but most involve ways to save the environment, help save money, or reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Green usually refers to a product or way of doing things that helps to reduce energy consumption or stop the release of harmful materials into the environment.
• (LEED) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: LEED is an environmentally friendly building certification program ran by the United States Green Building Council. The LEED rating systems has specifically oriented checklists for rating the efficiency of a building. Depending on the amount of points a building receives it will qualify as “LEED Certified,” “LEED Silver,” “LEED Gold,” or “LEED Platinum.”
• (PV Panel) Photovoltaic Panel: Solar energy cells made of silicon placed normally on the roof of a building that captures the sun’s energy and converts it into electricity for use in the building and to send back out to the power grid or store in batteries.
• Sustainability: The ability to endure throughout the years and/or generations. In referring to green technology, the ability to operate for long periods of time without harming the environment or depleting natural resources.
• (USGBC) United States Green Building Council: A non-profit organization that helps to promote green building around the world with use of its LEED rating system.
• (VOC) Volatile Organic Compound: Organic gasses with harmful effects on air quality. VOCs are usually associated with products like paint, carpet, and adhesives.