Sec.16a-38k-1. Definitions

As used in section 16a-38k-1 to section 16a-38k-9, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies:

(1) "ASHRAE" means the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers;

(2) "Building envelope systems" means the part of the building that represents the barrier between the outdoor and indoor environments, and includes such components as windows, doors, walls, and roofs.

(3) "Carpet and Rug Institute" means a trade association that represents manufacturers and suppliers of carpets, rugs, and floor coverings;

(4) "Chlorofluorocarbons" or "CFCs" means a class of chemical compounds containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon that were commonly used as refrigerants and that damage the earth's ozone layer;

(5) "Class I Renewable Energy Source" means "Class I Renewable Energy Source" as defined in section 16-1(a)(26) of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(6) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Public Works;

(7) "Commissioning" means the process of verification that the building's systems perform as designed and according to project requirements and construction documents, including assurances that the specified systems are installed properly and adjusted correctly;

(8) "Composite wood and agrifiber products" means particleboard, medium density fiberboard, plywood, wheatboard, strawboard, panel substrates, and door cores;

(9) "Connecticut State Building Code" means the state building code as adopted under Section 29-252 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(10) "Connecticut Building Standard Guidelines Compliance Manual for High Performance Buildings" means a reference and support manual prepared to assist building teams to comply with sections 16a-38k-1 to 16a-38k-9 inclusive of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, and available electronically on the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management website;

(11) "Energy Star" means a program developed jointly by the United States Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency that labels products to designate high levels of energy efficiency;

(12) "Forest Stewardship Council" means a not-for profit, international membership-based organization that accredits third-party organizations to certify that forest managers and forest product producers support responsible forest management;

(13) "Green Globes system" means a green building design and management tool that includes a rating system and guide to encourage the integration of environmentally friendly design into buildings;

(14) "Green Label Plus" means an independent testing program developed by the Carpet and Rug Institute to provide assurances that carpet and adhesive products meet stringent criteria for low chemical emissions;

(15) "Halons" means a class of organic chemical compounds that contain carbon, fluorine and bromine and may contain chlorine and are destructive to the earth's ozone layer;

(16) "Heat island effect" means local air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby natural areas as a result of heat absorbing surfaces at a site;

(17) "Hydrochlorofluorocarbons" or "HCFCs" means a class of chemical compounds containing hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and carbon that are commonly used as substitute refrigerants to Chlorofluorocarbons because they are less damaging to the earth's ozone layer;

(18) "Institute for Sustainable Energy" means the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University;

(19) "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" or "LEED" means a rating system developed by the U. S. Green Building Council to encourage environmental integrity, energy efficiency, healthy work spaces, and sustainable building practices in buildings;

(20) "Low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles" means vehicles that are classified as zero emission vehicles by the California Air Resources Board or have achieved a minimum green score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy annual vehicle rating guide;

(21) "Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value" or "MERV" means a number ranging from one to sixteen that indicates the efficiency at which an air filter can remove particles, where one is the least efficient and sixteen is the most efficient at removing particles;

(22) "New England Power Pool Generation Information System" or "NEPOOL-GIS" means a system that verifies and manages Renewable Energy Certificates that are the basis for environmental trading and investment incentives in the New England states;

(23) "On-site renewable energy" means renewable energy systems located on the building or building site that produce electricity or hot water for use in the building. This includes solar photovoltaic systems, solar hot water systems, wind energy systems, and fuel cell systems;

(24) "Pre-consumer recycled content" means that the materials used to make the product were recyclables from within the manufacturing process and never reached consumers;

(25) "Preferred parking" means parking spots that are closest to the main entrance of the building, exclusive of handicap designated spaces;

(26) "Project manager-facilitator" means whomever the Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation, Office of Legislative Management, the University of Connecticut, or municipality appoints as the lead individual responsible for a particular project;

(27) "Post-consumer recycled content" means that the materials used to make a product were already used by a consumer and recycled;

(28) "Renewable Energy Credit" or "REC" means a certificate representing one megawatt hour of renewable energy that is physically metered and verified from the generator or the renewable energy project;

(29) "School renovation" means "renovation" as defined in section 10-282 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(30) "SDE Commissioner" means the commissioner of the State Department of Education;

(31) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management;

(32) "Solar Heat Gain Coefficient" or "SHGC" means a measure of how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of the heat from the sun that enters through a window. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits;

(33) "Solar Reflectance Index" means a measure of a surface's ability to reflect solar heat, with white being one hundred and black being zero;

(34) "State facility" means a building that is owned by the state of Connecticut;

(35) "State facility renovation" means an undertaking whereby the designer manipulates the building envelope, electrical systems, mechanical systems, and efficiency of equipment for modification of performance, when costs are two million dollars or more. This includes entire buildings as well as isolated portions of the building;

(36) "U. S. Green Building Council" means a membership organization dedicated to shaping the future of sustainable building design through the development of LEED rating system for building performance; and

(37) "Volatile organic compound" or "VOC" means a class of chemicals that are emitted as gases from certain solids and liquids and that have short- and long-term adverse health effects.

(Adopted effective September 2, 2009)