UFAD Glossary

The HVAC load is a calculation that determines the building’s heating and cooling requirements.

Knowing the HVAC load...

The return air is the air that returns to the HVAC system from the area that is being cooled or heated. This air...

In terms of HVAC systems, static pressure is the resistance against the air flow.

Static pressure can emanate from a...

VOCs -- i.e., volatile organic compounds -- are chemicals with molecules that can evaporate very quickly when...

Thermostatic controls are HVAC controls that let end-users control their heating and cooling by setting the...

LEED is the acronym for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

In terms of evaluating and...

The WELL Building Standard is administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to assess, score, and...

A building automation system is a network of computers and devices that allow building owners and managers to...

CFM HVAC is an airflow calculation made in cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM). It’s used to determine the cooling requirements...

In skin-load dominated buildings, energy usage is mostly influenced by the impact of the outside climate on the...

The sound transmission class (STC) is an integer rating for measuring and classifying how well a building wall or...

BAS HVAC refers to the systems necessary for connecting your HVAC system to your wider building automation system...

A smart HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system leverages networked HVAC components and other...

‘AHU’ is short for ‘air handling unit.’ It is a system that warms-up, cools, filters, and/or humidifies as well as...

Inches of water column (inch WC) is a measurement unit for measuring static pressure. It’s a key metric for determining...

Stratified air -- also known as thermal stratification -- occurs when cool, dense air sinks while the warm and thin air...

Diffuser grilles are the outer frames you can use to enclose your variable air volume (VAV) or air supply diffusers.

...

An environmental control device is an instrument that equips the end-user to control the area’s heating and cooling....

In HVAC systems, the air supply diffuser is a device that delivers and ventilates conditioned air in an area, mixes...

Perimeter heating is a method of distributing warm air through ducts installed in the surrounding area of an indoor...

The air duct velocity -- also known as air flow velocity -- is a measurement of the air that moves through your HVAC...

(Source: John Wiley & Sons, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction - 2006)

The supply air is the outside air...

(Source: ACHR News)

Chilled beam systems are a type of HVAC system that omits fans in favor of using fin-and-tube heat...

The slab-to-slab height is the height between an interior space’s true ceiling and true floor.

The ‘true ceiling...

A fan efficiency grade (FEG) is a measurement for determining an HVAC fan’s energy efficiency.

The FEG measures the...

Value Engineering (VE) is an approach of analyzing and designing building systems -- such as HVAC -- to deliver the...

A fan coil unit (FCU) is a standalone HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that treats and/or...

Linear grilles are designed to cover sidewall, ceiling, and floor-based air diffuser/air supply and return systems. As...

In terms of HVAC systems, air leakage is when outside air penetrates your home or building via cracks, holes, or...

A VAV -- i.e., Variable Air Volume -- HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that supplies air at...

The air throw value is the velocity measurement of how well the air shifts from the vent or diffuser to the rest of the...

The sole purpose of an HVAC (heating, ventilation, & air conditioning) system, air distribution -- also known as room...

The subfloor is the layer above the joist, but below the underlayment (which is the layer below the surface). The...

Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) is an air distribution strategy where heated or cooled conditioned air is...