They’re addicted to this word. They all use it in varying forms with little unrememberable prefixes and suffixes that contribute to the green haze surrounding all environmental standards. Let’s try to clear some of this up.
Green Seal
Green Label
Green Label Plus
Green-e products
Green Score
you got any more? I can add them on.
Ok, we already covered Green Seal in the previous post. But we need a way of distinguishing these other ‘greens’ from each other.
Green Label – I visualize the label on the back of a rug or carpet sample when you go to Home Depot or something. And the Label is on the back of the carpet, where it meets up with the cushion. Green Label sets VOC limits for carpet cushions, as applicable in EQ 4.3: Low-Emitting Materials – Carpet Systems.
Green Label Plus – Well, ‘plus’ sounds a bit like ‘plush’, which helps you remember that we’re talking about carpets (because they always sell their carpet as being ‘plush’). Green Label Plus sets VOC limits for carpets, as applicable in EQ 4.3: Low-Emitting Materials – Carpet Systems.
Green-e products – Well, if the questions uses the word ‘products’, you’re fine because this is the only one that applies to electrical products. But it probably won’t – it will probably be talking about renewable energy of some sort. You just have to be sure to remember that this applies to GREEN POWER not on-site renewable energy. You can remember by thinking that the suffix ‘e’ kinda is used like the prefix ‘e’ on email. Something Electronic that is traded back and forth, as in credit EA 6: Green Power.
Green Score – The word ‘score’ makes me think there’s some kind of contest of race. What do people like to race? Their cars. A Green Score of 40 points is necessary to qualify a vehicle for credit SS 4.3: Alternative Transportation – Low-Emission and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.
ok, so all the Grean Seal standards are for VOC content. Fantastic. Now, which one’s which?
GS-03:
Three rhymes with Flee, which is what you cannot do if you are bound by rusty chains! GS-03 sets VOC limits for anti-rust and anti-corrosive paints. This is applicable to credit EQ 4.2.
GS-11:
One One rhymes with Fun in the Sun, which is what you won’t have if you don’t paint yourself with sunblock! GS-11 sets VOC limits for commercial flat and non-flat paints. This is applicable to credit EQ 4.2.
GS-36:
Three Six rhymes with a Tea Fix, which is what my ex-flatmate used to have every morning before spraying hairspray all over her head (so glad I don’t have flatmates anymore). GS-36 sets VOC limits for aerosol adhesives. This is applicable to credit EQ 4.1.
Ok… I hate these things. But I WILL memorize them.
For this, I am going to use the rhyming numbers method (combined with a couple keywords here and there… you’ll see).
to remember that:
ASHRAE 52.2 is about filtration media (MERV) and correlates to credits EQ 3.1 and EQ 5,
I will first assign rhyming words to relevant numbers:
5-hive; 2-blue; 3-bee; 1-run; 5-dive
now I create a visualization with these words…
There’s a hive (5), with a blue (2) sky behind it. There’s a guy named Mervin (MERV filters). He sees a bee (3)!!! First he tries to run (1), but then eventually he has to dive (5) into the ocean to escape.
and this is roughly what I see…
Now the other ASHRAE standards. I won’t get into the image assembly for these, so you will have to use your imagination!
ASHRAE 55 – thermal comfort – EQ 6.2 and EQ 7s
We’re with our friend again and there is still a hive (5). Again he has to dive (5). But this time it’s not so comfortable (Thermal Comfort). He accidentally hits some sticks (6) on his way down and loses a shoe (2). But don’t worry; he goes to heaven (7s).
ASHRAE 62 – ventilation – EQ p1, EQ 2, and EQ 6.2
There are some bricks (6) in a pile. Next to them is some glue (2). Some crazy person is building a wall in front of the vents (ventilation) in his office. When asked why he is doing it, he replies that he has to (required- prerequisite) and that he is not just doing it for fun (1). The other people in the office are so mad that one woman throws her shoe (2) at him. The other employees steel away the bricks (6) and glue (2).
ASHRAE 90 – energy and lighting – SS 8, EA p2, EA 1
There’s a glass of wine (9) next to the bed (0-zed). There’s a woman with no energy to get up and turn off the light (energy and lighting). She demands (pre-requisite) that her boyfriend do it instead. He also doesn’t want to get up, so he throws his shoe (2). Then he says, ‘That was fun (1)’!
p.s. – Added by Allison to ASHRAE 90 – “So they sleep soundly (SS) for 8 hours.” (Thanks, Allison!)
Please excuse all the shoe-throwing references, but Bush rarely gets mentioned these days.
