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Article #1584 - Building Energy Codes Glossary - C (Co-Cu)

This listing contains terms and acronyms that are used throughout the BECP website and compliance tools.

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C-Cl terms and acronyms.

Coefficient of Performance (COP)

The ratio of the rate of heat removal to the rate of energy input, in consistent units, for a complete refrigeration system or some specific portion of that system under designated operating conditions.

Color Temperature

The absolute temperature (in degrees kelvin) of an incandescent blackbody radiator that radiates the red-orange end of the spectrum. Higher color temperatures are near the blue-violet end of the spectrum.

Commercial Building

Includes but is not limited to occupancies for assembly, business, education, institutions, merchants, and storage.

Compact Flourescents

Small fluorescent lamps that are often used as an alternative to incandescent lighting. The lamp life is about 10 times longer than incandescent lamps and is 3-4 times more efficacious.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp

A fluorescent lamp of a small compact shape, with a single base that provides the entire mechanical support function.

Concrete Masonry Unit Walls

Concrete masonry unit walls may be insulated by filling the empty core with perlite, vermiculite, or some other insulative material. In some cases, even with filled cores, these wall types require additional insulation.

Condensing Unit

A specific refrigerating machine combination for a given refrigerant, consisting of one or more power-driven compressors, condensers, liquid receivers (when required), and the regularly furnished accessories.

Conditioned Floor Area

The horizontal projection of that portion of interior space which is contained within exterior walls and which is conditioned directly or indirectly by an energy-using system.

Conditioned Space

A space is conditioned if heating and/or cooling is deliberately supplied to it or is indirectly supplied through uninsulated surfaces of water or heating equipment, uninsulated ducts, or uninsulated floors, ceilings, or walls between it and another conditioned space.

Connected Lighting Load

The sum of all non-exempt interior lighting power, measured in watts.

Construction

The fabrication and erection of a new building or any addition to or alteration of an existing building.

Construction Documents

Drawings and specifications used to construct a building, building systems, or portions thereof.

Continuous Insulation (CI)

Insulation that runs continuously over structural members and is free of significant thermal bridging; such as rigid foam insulation above the ceiling deck. It is installed on the interior, exterior, or is integral to any opaque surface of the building envelope.

Control

To regulate the operation of equipment.

Control Device

A specialized device used to regulate the operation of equipment.

Cool Down

Reduction of space temperature down to occupied set point after a period of shutdown or setup.

Cooled Space

An enclosed space within a building that is cooled by a cooling system whose capacity (a) exceeds 6 Btu per hour per square foot or (b) is capable of maintaining a space dry-bulb temperature of 90 degrees F or less at design cooling conditions.

Cooling Degree Days

A unit, based on temperature difference and time, used in estimating cooling energy consumption and specifying nominal cooling load of a building in summer. Cooling degree days (CDD) are calculated by subtracting 65° F (18° C) from the mean temperature of any given day that has an average temperture that is over 65° F (18° C).

Cooling Design Temperature

The outdoor dry-bulb temperature equal to the temperature that is exceeded 1% of the number of hours during a typical weather year.

Cooling Design Wet-Bulb Temperature

The outdoor wet-bulb temperature for sizing cooling systems and evaporative heat rejection systems such as cooling towers.

COP Cooling

The ratio of the rate of heat removal to the rate of energy input, in consistent units, for a complete refrigeration system or some specific portion of that system under designated operating conditions.

COP Heating

The ratio of the rate of heat delivered to the rate of energy input, in consistent units, for a complete heat pump system, including the compressor and, if applicable, auxiliary heat, under designated operating conditions.

Crawl Space Wall

The opaque portion of a wall which encloses a crawl space and is partially or totally below grade. A crawl space wall component includes the opaque portion of a wall that encloses a crawl space and is partially or totally below grade, as measured from the sill to the top of the footing.

Critical Demand Period

The period of peak electricity or natural gas demand, as defined by a utility tariff, that establishes annual system peak load. The critical demand period is different from typical demand periods as traditionally defined by utility tariffs.

CSA

Canadian Standards Association.

CTI

Cooling Tower Institute.

Current Transformers

An electrical device used to convert large currents to proportionally smaller currents based on a given ratio; typically used for metering.

Last Modified: 2009-05-13