Glossary

Terms for Architecture, Green Building & Energy

This glossary includes more than 300 solar terms, as well as hundreds of additional sustainable design and construction terms.

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Variable-air-volume (VAV)

Definition: A method of modulating the amount of heating or cooling effect that is delivered to a building by the HVAC system. The flow of air is modulated rather than the temperature. VAV systems typically consist of VAV boxes that throttle supply airflow to individual zones, some mechanism to control supply-fan flow to match box demand, and the interconnecting ductwork and components.