EPG: Chapter 3 - LEED v4 Core Concepts and Themes Flashcards
LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation Guide LEED v4 Edition - Key Terms and Concepts in Chapter
closed system
system in which materials and resources are used or recycled
cradle to cradle
term applied to a product if a new use can be applied to it after the end of its first useful life, diverting it from a landfill. (closed system)
downstream activity
activity related to the processing of materials all the way through to the delivery of the final product to the end-user
embodied energy
total amount of energy used to extract materials and manufacture, transport, install, and use a product across its life cycle
feedback loop
the section of a system that allows for feedback and self-correction and adjusts its operation according to differences between the actual output and the desired output
integrative process
a design process in which multidisciplinary teams collaborate to meet sustainable design objectives from the inception of a project to its completion
iterative process
process used in design that involves conducting research, sharing data, receiving feedback and refining the design repeatedly until all of a project’s sustainable goals are met
life-cycle assessment (LCA)
an assessment of the environmental impacts associated with a material or product throughout its life cycle - including a product’s upstream and downstream activities, embodied energy, waste and by-product creation, recycling and disposal. It is used to help in the selection of building systems, services and products.
life-cycle costing (LCC)
an analytic tool used to determine the most cost-effective option among competing alternatives based on the costs of the options throughout their life cycles
negative feedback loop
a section of a system in which the system self-corrects and stays within a particular set of parameters
open system
a system in which materials and resources are continually brought in from the outside, consumed, and then removed from the system as waste
positive feedback loop
a section of a system in which the output of the system is applied to the input, resulting in constant increases
leverage point
a point in a system in which a small change can yield large results
9 Core concepts and general themes that can be found within the LEED Green Associate exam?
- global climate change
- impact categories
- life-cycle approach
- triple bottom line
- cost of green building
- integrative process
- iterative process
- systems thinking
- regenerative building
According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Buildings and Climate Change Report, buildings account for approximately ___ % of total energy used today.
40%
What does ODP stand for?
ozone depletion potential
What does GWP stand for?
global warming potential
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) & Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs) impact on the environment?
these are harmful refrigerants and deplete the stratospheric ozone layer around our planet!
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) impact on the environment?
less harmful refrigerants and have almost zero ODP but a high GWP because they are less efficient and cause HVAC equipment to work harder to heat and cool, increasing the production of greenhouse gases. NOTE: there is currently no refrigerant that does not directly or indirectly affect ozone depletion or global warming.
The Montreal Protocol of 1987 banned which HVAC refrigerants? Which refrigerant did it phase out?
It banned the production of CFC refrigerants and began phasing out HCFCs.
To achieve LEED certification, new buildings cannot use ___ - based refrigerants, and existing buildings must completely phase-out ___ before the project is finished.
CFC / CFCs
LEED impact categories are also known as….?
LEED system goals
LEED impact categories were developed for what purpose?
To guide point allocation for each credit in the rating systems. Refer to the “LEED v4 Impact Category and Point Allocation Development Process” for details.
what are the 7 impact categories?
cradle to grave
materials are NOT sustainable - they are purchased, consumed and disposed of with a clear beginning and finite end. (open system)
upstream activities
related to the extraction of the raw materials used in a product
The results of an LCC analysis can be used to select building systems, services and products that have the lowest ___ and shortest ____ .
life-cycle cost / payback period
The concept of the triple bottom line is integral to understanding the _____ impacts of the built environment within the Project Surroundings and Public Outreach knowledge domain.
environmental
In the triple-bottom-line approach to business, the ____ are the main focus rather than the shareholders.
stakeholders. This includes the employees, building occupants, community members, the environment, and shareholders.
To answer “cost of green building” on the LEED Green Assoc. Exam?
choose the answer that states in some way that green buildings do not cost more than nongreen buildings due to their added values of payback and life-cycle costs.
According to the study “The Cost of Green Revisited”, it states that when comparing projects within building types, green buildings cost approx. __% more than non-green buildings.
2% (Although there are both expensive nongreen buildings and inexpensive green buildings)
Strategies to reduce cost of a green building, as compared to a non-green building?
- reduce project’s footprint - use of ventilation (with correct site orientation)
What is Regenerative Building?
closed systems that use only as much water and energy as they can produce - i.e. net-zero energy buildings or net-zero water projects.
net-zero water projects?
use only as much water as falls onto the site and clean all wastewater on site
net-zero waste projects?
repurpose, recycle or turn all waste into energy, diverting 100% of their waste from the landfill.
Below are typical characteristics of a Conventional Design Process. In comparison, what are the characteristics for an Integrative Design Process for each of these elements?
- Team member involvement only when essential
- Little time, energy, and collaboration invested in early stages
- Decisions made by few people
- Linear process
- Systems considered in isolation
- Limited to constrained optimization
- Initial costs only considered
- Process finished when construction is complete
Integrative Design:
- Inclusive
- Time, energy, and collaboration invested in early stages
- Decisions influenced by a broad team
- Iterative (repetitive) process
- Whole-systems thinking
- Allows for full optimization
- Life-cycle costing
- Process continues through post-occupancy
Integrative Project Team members typically include what kind of people?
The integrative process credit was added to the LEED v4 and added to all rating systems except for _____ and _____.
LEED ND (Neighborhood Developemnt) and LEED O+M (Operations and Maintenance).
For the integrative process credit, what two preliminary analyses must be completed before the design process begins? (during the Discovery phase?)
energy modeling
water budget
During the implementation phase, what documentation is required in relation to the energy modeling that was done during the Discovery phase?
the project team must document how the energy modeling analysis affected the owner’s project requirements (OPR), the basis of design (BOD), and eventual project design.
what documentation is required in relation to the water budget analysis that was done during the Discovery phase?
The project team must demonstrate how at least one on-site nonpotable water supply source was used to reduce the burden on municipal supply or wastewater treatment systems by contributing to at least two of the water demand components listed in the LEED Reference Guide for BD+C under “integrative process credit”.
The final stage of the integrative design process is the _____.
occupancy phase
The iterative process is used in tandem with the ___ process, during the ___ and ___ phases.
integrative / discovery / implementation
For the integrative process, the design team meets regularly until all ___ and ___ efficiencies are revealed.
scale / cost
According to the Exam Preparation Guide, what are the 5 steps to an iterative cycle to optimize systems?
- Conduct research and collect data
- Analyze data
- Share data analysis with team members
- Receive feedback to identify synergies, wastes and other opportunities for savings and efficiency across all disciplines
- Create/refine design
Systems thinking is commonly used in _____ . It is an important part of the ___ process.
problem solving / integrative process
A fundamental concept in system thinking is that by examining the interaction and connections between all the parts of a system, each part can be better ____ .
Also, an improvement in one part of a system may have a ____ effect on another part of the same system.
understood
negative
Positive and negative foodback loops ideally need to be in ____ . If one gets too far out in front of the other, damaging ___ effects can occur,
balance / negative
