LEED Process Flashcards
What is the Purpose of the LEED Minimum Project Requirements (MRP)
a) Provide guidance for what projects are eligible for certification
b) Protect the integrity of LEED Programs
c) Reduce the amount of issues that come from the certification process
What are the Minimum Project Requirements (MRP)
a) Must be on permanent location and existing land
b) Must use a Reasonable LEED Boundary (no gerrymandering)
c) Must comply with (LEED) project size requirements
d) Projects that do not comply with MRPs may have their certification revoked
What are the impact categories ?
1) Reverse contribution to Global Climate Change
2) Enhance Individual Human Health and Well-Being
3) Protect and Restore water Resources
4) Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
5) Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resource Cycle
6) Build a Greener Economy
7) Enhance Social Equity, Environmental Justice, Community Health and Quality of Life
In the USA buildings account for:
14% Potable water consumption 30% wast output 40% raw material use 38% carbon dioxide emissions 24%-50% energy use 72% electricity consumption
(LEED Process) Which of the following is NOT a component of the impact category Enhance Social Equity, Environmental Justice, Community Health and Quality of Life?
A) Promote Human Rights and Environmental Justice
B) Support Occupant Comfort and Well-Being
C) Promote Access to Neighborhood Completeness Resources
D) Create a Strong Sense of Place
E) Provide Affordable, Equitable and Resilient Communities
B. Support Occupant Comfort and Well-Being
(LEED Process) What is each LEED rating system made up of?
A. A combination of credit categories
B. Interpretations
C. Impact categories
D. 3rd party standards
A. A combination of credit categories
‘Each rating system is made up of a combination of credit categories.
Within each of the credit categories, there are specific prerequisites projects must satisfy and a variety of credits projects can pursue to earn points. The number of points the project earns determines its level of LEED certification.’
(LEDD Process) Which of the following documents establishes the terms and conditions of the LEED Certification Program to which the building owner is bound?
A. LEED certification
B. Agent’s authority
C. Owner’s project requirements
D. Certification agreement
D. Certification agreement
The purpose of the Agreement is to establish the terms and conditions of the LEED Certification Program (the ‘Program,’) to which You (and Your Agent, if any) are bound.
The Program consists of the process whereby GBCI reviews documentation submitted by participants to determine if a building, interior space, or neighborhood, as described to GBCI, complies with the requirements of the LEED Green Building Rating System and has accumulated the minimum number of points necessary to achieve pre-certification or a particular level of LEED Certification (i.e., LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, or LEED Platinum). GBCI administers the Program and confers pre-certification and LEED Certification under license from the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. (‘USGBC’).
(Sustainable Sites) Projects may be able to use some of the same techniques for both ______________:
A. designing for flexibility and open space.
B. construction activity pollution prevention and habitat conservation and restoration.
C. site assessment and submetering.
D. exterior lighting reduction and quality views.
B. construction activity pollution prevention and habitat conservation and restoration.
Both of these are intended to preserve and protect greenfields during the construction process. A project team may be able to share strategies between them and achieve synergy.
(Energy and Atmosphere) Which of the following must occur to ensure energy-efficient design is carried through to efficient performance?
A. Sixty day post occupancy review after the building is certified
B. Staff training
C. Yearly maintenance of all non-energy related systems
D. Indoor air-quality monitoring
B. Staff training
The staff must understand the systems and how to use them or else the design of the systems is irrelevant. For example, if a building has occupancy sensors to control lighting but someone turns on the manual override and never turns it back off, the automated lighting is no longer working as designed to save energy.
(Energy and Atmosphere) What statement is true regarding HydroFluoroCarbons (HFCs)?
A. HFCs have high ozone depletion potential
B. Many HFCs have a significant global warming potential
C. HFCs are scheduled to be banned under the Montreal Protocol
D. The HFC refrigerant group includes NH3, CO2, and propane
B. Many HFCs have a significant global warming potential
HFCs typically have a low ozone depletion potential but a high global warming potential.
(Indoor Environmental Quality)
A company is designing an open office plan for seventy-five employees working in an entire floor of a building. Daylighting will be used to provide natural light and reduce energy costs. To ensure effective lighting quality for all of the occupants, the design should include which of the following?
A. Zoned daylighting controls
B. Reflective paint and surfaces
C. Automatic shades
D. Light shelves
A. Zoned daylighting controls
Because the plan is for an entire floor of a building, different areas of the project will receive different levels of lighting throughout the day. To make sure all occupants have quality lighting, a zoned system that adjusts lighting levels based on the quantity of daylight coming in will work best.
People in darker areas would have more artificial light, while those in the sunnier areas would have less.
(Project Surroundings and Public Outreach)
What are examples of structural incentives that may be available to a developer to encourage green building?
A. Fee waivers
B. Grants
C. Expedited review of permits
D. Tax credits
E. Density bonuses
C. Expedited review of permits
E. Density bonuses
Make sure you check out the document Green Building Incentive Strategies to learn about money-saving incentives:
http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs6248.pdf
There are different incentives for rewarding developers or homeowners who practice green building techniques spurs innovation and demand for green building technologies.
Structural incentives include:
Expedited review / permitting process
Density and height bonuses
Financial incentives include: Tax credits Fee reductions / waivers Grants Revolving loan funds (low-interest loans)
Non-finanical incentives include:
Technical assistance
Marketing assistance
(Project Surroundings and Public Outreach)
In the United States buildings account for ____ electricity consumption.
A. 56%
B. 72%
C. 66%
D. 74%
B. 72%
(Project Surroundings and Public Outreach)
What options within LEED credits address different geographic and climactic regions while providing solutions to challenges faced by projects at a regional level?
A. Innovation credits
B. Minimum program requirements (MPRs)
C. Regional priority credits
D. Alternative Compliance Paths
D. Alternative Compliance Paths
Alternative Compliance Paths, or ACPs, allow international projects to identify equivalent means of demonstrating compliance to the credit requirements. For example, where an equivalent country’s reference standard exists, an ACP can allow for the use of that standard.
These options address different geographic and climactic regions while providing solutions to challenges faced by projects at a regional level.
(LEED Process)
What are the roles of USGBC?
A. Auditing member companies and providing building grants to for-profit companies
B. Overseeing LEED credential maintenance and third-party technical reviews of registered LEED projects
C. Administering and creating the LEED rating systems and issuing LEED building certifications
D. Promoting the triple bottom line and administering the LEED exams
C. Administering and creating the LEED rating systems and issuing LEED building certifications
USGBC is responsible for administering and creating the LEED rating systems.
USGBC issues LEED building certifications once they have been approved by GBCI’s third-party review.
(LEED Process)
A project team is shrinking the building footprint to increase the amount of open space on a project. What impact category does this design decision support?
A. Protection and Restoration of Water Regimes and Natural Hydrological Cycles
B. Provide Affordable, Equitable and Resilient Communities
C. Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
By increasing open space the project could earn a LEED credit for increasing open space.
D. Protect Human Health from Direct Exposure to Negative Health Impacts
C. Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
The components of the impact category Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services are:
Local Biodiversity, Habitat Protection and Open Spaces
Global Biodiversity, Habitat Protection and Land Preservation
Sustainable Use and Management of Ecosystem Services
By increasing open space the project could earn a LEED credit for increasing open space.
(Integrated Processes)
What type of products would carry a Green Seal label?
A. Wood
B. Paints
C. Carpet
D. Brick
A. Wood
Wood that can be used towards LEED credit must be FSC certified.
B. Paints (Answer) Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that has created several standards used to certify products that are more environmentally friendly. This includes paints, coatings, and cleaning products.
C. Carpet
Carpet that has the Green Label Plus certification can be used towards LEED credit for materials with low VOC content.
D. Brick
LEED does not have any credits that require brick to meet certain standards.
(Location and Transportation)
How would a bicycle network be documented for a project?
A. By use the area plan or map showing the project site and location of existing and planned bicycle networks within a quarter-mile (400-meter) radius of the project site.
Remember that the radius is used to calculated density only, not bicycle networks or diverse uses.
B. By including a vicinity map showing the bicycle network, route, and distance along the network to eligible destinations
This is how the credit is documented.
C. By drawing a straight-line radius from the origin and the bicycling segments in the radius.
D. By creating a map showing the project, project boundary, transit stop locations, and walking routes and distances.
This is how access to quality transit is documented.
Remember that the radius is used to calculated density only, not bicycle networks or diverse uses.
B. By including a vicinity map showing the bicycle network, route, and distance along the network to eligible destinations
This is how the credit is documented.
(Location and Transportation)
Which of the following is a priority designation used in LEED?
A. To encourage project teams to build in a LEED-ND project area
B. To prevent project teams from building in sensitive habitats
C. To help projects locate near existing infrastructure
D. To encourage investment in economically disadvantaged or low-income areas.
D. To encourage investment in economically disadvantaged or low-income areas
The high-priority site credit helps project teams identify priority development areas. LEED projects can earn points for building in what tend to be disadvantaged neighborhoods.
(Location and Transportation)
A developer is planning a mixed-use project that will include 1,000 single family homes, office space, retail, and townhomes. Which of the following neighborhood design strategies help promote community connectivity?
A. Street-grid patterns
B. Cul-de-sacs
C. Gated communities
D. Providing housing types for a wide range of incomes
B. Cul-de-sacs
C. Gated communities
D. Providing housing types for a wide range of incomes
A. Street-grid patterns
A street pattern is how the streets are laid out. A street-grid pattern is one in which streets are laid out in squares/rectangles. Consider a city center that has blocks and how quickly individuals can get around compared to a suburban area in which the streets are not designed in a grid.
(Sustainable Sites)
Reducing the building’s footprint will have positive synergies with which of the following? (Choose 2)
A. Access to diverse uses
B. Rainwater management
C. Open space
D. Surrounding density
E. Preservation of historic districts
B. Rainwater management
Reducing the quantity of impermeable surfaces is a strategy for rainwater management.
C. Open space
The smaller the building’s footprint, the greater the open space area can be.
(Water Efficiency)
Which of the following has the highest priority in LEED?
A. Submetering
B. Outdoor water use reduction
C. Indoor water use reduction
D. Cooling tower water use
C. Indoor water use reduction
Of the available choices, indoor water use reduction has the highest priority because it can earn the most points.
(Energy and Atmosphere)
What environmental issue is associated with the burning of fossil fuels?
A. Interference with migratory birds
B. Release of carbon dioxide
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a type of greenhouse gas.
C. Sedimentation of water supplies
D. Reduction of water from aquifers
B. Release of carbon dioxide
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a type of greenhouse gas.
(Energy and Atmosphere)
What is GWP as it relates to refrigerants?
A. The potential for a single molecule of the refrigerant to destroy the ozone layer
B. The efficiency of a refrigerant
C. A measurement of how much effect the given refrigerant will have on global warming in relation to carbon dioxide.
D. The speed at which an appliance loses its refrigerant
This is the leakage rate for a piece of equipment.
C. A measurement of how much effect the given refrigerant will have on global warming in relation to carbon dioxide.
GWP is Global Warming Potential
CO2 has a GWP of 1.
The lower the GWP the better the refrigerant is for the environment.
(Materials and Resources)
When choosing products that have Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), which factor is used in determining if LEED credit can be earned?
A. The cost of the qualifying products as a percentage of the total project cost
B. The number of different permanent and temporary products used from one manufacturer
C. The number of different permanently installed products used from different manufacturers
D. The cost of the qualifying products as a percentage of the total building envelope material’s cost
C. The number of different permanently installed products used from different manufacturers
When purchasing materials a certain number of products must be selected to meet LEED credit requirements.
For LEED a product must be a permanently installed building product, and is defined as ‘an item that arrives on the project site either as a finished element ready for installation or as a component to another item assembled on-site.’ - USGBC
Example products include: steel, wood, drywall, carpet.
Things that are not considered products that count towards the MR credits include:
Scaffolding
Concrete formwork
Anything temporary
(Materials and Resources)
Which of the following are effective ways to lessen the overall environmental consequences of an interior space over its lifetime? (choose 2)
A. Choosing products that have a published Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
B. Selecting refurbished furniture
C. Installing 1.6 gpf (6 lpf) toilets
D. Installing demountable interior nonstructural walls
E. Selecting a site located 1 mile (1,600 meters) from public transportation
B. Selecting refurbished furniture
Reusing materials or furnishings reduces the demand for new materials and thus preserves virgin resources.
D. Installing demountable interior nonstructural walls
This strategy is part of designing for flexibility which reduces the demand for new building materials over time.
(Indoor Environmental Quality)
A project team is beginning the integrative process late into the design-phase of a new office building. At this point, which of the following could still be changed and would be a low-cost solution for improving daylighting?
A. The number of glazing panes
B. The orientation of the building
C. The types of furnishings
D. The colors of the surfaces
E. The window configuration
C. The types of furnishings
D. The colors of the surfaces
(Project Surroundings and Public Outreach)
Sustainable plans for built environments that improve existing conditions is called:
A. Passive design
B. Regenerative design
C. Net-zero energy project
D. Adaptive reuse
B. Regenerative design
This is a description of regenerative design.
(Project Surrounding and Public Outreach)
What are some of the economic benefits of green building?
A. Reduced disturbance of greenfield sites
B. Reduced utility costs
C. Reduced liabilities due to poor indoor air quality causing health issues
D. Increasing the tax base to the community
B. Reduced utility costs
Water use and energy use should be lower in a green building.
C. Reduced liabilities due to poor indoor air quality causing health issues
One of the goals of the IEQ category is to create a healthier indoor environment for occupants. This results in reduced sick days and hopefully cleaner air. Buildings that have mold or contaminants can cause health problems which can lead to lawsuits from the occupants.
(Integrative Strategies)
What does ASHRAE 62.1 specify?
A. Thermal comfort
B. Indoor air quality
C. Energy performance
D. Commuting surveys
B. Indoor air quality
ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality specifies minimum ventilation rates. These rates are used to improve indoor air quality as part of the IEQ credit category.
(Integrative Strategies)
What would be the direct result of specifying more costly, high-performance windows during the Construction phase?
A. Less energy consumed by the building
B. Increased building costs
C. Decreased overall project costs
D. Inexpensive downsizing of the HVAC system
B. Increased building costs
This type of last-minute effort to improve efficiency is what drives up the costs of green building. If this decision had occurred in the design the HVAC system could have been downsized and cost less.
(Integrative Strategies)
LEED projects located outside of the United States may use green cleaning products that adhere to which of the following standards?
A. EN 15251:2007
B. SMACNA
C. Global Ecolabeling Network
D. Green Label Plus
A. EN 15251:2007
This is one of the international indoor air quality standards projects outside of the U.S. may use.
Previous versions of the credit used ASHRAE 62.1 as the reference standard. In LEED v4, projects outside the U.S. may use European standards when ASHRAE 62.1 is not available or suitable.
B. SMACNA
SMACNA standards are for construction activity pollution prevention.
C. Global Ecolabeling Network (Is the answer)
For any projects outside the U.S., the ISO standard developed by the Global Eco-Labeling Network may be used instead of Green Seal Environmental Choice.
D. Green Label Plus
Green Label Plus is a standard for carpets.
(Integrative Strategies)
Which of the following is one of the tasks that integrative project team members complete together?
A. Select a target certification level
B. Applying for financing
C. Energy modeling
D. Identifying opportunities for synergy
Which of the following is one of the tasks that integrative project team members complete together?
A. Select a target certification level The owner usually does this. The team may provide assistance, but the owner has the final say on the project's goals for certification. B. Applying for financing This would be done by the owner. C. Energy modeling The energy modeler creates the model, not the whole team. D. Identifying opportunities for synergy Before any design takes place, every team member is gathered and every issue hashed out. Each team member will take their expertise and bring the relevant information and data they have. The team then analyzes the data and starts to compare notes in order to identify synergies between different strategies and systems.
This is a repeating cyclical process of research, analysis, and meeting that continues to further refine solutions, with the goal of achieving the greatest cost effectiveness and environmental performance.
In LEED Homes and Multifamily Lowrise which standard is used to measure minimum energy performance?
A. ASHRAE 62.1
B. I-Codes
C. ASHRAE 90.1
D. ENERGY STAR for Homes
A. ASHRAE 62.1
ASHRAE 62.1 is used to measure indoor air quality.
B. I-Codes
C. ASHRAE 90.1
ASHRAE 90.1 is used to measure minimum energy performance for commercial projects.
D. ENERGY STAR for Homes (Is the Answer)
The exam objectives require knowing the standards that support LEED.
ENERGY STAR for Homes is the basis of the requirements for energy efficiency in a LEED Homes and Multifamily Lowrise project.
(Integrative Strategies)
What is an example of systems thinking?
A. Commissioning of the exterior lights
B. Considering how occupants will get to the project building
Systems thinking is a process of understanding how each part of the built environment affects every other part. It is the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. These parts include project materials, building systems, site, people, and information.
In this choice the people are considered and the relationship to the transportation options and/or parking at the site.
C. Installation of a parking lot
D. Reviewing the schedule for the timing of the HVAC system installation
B. Considering how occupants will get to the project building
Systems thinking is a process of understanding how each part of the built environment affects every other part. It is the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. These parts include project materials, building systems, site, people, and information.
In this choice the people are considered and the relationship to the transportation options and/or parking at the site.
