LEED Project Surroundings and Public Outreach Flashcards
Which of the following is most important to the design and construction of a building for emissions reduction? A. Purchasing carbon offsets B. Using on-site renewables C. Choosing sustainable materials D. Building location
D. Building location - Consider the same building design for one building located in the suburbs and one located in a dense urban center. Which reduces emissions more?
What non-financial incentives can a municipality offer to encourage developers to build residential projects to green standards?
(Choose 2)
A. Certification training for developers who are unfamiliar with green building practices B. Grants C. Low interest loans D. Marketing assistance for the property
A. Certification training for developers who are unfamiliar with green building practices D. Marketing assistance for the property
How does LEED encourage focusing on regional issues?
A. Adhering to all local building codes B. Awarding more points to those projects that have ENERGY STAR ratings C. Using reasonable LEED boundaries D. Regional priority credits
D. Regional priority credits
A business owner that purchases a fleet of green delivery vehicles reduces what externality?
A. Pollution added to the environment B. The comfort of the drivers C. Sales tax revenue to the community D. Additional parking spaces for green vehicles
A. Pollution added to the environment
The green design approach taken by LEED:
A. Is useful only in urban areas where there is existing infrastructure B. Reduces the environmental harms of buildings and restores the balance of natural systems C. Can only be used on projects with large budgets to offset the higher expenses of green building D. Emphasizes occupant health over saving energy
B. Reduces the environmental harms of buildings and restores the balance of natural systems
What are some of the economic benefits of green building?
(Choose 2)
A. Reduced utility costs B. Reduced liabilities due to poor indoor air quality causing health issues C. Reduced disturbance of greenfield sites D. Increasing the tax base to the community
A. Reduced utility costs
Water use and energy use should be lower in a green building.
B. 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.
What organization develops building safety and fire prevention codes for the construction of residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools?
A. Department of Energy (DoE) B. International Code Council C. ASHRAE D. Underwriters Laboratory (UL)
B. International Code Council
The ICC creates codes for building and safety. Many of these codes are adopted by local jurisdictions and become part of the local building code. The codes are a complete set of comprehensive, coordinated building safety, plumbing, mechanical, fire prevention, energy efficiency codes, and accessibility.
A project building in a colder climate is located in a basin that replenishes the water supply each spring from the snow on nearby mountains. If the design team thinks ahead to the future, how would this influence the design of the project?
A. Adaptive reuse should be considered B. Natural gas for heating should be used C. Commissioning will be important D. Water conservation should be emphasized
D. Water conservation should be emphasized
What review practice identifies design alternatives that reduce costs while yielding higher performance?
A. Life cycle assessment B. Value engineering C. Environmentally responsive design D. Life cycle costing
B. Value engineering
Value engineering (VE) is review process that identifies and selects the lowest lifecycle cost options in design, materials and processes that achieves the desired level of performance, reliability and customer satisfaction
What is the value of documenting and tracking a building’s resource use?
A. Contributes to knowledge that will advance research in the future B. Reduces first costs C. Reduces a building’s embodied energy D. Reduces end-of-life costs
A. Contributes to knowledge that will advance research in the future
USGBC collects water and energy usage from LEED projects. This information helps the development of future LEED rating system versions.
What statement is true regarding green building?
A. LEED teams are achieving certification through widely diverse methods B. LEED buildings were increasingly common until construction costs rose 30% in the last two years C. The construction of green buildings have no major significant cost difference to non-green buildings D. Green design is a cost neutral add-on
C. The construction of green buildings have no major significant cost difference to non-green buildings
According to Cost of Green Revisited - The 2006 study shows essentially the same results as 2004: there is no significant difference in average costs for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.
What specifies the set of rules for the minimum acceptable level of safety for buildings?
A. Local zoning B. Building codes C. American Institute of Architects D. Local ordinances
B. Building codes
The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures. The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate authority
What are the long term effects of climate change?
(Choose 3)
A. Longer droughts B. Higher sea levels C. Reduced CO2 emissions D. Higher temperatures E. Increased ozone layer F. Increased glaciers
A. Longer droughts
B. Higher sea levels
D. Higher temperatures
What does the built environment refer to?
A. A process of continually improving buildings B. Structures that provide stronger connections to nature C. Any environment that is human-made and provides a structure for human activity D. The green building movement
C. Any environment that is human-made and provides a structure for human activity
What process identifies the high-performance building systems that will save money over the life of a project?
A. First costs B. Life-cycle assessment C. Life-cycle costing D. Value engineering
C. Life-cycle costing
Life cycle costing (LCC) is the evaluation of the total cost of a building or product over its useful life, including initial, maintenance, repair and replacement costs as well as savings. LCC evaluates economic performance.
What is an economic benefit for the triple bottom line that LEED-certified buildings may have?
A. More healthful and productive environments for occupants B. Reduced waste sent to landfills C. Qualification for tax rebates D. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
C. Qualification for tax rebates
What is an example of value engineering?
A. Increasing the diversion rate of recycled materials B. Choosing a flooring material that has higher costs and a lower environmental impact over a flooring material that has lower costs and a greater environmental impact C. Selecting insulation with higher upfront costs but lower life cycle costs D. Replacing an asphalt parking lot with less costly crushed gravel that has higher SRI
D. Replacing an asphalt parking lot with less costly crushed gravel that has higher SRI
Value engineering (VE) is a review process that identifies and selects the lowest lifecycle cost options in design, materials and processes that achieves the desired level of performance, reliability and customer satisfaction
Relative to the LEED project design what has a low soft cost?
A. Building commissioning B. Carpet installation C. Cost of the LEED charrette D. Facility management costs
C. Cost of the LEED charrette
An additional cost that a green building project may have compared to a conventional project is:
A. Added utility costs B. Permit fees for plumbing C. Consultant fees for green building experts D. Increased prices for selecting a sustainable site
C. Consultant fees for green building experts
What must be considered in the project budget for a green building project that would not be part of a conventional project?
A. Additional time in the schedule for construction B. Contingencies for research of unconventional techniques or materials C. Added building equipment to make the building more energy efficient D. Selecting only ENERGY STAR appliances
B. Contingencies for research of unconventional techniques or materials
What metric is useful for determining the energy, water, solid waste, materials, and transportation impacts of buildings and communities?
A. H2O emissions B. Ozone depletion potential C. CFC leakage rate D. Carbon emissions
D. Carbon emissions
What are examples of construction hard costs for an office condominium project?
(Choose 2)
A. Masonry costs paid to a sub-contractor B. Cost for installing a green roof C. Irrigation fees for water use D. Fees to develop tenant agreements
A. Masonry costs paid to a sub-contractor B. Cost for installing a green roof
What accounting methodology is used to evaluate the economic performance of a product or system over its useful life?
A. Life cycle costing B. Triple bottom line accounting C. Cradle-to-cradle D. Life cycle assessment
A. Life cycle costing
Life cycle costing (LCC) is the evaluation of the total cost of a building or product over its useful life, including initial, maintenance, repair and replacement costs as well as savings. LCC evaluates economic performance.
A developer for an office building will lease out spaces to tenants. What is the value to the developer for certifying the building?
A. Certified green office buildings have guaranteed grants from local governments B. Certified green office buildings rent for 2% more than comparable buildings C. Certified green office buildings receive 0% interest loans D. Certified green office buildings do not have to go through the permitting process
B. Certified green office buildings rent for 2% more than comparable buildings
Studies show on average a green building can charge higher building rents (2% on average) and have less empty tenant spaces than non-green buildings.
What green building codes can be enforced by law?
(Choose 2)
A. International Green Construction Code B. ENERGYSTAR C. LEED D. ASHRAE 189.1
A. International Green Construction Code D. ASHRAE 189.1
An alternate path of compliance to the IgCC is the ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES
Standard 189.1
A building with a vegetated roof is going to require additional costs for more materials to support the structure and for waterproofing, as well as plant materials. What are the life cycle costing benefits of a vegetated roof?
(Choose 2)
A. Longer product life B. Lower maintenance costs C. Reduction in rainwater runoff D. Reduced heat islands
A. Longer product life
According to some studies and some LEED documentation vegetated roofs have a longer product life than conventional roofs. Maybe that is due to the yearly maintenance and upkeep that should occur.
B. Lower maintenance costs
Life cycle costing (LCC) is the evaluation of the total cost of a building or product over its useful life, including initial, maintenance, repair and replacement costs as well as savings. LCC evaluates economic performance.
Regional priority credits are specific to:
A. The state the project is located in B. LEED credit category C. LEED project type (schools, healthcare, data centers, etc.) D. LEED rating system family (BD+C, ID+C, etc.)
C. LEED project type (schools, healthcare, data centers, etc.)
Each LEED project type may have different impacts so each rating system has its own RP credits. For example a warehouse may not have high priority for indoor water use if there are not a lot of occupants.
In the United States buildings account for ____ carbon dioxide emissions.
A. 42% B. 38% C. 34% D. 26%
B. 38% - In the United States, buildings account for: 14% of potable water consumption 30% of waste output 40% of raw materials use 38% of carbon dioxide emissions 24% to 50% of energy use 72% of electricity consumption
What environmental externalities occur when buildings use significant quantities of potable water indoors?
A. Increased water rates B. Increased environmental burdens on the water supply C. Decreased energy efficiency D. Increased stormwater runoff
B. Increased environmental burdens on the water supply
Every company, large or small, has ‘externalities’ that typically do not show up in profit and loss reports.