MOCK EXAM II Flashcards by Jacob Rodman

Green roofs tend to be quite expensive and have long payback periods. In which way do they pay for themselves the quickest?

Lower cooling and heating costs due to better insulation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which strategy can the project team suggest if the building owner wants to maintain ongoing energy efficiency and performance?

Building automation systems

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

As humans have progressed over time, they have created indoor micro-atmospheres through mechanical and natural ventilation. We now spend _% of our time indoors:

90%

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

A company wants to increase security and help late-night employees find their cars after sundown but is concerned about light pollution and energy consumption after the building closes. How can the company save money over time, help its employees and reduce light pollution?

Install timers that shut off the lights after closing

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

When calculating building energy performance, what is included as process energy? (Choose 2)

Elevators & Washing machines

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Standards are an integral part of LEED, as they avoid the need for reinventing the wheel. What organizations identify sensitive habitats? (CHOOSE 2)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The NatureServe Heritage Program

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does LEED use to define an alternative vehicle, like my hybrid-electric car?

The ACEEE annual vehicle rating guide

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Your team is involved in a LEED Charrette as part of the integrative process and as a LEED consultant you tell them that material selection process should be based on: (CHOOSE 3)

The impact the material has on society
The environmental impact of extracting and manufacturing the material
The cost of the material

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Several LEED credits offer two approaches to meet credit compliance. The two approaches are: (Choose 2)

Prescriptive & Performance path

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

LeadingGreen is considering using the LEED for Core and Shell rating system for an ice rink complex project. Which of the following is not considered in this specific rating system? (Choose 2)

Tenant fit outs
Furniture, furnishings, and equipment (FF&E)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Increased ventilation can result in a trade-off between high IAQ and energy performance. How can an engineer minimize an increase in energy?

Use demand-control ventilation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

LEED is one of many green building rating systems that are in use today. Some rating systems are more stringent and some are looser. Name three additional green building rating systems: (Choose 3)

Green Globes
The Living Building Challenge™
BREEAM

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

How many credit categories does the LEED BD+C rating systems have?

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Credit point weightings are determined based on LEED v4 Impact Categories. Which of them attempts to reduce negative environmental impacts throughout a material’s life cycle?

Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resources Cycles

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The success of a LEED project depends on ongoing performance and a number of backbone concepts essential to the process. Select three which are integral to green building and sustainability: (CHOOSE 3)

Integrative Project Delivery
Systems Thinking Approach
Life-cycle Approach

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Increased rainwater runoff can lead to detrimental environmental and economic impacts through energy required to pump the excess rainwater and tax dollars required to often treat and pump it as well as: (CHOOSE 2)

Eutrophication & Sedimentation of adjacent streams

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

LeadingGreen Development proposes a new strategy for an ultra energy-efficient building but is having issues with municipal code. As a result:

The project team must alter the design

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which statement is TRUE for a project to qualify for the LEED BD+C: Homes rating system?

The project can be a 3 story or less low-rise multifamily residential project

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The FTE is a method to measure occupancy in LEED. Which of the following contribute to the number of FTEs in a project? (CHOOSE 2)

A librarian & A receptionist

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

When selecting refrigerants, what is most important for the project team to take into account?

An analysis of trade-offs between performance, global warming, and ozone depletion

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which of the following does LEED not reward a project for?

Locating near existing utilities

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Selecting a site in proximity to diverse uses is encouraged in LEED. Which of the following are categories of use-types? (CHOOSE 2)

Food retail & Community anchor

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

In a project, what stakeholder helps the team by understanding credit interactions and documentation requirements?

LEED AP+

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

LEED has many tools to assist project teams, including an online feedback button. What is the main distinction between a LEED Interpretation and Project CIR?

LEED Interpretations are precedent-setting

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Quality open space is not a result of which of the following?

Open grid pavement unbound for 50%+

Mlotek Construction is subcontracted to manage the waste of an old LEED certified building. How can the subcontractor use non-recyclable, nonhazardous waste to earn points?

Waste-to-energy

As a building ages how does its emissions change?

They increase

Di Santo Engineering wants to implement green strategies that would reduce the use of potable water. Suggest a strategy that would do this:

Installing a dual flush toilet

The USGBC and GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.) are the two main governing bodies of the LEED rating system. What is the GBCI responsible for? (CHOOSE 3)

- Third-party technical reviews of registered LEED projects - Administration of the LEED exams - Overseeing LEED credential maintenance

A city mayor is trying to decide if he needs to hire a LEED AP for their brand new City Hall in Toronto. What is the purpose of a LEED AP?A city mayor is trying to decide if he needs to hire a LEED AP for their brand new City Hall in Toronto. What is the purpose of a LEED AP?

To streamline the LEED process

LeadingGreen has project specific questions regarding a prerequisite in Water Efficiency and an unrelated credit in the same credit category. How should the project team proceed?

Submit two separate CIRs, one for the credit and one for the prerequisite

A project is looking into options for alternative water sources for irrigation. Which should they select? (CHOOSE 2)

Greywater & Stormwater

Which of the following credits has the intent of reducing the usage of single occupied vehicles?

Access to Quality Transit

A project team is going through its first LEED application process and is very disorganized. In order to ensure all green building goals are being met, they should use:

LEED project checklist

What must the project team submit via LEED Online in order to verify prerequisite and credit compliance?

Credit Forms

A project team is investigating rainwater runoff and the possibility of capture and treating it for reuse. Which of the following methods will hold water and reduce the amount of runoff?

Direct runoff into dry ponds

The project team would determine its target certification level through:

LEED Scorecard

Commissioning is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner’s project requirements. What is its median payback for an existing building?

1.7 years

Every credit category incorporates various regulations to act as standards for its sustainability goals. What credit category would REACH Optimization assist?

How would Bethancourt Landscaping Engineers minimize stormwater runoff?

Install a vegetative roof

Renewable energy produced onsite is a great way to offset the peak energy demand during a hot summer day. Demand Response (DR) is another great way to shift peak demand, and would be triggered by what/whom?

Utility company

The USGBC was created in 1993 and then proposed the need for a green building rating system in the building industry. Why has LEED been so successful? (CHOOSE 3)

It is voluntary It is market driven It is consensus based

A school is analyzing the cost-benefit ratio of only installing ENERGY STAR appliances in one of its residences. What can be done to determine whether or not this is a smart decision?

Perform a Life-Cycle Assessment of the trade-offs between the capital and operating costs

LeadingGreen chooses to gut an existing building in a historic district, thus gaining points in which 2 LEED credits? (CHOOSE 2)

High Priority Sites & Building Reuse

A large percentage of our landfill is composed of construction and demolition debris. A construction waste management plan can help divert some of that waste and should include:

Whether recycled waste is commingled or separated

LEED uses FTE counts to measure occupancy for which of the following items? (CHOOSE 2)

Indoor water use reduction & Bicycle parking and showers

If a building owner wants to evaluate the environmental impact of its energy, water, solid waste, materials, and transportation systems as a whole, it would use which metric?

Carbon emissions

Demand Response is new to LEED V4. What is not one of its benefits?

Operator convenience

Which of the following items does the commissioning authority not complete to achieve the Enhanced Commissioning credit?

Verify SMACNA best practices are followed throughout construction

A facility manger is integral to LEED for Existing Building certifications. What preventative routine tasks should they perform to ensure a high level of IAQ?

Replacing air filters

Which standard or program compares the energy performance of multiple buildings?

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®

A project team wants to reduce the heat island effect, add vegetated open space, and manage stormwater runoff. What elements can be chosen to achieve all three goals? (CHOOSE 3)

- Trees - Landscaped planters on a terrace - Vegetated roof

There is a term used to represent a building’s occupants in utility-use calculations. Which of the following does the term include?

A full-time waiter

McDuckold Restaurant wants to strengthen their corporate sustainability report by decreasing indoor water demand. How can the restaurant do this?

Install high efficiency toilets

Which of the following should be considered early in the design process when planning room layouts?

Acoustic performance

A project team is debating whether to pursue LEED Certification or to just build to code and save money. Which of the following is not a green building principle?

Budgeting the planning and design costs separately from the operations costs

Three architecture firms are collaborating on a single project at the University of Toronto. The integrated design process is very dependent on:

Collaborative team members

There are harmful and benign emissions that result from our lifestyles. Which of the following is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that can be found in the ground, groundwater, or building materials?

Radon

The LEED rating system only permits certain types of buildings, spaces, and neighborhoods to pursue LEED certification. What defines the most basic restriction?

Minimum Program Requirements

A project is in the middle of the desert. The, project team wants to take advantage of the great amount of sunlight to increase daylighting but at the same time reduce energy use. Which strategy can best accomplish this?

Appropriately model and locate the windows

The abundance of impervious pavement used for parking results in detrimental environmental impacts. What strategy does LEED suggest to discourage the use of single-occupancy, conventional gas-fueled vehicles?

Set aside some preferred parking spaces for green vehicles

A new university building is being constructed at MSU. Which of the following should be purchased?

Paper towels that are FSC certified, cafeteria food from a local farm, ENERGY STAR computers

Unintentional consequences are a risk for any design decision regardless of the industry. Looking at the interconnectivity of the triple bottom line, what is a possible environmental externality caused when a building uses a lot of potable water?

Increased environmental burdens on the water supply

A developer uses dampers to funnel the correct amount of fresh air to each occupied space, helping by:

Improving the productivity of the occupants

A project leader is trying to determine if its floor-to-area ratio (FAR) is high enough so that it can count which of the following spaces as vegetation for open space:

Extensive green roof

What is the minimum occupancy requirement in a LEED building?

1 FTE

What is defined as a project’s property area?

Total area within the legal property boundaries of the site; it encompasses all areas of the site, including constructed and non-constructed areas

Which aspect of the requirements could negatively impact the indoor air quality?

The location of outdoor air ducts

The building code of Reykjavík does not allow rainwater harvesting but the project requires the Indoor Water Use Reduction credits for LEED certification. How should the project team proceed?

Find alternative solutions for indoor water use reduction

Throughout the LEED documentation process, many different stakeholders are involved. Which document establishes the terms and conditions of the LEED Certification program to which the building owner is bound?

Certification agreement

When you look at the globe one can see that it is composed of mostly water. What percentage is fresh?

What are different strategies that a space-efficient minded urban planning consultant on a LEED for Neighbourhood Development project would suggest? (CHOOSE 3)

- Use structural insulated panels - Incorporate advanced framing in the design - Reduce hallways

By locating a project near public transit, the team can benefit from all of the following except:

Reduced light pollution

Daylight has many benefits due to credit requirements except:

Improved thermal comfort

Avoiding purchasing energy derived from fossil fuels and focusing on onsite renewable energy instead will financially benefit a project by:

Avoiding escalating market prices

How could a long-term palliative care building enhance patient privacy?

Install acoustic insulation

The integrative process results in many benefits. Select the greatest one:

Maximizing opportunities for cost-effective adoption of green design and construction strategies

You are a LEED consultant and a client has asked you how the project can increase its density. What do you suggest?

Shrink the building footprint but maintain the GFA to maximize the FAR

You are working at an interior design company that is trying to reduce its long-term environmental effects. Which of the following strategies would you suggest?

Select refurbished furniture

What is one of the primary tasks for an integrated project team during the discovery phase?

Understanding system interactions

Throughout a LEED project, an environmentally preferable purchasing policy is encouraged, especially during the charrette. EPPs should pick materials that:

Are durable

According to a United Nations study, what percentage of the ecosystem services that have been assessed worldwide is currently degraded or used unsustainably?

60%

A team is trying to reduce the amount of potable water used for irrigation. Which of the following will not help with tracking this information?

Installing building-level meters

Why should a project team follow SMACNA guidelines?

To minimize indoor air quality issues caused by construction

Buildings are becoming more and more unique and require specific items based on their location and space type. How does LEED address this?

LEED rating system adaptations

The LEED rating systems are created by the USGBC, a non-profit organization that ensures fairness and credibility by:

Employing a consensus-based process

Demand response programs are gaining popularity as power authorities attempt to shift peak demands. If an office tower consumes electricity from the grid at night while contributing the same amount of energy back to the grid during the day resulting in this:

Net-zero energy

Water from a dishwasher is being recycled. In most jurisdictions, this water cannot be used for what?

All of the above (Flushing toilets, Process water in cooling towers, Irrigation)

When deciding which refrigerant to use in a building’s cooling system, a conflict arises between the effects of ODP and GWP. What fact causes this conflict?

Refrigerants that are neutral to the ozone layer are less efficient

Selecting a site in the middle of downtown New York City would positively impact the environmental side of the triple bottom line by:

Protecting undeveloped land

Green buildings are evaluated based on the Triple Bottom Line, which includes their social, environmental, and economic benefits. Which two are examples of economic benefits from a LEED project? (Choose 2)

- Reduced liabilities due to poor indoor air quality causing health issues - Reduced utility costs

Penn State has many laboratories with sensitive equipment that must be kept uncontaminated. They are going ahead with a renovation plan. What would a sub-contractor need in order to safely handle a product during installation?

A Material Safety Data Sheet

In the Indoor Water Use Reduction prerequisite and credit, what is the baseline case compared to?

The design case installed in the building

LeadingGreen Development purchased a struggling project mid-way through its design process. As soon as possible after the purchase, they began the integrative approach, and daylighting was the main ticket item. What items could be inexpensively altered to improve daylighting at this point in the project? (CHOOSE 2)

The colors of the surfaces & The types of furnishings

Every project must earn a minimum number of points through credits. What is the purpose of minimum program requirements? (CHOOSE 3)

- To give clear guidance to customers - To protect the integrity of the LEED program - To reduce certification process challenges

In the Systems Thinking process, closed systems are synonymous with which of the following?

Cradle to cradle performance

ASHRAE, MERV, FSC, and ISO are some of the organizations that set standards used in the LEED rating system. While FSC standards apply to wood products, what is the ISO 14000 standard used for?

Environmentally preferable goods and services

Feedback loops are responsible for amplifying the detrimental environmental effects caused by our lifestyles. Which of the following is a negative feedback loop?

A thermostat uses temperature readings to indicate to the system when to turn off

What is not part of a waste reduction strategy?

Waste disposal

Looking at the triple bottom line, which of the following sites would contribute the most to environmental stewardship?

An old building

Your new vacation home will be located in the Alps and you cleverly decide to supply your toilet water with snow from the mountains. How does this decision affect the future of the project?

The project could emphasize water conservation