LEED Green Associate Sample Exam Questions

Exemplary performance is

not available for all credits

The minimum FTE requirement per Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) for LEED Certification is

1 FTE

If the project site is 1.25 acres in size, what minimum gross floor area is required for the building?

1,089 sf; Per MPR, the gross floor area of the LEED project building must be no less than 2% of the gross land area within the LEED project boundary; minimum gross floor area = gross land area X 0.02

The Energy Policy Act establishes what flush rate as the baseline water consumption for water closets?

1.6 gallons per flush

How many levels, or tiers, of LEED professional accreditation are available?

3 - Green Associate, AP with Specialty, AP Fellow

What rules should be used when selecting a LEED rating system when more than one system may apply?

40/60 Use the rating system that is most applicable

CFC refrigerants represent what percentage of use in existing building water chiller systems today?

50%

To qualify as a regional material, within what distance must a material be extracted, harvested, or recovered, and manufactured?

500 miles

Minimum ventilation rates are addressed by this standard

62.1-2007

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, how much time do Americans typically spend indoors?

90%

Sites seeking the Development Density credit must achieve these 2 requirements

A previously developed site, a site in a community with a minimum density of 60,000 sf per acre net

The EPA defines, in part, a brownfield site as:

A site that contains hazardous substances

On a 1:12 sloped roof, these strategies could be used for compliance with the Heat Island Effect - Roof

A vegetated roof; a roof surface of SRI 78 or greater

Indoor Air Quality during construction is addressed by

ASHRAE 52.2-1999 and SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association)

Ventilation rates and Indoor Air Quality levels are addressed by this standard:

ASHRAE 62.1-2007

A building's energy performance is addressed by this standard

ASHRAE 90.1-2007

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

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

How are low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles classified?

As Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by the California Air Resources Board or have achieved a minimum Green Score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide

How are the sustainable categories in the LEED Scorecard arranged?

By environmental category

The Green Label Plus program estblishes VOC limits for these materials:

Carpets

2009 LEED rating systems, except LEED for Homes and LEED for ND, have what 3 structures?

Credits, Minimum Program Requirements, Prerequisites

For a project to be certified, these minimum requirements must be achieved:

Comply with all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of credit points, Comply with the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs)

To verify the compliance of a credit or prerequisite, a qualified member of the project team submits this

Credit Forms

Credit Forms must be signed by this member of the project team:

Declarant

In the Development Density credit, the density radius calculation is used to

Define properties included in the development density calculation

What is the recommended process for the project team to follow to achieve LEED certification?

Determine if project is appropriate for LEED; register the project with the GBCI and pay registration fee; prepare application; submit application and pay appropriate fees; application review; certification

The primary goal for preparing a sustainable building program is to:

Develop the project's environmental goals

The two primary responsibilities of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) are:

Develops LEED Green Building Rating Systems, Develops and provides LEED based education and research projects

A popular program for comparing the energy performance of multiple buildings

ENERGY STAR

What can be used as alternative fuel for vehicles?

Electricity, hydrogen, propane, compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas, methanol, ethanol, and gas-electric hybrids

Often a reduction in water use will offer greater benefits in this environmental area:

Energy consumption; Water efficiency cuts costs by reducing the amount of water that must be treated, heated, cooled, and distributed

Credit Weightings are used to evaluate the credit with respect to

Environmental and human health

When an owner purchases RECs, they receive:

Environmental, social, and other positive attributes of power generated by renewable resources

What does gerrymandering mean with regards to the LEED project boundary?

Excluding portions of the site

Reducing potable water for flushing toilets may be permitted to use this type of water:

Graywater (domestic wastewater composed of wash water from kitchen, bathroom and laundry sinks, tubs and washers; the UPC defines graywater as untreated household wastewater that has not come in contact with toilet waste)

VOC limits for adhesives, sealants, paints, and coatings are addressed by these standards:

Green Seal, SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District)

The primary contributor to climate change is

Greenhouse gases

Natural refrigerants are environmentally benign to the atmosphere. Which of these are au naturel?

H20 (water), CO2 (carbon dioxide), Ammonia, HC (hydrocarbons); Air

The greatest threat to global warming potential is presented by this group of refrigerants

HFCs (HydroFluoroCarbons)

The least affect to the ozone depletion potential is most likely by using this group of refrigerants:

HFCs (HydroFluoroCarbons)

Fire suppression systems are generally associated with these refrigerants

Halons

Two primary benefits of using pervious materials for hardscapes (parking lots, walks, and patios):

Improve stormwater quantity and quality

Local zoning ordinances would, typically, not apply to this

Interior lighting densities

What is unique about the Innovative Performance requirement for the Innovation in Design credit?

It is not applicable to existing or similar strategies in the LEED rating system

The 2009 LEED Rating System best suited for an office complex where the owner will occupy 60% of the building would be

LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations

Who can offer an alternative way to provide verification for a number of submittals in a project application for LEED certification?

Licensed Professional (a board certified Professional Engineer, Registered Architect, or Registered Landscape Architect

The major consideration when developing a sustainable project budget:

Life Cycle Costs

ASHRAE standards address which of the following?

Minimum requirements for the energy efficient design of most buidings (ASHRAE 90.1-2007); minimum ventilation rates (ASHRAE 62.1-2007); thermal comfort conditions (ASHRAE 55-2004); MERV ventilation air filters (ASHRAE 52.2-1999)

Legal protection of the ozone layer in the US is provided by this

Montreal Protocol

Where can the USGBC logo NOT be used?

Packaging, Products

What documentation is required for LEED Operations + Maintenance certification?

Performance data for the building and site over time

Heat island effect - nonroof can be reduced by

Planting large non-native trees for shading, using paving materials with SRI value of at least 29, placing at least 25% of the parking under shade

For storage and collection of recyclables, a building recycling program must include these items:

Plastic, Cardboard, Metal

What option is available to comply with Alternative Transportation - Public Transportation Access if a project is not located within 1/2 mile distance of a rail station or within 1/4 mile distance of a bus stop?

Provide shuttle service to mass transit stations or stops

To two primary responsibilities of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) are:

Provides third party LEED professional credentialing, Provides third part LEED project certification

Implementing a CFC refrigerant phase out plan for chiller systems requires this to be done:

Reduce the annual leakage rate of CFC based refrigerants to 5% or less

Before submitting a CIR for technical assistance, what actions should the Project Team take when considering a strategy for credit compliance but are unsure if the strategy would satisfy the necessary requirements?

Reevaluate the credit or prerequisite intent, search the CIR database to see if the same inquiry has been previously addressed, contact LEED customer service as a last resort

LEED projects cover a wide range of building types and users. How does LEED define transient occupants?

Retail customers, Students

Construction and demolition debris cannot include 2 of these items

Rock, Soil

The Triple Bottom Line evaluates the human and environmental effects associated with these

Social, economics, and environment

This source consumes the largest amount of energy in buildings

Space Heating

A project's Life Cycle Costs (LCC) budget includes

Synonmous with green building, "cradle to grave" costs that go beyond the initial construction costs to include operation and maintenance of the building after occupancy, demolition costs and reuse value at the end of the building's life; LCC encompasses initial costs (design & construction), operating costs (energy, water, other utilities and personnel), maintenance, repair, replacement costs, salvage value at the end of the building's life

Energy use intensity is an important factor in determining energy usage and refers to

The amount of energy consumed per unit floor space

The footprint of a building is defined as

The area of the building structure only

The LEED project boundary is defined as

The boundary description that is submitted for certification

What is true about a material that was extracted 525 miles from the project site, partially assembled 650 miles from the project site with final assembly 100 miles from the project site?

The material does not meet compliance as a regional material

Which statement is true for a project to qualify for the LEED for Homes rating system?

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

Regional Priority credits are made available to the project for

The zip code of the geographic location of the project

During the charette, the project team establishes an integrated design approach toward this major goal:

To generate possible design solutions and strategies for a successful sustainable project

What is the goal of IPMVP Volume III?

To provide framework for assessing building performance

Why would the project team submit a Credit Interpretation Request?

To receive technical guidance on LEED credit strategies

Which strategy should a construction and demolition waste and recycling management plan address?

To use comingled or separated recycling

Many building codes incorporate these standards

UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code 2006), IPC (International Plumbing Code 2006)

By what system or program does USGBC allow a volume certification path to enable owners to integrate LEED across the board as a standard feature of their design, construction, and operations?

USGBC Portfolio Program

Reducing potable water for landscaping irrigation could be achieved by

Using drip irrigation

Source reduction relates to

Waste prevention

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 addresses these types of fixtures or equipment

Water closets, urinals, lavatory faucets, sink faucets, showerheads, prerinse spray valves

Rainwater harvesting systems are designed to address these environmental concerns:

Water efficiency, Stormwater management

A project's hard cost budget includes

costs for expenditures of the actual construction phases of the project such as sitework, concrete, masonry, roofing, interior finishes such as carpet and painting, mechanical systems, etc.

A project's soft costs budget includes

costs for services outside the realm of what is done on the construction site; they include architectural and engineering fees, permit fees, legal and real estate fees, interest paid for the cost of doing the project, insurance, closing costs, etc.

The EPAct 1992 water standard excludes which types of fixtures and equipment?

residential and commercial dishwashers, commercial steam cookers, automatic commercial ice makers, residential and commercial clothes washers

The government organization responsible for controlling ozone depleting substances in the US is

the EPA