1- Which of the following does NOT support users seeking alternative transportation options?

A. Including alternative-fuel facilities

Alternative fueling stations (electric chargers) allow people with electric vehicles to charge
their vehicles at the project site.
B. Sharing parking among two or more buildings
C. Providing preferred parking for green vehicles

Providing preferred parking is a perk for driving a green vehicle to the building.

Preferred parking is defined as 'the parking spots closest to the main entrance of a building
(exclusive of spaces designated for handicapped persons). For employee parking, it refers to
the spots that are closest to the entrance used by employees.' - USGBC
D.Installing bicycle storage

Bicycle storage gives people an option to bike to work and store their bicycle securely.

2- Which of the following would be classified as a soft construction cost?

A. Civil engineer consulting fee

A soft construction cost is one that is not directly related to building, construction,
etc. These can be architectural, legal, financing, engineering fees, commissioning,
and other costs incurred before and after construction.
B. Construction worker labor costs

This is a hard cost. By far the largest portion of the expenses in a construction
budget, the hard costs are mostly comprised of the actual construction costs
incurred to build the project. Examples of hard costs include masonry, wood,
steel, carpet, tile, mechanical systems, roofing.
C. Rental of a dumpster

This is a hard cost.

D.Purchase of some steel

This is a hard cost.

3- Developing nations banned ChloroFluoroCarbons (CFCs) under the:

A. Montreal Protocol
 The Montreal Protocol banned CFCs. Developing nations signed on to phase out
the use of CFCs, while some other nations still produce and use CFCs.

Under the Montreal Protocol, CFC production in the United States ended in 1995,
and HCFC production is banned beginning in 2030. To implement the Montreal
Protocol, the EPA established Section 608 of the EPA Clean Air Act for regulating
the use and recycling of ozone-depleting compounds.
B. Executive Order 95-231
C. Kyoto Treaty

This is a protocol aimed to fight global warming. LEED does not reference this
protocol.
D.EPA Clean Air Act

EPA Clean Air Act specifies disposal procedures for CFCs among other things.

4- Which of the following helps reinforce the open consensus process of new LEED
versions?

A. The feedback projects receive from LEED credit reviewers

This is part of the project review process, not LEED development.

B. The balloting process with USGBC membership

What is consensus in LEED?

'LEED is developed by USGBC member-based volunteer committees,

subcommittees, and working groups in conjunction with staff. LEED development
follows a structure that includes a balanced representation of stakeholders and
management of conflict of interest, to ensure that the development of LEED is
transparent and consensus-based. The LEED committee structure balances market
needs and constraints with consistency and technical rigor in the development and
improvement of the credits within LEED, to ensure the quality and integrity of the
LEED brand. The balloting process of new versions with USGBC membership
reinforces the open consensus process. The appeal procedures that are
implemented by USGBC further support the consensus process and ensure the fair
treatment of affected stakeholders. All of these measures are essential to
protecting and enhancing the integrity, authority, and value of LEED.' - USGBC
C. Government oversight

LEED does not have government oversight.

D.The addition of new LEED adaptations
'Adaptations to the existing version include the ability for both specific space
types and international projects to be addressed through the creation of credit
adaptations. This allows new paths to be introduced in existing credits to meet the
needs of projects that would otherwise be unable to utilize the requirements in
LEED.' – USGBC

5- A project team is removing from the design a solar car shading device that
also serves as a fueling station. Which of the following is this most likely to
impact?

A. Heat island reduction

Solar car shading devices are a shading strategy for reducing heat
islands.
B. Green vehicles

Green vehicles require recharging stations. Taking away the fueling

station impacts this requirement.
C. Rainwater management

The shading device does not impact rainwater management.

D.Reduced parking footprint

This has no impact on the parking footprint

6- Which of the following best describes the LEED charrette?

A. Meetings with the project team at least monthly to review

project status, introduce new team members to project goals,
discuss problems, formulate solutions, review responsibilities,
and identify next steps.
This is part of the integrative process, but not the definition of
the charrette.
B. The operational hand-off between the project team and the
facility manager and building occupants during which the
control of systems is reviewed
This is part of the Occupation phase.
C. An intensive, multiparty workshop that brings people from
different disciplines and backgrounds together to produce
specific deliverables

This is the USGBC definition.

D.At least eight hours of training (extending a full day or over
several days) on the green aspects of the project, as well as
ways in which the trades can contribute to achieving each LEED
prerequisite and attempted credits
 This is an example of trades training under LEED Homes and
Multifamily Lowrise

7- Selecting which of the following sites would have the greatest

positive environmental impact?

A. A previously undeveloped site

This is a greenfield site and would not be the best choice for
building on.
B. An old building

Redeveloping (or reuse) of an existing building significantly

minimizes the project's impact on the environment. It also
provides the project team opportunity to reuse existing
infrastructure.
C. Locating the project near public parking

Locating the project near public parking may reduce the

project's parking needs but this is not the best answer choice.
D.Parkland near diverse uses

Parkland is open space (though not for the project) and should
be avoided for building on.

8- The baseline water use of a urinal is:

A. 1.0 gpm (3.8 lpm)

B. 2.2 gpf (8.3 lpf)
C. 1.0 gpf (3.8 lpf)

1.0 gallons per flush (gpf) (3.8 lpf) per the EPAct of
1992.
D.2.2 gpm (8.3 lpm)

9- What is the primary benefit of an integrative process?

A. Achieving the highest LEED rating possible

B. Reducing costs over traditional construction practices
C. Maximizing opportunities for integrative, cost-effective
adoption of green design and construction strategies
This is the primary benefit. The way to reduce costs LEED
projects and green building in general is through the use of the
integrative process. It is when green building is an add-on to
 the traditional construction process that it becomes more
expensive.
D.Obtaining local, state, and federal incentives for green design
and construction strategies

10- Which of the following are LEED impact categories?

A. Natural Context, Infrastructural Context, and Social Context

These are the factors of Location.

B. Reuse Dependence on Fossil Fuels and Create a Strong Sense of
Place
These two choices are components of impact categories.

Reuse Dependence on Fossil Fuels is component of Reverse

Contribution to Global Climate Change.

Create a Strong Sense of Place is a component of Enhance

Social Equity, Environmental Justice, Community Health and
Quality of Life.
C. Build a Greener Economy and Protect and Restore Water
Resources
These Impact Categories answer the question: 'What should a
LEED project accomplish?':

Reverse Contribution to Global Climate Change

Enhance Individual Human Health and Well-Being
Protect and Restore Water Resources
Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services
Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resources
Cycles
Build a Greener Economy
Enhance Social Equity, Environmental Justice, and Community
Quality of Life
D.Social Capital, Natural Capital, and Economic Capital

These are alternative terms for People, Planet, Profit of the

triple bottom line.
 11- If a building has already earned LEED BD+C: New
Construction certification what additional certifications
could the building earn in the future?

A. LEED for Neighborhood Development

LEED for Neighborhood Development applies to the

community, not to a building.
B. LEED O+M: Existing Buildings

LEED O+M: Existing Buildings could be earned for the

ongoing operations of the building.
C. LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

LEED BD+C: Core and Shell cannot occur after LEED

BD+C: New Construction certification.
D.LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors

LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors could be earned for

the interior spaces.

12- What statement is true regarding the evaluation process if

a project team is considering a new technology to bring more
sunlight into a building?

A. Adequate time for research and testing will be needed for

evaluation
Many green and sustainable building practices are relatively
new to the industry. Project teams should allocate adequate
time for additional research and analysis of options, as well as
testing and inspections. These tasks can be assigned to a small
task group.
B. Further evaluation is not necessary if new information becomes
available
New information would indicate a reevaluation may be
necessary.
C. The technology does not need to be evaluated in relation to
other systems
Each part of the system should be evaluated in relation to the
whole.
D.If it is a proven technology, alternatives do not need to be
considered
 What might be proven for one project might not be appropriate
for other projects. Other alternatives should be considered.

13- What type of system is more sustainable?

A. Dynamic system

This term is not used in green building.

B. Neutral system

This term is not used in green building.

C. Open system

An open system is a system that constantly takes in items from outside the system , uses
them and then releases them as waste. This system has no feedback loop. Think of a normal
home where groceries, products, or water come into the home, are used and then released
as waste water or garbage.
D.Closed system

A closed system is a system with a closed loop, and is thought of as more sustainable. For
example, plants growing in a field, grow, produce oxygen, take in water, then die and decay
which helps plants grow. Closed systems can be linked so one system uses the byproducts
of another.

14- What is the value of documenting and tracking a building's resource use?

A. Reduces first costs

Resource tracking doesn't effect first costs.

B. Reduces end-of-life costs

This is not correct.

C. 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.
D.Reduces a building's embodied energy

Once the building is built the embodied energy that went into it is fixed. Tracking
future resource use has no impact on this.
 15- What is true about a project that is located in an urban area?

A. The project will need to be located near mass transit to achieve LEED
certification
Locating a project near mass transit is not a prerequisite for projects in
urban areas.
B. The design of the project within the project boundary is unlikely to
contain open space
Even in an urban area the project team can design the project to leave
some of the area as open space.
C. The project is likely to experience higher cooling costs due to the heat
island effect
The heat island effect refers to the ability of dark, non-reflective paved
areas-city streets, rooftops, and sidewalks-to absorb and radiate heat,
making urban areas and the surrounding suburbs noticeably hotter than
rural towns nearby. Other contributors include reduced air flow due to
tall buildings and narrow streets, calm and sunny weather, and auto
exhaust.

Because the air around the building is heated, more air conditioning is
required in the building to keep it cool. This in turn, further heats the
surrounding air and creates a vicious cycle.
D.The project team will likely have to select a site on previously
undeveloped land
Urban developments usually have access to previously developed land. It
is in suburban areas where a project is more likely to find a greenfield to
develop on.

16- Which of the following instances of documentation is an acceptable form when the
name of the organization is appearing in a press release for the first time?

A. U.S.G.B.C.
B. U.S. GBC
C. United States Green Building Council
D.U.S. Green Building Council

USGBC Name: The official organization name is the U.S. Green Building Council. 'USGBC' is
the official acronym. Use the complete name for any first reference. Subsequent references
 in copy may use USGBC. NOTE: When using 'USGBC' as a noun, do not precede with 'the.' For
example: Contact USGBC for more information.
Notes:

For someone new to green building, this is an important distinction to learn and comes directly from
the exam objectives.

17- What standard might need to be used to measure building energy performance?

A. ASHRAE 90.1

ASHRAE 90.1 is used to measure building energy performance in the Energy and
Atmosphere category.
B. ISO 14020

The ISO 14021 series standards, Environmental Labels and Declaration, are communication
tools that convey information on environmental aspects of a product or service to the
market.
C. SMACNA

Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor's National Association (SMACNA) guidelines
play a key role in construction activity pollution prevention. The standard provides an
overview of air pollutants associated with construction, control measures, construction
process management, quality control, among other things.
D.Green-e

Green-e is a program established to promote green electricity products and provide

consumers with a nationally recognized method to identify those products

18- The linear use of resources where outputs are treated as waste contributes to
the toxins accumulating in the atmosphere, water and on the ground. This has
accelerated the pace of the planet's biggest problem which is:

A. Poor water quality

B. Products containing hazardous chemicals
C. Indoor air quality
D.Climate change

According to USGBC the biggest problem we face as a society is climate change,

much of it stemming from the built environment and using nonrenewable energy,
water, and materials at an ever increasing pace.
19- 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 receive 0% interest loans

Loans may be discounted but would not be free.

B. Certified green office buildings have guaranteed grants from local governments

Grants may be available but they aren't guaranteed.

C. Certified green office buildings do not have to go through the permitting process

The permitting process may be expedited but it would not be skipped.

D.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.

20- The practice of placing windows or other transparent media and reflective
surfaces in such a way that during the day natural light provides effective internal
illumination is referred to as:

A. Natural ventilation

Natural (or passive) ventilation uses the natural forces of wind and buoyancy to
deliver fresh air into buildings through doors, windows, or other designed opening
(chimneys).
B. Lighting power density

Lighting power density is the installed lighting power per unit area (the amount of
electrical power used to illuminate a space). It is usually expressed in Watts per
unit of area.

Reducing the lighting power density for a project can reduce energy use.
C. Passive ventilation

See natural ventilation.

D.Daylighting

This is the definition of daylighting.

21- What can help reduce indoor potable water use?

A. Gravity-based irrigation system

B. Composting toilets

The indoor water efficiency credits address both reducing potable water
use through water conserving fixtures (efficiency), and offsetting potable
 water use by using graywater, rainwater, and recycled water.

Waterless urinals and composting toilets have a tremendous water

savings over conventional flush fixtures (water closets, toilets,
conventional urinals).

Composting toilets are not practical for many applications, such as high-
rise buildings.
C. Smaller kitchen sinks
D.Stacking the building design

22- What types of energy sources generate the least air and water
pollution?

A. Natural gas
B. Wind
C. Clean coal
D.Oil
E. Biofuel

Notes:

Wind, solar, and biomass are types of renewable energy sources (green power)
LEED rewards projects for using.

Coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and other fossil fuels have greater environmental
impacts to the air and water.

23- What is an example of adaptive reuse?

A. Designing a building with a flexible floor plan that can accommodate

offices or apartments
This is an example of designing for flexibility. In this example the
building can have offices now but in 20 years could be updated to
apartments more easily than if the design did not include this option.
B. Renovating a historic home

This is just renovation.

C. Designing classrooms so they can be divided into separate class spaces
 A classroom divider is not a type of reuse. The classrooms aren't
designed for another purpose in the future.
D.Renovating an old steel mill into an apartment complex

Adaptive reuse is the practice of redesigning and using a structure for a

use that is significantly different from the building's original use.

24- What are the best design strategies for improving indoor air quality
during operations and maintenance of a building?

A. Increase the ventilation in the building

Additional outdoor air can be provided in the building. This is a common

trade-off though - when increasing the ventilation for a mechanical
system the energy use of the building goes up.

LEED BD+C projects can earn credit for increasing ventiliation. In milder
climates increasing ventiliation can still be accomplished with natural
ventilation through proper design of air flows through the building.
B. Use natural refrigerants

The type of refrigerant does not directly impact the particulates in the
air.
C. Orient the building for optimal sun exposure

Building orientation can impact the particulates entering the building due
to the direction the wind blows. However it isn't as big of a factor as the
air filters used.
D.Use soft surfaces on the interiors

Soft surfaces are good for acoustic design, not air quality.
E. Use air filters with high Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)
ratings
Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings are a standard
comparison of the efficiency of an air filter. The MERV scale ranges from
1 (least efficient) to 16 (most efficient), and measures a filter's ability
remove particles from 3 to 10 microns in size. The ratings were
developed by ASHRAE.

25- Who should be present at a project's goal-setting

workshop?

A. The owner and users only

B. The owner and architect only
 C. The owner, architect, and engineers only
D.All principal project team members

All principal project team members should be present at the

goal-setting workshop.

26- A project site in an urban area has already been selected by an

owner. The team is researching how it can reduce the heat-island effect
and have open space at the lowest cost. Which of the following should be
considered for a rooftop design?

A. An extensive vegetated roof

An extensive vegetated roof is covered with plants and typically not

designed for general access. Usually an extensive system is a rugged
green roof that requires little maintenance once established. The
planting medium in extensive vegetated roofs ranges from 1 to 6 inches
in depth. (USGBC)

Extensive vegetated roofs are less expensive than intensive vegetated

roofs because they don't require as much structural support.
B. A roof covered with high SRI material

This helps with reducing heat islands but not with open space.
C. An intensive vegetated roof

An intensive vegetated roof is one that, compared with an extensive

vegetated roof, has greater soil volume, supports a wider variety of
plants (including shrubs and trees), and allows a wider variety of uses
(including human access). The depth of the growing medium is an
important factor in determining habitat value. The native or adapted
plants selected for the roof should support the site's endemic wildlife
populations. (USGBC)
D.An artificial turf soccer field on the roof

A high SRI artificial turf roof might help with the heat-island effect, but
artificial turf does not count as open space.

27- In an integrated approach to rainwater management, which

of the following actions should a project team take to reduce
runoff volume and improve water quality?
 A. Assess the site for environmental contamination

This is the intent of an environmental site assessment.

B. Provide habitat and promote biodiversity

This is the intent of protecting and restoring habitat.

C. Replicate the natural hydrology and water balance of the site

This question asks about the intent and goals of rainwater

management.
D.Control soil erosion from construction activities

This is the intent of construction activity pollution prevention

28- What LEED credit category rewards projects within relatively dense
areas, near diverse uses, with access to a variety of transportation options,
or on sites with development constraints?

A. Smart Location and Linkage

Smart location & linkage credits promote walkable neighborhoods with

efficient transportation options and open space.

This is a credit category in LEED ND only.

B. Innovation

Innovation credits address sustainable building expertise as well as

design measures not covered under the five LEED credit categories.
C. Sustainable Sites

SS credits encourage strategies that minimize the impact on ecosystems

and water resources.
D.Location and Transportation

This is correct.

29- A developer is considering pursuing LEED for an eight-story, multi-family residential

project. How would the baseline building performance be determined?

A. By using the EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager can be used to compare buildings of similar size and
function (office to office, for example).
B. By the project obtaining a HERS index
 HERS index is for LEED for Homes and Multifamily Lowrise projects. This question indicates
that the project is an eight-story residential building, so LEED BD+C: Multifamily Midrise
would be used.
C. By obtaining an ENERGY STAR for Homes rating

LEED for Homes minimum energy performance requires meeting the requirements of
ENERGY STAR for Homes.
D.By calculations made using ASHRAE 90.1

In LEED BD+C projects use ASHRAE 90.1 to determine the baseline building performance.
Notes:

The baseline building performance is 'the annual energy cost for a building design, used as a baseline
for comparison with above-standard design.' – USGBC
30- The area of a project site that is used by the building structure, defined by the
perimeter of the building plan is the:

A. Building footprint

This is the definition of the building footprint.

B. Development footprint

The development footprint is the total land area of a project site covered by buildings,
streets, parking areas, and other typically impermeable surfaces constructed as part of the
project.
C. Building envelope

The building envelope (aka building shell) is the exterior surface of the building. It includes
the walls, windows, roof, and floor.
D.Building shell
31- A declarant is the person on the project team who:

A. Is technically qualified to verify the information on the LEED credit forms and is
authorized by the project administrator to sign the form
This is the definition of the declarant.
B. Creates the project narrative

The person filling out the registration form usually submits the project narrative.
C. Assigns credits to each of the team members

The project administrator assigns credits to team members.

D.Submits any Credit Interpretation Requests (CIRs) to GBCI

Any team member can submit a CIR.

 32- What information would a project team need to successfully
implement both rainwater management and outdoor water use reduction?

A. Occupancy counts

Occupancy counts are not needed for either.

B. Precipitation data

The knowledge of how much rain falls on the site will be needed for
rainwater management. This information also helps the landscape
designer determine the type of irrigation, plant selection, and areas of
vegetation.
C. Water balance

Water balance is a goal of not using any more water on a site that falls as
precipitation.
D.Location of indoor submeters

This is not needed for outdoor water use reduction.

33- The use of open grid pavement can help a project achieve points in what LEED areas?

A. Heat Island Reduction

Open grid pavement is pavement that is less than 50% impervious and contains vegetation
in the open cells. LEED accepts this type of pavement for the use of reducing heat islands.
The reason behind this is because the vegetation in the open cells replaces heat absorbing
surfaces just like any other plant.
B. Rainwater Management

Open grid pavement helps manage runoff by reducing the quantity of impervious surfaces.
C. Open Space

The use of open grid pavement does not affect the quantity of open space.
D.Outdoor Water Use Reduction

Open grid pavement does not affect irrigation demand.

34- A building design in a cool climate includes daylighting, natural ventilation,

operable windows, and individual lighting controls. What else can be included in the
design to improve occupant comfort and control?

A. Discounted transit passes

Discounted public transportation helps encourage alternative transportation

B. Bicycle racks near the building entrance

Bicycle racks help encourage alternative transportation

C. Walk off mats in all emergency exits

Walk off mats at building entrances help keep dust and dirt out of the building for
better indoor air quality (IAQ).
D.Ergonomic desks

Ergonomic furniture and workstations are a way to improve occupant comfort.

35- When selecting windows for a building project, along with

performance and adaptability, what else should the project team consider?

A. Embodied energy of the windows

Embodied energy is an accounting methodology which aims to find the

sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. This
lifecycle includes raw material extraction, transport, manufacture,
assembly, installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or
decomposition.

For example consider a clay brick. This includes the energy to extract the
clay, transport it to the brick-works, form the brick, fire it in the kiln,
transport it to the building site and put the brick into place. It also
includes all the indirect energy required, i.e., all the energy required to
manufacture the equipment and materials needed to manufacture a
brick, e.g. trucks, kilns, mining equipment, etc. All have a proportion of
their energy invested in the brick.

When selecting a building material there are three things that should be
considered:

1. Performance - How will the material perform compared to other

alternatives? Consider insulation - should the project use foam
insulation, batt insulation, or something else for the best insulating
properties?

2. Adaptability - Can the insulation be reused in the future when the

building is at the end of its life or will it need to be disposed of?

3. Embodied energy - How much energy went into manufacturing each

type of insulation being considered. Was the insulation sourced close by
 or was manufactured in an environmentally unfriendly plant and then
shipped from overseas?

B. The social context of the windows

Windows do not have a social context.

C. Leverage points in the windows

A leverage point is a tipping point in a system where a small change can

lead to large changes in results.
D.Reusing old windows

LEED does not encourage reusing old windows since they are usually less
energy efficient.

36- For international projects aiming to achieve indoor water reductions, which of the
following standards should be followed if WaterSense labeled fixtures are not available?

A. ASHRAE

ASHRAE standards are used for energy efficiency and indoor air quality, not water use
reductions.
B. Green-e

Green-e certification is for RECs.

C. A local equivalent

International projects need to follow local equivalent standards when one of the U.S.
standards is not available or applicable.
D.I-Codes

The International Codes, or I-Codes, published by ICC, provide minimum safeguards for
people at home, at school, and in the workplace. The I-Codes are a complete set of
comprehensive, coordinated building safety and fire prevention codes. Building codes
benefit public safety and support the industry's need for one set of codes without regional
limitation

37- What is an example of regenerative design?

A. A building that generates electricity and sends the excess to the grid

Regenerative design is 'sustainable plans for built environments that improve

existing conditions. Regenerative design goes beyond reducing impacts to create
positive change in the local and global environment.' - USGBC
 By generating more electricity than the project uses, the system is considered
regenerative.
B. A net-zero energy building
C. A project with a community recycling program
D.A building that uses rainwater onsite

38- Which of the following are phases of a LEED integrative process?

A. Discovery

USGBC defines discovery as, 'This is the most important phase of the integrative process; it
can be thought of as an extensive expansion of what is conventionally called 'Pre-Design.' It
is unlikely that a project's environmental goals will be achieved cost-effectively if this phase
is not rigorously engaged as a discreet phase of the design process. Discovery work needs
to be accomplished before 'putting pencil to paper' . . . in other words, before schematic
design begins.'
B. Occupancy, Operations, and Performance Feedback

USGBC defines this stage as, 'This third stage focuses on implementing performance
measurement and creating performance feedback mechanisms. Such feedback is critical for
informing building operations, so the degree to which established performance targets have
been met can be assessed and so corrective actions can be taken.'
C. Value Engineering

Value Engineering is a formal review process of the design of a project based on its intended
function in order to identify potential alternatives that reduce costs and improve
performance.
D.Design and Construction (Implementation)

USGBC defines Implementation as, 'This phase begins with what is conventionally called
'Schematic Design.' It resembles conventional practice in its structure, but integrates all of
the work and collective understanding of system interactions reached during the Discovery
Phase.'
E. Financing

Financing is not one of the three defined phases of the integrative process.

39- A home owner in a sunny climate has decided to lease a photovoltaic system
instead of purchase one. Which of the following about that choice is true?

A. Leasing the system would offset a large up-front cost.

 Leasing a system allows the owner not to have to pay a large up-front cost for the
system. The company that provides the equipment would also maintain the system
and fix any issues.

In addition to leasing, some company's install equipment at little or no cost, and

the owner can purchase the renewable electricity from the company.

Both strategies reduce up-front costs.

B. Leasing the system would allow the owner to participate in a demand response
program.

Renewable energy and demand response are not related.

C. Leasing the system would decrease the home's electricity demand.

The energy demand of the home is the same. It requires the same amount of
power to run.
D.Leasing the system would increase the home's energy efficiency.

Adding renewable energy sources does not improve the efficiency of a building. It
changes the source of the electricity and helps to reduce GHG emissions.

40- In commercial buildings, on average which end use consumes the

most energy?

A. Space heating

According to the USGBC, on average, the distribution of a building's

energy use is below. Variations will exist in different buildings and
different cliamtes, but for the purposes of the LEED exam these are the
end use breakdowns to be aware of:

Space Heating - 36%

Lighting - 21%
Cooling - 8%
Water Heating - 8%
Ventilation - 7%
Refrigeration - 6%
Cooking - 3%
Computers - 2%
Office Equipment - 1%
Other - 8%
B. Ventilation
 C. Cooling
D.Lighting

41- A project team member is discussing adding soft surfaces to a perimeter room. What
would be the result of doing this?

A. Reduced contaminants
B. Improved acoustics

Acoustic surfaces such as soft surfaces, building geometry, and duct insulation all help
improve the acoustics of a space.
C. Reduced glare
D.Improved daylighting
42- Which of the following is considered potable water?

A. Harvested rainwater used for flushing toilets

Harvested rainwater is non-potable and does not meet EPA's drinking quality
standards.
B. Municipally recycled water used for landscape irrigation

Recycled water is non-potable water. This type of water is often supplied by purple
pipes which indicate the water is not fit for drinking.
C. Water from a local well that meets EPA's drinking water quality standards that is
used for lavatory faucets
One of the goals of the Water Efficiency credits is to reduce the water taken from
subsurface sources such as wells and natural aquifers. Water that meets EPA's
drinking water standards is fit for human consumption and is considered potable.
D.Wastewater from water closets

This is just wastewater, which makes it non-potable.

43- After a building is completed and occupied, how can energy demand be reduced?

A. By purchasing environmentally preferable cleaning supplies

This is good for the environment but does nothing to reduce energy demand.
B. By opening and closing shades to control solar energy

The use of free energy can contribute to reducing energy demand during normal operations
and maintenance of a building:

Interior shades to control heat gain and lighting levels

Operable windows to control natural ventilation
C. By conducting routine waste audits

Waste audits help reduce ongoing waste by finding areas that could be improved upon.
 D.By encouraging occupants to stagger work hours

This spreads out the demand, it does not reduce it.

44- Which of the following is most important to the design and construction of a
building for emissions reduction?

A. 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?

The one in the suburbs requires users to drive automobiles to it each day
throughout its life which could be longer than 30 years, contributing to more than
half of the project's emissions.
B. Using on-site renewables
C. Purchasing carbon offsets
D.Choosing sustainable materials

45- Which of the following has the greatest direct impact on global warming?

A. SRI of a building's roof

This is an indirect impact because the roof does not contribute to global warming. The roof
has an indirect impact by either requiring more/less fossil fuels to be burned to heat/cool
the building.
B. Size of a project's impermeable areas

This is not correct.

C. HVAC operating efficiency

How efficiently HVAC equipment is directly impacts how much fossil fuel is burned to heat
and cool a building.
D.Building orientation

Building orientation has an indirect impact since the building's orientation does not itself
increase global warming. The orientation has an indirect impact by either requiring
more/less fossil fuels to be burned to heat/cool the building.

46- Some wood flooring recovered from a local barn demolition is being used for flooring in a new
office project. What type of material is the wood flooring considered?

A. Recycled and refurbished material

The flooring is not a recycled material.

B. Reused material
 Reused materials are construction materials recovered from building sites and reused on
different building sites in the same or a different capacity. Examples can include flooring,
brick, beams, and doors.
C. Recycled content

Do not confuse recycled content with reused materials. Recycled content contains materials
that have been recycled. An example is insulation made from recycled newspapers.

D.Virgin resource

Virgin wood is new wood. Since the wood flooring was obtained from the demolition project
the wood was not new and was not cut down from a forest specifically for the use in the
project.

47- With regards to refrigerants what is a natural conflict between the prevention of ozone
depletion and global warming?

A. Refrigerants that deplete the ozone layer are less efficient

B. Refrigerants contain ozone layer gases
C. Refrigerants that are neutral to the ozone layer are less efficient

If a cooling system achieves greater efficiency only at the environmental price of using a
chlorine-containing refrigerant, an inevitable environmental conflict exists.
D.Refrigerants contain global warming gases
48- What is greenwashing?

A. The implementation of a green cleaning custodial policy

B. Changing local zoning codes to be greener
C. Advertising a product or policy to be more environmentally friendly than it really is

The term greenwashing is generally used when significantly more money or time
has been spent advertising being green, rather than spending resources on
environmentally sound practices.

The term greenwashing was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt in
a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing placards in each
room promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to 'save the environment'. Westerveld
noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward reducing energy waste was
being made by these institutions - as evidenced by the lack of cost reduction this
practice effected. Westerveld opined that the actual objective of this 'green
campaign' on the part of many hoteliers was, in fact, increased profit. Westerveld
 thus labeled this and other outwardly environmentally conscientious acts with a
greater, underlying purpose of profit increase as greenwashing.
D.Building green buildings in an industrial area

49- The project owner of a LEED BD+C Retail project has decided NOT to provide financial support
to a local land trust. Which of the following will this decision impact?

A. Surrounding density and diverse uses

Contributing to a land trust is unrelated to density and diverse uses.

B. Reduced-parking footprint

Contributing to a land trust is unrelated to parking.

C. Open space

Contributing to a land trust does not count toward open space.

D.Habitat protection or restoration

In LEED v4, one of the options available to on-site restoration is to provide financial support
for off-site restoration (such as to a qualified land trust). By removing the financial support,
this credit could be impacted

50- An owner wants to install a photovoltaic system on the building's rooftop and sell the excess
electricity back to the utility company. Which of the following would be aided by this strategy?

A. Carbon offsets
B. On-site renewable energy

Net metering is the term for selling excess electricity back to the grid. Net metering can only
be done when on-site renewable energy systems are present.
C. Green power
D.Demand response

51- In an existing office building, how can the project team determine if there are additional
opportunities for increasing the amount of waste diverted from ongoing operations?

A. Review the monthly waste-haul receipts

B. Conduct a waste-stream audit

What can't be measured can't be managed. The audit of the waste streams shows how much
and of what type of waste is being generated by the project. Once the quantities are known,
researching can be done to learn how to best reduce them.
C. Survey the building occupants
D.Count the number of recycling bin
52- What does a carbon offset represent?

A. A tradable commodity representing proof that a unit of electricity was generated from a
renewable resource
This defines an REC.
B. The energy consumption divided by the number of square feet in a building

This defines energy use intensity.

C. A unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoided, or sequestered to compensate
for emissions occurring elsewhere.
This is the correct definition.
D.The primary measure of energy consumption associated with buildings

This is not correct.

53- A project administrator needs specific information on an interior paint used in a

tenant space. The information on the VOCs in the paint need to be uploaded into
LEED Online. Where would this information be found?

A. MSDS

The project manufacturer will have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that lists
the VOC content of the paint.
B. USGBC materials database

USGBC does not have a materials database.

C. Local building code office

The local building code office does not keep this information on file.
D.LEED Online materials database

LEED Online does not have a materials database.

54- How can a project team learn about the environmental impacts of a manufacturer's extraction
operations and the product's supply chain?

A. By checking if the company is a USGBC member

USGBC doesn't verify extraction practices.

B. By reviewing the manufacturer's corporate sustainability report (CSR)

A CSR report is a third-party verified report that includes information on how the
manufacturer extracts or sources materials.
C. By analyzing the product's health product declaration (HPD)
D.By conducting a life-cycle assessment of the product

Don't confuse EPDs/LCA with raw material sourcing.

 Environmental product declarations include the life-cycle impacts of a product.

CSRs help to identify products/manufacturer's that have been verified to be extracted or

sourced in a responsible manner
55- Which of the following would a landscape architect use to measure the outdoor water use of a
project?

A. EPAct 1992
B. EPA WaterSense Water Budget Tool

The WaterSense Water Budget Tool is a free online tool to help calculate the percent of
outdoor water use reduction in LEED.

The water budget approach serves as a design tool, allowing the professional to design a
sustainable landscape based on a regionally appropriate amount of water. A water budget is
a site-specific method of calculating an allowable amount of water to be used by the
landscape and then designing the landscape to meet this budget. The budget takes into
account plant type, plant water needs, irrigation system design, and applied water that the
landscape receives either by irrigation or by precipitation. Water budgets must be associated
with a specified amount of time, such as a week, month, or year.

C. Local historic records

D.IPC and UPC codes

56- The installation of water submeters in a building will provide the facility manager with the
ability to do each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Track consumption
B. Pinpoint leaks
C. Evaluate the quality of captured rainwater

To determine the quality of the water, a water test would need to be done.
D.Determine fixture performance

57- To help with water use reduction in LEED, a lavatory faucet must use less water than the rates
set by:

A. WaterSense

WaterSense is an EPA certification awarded to fixtures that use less water than comparable
fixtures. LEED does not use this certification for the baseline rate calculations.
B. EPAct of 1992
 EPAct 1992 is the standard used to calculate baseline water usage, not the design case.
EPAct 1992 mandated the use of water conserving plumbing fixtures in residential,
commercial and industrial buildings. The answer choice of 'Installing fixtures that meet the
EPAct 1992 standard' only meets the baseline standard and does not contribute to reducing
potable water use for the purposes of earning LEED credits.

The fixture and flow rates of EPAct 1992 are used to set the water use baseline for a
building. The design case must reduce water use 20% over the baseline. In order to do this,
low flow fixtures must be used in the design, or replacing potable water with
graywater/rainwater. Think of the fixtures and flow rates of EPAct 1992 as the worst case
scenario.
C. Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act does not address flush/flow fixtures.

D.Local code

The rates of local codes are not used to set the baseline rate for water use reduction
calculations.

58- Which of the following LEED rating systems would the project team of a planned new three-
story apartment building choose?

A. LEED BD+C: New Construction and Major Renovations

New construction or major renovation of buildings that do not primarily serve K-12
educational, retail, data centers, warehouses and distribution centers, hospitality, or
healthcare uses. New construction also includes high-rise residential buildings nine stories
or higher.
B. LEED ND: Plan

LEED ND: Plan is used for projects in conceptual planning, master planning phases, or under
construction.
C. The LEED Homes rating system that corresponds to the ENERGY STAR program in which they
are participating.
For LEED Homes and Multifamily Lowrise is used for single-family homes and multi-family
residential buildings of one to three stories.

Projects three to five stories may choose the homes rating system that corresponds to the
ENERGY STAR program in which they are participating.
D.LEED Multifamily Midrise
 Multi-family residential buildings of 4 to 8 occupiable stories above grade. The building
must have 50 % or more residential space. Buildings near eight stories can inquire with
USGBC about using midrise or new construction, if appropriate.

59- A building in a warm climate will not have operable windows or natural ventilation due to a
limited number of days each year that these strategies would be beneficial. Which of the
following would help the project team give ventilation control to occupants?

A. Window blinds
B. Adjustable air diffusers

Adjustable air diffusers help with ventilation control.

Thermostats help with temperature control. Thermostats can be provided for zones to help
refine the temperature for different areas.
C. Adjustable height partitions
D.Movable furniture

60- What factors related to location would NOT affect a project team's priorities?

A. The community emphasizes sports and athletics for all ages

B. Local zoning requires all buildings to be no more than four stories high
C. The area only receives 12" (30 cm) of rainfall each year
D.There are no banks nearby that provide construction loans

Notes:

The natural surroundings of a project, the available infrastructure, and the history of the area are all
factors that may impact project decisions.

A project's natural surroundings can include the quantity of sunshine, soil types, precipitation, native
vegetation.

The human factors of the site, or its social aspects may include the history of the area, connections to
other areas, local codes and regulations, the people who live there and their traditions. For example in
New Orleans you might have a community that has a tradition of music. In many southern towns in
the United States there is an emphasis on football and sports.

The available infrastructure would be important to also identify - materials that are available,
highways and roads, public transit, electricity and water utilities.
61- Indoor plumbing fixtures need to have which of the following labels for LEED?

A. Green-e

Green-e certification is for RECs.

B. WaterSense

WaterSense makes it easy to find and select water efficient products and ensures consumer
confidence in those products with a label backed by independent certification.

Products with the WaterSense label:

Perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts.

Are 20% more water efficient than average products in that category.

C. Building Green

Building Green is a resource for building materials, not a certification.

D.LEED Certified

LEED Certified is for buildings.

62- A project developer is creating an erosion and sedimentation control plan. The plan must
conform to which of the following requirements?

A. The EPA Construction General Permit or the local equivalent

An erosion and sedimentation control plan is required for the Construction Activity Pollution
Prevention prerequisite. The plan must conform to the EPA Construction General Permit or
local equivalent, whichever is more stringent.
B. The Owner's Project Requirements (OPR)
C. The landscape architect's site elevations
D.The LEED ESC Plan

63- A multi-family building that is 3 stories tall would be certified under what rating system?

A. LEED Multifamily Midrise

Mid-rise (4-8 stories) multifamily residential buildings, dormitories, and assisted living
facilities can use LEED Multifamily Midrise.
B. LEED Homes and Multifamily Lowrise

LEED Homes and Multifamily Lowrise is appropriate for single family and low-rise (1-3
stories) multifamily residential buildings that are undergoing new construction or a gut
rehab.
C. LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors
 LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors is appropriate for interior spaces that are undergoing
alteration work for at least 60% of the certifying gross floor area. (-USGBC)
D.LEED BD+C: New Construction

LEED BD+C: New Construction is primarily for whole buildings that are new or undergoing
major construction. This rating system is appropriate for any project that does not have
another LEED rating system defined (Schools, Healthcare, Retail).

LEED BD+C: New Construction can be used for residential projects of 4 or more stories.
64- What are the roles of GBCI?

A. Auditing USGBC Member Companies

B. Administration of the LEED exams
C. Promoting the triple bottom line
D.Approving the LEED Rating Systems
E. Overseeing LEED credential maintenance
F. Third-party technical reviews of registered LEED projects

Notes:

GBCI administers the LEED certification program, performing third-party technical reviews and
verification of registered projects to determine if they have met the standards set forth by the LEED
rating system.
65- Harvesting rainwater can help with what project areas?

A. Minimizing site hardscapes

Harvesting rainwater is not a strategy to reduce the size of a project's impervious areas
(hardscapes) such as parking lots or walkways.
B. Reducing fertilization needs for the landscape

Using rainwater for irrigation is not a factor in the quantity of fertilization a landscape will
require.
C. Minimizing impervious areas

Harvesting rainwater is not a strategy to reduce the size of a project's impervious areas
(hardscapes) such as parking lots or walkways.
D.Reducing runoff

Harvesting rainwater for uses such as toilet flushing, landscape irrigation, and custodial
uses reduces the quantity of runoff.

66- What are the economic benefits of installing a vegetated roof?

 A. Increased habitat for birds

Vegetated roofs provide habitat for birds and insects. This is an environmental benefit.
B. Lower cooling costs for HVAC

Vegetated roofs are great insulators. They act as a barrier between the sun's heat and keep
that heat from entering the building through the roof. Because of this added insulation the
costs to cool the building can be reduced.
C. Lower investment cost compared to roof surfaces with high SRI

Vegetated roofs will have a higher upfront cost compared to a roof that has a EPDM covering
or paint applied to it.
D.Provides occupants a connection to the outdoors

This is a social benefit, as part of the triple bottom line

67- What is NOT an example of smart growth?

A. Development of a site that is far from existing development and infrastructure

Smart growth is developing in areas near transportation, housing, and jobs in order to leave
open spaces and farmland free from development.

This example of development is most likely on a greenfield which is not preferable to infill
development.
B. Neighborhood design that has offices and shops within walking distance to public
transportation
C. Retail, office, and residential townhouses on the site of a former gas station
D.Residential development on a previously developed site located near shops and schools

68- The project owner of an office park wants to make sure that once a tenant leaves, the tenant
space can be quickly and easily renovated. How would the project team meet this goal?

A. By selecting a waste hauler that has enough hauling capacity

B. By finding contractors who are willing to work on weekends

This would speed up the process but not make it easier.

C. By designing for flexibility

Designing for flexibility helps reduce construction waste and the need for new building
materials. It also allows renovations to occur more quickly because modular systems are
frequently used.
D.By selecting materials that are sized appropriately

This reduces the quantity of construction waste

69- Which of the following is the median payback period for the commissioning of new buildings?

A. 4.8 years

Commissioning can be expensive but, compared to the savings it achieves over time, it's
one of the best investments a building owner can make. There are many studies that show
the benefits of commissioning with examples of installation errors that cost building owners
thousands of dollars a year unnecessarily.

A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found the following: 'For existing
buildings, we found median commissioning costs of $0.27/ft2, whole-building energy
savings of 15 %, and payback times of 0.7 years. For new construction, median
commissioning costs were $1.00/ft2 (0.6 % of total construction costs), yielding a median
payback time of 4.8 years (excluding quantified non-energy impacts).
B. 2.6 years
C. 3.9 years
D.1.5 years

70- 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?

A. Reduced heat islands

Reducing heat islands is an environmental benefit which would be determined by life-cycle

analysis (environmental analysis), not life-cycle costing.
B. Reduction in rainwater runoff

Reducing runoff volume is an environmental benefit which would be determined by life-

cycle analysis (environmental analysis), not life-cycle costing.
C. 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.
D.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.

71- Which of the following would help with sustainable purchasing during building operations?

A. Purchasing recycled printer paper

 The recycled printer paper is a sustainable purchasing option.
B. Removing any ENERGY STAR qualified vending machines

If the vending machines were removed completely this would just reduce energy use.
C. Ordering toner cartridges online
D.Purchasing cafeteria food from a nearby distribution center

Sustainable purchasing of food would include local sourcing of food and beverages. A
nearby distribution center doesn't give enough information to make this the best choice.

72- Who decides if water from showers can be used for irrigation?

A. Universal plumbing code

B. USGBC via the CIR process
C. Local authorities with jurisdiction in the area

Blackwater does not have a single definition accepted nationwide. Adjacent cities may have
different codes that allow or prohibit the use of sink/shower water for non-potable uses. On
jurisdiction may define sink/shower water as blackwater and not permit its use, while
another may define it as graywater and will permit its use. Review local codes before making
design decisions based on the use of wastewater.
D.Project team

73- What specifies the set of rules for the minimum acceptable level of safety for buildings?

A. 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.
B. Local ordinances

A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.

C. American Institute of Architects

The AIA is a leading professional membership association for licensed architects.

D.Local zoning

Zoning is a method of land use regulation used by local governments in most developed
countries. Zoning may be use-based (regulating the uses to which land may be put), or it
may regulate building height, lot coverage, and similar characteristics, or some combination
of these.
 74- How can the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the built environment be reduced?

A. Implementing a waste-to-energy program

B. Improving the energy efficiency of communities
C. Building on a greenfield site
D.Improving the energy efficiency of buildings
E. Installing single pane glazing in buildings

75-Which part of the development process would inform design decisions, such as locating
community gardens in areas with fertile soils?

A. Construction activity pollution prevention

B. Environmental site assessment

Environmental site assessment differs from site assessment, in that the intent is to assess
for environmental contamination where a site assessment evaluates sustainable options to
inform the site design decisions.
C. Energy modeling
D.Site assessment

Site assessment is one of the most important parts of the integrative process and informs
good design decisions.

The site assessment influences over a dozen other LEED credit areas, some directly and
others indirectly.

For example:

Access to Quality Transit

Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses
Sensitive Land Protection
Bicycle Facilities
Open Space
Rainwater Management
Heat Island Reduction
Energy Performance
Daylight
Quality Views
Renewable Energy Production
 76-What is the proper designation for a project that has earned 80 points and met all
prerequisites?

A. LEED Certified Gold

This is not a correct designation and should not be used.

B. LEED Gold

LEED Gold is earned for projects with 60-79 points.

C. LEED Platinum

LEED Platinum is earned for projects with 80+ points.

D.LEED Certified Platinum

This is not a correct designation and should not be used.

77-A project team is reviewing potential sites for a new office building. Which of the following
sites would be preferred?

A. Choosing a site in a LEED for Neighborhood Development location

Project teams that select to build in a LEED-ND neighborhood are choosing a site that has
connection with the surrounding community and good location and transportation attributes
already. Note that LEED-ND projects may include residential uses, non-residential uses, or a
mix.
B. Selecting a site that requires occupants to drive 40 minutes each way to the building

The driving distance would not make this a good site.

C. Locating the site in an area with pedestrian access to 4 retail shops

This is good to promote walkability and reduce vehicle distance traveled, but LEED prefers a
variety of diverse uses - not just retail shops.
D.Building on a greenfield

Greenfield sites are not preferred for LEED.

Notes:

This question asks how to avoid picking an inappropriate site. In other words, what is the most
appropriate site that will have the greatest positive impact from the available choices?
78-What stakeholders would likely be involved in a building operations project?

A. Cleaning contractors
B. Architect
C. Community representatives
D.Local residents
 79-For which of the following would a LEED Green Associate use the Green Building Information
Gateway (GBIG)?

A. Exploring and comparing the green dimensions of the built environment

One of the tasks of a LEED Green Associate is to create project profiles/case studies/press
releases.

Part of the public relations guidelines for LEED-certified projects may be to utilize the Green
Building Information Gateway (GBIG). The GBIG is a global-innovation platform used for
exploring and comparing the green dimensions of the built environment.
B. Issuing a press release to the green building community

A press release would be issued by the project team or owner through a news outlet.
C. Communicating with local USGBC chapters to obtain project assistance

Regional chapters can provide assistance and can be found through USGBC's website.
D.Updating a project's public information

LEED Online would be used to update a project's information.

Notes:

http://www.usgbc.org/resources/public-relations-guidelines-leed-certified-projects-0
80-Credit Interpretation Requests (CIRs) are most likely used for what part of the LEED process?

A. Communicating with the project administrator and/or project team

This is done via LEED Online.

B. Addenda and updates to the LEED Rating Systems

These are available from the USGBC website.

C. Technical guidance for LEED credits

CIRs are used for technical guidance on credits. Anyone on the project team can submit a
CIR, as long as the person has access to LEED Online (through the project administrator).
Once a CIR is submitted a payment must be made to GBCI in order for GBCI to review the
CIR.

A CIR can be used for administrative inquiries, although doing so is rare.

Inquiries must request guidance on just one credit or prerequisite (unless there is technical
justification to do otherwise) and generally contain one concise question or a set of related
questions. It is often helpful to discuss the inquiry within context of the credit's intent.
(GBCI)
 D.Appeal of denied credits

This is done via LEED Online.

81-A LEED credit that supports local economies and strengthens the green building industry and
supply chains supports what impact category?

A. Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resources Cycles

B. Build a Greener Economy

The Build a Greener Economy impact category components are:

Enhance the Value Proposition of Green Building

Strengthen the Green Building Industry and Supply Chain
Promote Innovation and Integration of Green Building Products and Services
Incentivize Long Term Growth and Investment Opportunities
Support Local Economies

C. Enhance Social Equity, Environmental Justice, Community Health and Quality of Life
D.Global Biodiversity, Habitat Protection and Land Preservation

82-What are the goals of the Minimum Program Requirements?

A. Ensure prerequisites are met

This is something the LEED reviewer is tasked with.

B. Give clear guidance to customers
C. Protect the integrity of the LEED program
D.Reduce certification process challenges
E. Verify buildings are meeting environmental goals

This is something the project team does.

Notes:

From GBCI Website GBCI Policy Manual:

A project must adhere to the LEED Minimum Program Requirements, (MPRs) in order to achieve LEED
certification. LEED projects must comply with each applicable MPR. These requirements define the
types of buildings that the LEED Green Building Rating Systems were designed to evaluate, and taken
together serve three goals:
1. to give clear guidance to customers
2. to protect the integrity of the LEED program
3. and to reduce complications that occur during the LEED Certification process
MPRs have 3 goals (above), and 7 things that must be complied with. The difference is goals vs. tasks.
MPRs are minimum characteristics that a project must possess in order to be eligible for LEED
Certification.

MPRs do not ensure prerequisites are met. The certification process (leedonline) and the people
reviewing LEED applications ensure the prerequisites are met and that the building has met the credits
applied for.

In addition to the Minimum Program Requirements, each version of LEED contains unique prerequisite
requirements that must be satisfied in order to achieve certification. The term prerequisite refers to a
mandatory project characteristic, measurement, quality, value or function as identified within the
LEED rating system. Prerequisites represent the key criteria that define green building performance.
Each project must satisfy all specified prerequisites outlined in the LEED rating system under which it
is registered. Failure to meet any prerequisite will render a project ineligible for certification.

83-What types of products should be selected for reducing indoor water use?

A. Green-e
B. ISO
C. ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers use about 37% less energy and use over 50% less
water than regular washers.
D.WaterSense

WaterSense is an EPA certification awarded to fixtures that use less water than comparable
fixtures.

84-In which of the following ways would a project use environmental product declarations (EPDs)?

A. To select product's that have met a minimum standard of energy efficiency

EPDs do not include information on the energy efficiency of a product.

B. To help the project team understand a product's sustainable qualities

EPDs act as neither product ratings nor ecolabels; rather, they help architects, designers,
specifiers, and other purchasers better understand a product's sustainable qualities and
environmental repercussions. As such, EPDs equip manufacturers with a valuable tool for
differentiation and empower customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
C. To find certified green building products

EPDs are not a product certification.

D.To identify products that contain hazardous chemicals

Health product declarations (HPDs) contain information on chemicals of concern found in

products.
 85-In which of the following ways does integrated pest management (IPM) help a building owner
save money?

A. Because only beneficial insects that contribute to a healthy ecosystem are allowed to thrive
on the site.
B. Because only appropriate chemicals are used
C. Because pests are never present on the site
D.Because over application can be avoided

Notes:

IPM is 'a method of pest management that protects human health and the surrounding environment
and improves economic returns through the most effective, least-risk option.' - USGBC

IPM can help by choosing the best ways to handle pests by first addressing underlying causes of the
problem rather than treating problems after they occur. An example would be taking steps to keep
pests out of the building envelope before they find a way in.

IPM avoids over application and only using appropriate chemicals to save on costs.
86-Which of the following is NOT a minimum program requirement (MPR)?

A. Compliance with project size requirements

B. Permanent location on existing land
C. Reasonable LEED boundaries
D.Commitment to sharing whole-building energy and water usage data

This is an MPR in LEED v2009, not LEED v4.

In LEED v4 the sharing of energy and water data are now prerequisites within the rating
systems and no longer MPRs.
87-Economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility define a project's:

A. Triple bottom line

One of USGBC's Guiding Principles is to promote the Triple Bottom Line: 'USGBC will pursue
robust triple bottom line solutions that clarify and strengthen a healthy and dynamic
balance between environmental, social, and economic prosperity.'

The triple bottom line (also known as 'people, planet, profit') captures an expanded
spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success:
economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
 In practical terms, triple bottom line accounting means expanding the traditional reporting
framework to take into account ecological and social performance in addition to financial
performance.

'People, planet and profit' succinctly describes the triple bottom lines and the goal of
sustainability.

You might hear the triple bottom line referred to in different ways:
The three P's: profit, planet, and people
The three E's: economics, ecology, social equity
Social capital (people), economic capital (profit), natural capital (planet)
Economic viability, environmental stewardship, social awareness: USGBC

B. Federal, state, and/or local regulations

C. Minimum Program Requirements
D.Innovation

88-A project team wants to reuse a building in a historic district for a project. Which of the
following credit areas will this aid?

A. High-priority sites

A historic building is a type of high-priority site LEED rewards projects for choosing.
B. Sensitive land protection

Sensitive land includes:

Prime farmland
Floodplains
Endangered habitat
Water bodies
Wetlands
C. Building lifecycle impact reduction

Building lifecycle impact reduction is rewarded in the Materials credits.

D.Protecting or restoring habitat

Protecting or restoring habitat is the preservation/restoration of previously developed land.

All that is known about the project in this question is that the building will be reused.
89-A project owner wants to create a healthy work environment for employees. To help ensure
indoor air quality, which of the following should be monitored?

A. Submetering of the HVAC system

Submetering will show the energy use of the system, not if the system is keeping the air
clean.
B. Daylighting levels

Daylight levels are unrelated to indoor air quality.

C. Carbon-dioxide levels

Carbon-dioxide monitoring indicates the quality of the air in a space. If there is too much
CO2, the system can increase airflow to improve quality.
D.Wind speed and direction

Projects don't measure wind speed and direction (unless it's an airport).
E. Outdoor airflow

Ventilation takes fresh outdoor air and pushes it inside. The monitors on the outside
measure how much air the system is moving to make sure it is adequate.

90-Which of the following is an example of a source control waste reduction strategy?

A. Installing recycling bins onsite

Installing recycling bins does not reduce waste at the source.

B. Using commingled recycling

Commingled recycling does not reduce waste at the source.

C. Pre-ordering materials cut to size

Source reduction is the first and best way to minimize waste. Source reduction starts at the
source-such as pre-ordering materials cut to size and choosing modular construction,
which generates less onsite waste.
D.Reusing salvaged materials onsite

Using salvaged materials does not reduce waste at the source.

91-A developer wants to reduce energy demand to lower the heating and cooling costs of a new
building project. What strategy would help with this goal?

A. Purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)

RECs have no impact on reducing a building's energy demand.

B. Increase the size of the building

If the size of the building increases the energy use will increase. The larger the building the
more it costs to heat and cool it.
C. Optimize the building orientation
 The building orientation has the biggest impact on heating, cooling and the potential for
daylighting.
D.Adding more windows to the building envelope

Adding more windows increases heat gain, requiring more cooling.

Notes:

For both energy efficiency and water efficiency, LEED requires an efficiency-first approach. Efficiency
is 'doing the same with less'. After efficiency, the focus should then be placed on other ways to reduce
demand.

For example, with outdoor water irrigation, if the design only calls for using rainwater irrigation, that
doesn't improve the efficiency of the irrigation system, resulting in less water use. First design the
landscape to use less water, than look at ways to reuse water to further reduce demand.

For building energy use, you can increase efficiency by using LED lighting, ENERGY STAR appliances
and equipment, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and high-efficiency boilers.
92-Which of the following is a measure of energy use intensity?

A. Energy consumed per unit of floor space

'A study by the New Buildings Institute found that in green buildings, average energy use
intensities (energy consumed per unit of floor space) are 24% lower than in typical
buildings.' - USGBC

When a building is benchmarked and compared to other buildings, one of the key metrics is
energy use intensity, or EUI. Essentially, the EUI expresses a building's energy use as a
function of its size or other characteristics.

For most property types, the EUI is expressed as energy per square foot per year. It's
calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the building in one year (measured in
kBtu or GJ) by the total gross floor area of the building.

EUI is measured as: kBtu / sf / yr

Some property types are more energy intensive than others

Generally, a low EUI signifies good energy performance.

 However, certain property types will always use more energy than others. For example, an
elementary school uses relatively little energy compared to a hospital.

B. Daylighting
C. The amount of electricity a photovoltaic system can produce
D.The efficiency of an HVAC system

93-A project team wants to install a rainwater harvesting system to provide water to flush toilets
but local code does not permit this. What should the project team do?

A. Submit a CIR to the LEED project reviewer

CIRs are for technical guidance on credits.

B. Find alternative solutions for indoor water use reduction

Other solutions will need to be found to reduce potable water use indoors.
C. Have the plumbers install the system anyway

It would be nice if you could ignore local codes that sometimes don't make sense, but
eventually a building code official will find the code violation.
D.Request an exception from the LEED project reviewer to allow the reduction anyway

If the local code does not permit rainwater use, the project team can't get an exception to
offset what would have been the reduction.

94-Which of the following does LEED require for good indoor air quality?

A. That a green cleaning policy is implemented

This is an optional credit.

B. That the building is kept clean during construction

This is an optional credit.

C. That low-emitting materials are specified

This is an optional credit.

D.That smoking indoors is prohibited

This is a prerequisite and is required for LEED certification.

LEED requires a no-smoking policy for the building and around building entrances, operable
windows, and air intakes.
95-What is the point range for a project to earn LEED Silver?

A. 70-79
B. 60-69
C. 50-59
 Certified 40-49 points
Silver 50-59 points
Gold 60-79 points
Platinum 80+ points
D.40-49

96-What LEED developments address specific space types and international requirements?

A. Next version LEED

The next version of LEED covers the big changes that occur when the rating system gets
overhauled every 3-4 years.
B. LEED Rating System adaptations

The LEED Rating System adaptations can be considered extensions of existing rating system
to address specific types of spaces or requirements for international projects. For example
the LEED BD+C: New Construction rating system currently has the following adaptations:

LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

LEED BD+C: Schools
LEED BD+C: Retail
LEED BD+C: Data Centers
LEED BD+C: Warehouses
LEED BD+C: Hospitality
LEED BD+C: Healthcare

C. LEED credit weightings

LEED credit weightings determine how many points a credit can earn. LEED awards more
points for strategies that have the highest potential for making the biggest change.
D.LEED Pilot Credit Library

The LEED Pilot Credit Library facilitates the introduction of new prerequisites and credits to
LEED. The process allows projects to test credits that haven't been through USGBC's
complete drafting and balloting process

97-Which of the following actions can a project team take to increase the density of the project
building?

A. Locate the building in a dense neighborhood

This helps with the density credit, but not the density of the building itself. The question
does not ask about the surrounding density that is for a credit.
B. Select an infill site for the building
 This can help with selecting high-priority sites.
C. Locate the project near a variety of use types

This would help with credit for diverse uses.

D.Create a smaller footprint and maximize the floor-area ratio

Density is a measure of the total building floor area or dwelling units on a parcel of land
relative to the buildable land of that parce

98-Properly designed daylighting results in which of the following?

A. A decreased need for artificial lighting

B. An increased lighting power density

Lighting power density is the installed lighting power per unit area. By adding more
daylighting, the lighting power density can be decreased (not increased). In simple terms - if
more daylight is added to a particular area, there is less of a need for electric light.
C. The need to add operable windows

The two are exclusive of each other.

D.A decreased need for glare control

Glare and brightness need to be addressed when implementing daylighting. Glare can
increase as more sunlight is let into a space.

99-What is different about green building design compared to conventional design?

A. Green building has longer schedules

This is not necessarily true. Green building does usually have a longer design phase.
B. Green building does not have a bidding phase

Green building has a bidding phase.

C. Green building costs more

This is sometimes true but not always.

D.Green building uses an integrative process

Green building has several additional phases compared to conventional design.

100- Which of the following is a benefit of commissioning?

A. Fewer system deficiencies

One of the main benefits of commissioning is finding problems that result in system
deficiencies.
B. Reduced operational training

Training and commissioning are unrelated.

C. Decreased project costs
 Commissioning can be expensive and may add 1% to the total project cost; however, the
savings far outweigh any associated costs. Simple issues like stuck valves or improperly
installed equipment can be found during commissioning that would otherwise go unnoticed
and that could otherwise add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings. If a system
is designed a certain way but it doesn't get installed properly, it can cost 10x as much to
operate.
D.Reduced construction schedules

Commissioning doesn't necessarily equate to reduced construction schedules. It may take

additional time for the process, or it may reduce time because issues are found earlier and
change orders are reduced