USGBC LEED-GA Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

USGBC LEED-GA Online Questions & Answers

• Question 101:

  What element of design can be used to take advantage of natural ventilation, solar energy and daylight?

  A. Cool roof
  B. Facade treatment
  C. Building orientation
  D. LOW visible transmittance glazing
  C. Building orientation

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  Building orientation is the element of design that can be used to take advantage of natural ventilation, solar energy and daylight. Building orientation refers to the position and direction of a building in relation to the sun, wind, and other environmental factors. By orienting a building properly, it can maximize the benefits of passive design strategies such as daylighting, natural ventilation, and solar energy. For example, a building can be oriented to face the south or north in temperate climates to capture more sunlight for heating and lighting, or to face the east or west in hot climates to avoid excessive solar heat gain and glare. A building can also be oriented to align with the prevailing wind direction to enhance natural ventilation and cooling. Building orientation can also affect the shape, size, and placement of windows, doors, roofs, and other architectural elements that influence the performance and comfort of a building..

  References: Passive Design Strategies | Sustainability Workshop, section "Building Massing and Orientation";.Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts | ArchDaily, section "Orientation";.Courtyard configuration to optimize shading, daylight and ventilation ..., section "Introduction"

• Question 102:

  What plumbing fixture eliminates water use?

  A. Dual-flush toilet
  B. Low-flow lavatory
  C. WaterSense-labeled toilet
  D. Composting toilet
  D. Composting toilet

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  Composting toilets operate without water, making them ideal for reducing potable water consumption. LEED promotes such innovative technologies for achieving water efficiency credits.

• Question 103:

  What green building objective does utilizing high efficiency water fixtures achieve?

  A. Preventing stormwater pollution
  B. Conserving the Earth's potable water supply
  C. Providing adequate watering for indigenous plants
  D. Utilizing more unused graywater for flushing water closets
  B. Conserving the Earth's potable water supply

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  Conserving the Earth's potable water supply is a green building objective that can be achieved by utilizing high efficiency water fixtures. High efficiency water fixtures reduce the amount of water used for indoor plumbing, which reduces the demand on municipal water supply and wastewater systems. This also saves energy and money for the building owners and occupants. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the Water Efficiency category is to "reduce potable

  water use within buildings and for landscape irrigation" [1, p. 13]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Water Efficiency | U.S. Green Building Council]

• Question 104:

  Which of the following team members should participate in the initial evaluation to determine which level of LEED certification to target?

  A. Owner
  B. Zoning Official
  C. Project Safety Officer
  D. Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) Certification Reviewer
  A. Owner

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  The owner is one of the team members who should participate in the initial evaluation to determine which level of LEED certification to target. The owner is the person or entity who has the authority and responsibility to make decisions about the project's goals, budget, schedule, and design. The owner's involvement is crucial for setting the vision and expectations for the project's sustainability performance and selecting the appropriate LEED rating system and certification level. The LEED Green Associate

  Candidate Handbook states that one of the steps in the integrative process is to "engage in a preliminary LEED assessment with key project team members, including owner" [1, p. 12]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Integrative Process | U.S. Green Building Council]

• Question 105:

  Which of the following terms encourages team members to collaborate throughout the process of design and construction to create synergistic solutions?

  A. Charrette
  B. Triple bottom line
  C. Life-cycle analysis
  D. Integrative design
  D. Integrative design

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  Integrative design is the term that encourages team members to collaborate throughout the process of design and construction to create synergistic solutions. Integrative design is an approach that considers the interrelationships among various building systems, environmental factors, and occupant needs, and seeks to optimize the performance, cost, and environmental benefits of the project. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the Integrative Process category is

  to "support high-performance, cost-effective project outcomes through an early analysis of the interrelationships among systems" [1, p. 12]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Integrative Design Process | Whole Building Design Guide]

• Question 106:

  Which of the following technologies improves lighting energy efficiency?

  A. Manual switch operation
  B. Incandescent fixtures
  C. Occupancy sensors
  D. Halogen flood lamps
  C. Occupancy sensors

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  Occupancy sensors reduce unnecessary lighting use and contribute to both IEQ and EA categories.

• Question 107:

  Which of the following credit categories is affected by increasing the amount of ventilation in an occupied space?

  A. Water Efficiency
  B. Indoor Ventilation and Energy
  C. Indoor Environmental Quality
  D. Materials and Resources
  C. Indoor Environmental Quality

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  Increasing the amount of ventilation in an occupied space affects the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category. Ventilation is the process of supplying fresh outdoor air and removing stale indoor air from a building. Ventilation can improve the indoor environmental quality by diluting or removing indoor pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, or particulate matter, and enhancing the thermal comfort and well-being of the occupants. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook

  states that one of the strategies for achieving indoor environmental quality is to "increase ventilation rates" [1, p. 16]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Ventilation | U.S. Department of Energy]

• Question 108:

  Tracking of the total building's baseline energy consumption is an example of

  A. green metering
  B. site evaluation data
  C. energy savings records
  D. building-level energy metering
  D. building-level energy metering

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  Building-level energy metering is a prerequisite in LEED that requires the installation of energy meters to track the total energy usage of a building12..It helps to monitor and optimize the energy performance of the building and to report the data to USGBC3. Green metering, site evaluation data, and energy savings records are not terms used in LEED.

• Question 109:

  Up lo how many maximum points can a project earn under the Regional Priority credit?

  A. One
  B. Two
  C. Three
  D. Four
  D. Four

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  A project can earn up to four maximum points under the Regional Priority credit. The Regional Priority credit is a bonus credit that rewards projects for addressing environmental issues that are of regional importance.

  The USGBC regional councils and chapters have identified six environmental issues for each zip code in the United States, and projects can earn one point for each issue they address, up to a maximum of four points. The other options are not correct. One, two, or three points are possible, but not the maximum number of points under the Regional Priority credit..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 30; USGBC, [Regional Priority], page 1.

• Question 110:

  Which of the following factors contributes to improved general health of building occupants and construction workers?

  A. High VOC building materials
  B. Post-occupancy flush outs
  C. Application of construction management practices
  D. Low ventilation rates
  C. Application of construction management practices

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  Construction IAQ management and LEED strategies directly improve health:

  "Using proper construction management practices... protects worker and occupant health by controlling

  pollutant sources and pathways..."

  High VOC materials and low ventilation have adverse effects, not benefits.