USGBC LEED-GA Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

USGBC LEED-GA Online Questions & Answers

• Question 111:

  The project area defined by the perimeter of a building plan is referred to as the building's

  A. shell
  B. density
  C. footprint
  D. envelope
  C. footprint

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  The footprint of a building is the area of ground that it covers, defined by its perimeter. It's essentially the shape that results when you trace around the outer walls of a building plan. This term is used in architecture and urban planning to describe the space that a building occupies on a site..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

• Question 112:

  What is the term for collecting, reprocessing, marketing and using materials that are diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream?

  A. Recycling
  B. Chain -of-custody
  C. Salvaged materials
  D. Building material reuse
  A. Recycling

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  Recycling is the term for collecting, reprocessing, marketing and using materials that are diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream. Recycling is a process that transforms waste materials into new products that can be used for different purposes. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, conserves natural resources, saves energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the Materials and

  Resources category is to "reduce waste through recycling during construction and occupancy" [1, p. 15]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Recycling Basics | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]

• Question 113:

  Which of the following is an appropriate usage of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) terminology for a LEED project?

  A. LEED certified building
  B. LEED's certified building
  C. LEED Accredited Building
  D. LEED Registered, Gold Building
  A. LEED certified building

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  The term "LEED certified building" is the correct usage according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This term indicates that a building has met the standards set by the LEED rating system and has been officially certified by the USGBC..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

• Question 114:

  Which of the following components comprise the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category?

  A. Energy, site, water reduction
  B. Light, sound, occupant experience
  C. Community connectivity, tobacco smoke control, green cleaning
  D. Recycled content, low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions materials, non point source pollution
  B. Light, sound, occupant experience

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  Light, sound, occupant experience are some of the components that comprise the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category. The Indoor Environmental Quality credit category aims to provide a healthy, comfortable, and productive indoor environment for building occupants by addressing various factors that affect their well-being, such as thermal comfort, lighting quality, acoustic quality, air quality, and occupant control. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the

  Indoor Environmental Quality category is to "enhance indoor environmental quality (IEQ) by improving the design, construction and operation of buildings" [1, p. 16]..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Indoor Environmental Quality | U.S. Green Building Council]

• Question 115:

  A project team is selecting materials with the lowest environmental impact over their full life cycle. Which tool should they use?

  A. Life-cycle assessment
  B. Simple payback analysis
  C. Value engineering
  D. Environmental product declaration summary only
  A. Life-cycle assessment

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  A life-cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates materials from extraction through disposal and is required to determine embodied environmental impacts under the LEED Materials and Resources category.

• Question 116:

  Which of the following strategies help improve daylighting in an office building?

  A. Provide individual occupant task lighting
  B. Work with the project glazing contractor to specify low argon windows
  C. Locate private offices toward the building core and organize cubicles at the perimeter
  D. Locate private offices toward the building perimeter and organize cubicles toward the building core
  C. Locate private offices toward the building core and organize cubicles at the perimeter

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  Daylighting is a strategy that uses natural light to illuminate the interior spaces of a building, reducing the need for artificial lighting and improving the visual comfort and well-being of the occupants. One of the strategies that can help improve daylighting in an office building is tolocate private offices toward the building core and organize cubicles at the perimeter, so that more people can benefit from the access to windows and views..This can also increase the daylight penetration depth and reduce glare and contrast12..

  References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide2

• Question 117:

  All LEED rating systems include:

  A. 110 base points plus five Innovation points and two Regional Priority points for a total of 117 points
  B. 100 base points, plus six Innovation points and four Regional Priority points for a total of 110 points
  C. 90 base points plus four Innovation points and six Regional Priority points for a total of 100 points
  D. 110 base points plus six Innovation points and four Regional Priority points for a total of 120 points
  B. 100 base points, plus six Innovation points and four Regional Priority points for a total of 110 points

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  Per the LeadingGreen Study Guide:

  "LEED points are awarded on a 100-point scale. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available: six Innovation

  and four Regional Priority credits."

  This totals 110 maximum points.

• Question 118:

  For benchmarking purposes, a baseline building performance is evaluated (by means of energy simul-ation model), as defined in

  A. ASHRAE 55-2010
  B. ASHRAE 52.2-2007
  C. ASHRAE 62 1-2010
  D. ASHRAE 90.1-2010. Appendix G
  D. ASHRAE 90.1-2010. Appendix G

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  ASHRAE 90.1-2010, Appendix G is the referenced standard for defining the baseline building performance for energy simulation modeling in LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction. The baseline building is a hypothetical building that represents the minimum energy performance required by ASHRAE 90.1-2010, which is a standard for energy efficiency in buildings. The baseline building is used as a benchmark to compare the proposed design of the project and to calculate the percentage of energy

  cost savings achieved by the project. The baseline building performance is evaluated by following the procedures and assumptions specified in Appendix G of ASHRAE 90.1-2010, such as building envelope, lighting, HVAC systems, service water heating, and renewable energy.

  The other options are not relevant to the question, as they are standards for different aspects of green building, such as thermal comfort (ASHRAE 55-2010), air filtration (ASHRAE 52.2-2007), and ventilation (ASHRAE 62.1-2010).

  References: LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p..341.1; [ASHRAE website]

• Question 119:

  Which of the following helps reduce potable water used outdoors?

  A. Irrigating turf with potable water
  B. Using adaptive vegetation requiring minimal irrigation
  C. Planting tropical plants in arid climates
  D. Increasing irrigation frequency
  B. Using adaptive vegetation requiring minimal irrigation

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  Adaptive plants reduce irrigation needs and support Outdoor Water Use Reduction credit compliance.

• Question 120:

  During the pre-design phase of a three-story office building, the project team determines that the anticipated energy use of the proposed building will exceed the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR). What strategy should the project team consider in order to lower the building's energy use?

  A. Increase the square footage of the building
  B. Maximize daylighting opportunities with properly sized and oriented windows
  C. Use valid survey protocols to assess occupants' satisfaction with the indoor environment
  D. Monitor and verity performance to ensure that building systems are functioning as designed
  B. Maximize daylighting opportunities with properly sized and oriented windows

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  Maximizing daylighting opportunities with properly sized and oriented windows can significantly reduce a building's energy use. By allowing more natural light into the building, the need for artificial lighting can be reduced, which in turn reduces electricity consumption. Additionally, if windows are properly oriented, they can also help with passive heating and cooling, further reducing energy use..

  References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources