The ISO 14000 product oriented standards include Environmental Labels and Declaration, Life-Cycle Assessment, and Design for Environment. These standards are used in the assessment of a product or service’s environmental performance and provide guidance on improvements.

*NOTE: There is no such thing as a pre-approved or certified LEED product.

Dual flush toilets can use 2/3 of the water used by conventional toilets.

MPRs define the types of buildings that the LEED rating systems are designed to evaluate and serve to:
1. Give clear guidance to customers
2. Protect the integrity of the LEED program
3. Reduce complications that occur during the LEED certification process.

Code compliance is a must, with or without LEED certification.

Integrative projects are based on integrative teams and frequent, collaborative communications.

The dilemma when selecting a refrigerant is that refrigerants with low ODPs (Ozone Depletion Potentials) tend to have high GWPs (Global Warming Potentials). The choice, therefore, requires the consideration of the trade-offs between performance, ODPs, and GWPs.

Radon is an odourless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is found in outdoor air and in the indoor air of buildings of all kinds. Radon is a proven carcinogen, and exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

While all of the choices impact lighting, the types of furnishings and colours of surfaces can easily be changed at this point in the process, and thus are inexpensive strategies to improve daylighting.

REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH requires companies to register any chemical substances that they are manufacturing or importing into the European Union in quantities of one ton or more per year.

LEED products that do not contain substances in the Authorization List or Candidate List can be used to meet certain credit requirements in the Materials and Resources category.

Externalities can be either negative or positive for the parties affected. Consider the effects of locating an oil refinery adjacent to a residential neighbourhood. Negative externalities that may occur include air pollution and its associated health effects, noise pollution, light pollution, increased traffic, and risk of industrial accident. Positive externalities may include the availability of high-paying jobs, and increased tax base for schools and other infrastructure.

Demand-control ventilation is based on monitoring spaces and only increasing the ventilation when set points are reached. This is based on having CO2 sensors/monitors in the room. For example, if a room has five people in it and then ten more come in, the CO2 in the air would go up. The sensor would register this and increase the airflow. If the ventilation is only increased as needed, the operating costs go down, as opposed to having the system running at maximum at all times. All occupied spaces must receive some outdoor air.

There are three significant ways in which LEED Interpretations are different from Project CIRs:

1. Precedent-setting
LEED Interpretations can be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. Project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged.
A Project CIR can only be used by the project that submitted it.

2. Published online
LEED interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. Project CIRs are not published publically.

3. Subject to consensus-based review
LEED interpretations undergo review by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) member-selected volunteer LEED committees.
Project CIRs are created by the certification review teams at the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

Please take a look here for up to date water statistics that the USGBC uses – https://www.usgbc.org/resources/we-overview

Drought conditions are stressing our limited existing water supply and could even potentially lead to water wars or opportunities to export water.

The Integrated Design Process (IDP) is essential in maximizing sustainable success, as all stakeholders must work together in an open-ended, cohesive team. The Process incorporates concepts such as Integrated Project Delivery, the Systems Thinking Approach, the Life Cycle Approach, and the Integrated Project Team.

Consider the information given and LEED’s goal to curb climate change. Are snowpacks growing or shrinking due to climate change? Overall they are shrinking. If a building or area depends on the snowpack and the snowpack is diminishing, building design should consider water conservation for the future.

The baseline case is compared to the design case installed in the building, in order to find the percentage reduction in indoor water use. Design case versus the baseline case as determined by the EPAct of 1992 is the correct answer.

Improved thermal comfort is not necessarily considered a benefit.

MPRs are the minimum characteristics or conditions that make a project appropriate to pursue LEED certification. These requirements are foundational to all LEED projects and define the types of buildings, spaces, and neighborhoods that the LEED rating system is designed to evaluate.

Demand Response (DR) is automatically initiated by the utility in what is known as a DR event. The building operator cannot manually initiate a Demand Response Event

The Enhanced Commissioning credit (EAc1) has two paths to compliance. The first includes the unselected options above, in addition to the development of an ongoing commissioning plan. SMACNA stands for Sheet Metal Air Conditioning National Contractors Association, and its guidelines define the criteria of the Construction Indoor Air Quality Management credit (EQc3).

All aspects of a green building project should be performed in an integrative and holistic manner—not separately.

A dry pond, or detention pond, is used to store excess rainwater. Dry ponds are basins whose outlets have been designed to detain runoff for some minimum time (e.g., 24 hours). The rainwater will slowly seep into the ground to recharge aquifers or discharge as determined by the pond design to allow pollutants to settle.

A construction waste management plan describes where construction and demolition debris must go. The plan outlines diverting construction debris from landfills by reusing, salvaging, and recycling materials. The plan must consider having commingled or separate recycling.
The value of the waste does not matter nor does its distance for this credit.

Fit outs and FF&E are not covered in the LEED for Core and Shell rating system because they are related to interiors. They are covered in the LEED for Commercial Interiors rating system.

Energy costs form the largest percentage of a building’s operating costs. Using a green roof to lower the cooling and heating needs will make a significant dent in those costs, and thus the roof will pay for itself quite easily.

Research shows that by improving indoor air quality, adding daylighting and views, occupant productivity increases.

Renewable energy sources are sustainable, unlike non-renewable sources, which are limited and cannot be replenished as fast as they are being consumed. This question asks about an economic benefit—avoiding non-renewable pricing fluctuations from sources such as oil.

IAQ= Indoor Air Quality. Checking the CO2 sensors and the outdoor airflow monitors as well as replacing filters are tasks the facility manager could do periodically to make sure the system is functioning as designed and to prevent air quality issues.

The other options deal with environmental or social benefits from green buildings.

A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) would help determine the payback period for each scenario.

The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® is an online tool created by the EPA. It allows building owners and managers to evaluate a building’s performance through free technical tools and resources. The tool can be used to track energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. It can also benchmark the performance of one building or a whole portfolio of buildings. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® is an ideal tool for facility managers to use to track the performance of a building or group of buildings.

It is primarily used in the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system

The LEED BD+C: Homes rating system is used for low-rise (1-3 stories) residential buildings, including single and multifamily projects.

Greywater is the domestic wastewater from bathrooms and laundry sinks, tubs, showers, and washers. Stormwater runoff results from precipitation that flows over surfaces, usually into storm sewers or waterways. Both of these types of water would be fine for irrigation.

Blackwater is wastewater from toilets and urinals.

Whitewater is not a thing.

Potable water is water that meets or exceeds the EPA’s drinking water quality standards and is approved for human consumption.

WaterSense fixtures meet a certain water efficiency and performance criteria. (Not related to alternative sources for irrigation)

Building-level meters will track the whole building’s water use but will not show whether the potable water used for irrigation is being reduced. Irrigation water use would have to be tracked separately which is addressed in the water-metering credit.

A Building Automation System (BAS) is software that allows the user to monitor and control building subsystems for maximum operating efficiency and reporting.
There are additional options that can identify problems that should be addressed by the facilities manager:
• Building-level energy metering supports energy management and identifies opportunities for additional energy savings by tracking building-level energy use.
• System-level energy metering supports energy management and identifies opportunities for additional energy savings by tracking building-level and system-level energy use.
• Ongoing commissioning (aka recommissioning) is a type of commissioning that occurs when a building that has already been commissioned undergoes another commissioning process. The decision to recommission may be triggered by a change in building use or ownership, an onset of operational problems, or some other need. Ideally, a plan for ongoing commissioning is established as part of a new building’s original commissioning process or an existing building’s retrocommissioning process.
• Enhanced commissioning is an extension of the original commissioning process that, among other things, reviews building operations 10 months after substantial completion and develops an ongoing commissioning plan.
• Recommissioning (aka retrocommissioning) is the application of the commissioning process to existing buildings.

Preferred parking spaces are those closest to the main entrance of a building (other than the spaces designated for handicapped persons). Preferred parking can be provided for employees, green vehicles, carpooling, etc., and can help fulfill the requirements of the Green Vehicles credit (LTc8) under Location and Transportation.

For projects that achieve a floor-to-area ratio of at least 1.5, vegetated roofs can be used toward the minimum 25% vegetation requirement.

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 parcel. The other options assist with Surrounding Density credits.

Parking spots shaded with solar panels would both reduce the Heat Island Effect, but would not help to achieve the other two goals. Low SRI paving materials would help with nothing

Sound isolation is part of acoustic performance. In healthcare, patient privacy is important—discussions between doctors and patients should be private.

The goal is to reduce waste, not just figure out how to dispose of it.

Commissioning can have high initial costs, but the median payback is less than a year and after that point, it helps building owners achieve huge cost savings over time. Commissioning is one of the best investments a building owner can make, as installation errors have been shown to cost building owners thousands of dollars each year.

Refrigerants that are neutral to the ozone layer (Low ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential)), tend to emit lots of Green House Gases (High GWPs (Global Warming Potentials)). The developer must consider the trade-offs between the refrigerant’s ODP and GWP.

The Certification Agreement establishes the terms and conditions of the LEED Certification Program (the “Program”), to which the owner (and the owner’s agent, if applicable) are bound.
The Program outlines the process through which the GBCI reviews the documentation submitted by participants to determine if a building, interior space, or neighborhood complies with the point requirements of the specific LEED rating system. The GBCI administers the Program and awards precertification and LEED certification under license from the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. (USGBC).

An Agent’s Authority Agreement allows an agent to act on behalf of an owner to perform certain actions.

The Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) describes the owner’s expectations for the building’s design, construction, and functioning.

A LEED certification approval is the end process of a LEED project, in which a project’s LEED certification level is approved.

The Basis of Design is the OPR in technical terms.

The team has many other solutions to choose from, as rainwater harvesting is just one of many strategies to reduce indoor potable water use.
A CIR is a Credit Interpretation Ruling/Request, so those two answers are one and the same. CIRs are filed when a team needs clarification regarding a credit or prerequisite. They would not help in this case.

The utility company or energy provider initiates a DR event when energy is at peak demand.

A LEED project checklist is a quick list of the credits the project team has decided to pursue in the pre-design phase, based on the project vision and the project’s green building goals.

These options essentially identify the triple bottom line (social, environmental, economic).

When a building is closed, it is assumed that no occupants are inside and cars have already left the parking lot. Putting lights on timers saves energy (& money), helps late-night employees find their cars, and reduces light pollution.

The term is Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). The full-time waiter is the only evidently full-time occupant in the building example.

The strategy will need to be reworked to fit with the local code.

By encouraging best practices throughout a resource’s life cycle (extraction, processing, transporting, use and reuse), this Impact Category promotes: local biodiversity, habitat protection and open spaces, global biodiversity, habitat protection and land preservation, and sustainable use and management of ecosystem services.

Systems Thinking requires an understanding of how parts of a system function within the whole. For example, the selection of a building’s glazing system affects the performance of the building’s HVAC systems, which in turn affects power consumption.

The term “Cradle to Cradle” describes a circular, closed loop that produces no waste. Resources are extracted, manufactured, used and then reused or recycled.

An open system is a linear progression of extraction, manufacturing, use and then disposal.. The term “Cradle to Grave” describes this system that creates, serves its intended purpose, and then perishes as waste.

You should know that MPRs are the minimum characteristics that a project must possess in order to be eligible for certification.

The purpose of having a LEED AP on the project is to “support and encourage” the design integration required by LEED, streamlining the application and certification process. Although projects will receive a point for having the correct LEED AP specialty on the project, it is not the purpose of a LEED AP.

Pavement alone is not necessarily quality open space.

Eutrophication is the process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates. These typically promote excessive growth of algae. As the algae die and decompose, the high levels of organic matter and decomposing organisms deplete the water of available oxygen, causing the death of other organisms, such as fish. Eutrophication is a natural, slow-aging process for a water body, but human activity greatly speeds up the process.
Sedimentation cannot occur through impervious surfaces nor would the actual project’s efficiency be affected.

The LEED Scorecard helps teams decide what credits to achieve.

The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is an online tool for facility owners to measure and track energy and water consumption, as well as GHG emissions.

A CIR (Credit Interpretation Ruling) is a formally submitted question regarding one credit or one prerequisite. Teams submit a CIR using LEED Online or using a standalone CIR form.

LEED Online is the tool used for documenting the project.

LEED Interpretation is a precedent-setting version of Credit Interpretation Rulings.

A negative feedback loop is a system in which the input received causes the system to lessen the output. In this case, the thermostat tells the system to stop running if a certain temperature threshold is reached. The rest of the options are examples of positive feedback loops, in which the input causes amplification of the output.

A LEED Building cannot be permanently vacant

LEED encourages the use of sustainable resources/materials that result in a high-performance building, with minimal life-cycle costs. An environmentally preferable purchasing policy would include materials that are durable and support the local economy.

Reusing materials or furnishings reduces the demand for new materials and thus preserves virgin resources.

An EPD outlines the effects a product has on the environment and people. A product may perform better in some environmental categories than others, as listed on the EPD. The EPD helps project teams compare products to choose those that do less harm.

Better acoustics do matter: research links poor acoustic performance to sleep disturbance, increased blood pressure and heart rates, and stress. In schools, where communication between students and teachers is the backbone of the learning process, good acoustic performance is essential. In healthcare, the acoustic environment affects patients’ privacy and recuperation.

The Minimum Acoustic Performance prerequisite applies to schools only, and addresses classrooms that facilitate teacher-to-student and student-to-student communication. The Acoustic Performance credit addresses both workspaces and classrooms.
To achieve this credit, there must be an appropriate acoustical distribution to facilitate the goals of the environment. Distribution of sound can be affected by acoustic insulation, building orientation and room geometry.

High efficiency toilets have a tremendous water savings compared to conventional flush fixtures. They decrease indoor water demand by decreasing the amount of water needed in the first place. The other options offset the potable water use, but do not reduce demand for water.

Material Safety Data Sheets are intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures to safely handle a product during fabrication, installation, or in a life-safety event. The information given in an MSDS is not a comprehensive disclosure of contents, nor does it fully address all potential health hazards that may be associated with a product.

The project area is the Total area within the legal property boundaries of the site; it encompasses all areas of the site, including constructed and nonconstructed areas

whereas

The project boundary is defined as a platted property line of the project defining land and water within it.

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

New versions of LEED cover the big changes that occur when the rating system gets overhauled every 3-4 years.

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

Continuous monitoring and ongoing commissioning of a building help maintain systems and optimize performance to keep emissions lower over time. Most systems will degrade over time—everything from a white roof to the HVAC system– increasingly raising a building’s emissions unless steps are taken for prevention.

Using an old building will significantly minimize the impact on the environment, as well as ensure existing infrastructure is in place.

Locating the project near public parking may reduce parking requirements, but this is does not contribute to environmental stewardship.

Parkland near basic services should be avoided as parkland should be treasured.

A previously undeveloped site is a greenfield and would not earn many points for environmental stewardship.

Green Globes is an online green building rating and certification tool that is used primarily in Canada and the USA.

BREEAM is one of Europe’s first environmental assessment methods for buildings and is based in the UK.

The Living Building Challenge is a green building rating system that has strict targets that must be met in order to achieve the certification. It is a yes or no system without points.

Green Seal is a non-profit environmental standard development and certification organization. Its Green Seal is an ecolabel used by product manufacturers and service providers. (Products & Services, not buildings)

ASHRAE seeks to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. The society develops and publishes technical standards to improve building services engineering, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainable development. (Standards, not buildings) They also have a building rating system known as ASHRAE 189.1

WaterSense is a U.S. EPA program designed to encourage water efficiency in the U.S. through the use of labels on consumer products. (Products, not buildings)

Waste-to-energy is “the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery.” It works fine if strict air guidelines are followed, and will usually not take place on-site.

Approaching certification using an integrative process gives the project team the greatest chance of success. The process includes three phases: discovery, design and construction (implementation), and occupancy, operations, and performance feedback. During the discovery phase, the team must understand the system interactions.

USGBC member committees develop the LEED rating system via a robust consensus process that has been refined since its inception. The key elements of the LEED rating systems are:
• A consensus process that has a balanced and transparent committee structure
• Technical Advisory Groups to ensure scientific consistency and rigor
• Opportunities for stakeholder comment and review
• Member ballot of new rating systems and certain changes to existing rating systems
• A fair and open appeals process
The marketplace drives LEED’s success through professionals who form the volunteer committees, as well as the demand from consumers. Demand for LEED Certified projects has grown tremendously with the increasing popularity of environmentally sustainable design and practices.

Dishwasher water is usually considered blackwater and thus it cannot be reused anywhere in most jurisdictions.

Manhattan is a dense area and developing within its limits saves land elsewhere for farmland and wildlife.

The location of windows determines the amount of daylighting and energy usage. You may think that maximizing the windows on the south façade is the correct answer, but that does not address the energy usage.

You should recognize the 2 standards, which are good for LEED. FSC-certified paper products are environmentally preferable because they reduce the demand for virgin resources. Purchasing food locally supports the local economy and reduces transportation emmissions. Computers and equipment that are ENERGY STAR-rated are more energy efficient, using less energy overall and entering sleep mode when not in use.

Net-zero energy projects use no more energy from the electrical grid than can be produced from on-site renewable energy systems.

Process energy generally comes from equipment that is plugged into a wall outlet (it has a plug load). Examples of process energy include:
• Major Computers or Servers
• Elevators and escalators (these don’t have regular plugs, but are considered process energy for LEED)
• Washers and dryers
• Office equipment
• Kitchen stoves
• Kitchen refrigerators

Non-process, or regulated energy, generally includes built-in building components:
• Interior and exterior lighting (parking garage, security, landscape, architectural)
• HVAC (heating, cooling, fans, pumps)
• Hot water heating
• Toilet exhaust
• Parking garage ventilation

SMACNA (EQc3) guidelines are used for some LEED credits in the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category.

The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) has a set of indoor air quality guidelines that are used to help manage air quality issues resulting from construction and renovation.

The control measures and quality guidelines from SMACNA need to be followed during construction to minimize indoor air quality issues.

This question asks for the categories, not the actual uses. There are five categories of use-types:
• Food retail
• Community-serving retail
• Services
• Civic and community facilities
• Community anchor uses

The Integrative Process (IP) is essential to LEED. The IP allows for reduced costs for LEED projects and green building in general, by promoting collaboration among key stakeholders early on in the design phase. Design changes become increasingly expensive as a project progresses, and the IP encourages issues to be solved earlier on. When green building is, instead, an add-on to the traditional construction process, costs are higher.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service keeps a list of threatened and endangered species.

The NatureServe Heritage Program classifies species and ecological communities under different ratings.

The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines prime farmland.

The U.S. EPA Land Trust Alliance is used for site development—to protect or restore habitat in order to know what land to finance.

US EPA ECO-regions is used for site development

FEMA defines floodplains.

LEED v4 Sample Credit Forms: http://www.usgbc.org/sampleforms.

LEED does not reward for a project for being located near existing utilities in general. A project can be rewarded for being located near existing infrastructure, but not for being located near other utilities such as existing sewers or power.

These are examples of source reduction and space-efficient strategies that an urban planner would recommend for a Neighbourhood Development project.

Indoor water use may require occupancy calculations to determine the baseline and design case usage. The need for bicycle parking and showers is also dependent on the occupancy levels.

Each BD+C rating system has 8 credit categories: Location and Transportation (LT); Sustainable Sites (SS); Water Efficiency (WE); Energy and Atmosphere (EA); Materials and Resources (MR); Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ); Innovation (IN); and Regional Priority (RP). Even though it has 1 credit and 1 prerequisite, the Integrative Process (IP) is not included as a credit category.

For the Building Lifecycle Impact Reduction category (MRc1-Building Reuse), points are awarded for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. The historic building is renovated to serve a different purpose, while maintaining the existing structure, envelope, and interior non-structural elements.
The High Priority Sites category (LTc3) encourages the redevelopment of “undesirable” sites, such as historic districts, through decontamination, gentrification, or preservation.

Promoting quality transit encourages people to ditch their cars and long commutes in favour of taking transit.

A prescriptive-based approach requires that each component be built to a certain standard (e.g., wall R-value at least 20). A performance-based approach requires that the building as a whole perform to a certain standard (e.g., uses less energy than the same building built to prescriptive standards).
For example, there are two different paths to satisfy energy efficiency. The prescriptive path is simpler and can be achieved without the aid of software to measure the usage, as the standards have already been established. The performance path is more complicated, but can result in substantial savings.

Within the past few years there has been a shift to more performance-based approaches to comply with codes, standards, legislation, and voluntary green initiatives. The shift is away from the attributes of individual materials, and toward system or assembly attributes.

Air intakes should be located near fresh air sources and away from exhaust or smoking areas.