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?
Correct Answer: B
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. Reference: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources
Question 87
In an effort to preserve the aquatic habitat and natural stream morphology of a fresh-water stream located downstream of a project boundary, one should consider which of the following strategies?
Correct Answer: B
Explanation impervious surfaces are those that do not allow water to infiltrate into the soil, such as asphalt, concrete, roofs, or compacted soil. Impervious surfaces increase the amount and speed of stormwater runoff, which can cause erosion, sedimentation, flooding, and pollution of downstream water bodies. Minimizing impervious surfaces can help reduce these negative impacts and preserve the aquatic habitat and natural stream morphology12. Native vegetation is the plant life that is adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Native vegetation can help filter pollutants, stabilize soils, reduce runoff, provide shade, and create habitat for wildlife. Enhancing native vegetation can help restore the natural functions and diversity of the ecosystem and protect the aquatic habitat and natural stream morphology13. Rainwater is the precipitation that falls on the site. Rainwater can be captured and reused for various purposes, such as irrigation, toilet flushing, or cooling. Capturing and reusing rainwater can help reduce potable water demand, decrease stormwater runoff, and prevent flooding and pollution of downstream water bodies. Capturing and reusing rainwater can help conserve water resources and protect the aquatic habitat and natural stream morphology1 . These strategies are consistent with the LEED v4 requirements for the Sustainable Sites credit category, which aims to protect and restore habitat, manage stormwater, reduce heat island effects, and promote alternative transportation.
Question 88
A retail store is pursuing LEED for Interior Design and Construction certification. Which of the following strategies should be conducted first?
Correct Answer: D
A charrette is an intensive planning session where citizens, designers, and others collaborate on a vision for development. It provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique advantage of giving immediate feedback to the designers. More importantly, it allows everyone who participates to be a mutual author of the plan. This should be conducted first to ensure all stakeholders are aligned on the project goals and strategies before proceeding with detailed analyses or modeling. Reference: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources
Question 89
For benchmarking purposes, a baseline building performance is evaluated (by means of energy simul-ation model), as defined in
Correct Answer: D
Explanation 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 90
The use of native plant species, captured rainwater and evapotranspiration controllers are all strategies that contribute to