Pass the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) LEED-AP-BD+C Questions and answers with CertsForce

According to the LEED v4: Building Design and Construction Guide, an integrated, whole-building approach is a process that requires collaboration and communication among all project team members and stakeholders throughout all phases of a project, from pre-design to occupancy and operations. The goal of this approach is to optimize the environmental and human health performance of a building as a whole, rather than focusing on individual components or systems1.

One of the benefits of an integrated, whole-building approach is that it allows the project team to identify and evaluate the interrelationships and trade-offs among various design strategies and decisions, and to optimize the synergies and minimize the conflicts among them1. For example, increasing the size of a glazed opening on the south facing wall may have implications for the daylighting, solar heat gain, thermal comfort, energy use, and mechanical system design of the building2. Therefore, the team members who are first affected by this change are the mechanical engineers, who are responsible for designing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the building, and ensuring that it meets the thermal comfort and energy performance requirements of the project3. The mechanical engineers may need to adjust the size, type, and location of the HVAC equipment, ductwork, and controls, as well as perform energy modeling and analysis to evaluate the impact of the change on the building’s energy consumption and emissions3. The mechanical engineers may also need to coordinate with the architects, lighting designers, and other team members to ensure that the change does not compromise the other design goals and criteria of the project3.

The Indoor Air Quality Assessment credit under LEED v4.1 BD+C rating system (Building Design and Construction) seeks to establish better quality indoor air in the building after construction and during occupancy. The credit provides two options for compliance, which cannot be combined1. Therefore, Indoor Environmental Quality test results would be required for credit compliance.

Detailed Explanation:

ISO 14040/44 LCA information is not a substitute for an EPD in LEED documentation. To meet the requirements of the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization credit, an EPD must comply with specific LEED-recognized standards. If the manufacturer cannot provide an EPD, the project team should consider sourcing a comparable product from another manufacturer that has an EPD to maintain compliance.

If a transporter lacks chain-of-custody (CoC) certification for certified wood products, the design team should recalculate the percentage of certified wood and classify the affected wood as non-certified (B). This approach follows LEED's requirements for accurate reporting on certified materials. LEED requires all certified wood to maintain CoC certification from the forest to the project site, so any deviation affects credit calculations. Submitting a CIR (A) isn’t needed as the LEED rules are clear on this matter, and removal (D) may not be feasible or cost-effective.

The Location and Transportation (LT) Credit: Bicycle Facilities requires short-term bicycle storage to be within 100 feet (30 meters) of a main entrance to ensure convenient access for visitors or short-term users. This credit encourages alternative transportation methods by making bicycle storage easily accessible, thereby reducing vehicular dependency. Other locations like bicycle networks or shower rooms may be relevant for long-term storage or end-of-trip facilities but are not specifically mandated for short-term storage.

Tidal-based electrical production is eligible for the Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Renewable Energy Production. This credit rewards projects that use renewable energy systems to offset building energy cost. According to the LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide, renewable energy systems are defined as “those that use resources that are naturally replenished within a 100-year or shorter cycle and that are greenhouse gas neutral on an annual basis” 1. Tidal-based electrical production meets this definition, as it uses the kinetic energy of the tides to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. The other options are not eligible for this credit, as ground-source heat pumps are not considered renewable energy systems, municipal solid waste combustion is not greenhouse gas neutral, and passive solar and daylighting strategies do not offset building energy cost.

Using economizer strategies (A) can offset the additional energy required to increase ventilation. Economizers allow the HVAC system to bring in cooler outdoor air when conditions permit, thus reducing mechanical cooling needs. This method aligns with LEED’s goals for energy efficiency while maintaining indoor air quality. High MERV filters (B) may increase energy usage due to airflow resistance, and reducing duct size (D) can limit airflow efficiency, counteracting ventilation improvements.

According to the LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction1, the Integrative Process Prerequisite, Integrative Project Planning and Design, requires the project to assemble an integrated project team that includes at least four key project team members, in addition to the owner or owner’s representative. The key project team members are those who have the authority and responsibility to make design decisions and implement them during construction. The integrated project team should include professionals from different disciplines, such as architecture, engineering, landscape, interior design, construction, commissioning, operations, and maintenance. The integrated project team should collaborate throughout the project phases, from discovery to occupancy, to achieve the project goals and optimize the building performance.

Healthcare projects are required to consider the perimeter floor area instead of the regularly occupied floor area under the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Daylight calculations. This is because healthcare projects have different daylighting needs and challenges than other project types, and the perimeter area is more likely to have access to natural light and views. The perimeter floor area is defined as the regularly occupied spaces within 15 feet (4.5 meters) of the exterior wall that meets the minimum glazing requirements. References:

LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p. 6021

LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p. 362

This option requires the project to calculate the contributing value of the fixture by multiplying the cost of the fixture by the percentage of recycled content by weight1. Since the shades are 10% of the overall weight of the fixture and are 50% post-consumer recycled content, the contributing value of the fixture is:

$1,500 x 10% x 50% = $75