Pass the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) LEED-Green-Associate Questions and answers with CertsForce

 Life-cycle costing is an economic analysis method that considers all costs associated with an asset over its entire life cycle, from acquisition and installation to operation, maintenance, and disposal. In this case, the building manager is comparing the total costs of owning and operating two different boilers over their respective lifetimes. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

The amount of landfill-destined waste generated during project construction can be reduced by requiring the general contractor to follow requirements for using dimensional construction materials, prefabrication or material efficient framing. These methods reduce the amount of material waste by minimizing cutting, fitting, and trimming on site, and by using standardized or modular components that can be easily reused or recycled. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the strategies for achieving materials and resources efficiency is to “reduce construction waste through efficient framing techniques” [1, p. 15]. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Reducing Construction Waste | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]

Developing a construction purchasing policy is a strategy that promotes sustainable purchasing during construction. A construction purchasing policy is a document that outlines the criteria and requirements for selecting materials, products, and services that have lower environmental impacts and support human health during construction. A construction purchasing policy can address issues such as recycled content, regional materials, certified wood, low-emitting materials, rapidly renewable materials, durability, life cycle assessment, waste reduction, and indoor air quality. The other options are not strategies that promote sustainable purchasing during construction. Specifying green electronic equipment is relevant for operations purchasing, not construction purchasing. Reducing regional materials expense by 10% does not necessarily imply sustainable purchasing, as regional materials may have higher or lower environmental impacts depending on their source and transportation methods. Implementing an erosion and sedimentation plan is a strategy that protects water quality during construction, but does not address sustainable purchasing. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 24; USGBC, [Guide to LEED Certification: Commercial], page 12.

The LEED Pilot Credit Library is a collection of new credits that are being tested for potential inclusion in future versions of LEED1. The purpose of the library is to allow projects to experiment with innovative strategies and provide feedback to USGBC on their effectiveness, feasibility, and market readiness2. The library also helps USGBC to respond to evolving environmental issues and stakeholder needs2.

An existing LEED certified building located on a college campus is eligible for LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance; Existing Buildings (LEED O+M: EB). This rating system applies to existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction. It focuses on measuring and improving the performance of building operations and maintenance practices in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, indoor environmental quality, transportation, and occupant satisfaction. To be eligible for LEED O+M: EB, a project must meet certain minimum program requirements (MPRs), such as having a reasonable site boundary, being in a permanent location on existing land, being fully operational and occupied for at least one year prior to certification application, and complying with environmental laws and regulations. References: LEED certificationfor existing buildings and spaces6; Maintaining certification7; LEED v4: Building Operations + Maintenance Guide4

Social responsibility is one of the factors that contribute to the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line is a framework that measures the performance of an organization or a project based on three dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. Social responsibility refers to the ethical obligation of an organization or a project to consider the impacts of its decisions and actions on society and stakeholders, such as employees, customers, communities, and future generations. The other options are not factors that contribute to the triple bottom line. Global security is a broad concept that encompasses various aspects of international relations, such as peace, human rights, justice, and cooperation. Project balance sheet is a financial statement that summarizes the assets, liabilities, and equity of a project at a given point in time. Green metrics and verification are tools and methods that quantify and validate the environmental performance of a project or a product. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 31; USGBC [LEED v4 Impact Category: Triple Bottom Line], page 1.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, space heating accounted for about 32% of energy use for all U.S. commercial buildings in 2018, followed by ventilation and lighting, each at about 10%1. Space heating is the largest single energy end use in U.S. office buildings as well2.

Use of energy in commercial buildings - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)1

DataTrends: Energy Use in Office Buildings | ENERGY STAR2

A wind turbine is a source of green power, which is electricity generated from renewable sources that have low or zero greenhouse gas emissions. A wind turbine converts the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical power, which can then be used to generate electricity. Wind power is a clean, abundant, and sustainable form of energy that does not produce air pollution or contribute to climate change. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wind power accounted for about 8.4% of the total U.S. electricity generation in 2020. The other options are not sources of green power, as they either rely on fossil fuels or nuclear energy, which have significant environmental and social impacts. Clean coal is a term used to describe technologies that aim to reduce the emissions and waste from burning coal, but it is still a carbon-intensive and polluting source of energy. Nuclear fission is a process that splits atoms to release energy, but it also produces radioactive waste that poses long-term health and safety risks. Natural gas captured by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process that injects water, chemicals, and sand into underground rock formations to release natural gas, but it also causes water contamination, air pollution, and seismic activity. References: LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p. 347 1; [U.S. Department of Energy website]

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]

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is the approach that refers to the identification and quantification of environmental effects throughout the life of the materials and products used in a project as well as the project itself. LCA evaluates the environmental impacts of a product, process, or service from cradle to grave, or from raw material extraction to disposal or reuse. LCA considers various impact categories, such as global warming potential, ozone depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, smog formation potential, and human health impacts. LCA can help to compare the environmental performance of different design options, select more sustainable materials and products, and reduce the environmental footprint of a project